Taking Care of Reno (Remastered)
by Desha
Summary: It began with an unexpected sick day... and turned into an adventure in friendship and family. Exploring the relationship between the Turks, with emphasis on Reno and Elena. This is a heavily updated version of the original Taking Care of Reno series.
1. It Starts

**Taking Care or Reno – Chapter 1: It Starts…**

 **by Desha**

 ** _ **Author's Note:**_** _The Taking Care of Reno series was my first foray into the world of fan fiction, the first chapter having been written over 14 years ago while I was still in college. It's still a series that is very dear to me, so I've decided to update the older entries to reflect my current, hopefully more matured, writing style, add more to the character development, as well as clean up a few minor things that, frankly, didn't make much sense in order to improve the continuity between chapters. Some chapters have been almost entirely rewritten... others just have added scenes and dialog. But the main plot remains the same. I've chosen to leave the old versions up for comparison, rather than simply overwriting them, but from this point forward, any new chapters will be added here._

 _It should also be noted that most of this was written long before Before Crisis was a thing. Some of the later chapters do make brief reference to it, as information was just starting to come out about the game at the time, but on the whole, it's AU from Before Crisis, and will stay that way. I do plan to keep things cannon to the original FFVII and Advent Children, however._

 _Please review and let me know what you think. Knowing people are still reading this series is what motivated me to update it in the first place. :)_

* * *

It was early Tuesday morning. So early, in fact, that Tseng was moderately surprised to find that Rude had beaten him into the office today. It was rare he didn't walk in to find the entire floor empty. His subordinate seemed so engrossed in whatever was on his computer monitor, the leader of the Turks wasn't entirely certain he'd even noticed his arrival. He strode up behind him, and glanced over Rude's shoulder.

"Anything important?" he asked, a little louder than strictly necessary. Not so much as a flinch from the other man. So he had been noticed... just not acknowledged. Tseng shook his head, unconcerned. Rude was a man of few words.

"Not really," he answered, "Just starting to get behind."

Tseng could relate. Few people realized just how detailed the records the Turks kept actually were. Incident reports tended to pile up quickly if one failed to keep on top of them. And of course, it was far too easy to _not_ keep on top of them... everyone, from Tseng down to the new rookie, absolutely loathed them, even if they were a necessary evil. There was always a backlog.

The door to the Turks' main office squeaked slightly on its hinges, and Tseng made a mental note to notify maintenance about that, as he half-turned his gaze at the morning's next arrival. If he had been only moderately surprised to see Rude in early, seeing Reno walk in nearly an hour before he was officially almost late was a veritable shock to the system.

And when Reno staggered and leaned against the door frame for support, Tseng sighed, forcing himself not to roll his eyes. Rude glanced up briefly from the report he was working on, but upon seeing the state his partner was in, wisely said nothing. Gone were his usual goggles, replaced with sunglasses... which were over his eyes rather than perched atop his head, leaving his hair far more unkempt than usual, with stray locks hanging haphazardly over his face.

"Rough night?," Tseng asked, less than pleased, as he folded his arms across his chest.

Reno swiped absently at one particularly annoying strand of hair, wincing in response to both the very obvious annoyance that underlaid his boss's tone, and the relentless throbbing in his temples that seemed to amplify Tseng's voice tenfold. 'What in the nine hells possessed me to get out of bed this morning?' Reno thought, desperately trying to ignore the splitting headache long enough to deflect Tseng's wrath.

"Not exactly..." the younger Turk began, mumbling the words, and then promptly collapsed at Tseng's feet. 'Right...' Tseng thought, with uncharacteristic sarcasm. It didn't take years of Turk training to deduce what Reno had been up to last night, and Tseng was _not_ happy about it. Reno knew better than to put himself into such a state when he was expected at work the next morning. Upon hearing the thud of his partner hitting the floor, Rude looked up again. Tseng just shook his head, as if to say 'I'll handle it'. Rude shrugged and went back to his work.

The idea of simply leaving Reno right where he lay briefly entered Tseng's mind, but he decided against it. The Turks' headquarters within the Shinra Building received few visitors, but those who did venture into their domain tended to be of the high-ranking variety. Picturing the image – and the fallout – that such a scene would put forward was enough to convince him to move his miscreant of a second-in-command somewhere less... publicly visible... where he could finish sleeping off what Tseng suspected to be the results of last night's barhopping. Silently rehearsing the lecture he was going to give Reno when he woke up, he rolled him onto his back none too gently.

Tseng was so intent on carting him off to the archives room – where there was virtually no chance of anyone stumbling upon him – he very nearly failed to notice just how pale his lieutenant really was this morning. Granted, Reno was naturally very fair-skinned, like most redheads tended to be, but something was definitely off... Today his pallor was downright ghostly. A night of binge drinking wouldn't do that… not to Reno at any rate. His tolerance to alcohol was almost legendary around the Shinra Building; a reputation that Tseng had long ago learned first-hand was well-deserved, bordering on inhuman.

Almost reflexively, he placed the back of his hand against Reno's forehead, frowning as he found it to be unusually warm. His previous annoyance now replaced with a nagging sense of concern, Tseng lifted him from the floor, eliciting a soft groan from Reno, and set him down on the couch that sat against one wall of the office.

"Reno?" he ventured, lifting the sunglasses from Reno's face and wondering just how out of it the younger man was. Now that Tseng was paying closer attention, he had to admit... he certainly looked terrible. Reno shifted slightly and turned away from him, curling up on his side, facing the back of the couch.

"Mmm... Five more minutes…" came the slurred reply. Tseng shook him lightly by the shoulder and Reno's eyes slowly fluttered open as he turned back toward Tseng.

"Something wrong?" asked Rude from across the room. His report seemed to have been abandoned in favor of observing this new development. His ever-present shades masked his expression, but Tseng could hear the note of tension in his voice. Rude could be incredibly protective... in his own way... and he and Reno had been close friends for years. Tseng was just preparing to respond when the door to the room opened, admitting their newest member. While still a probationary Turk – and with quite a lot still to learn – Elena was well on her way to becoming a valued member of the team, having been promoted out of Shinra's recruitment program a few short weeks ago.

"Good morning, sir," she all but sang out, smiling at Tseng, "Morning Rude…" Her smile faded slightly as she caught sight of Reno lying on the couch. "What happened to him?"

Tseng was spared from having to answer that question right away as Reno managed to find enough energy to sit up just long enough to glare at her... before immediately falling back onto the cushions, panting softly from the effort. 'Great... now the rookie's here. Dammit, I should have just stayed in bed,' he thought.

"He's sick, Elena," Tseng supplied for him, noting with some concern that that small action seemed to have used up any reserves Reno may have had. He had also begun to shiver slightly, and droplets of sweat beaded his forehead. That was all Tseng needed to see to make up his mind. "Do us all a favor and take him home."

Elena positively beamed. 'He asked me to do him a favor… me!' she thought to herself. For weeks she had been striving to make an impression on her new commanding officer... striving and apparently failing – due in no small part to a certain redhead's constant criticism and snarky commentary. Now was her chance.

"Y-yes, sir." she replied, doing her best to sound confident all while glancing at Reno's unfocused, fever-bright eyes and pale complexion, and wondering just how she was supposed to accomplish that. Much to her relief, Tseng had apparently already thought of that, and solved the minor dilemma for her, gently hefting Reno into his arms and carrying him toward the door. Elena hurried to follow, waving a silent good-bye to Rude before the door closed behind her.

Reno let his head hang limply over Tseng's arm, too fascinated by the wall panels that seemed to be moving past him of their own accord to worry about just how craptastic he felt at the moment. "Hey Tseng… The walls are movin'…" he drawled tiredly as he tried to lift his head... but that only seemed make the pounding and throbbing worse, so he quickly laid back and closed his eyes.

"Just relax, Reno… Elena's going to take you home to rest. What on earth were you thinking even coming in today?" he lightly chastised the younger man.

"Fuck if I know..." Reno managed, with awkward shrug, before lapsing into silence. By the time they reached Elena's car, Reno was asleep again, and still shivering. Tseng took care arranging him in the passenger's seat.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious. Reno virtually never gets sick. However... I'm not certain I like the idea of leaving him on his own in this condition. He seems slightly delirious," he paused, considering his options. "Elena... I realize it's somewhat outside the scope of your duties... and that you're really not very well-acquainted with Reno as yet," Tseng said, closing the car door, "But would you mind staying with him? I'd do it myself if I could, but I'm afraid I'm needed here today... especially with Reno indisposed."

"Y-yes sir… I mean no, sir… I-I mean... I'd be happy to stay with him, sir," she replied, annoyed at her own stammering... but she hadn't expected that. She stomach twisted nervously over the unusual request, but she smiled slightly at the thought of Tseng asking her instead of just ordering her. How could she say no – even if it _was_ a man who seemed to live to make her life hell that she was being saddled with?

Tseng nodded, and, she thought, looked somewhat relieved. "I'll stop by to check in later if I get a chance," he said before casting a final glance at his second and disappearing back into the Shinra Building, leaving Elena to look after her ailing teammate. She climbed behind the wheel pulling up directions to Reno's apartment on her GPS. She had been given contact information and addresses for each of her fellow-Turks in case of emergency, but had never had cause to actually visit any of them at home.

She sighed in resignation as Reno's limp form ended up pressed against her after every right hand turn. 'Why'd it have to be you, though,' she thought, a little unkindly. Reno had been making her life difficult from the moment she'd been promoted to probationary status. He seemed to find fault with everything she did – though she grudgingly had to admit that _sometimes_ he did have a valid point. Still, he didn't have to be such an asshole about it. She was getting a little tired of being told that she talked too much... or worse, that she was "acting weak", which seemed to be one of his favorite insults. It wasn't so much that she thought he didn't like her personally... he could actually be quite friendly, if a little too casual in his comments, towards her when he felt like it. It was more that she got the distinct impression that Reno thought she didn't deserve to be a Turk; or at the very least wasn't fully convinced of her qualifications yet.

Her musings were interrupted as she suddenly realized that he was drooling on her shoulder.

"Eeeeeww… You'd better appreciate this, Reno," she muttered with no small amount of disgust, shoving him away and reminding herself that she was doing this because Tseng had personally asked her to... and she desperately wanted to earn a few bonus points with the Turk leader to make up for what she lacked in Reno's eyes. At last she turned into the parking lot of Reno's apartment complex. Finding a space near the entrance, she got out and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door.

"Come on… If you think I'm going to carry you up to your place, you've got another thing coming, mister," Elena said, poking Reno until his eyes opened. Reno groaned, sleepily glaring up at her.

"Home sweet home," she said, finally having his attention, "Let's go."

Reno slowly dragged himself to his feet, almost immediately stumbling as his head began to spin in protest. Elena gasped and grabbed hold of him before he could hit the ground, pulling his arm around her shoulders to support his weight, feeling the tremors that wracked his frame. She was a little surprised by just how light he was... She'd always thought he was kind of scrawny, but it was still a bit of a shock. Then again, Reno tended to rely on speed and agility over brute force... and no wonder. His whole body was built for it, and he seemed to have boundless energy. Usually.

Yet here she was, half-carrying him into the building. For the first time since seeing him in the office that morning, she felt a twinge of real worry for her compatriot. He may not have been her favorite person, but she certainly didn't want to see any harm come to him. Seeing Reno so insensate and listless was unheard of... it just felt wrong. Making her way to the elevator, she hit the button for the fifth floor.

By then Reno was already breathing somewhat harshly from the exertion. He let his head rest on Elena's shoulder, wanting nothing more than to crawl into the nearest bed and fall asleep for a very long time. A moment later, Elena was forced to take his full weight as his body went limp.

"Reno?!"

The only reply she received was a soft snore. She sighed, in both exasperation and relief that he'd simply fallen asleep again, and poked him hard in the ribs. Reno yelped.

"What'd ya do that for?" he asked drowsily, pouting as the elevator pinged and the doors slid open.

"Just come on." She guided him out of the elevator and down the hall, stopping at Reno's door… and then she realized, much to her chagrin, that she didn't have the keys... and mentally groaned as she realized how she was going to get them. She quickly shifted Reno's weight and leaned him up against the wall, running her hands over his body, checking his pockets.

"Heh… Never knew ya cared. Plannin' on strip searchin' me, too?" Reno murmured, his head lolling to one side, as Elena finally found what she was looking for.

"I-I... _n-no_ , sir," she stammered, trying to ignore the half-smirk that now graced his face, along with the heat the had risen in her own cheeks at the comment. She really hated it when he said things like that. Not that she was a prude, or anything... but he was _supposed_ to be her superior, and that was getting just a little too casual, in her opinion. She inserted the key into the lock and opened the door, maneuvering them both inside, looking around the apartment and shuddering. The man was a complete slob.

The cold, and possibly petrified, remnants of a pizza sat in an open pizza box on the couch. Discarded clothing seemed to mark a trail that led from the bedroom to the front door... or perhaps it was the other way around. Dishes were piled precariously in the sink in the small kitchenette, and the counter that separated it from the living room was littered with beer bottles and take-out wrappers… and she was relatively certain that she didn't even want to know why a pair of boxer shorts were slung over one of the blades of the ceiling fan. The bedroom, she discovered, was no better. She navigated Reno to the bed, pointedly _not_ looking down at whatever had just squished underfoot. Elena dropped him into the rumpled blankets, wondering how anyone in their right mind could live in such a disordered mess… _she_ couldn't stand it if she let the recycling pile up too long in its bin. Reno immediately pulled the blankets close, still shivering as he tried to bury himself under the covers.

Elena bit the inside of her check to prevent herself from laughing at the sight of Reno groping for something underneath the pillows and pulling out what looked like a bedraggled stuffed rabbit, hugging it to his chest. He was gradually becoming more and more tangled in the bedsheets, already half asleep. She tugged the shoes off his feet, and tried for his jacket as well but only managed to get hold of the electro mag-rod in the interior pocket, as he seemed intent on burrowing himself more deeply into the covers. Ultimately, she gave up trying to untwist him, tucking him into bed as best she could, and left him to get some much-needed rest.

"Ugh… This is disgusting," she said to herself as she looked around the living room, avoiding the worst of the mess. Surely not all single men lived like this... she couldn't picture Tseng, or even Rude, tolerating such a mess. She huffed in irritation, as the realization set in that she'd have to clean things up a bit just to find a relatively acceptable place to sit down. It was either that, or stand where she was, not moving and not touching anything for the next few hours.

Making her way into the kitchenette, she managed to find a roll of garbage bags stuffed underneath the sink. The beer bottles, wrappers, pizza, and countless other things that looked as though they should have had bio-hazard labels on them went into the bag. She shoved the clothes that littered the floor into a pile in the corner. She glanced upward, and then gave her confiscated mag-rod a flick, extending it to its full length before fishing the underwear down from the ceiling fan and flinging them onto the pile as well... for some reason, feeling supremely justified in using Reno's preferred weapon for that purpose. Finally Elena sat down on the couch and flipped on the TV, deciding that if Reno wanted the rest of his filth cleaned up, he could do it himself when he recovered.

* * *

Reno yawned and rubbed a hand over his eyes, grimacing at the greasy, sweaty feel of his own skin. 'Mmmmph… How long have I been out?' he wondered, rolling to one side and reaching a hand down alongside his bed to search for his alarm clock, finally unearthing it from beneath a discarded t-shirt. Two in the afternoon. He sat up, grateful that the splitting headache he'd woken up with that morning had been reduced to little more than a dull, throbbing pang behind his eyes. He stretched his arms over his head and arched his back, working out the stiffness his muscles had acquired from being in bed for the better part of a day.

A sudden sound from the other room startled him into alertness, and instinctively, he slid his hand under one of the pillows, fingers curling around the sidearm he kept there just in case of an emergency. He thumbed the safety off, and tensed his finger on the trigger.

The door to his bedroom slowly creaked open, and he laid back against the pillows with the intent of surprising the intruder.

"Er... Reno? Are you awake?" a familiar voice asked softly. Elena. Not a threat. He reset the safety, the soft click muffled from Elena's ears by the pillow, and released his grip on the gun as well as the breath he'd been holding.

"Yeah, 'Lena... I'm up," he replied. Reno wondered if she'd been ordered to stay with him. Tseng _did_ tend to be a bit of a mother hen at times – god help you if you ever pointed that out to him, though. He smirked slightly as he saw her frown at him. Elena absolutely hated it when he shortened her name like that, and he knew it. Which was why he did it as often as possible. Aggravating the rookie was one of the highlights of his day... more to the point, though, it gave him an idea of just how far she could be pushed, which, in their profession, was always good information to have.

"Well it's about time. You've been asleep all day. Um... Are you feeling any better?"

He sunk farther back into the pillows. 'Heh. Well... long as she's stuck here takin' care of me, I might as well enjoy it…' he thought.

"Ugh... Kinda..." Reno said with a slightly exaggerated whine.

* * *

Some time later, Reno found himself stretched out on the couch in his living room, contentedly flipping through the cable channels. He took a bite of the sandwich Elena had been kind enough to make for him, as he finally settled on the Chocobo Racing Network. A moment later, the door opened, and the rookie entered, holding a bag of groceries.

"They were out of sour cream and onion chips but I got everything else you wanted, Reno," she said, setting the bag down on the now-spotless counter. Thus far Reno'd manged to get her to not only clean most of his apartment, but also make him lunch, and do his shopping. He hadn't had any luck convincing her that she should do his laundry for him as well, but all in all, he felt that he'd managed to make the most of having Elena as an indentured servant for the day. 'I should get sick more often,' he mused silently.

"Thanks 'Lena," he replied in soft voice. He was keeping this act up for as long as she'd buy it. After all, it wasn't _his_ fault she was still a little gullible and naive, now was it? And it'd be a good lesson for her, to boot. Never take things at face value. "Hey 'Lena? Could you maybe rub my back for me? Please?"

Elena inwardly groaned. She'd been waiting on Reno hand and foot since he'd woken up... not to mention, she'd been biting her tongue on correcting his stupid nickname for her all day, something she would normally have gotten on his case about after awhile – not that it ever seemed to make a difference.

She was tired… no, forget tired. She was practically dead on her feet. Which hurt, by the way, seeing as she hadn't sat down for more than five minutes in hours. And to make matters worse, what had started as a minor headache an hour ago was rapidly approaching migraine levels. 'Tseng asked me to look after him…' she repeated to herself for the hundredth time that day, as she sighed and walked over to the couch. It had become something of a mantra. Reno grinned happily and rolled onto his stomach, and she gently began to knead her fingers into his shoulders. She desperately wished Reno would just fall asleep for awhile. She wanted so badly to lay down, even for just a few minutes… and she silently prayed she wasn't coming down with whatever Reno had.

A sharp knock on the door gave Elena an excuse to end Reno's backrub. As she stood up, a chill raced down her spine, and she wondered when it had gotten so cold in the apartment. She made her way to the door, opening it to find Tseng.

"Oh! H-hello sir," she said, glad to finally have some company other than Reno.

"Good evening, Elena… How's Reno?" he asked, eyes scanning the amazingly clean room – he'd never seen Reno's apartment in such order – before settling on the couch where Reno was now stretched out on his back, looking rather smug as he flipped through the TV channels… a look that quickly faded when he turned away from the television and noticed who was at the door. Reno sunk into the cushions, somehow doubting that Tseng was going to be as easy to fool as Elena had been.

"I see you're feeling better, Reno."

"Uh… Yeah, a little, I guess…" he said, as convincingly ill-sounding as he could manage. Tseng'd never buy it. The son of a bitch could see through a lie faster than anyone Reno had ever met. He was screwed.

"I see… Alright, you can cut the act now, Reno," Tseng replied, staring him down. Reno grinned sheepishly, and gave Tseng his best please-don't-hurt-me expression.

"ACT?!" Elena shrieked, a murderous look in her eyes, "This was all an act?!" She grabbed the nearest object, which fortunately for Reno, happened to be a throw pillow, because she then flung it at him full force, nailing him in the face.

"Hey, in my defense, I really was sick, ya know... this morning…" he protested, holding his newly-acquired pillow in front of him as a shield.

" _You_ … !" Elena growled, as she tried to run at him, but Tseng was faster, arms wrapping around her waist to prevent her from reaching him. She attempted to twist away, but between her single-minded fury and Tseng's higher level of experience, he held her fast. "Let me go, sir… You have no idea what my day has been like… I'm going to _kill_ him!"

"Calm down, Elena," said Tseng, slightly taken aback by the venom in her tone. What had Reno done to warrant that, he wondered. After a moment the irate woman stopped struggling. Elena glared at Reno, suddenly not having the energy to do anything more. Yelling had only made her headache worse. Fighting Tseng's grip on her had sapped what strength she had left. And seriously... this apartment was like a damn meat locker! She silently conceded defeat, ignoring the fact that her eyes were slowly closing.

"Elena?" Tseng's voice prodded, jarring her back to reality. She snapped to attention, cheeks flushing in embarrassment as she suddenly realized that she'd been leaning back against the Turk leader.

"I-I'm sorry sir… I'm just a little tired…" She felt herself being steered towards the couch… heard Tseng order Reno to move… and was set down on the soft cushions. A cool hand rested lightly on her forehead.

"She alright?" asked Reno. Elena thought she must really be out of it. Reno actually sounded a little worried.

"I'm guessing she's come down with the same thing you had this morning…" Tseng replied, looking pointedly at his subordinate. Reno had the good sense to look appropriately chastised, as Tseng continued., "Since she spent the day taking care of you… and I hesitate to ask just what you've had her doing all day… it seems only fair that you should return the favor. Tomorrow."

"What? Whoa, wait just a minute, boss. She probably won't even be sick by tomorrow morning… I was over this in a matter of hours!" Reno protested.

"I'm not giving you a choice Reno… I'm ordering you to do it. You took advantage, and now you get to reap the consequences. I was, of course, going to stipulate that any punishment inflicted does not result in serious injury – but if you'd prefer to simply deal with Elena directly..." Tseng replied, lips curving into what was an almost sadistic smile as he let the sentence hang, "However... If that's your choice, I feel I should remind you of Elena's score on her marksmanship qualification. As I recall, she not only beat _your_ record, she also beat _mine_."

"Yes, sir. Slave for a day. Got it," Reno sighed, noting the smirk on Elena's face as she fell asleep on his couch. 'That's it… I'm never getting sick again,' he thought, as he shuddered, imagining what was in store for him come tomorrow.

-fin-


	2. Elena's Revenge

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 2: Elena's Revenge**

 **by Desha**

She'd been only faintly aware of strong arms carrying her through the dark, and distant voices whose words she couldn't make out. Then, everything was softness and warmth, familiar scents, and silence. Elena woke in her own bed with no recollection of how she came to be there. Slowly, as wakefulness returned, memory began to filter through from the hazy depths of her mind. And with memory, also came righteous indignation.

"Reno..." she growled softly, sitting up in bed. That jerk. Now she remembered. He'd had her running in circles, doing everything for him all day yesterday, like a trained moogle. She'd cooked for him... she'd cleaned for him – Elena briefly shuddered at that particular memory – and to top it all off, he'd gotten _her_ sick as well... _and_ embarrassed her in front of Tseng. She punched a fist into her pillow.

"Awake, I see," said a voice from the doorway, and Elena nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Apologies," Tseng added, stepping into the room, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"S-sir..?" she squeaked out, blinking in confusion, and subtly pulling the covers up over her pajamas... which she realized belatedly that she hadn't been wearing the last time she'd seen the Turk leader. Which meant that Tseng must have... Oh. She was grateful the room was still in shadows at such an early hour, because she was certain she must have turned an impressive shade of pink at that realization.

"I brought you home last night," he replied, "I thought it best to stay until you were feeling more yourself again. Whatever Reno gave you hit you pretty hard. You were a bit... out of it."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that," she said, forcing down the awkwardness she felt... though by rights, it shouldn't have bothered her. Even recruits were taught that Turks couldn't afford excessive modesty. If you were captured, stripped naked and forced to fight your way out, you shouldn't even have to think twice about it. Still, though...

It took her a moment to realize that she'd drifted off into her own thoughts, and now Tseng was speaking again.

"... giving you the day off. Reno will be here at eight sharp, and you have my permission to do with him as you see fit. Provided, of course, that he returns to work tomorrow in one piece, and preferably without any permanent psychological damage."

"Sir? _I_ get to decide what Reno's punishment is?" she asked, wide-eyed, not certain she'd actually heard him correctly. Tseng chuckled softly.

"Yes, Elena... You are the injured party in this instance, and so it seems only fair that you exact a certain level of restitution. And frankly, Reno deserves it for taking advantage of you like that. I expect better of him. I trust you find that agreeable?"

"Yes, sir," she said, allowing a grin to spread over her face. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Then I'll leave you to it," Tseng stated, as he turned to go, "... A word of advice. Reno is under orders to obey you, and he _will_ do so. As much as he may act to the contrary, he's earned his position in the Turks and respects the chain of command. But that doesn't mean he won't try and convince you otherwise. Don't let him."

"I won't, sir."

"Good," he replied, "I'll let myself out."

With that, he was gone, leaving Elena to her thoughts. Moments later, she was out of bed, and rushing to dress and prepare. An entire day to exact revenge on Reno? She had some planning to do... and an errand to run before Reno arrived. Revenge was going to be sweet.

* * *

"Good morning, _sir_..." Elena addressed the Turks second-in-command as she ushered him into her living room at promptly eight in the morning. Reno glowered at her. What had he done to deserve this? Ok, sure... he'd taken things a little too far yesterday. And he definitely felt bad about having pushed her so hard knowing now that she'd been getting sick towards the end of the day. He wouldn't have done that if he'd realized sooner. But really? Making him her slave for a day as payback? That seemed a bit much.

"Let's just get this over with, 'Lena," he groused. He really didn't like the look she was giving him.

"Absolutely," she said with a smile, "And it's Elena. You will call me by my right name for the rest of the day."

"Fine. Elena."

"Much better... now... put this on," Elena added, thrusting a department store bag into Reno's hands. She'd made a special trip as soon as she was presentable this morning. Reno rolled his eyes and peered into the bag, suddenly blanching at its contents.

"No. No way in hell," he hissed. He tossed the bag onto the couch and folded his arms stubbornly across his chest.

* * *

"I hate you," said Reno, "I really do." He gave the filly, high-cut black skirt of the maid's uniform a sharp tug down in a desperate attempt to show a little less thigh. He failed miserably. "I really, _really_ hate you."

Elena just smiled and straightened the lacy white apron.

"I think you look adorable," she replied, looking him over. She was quite proud of herself. The look on Reno's face when he realized what it was had been too perfect. And just as Tseng had assured her he would, he ultimately obeyed her order – under protest – which had made it even sweeter. Smothering a laugh, she handed him a pair of three-inch heels to go with the outfit. Reno scowled and snatched them from her hands, making a point of not even attempting to hide how he felt about this new humiliation as he put the shoes on.

"Here," said Elena, thrusting a toothbrush into Reno's hand, "You can start in the kitchen." He muttered something Elena was pretty sure was rather unflattering under his breath, and stormed – or at least came as close to storming as he could in three-inch heels... he wobbled several times during the short journey, and pointedly ignored the snickering coming from across the room – into the kitchen and dropped to his knees next to the bucket of soapy water she'd left there for him.

'Shoulda just told Tseng to let her shoot me. God, this is going to take all fucking day,' Reno seethed, mashing the bristles of the toothbrush hard into the tile in irritation. Elena's apartment was already spotless, from his point of view… This was the very definition of petty.

Worse than the pettiness itself, however, was that Tseng had actually given her permission to inflict this level of pettiness on him. Tseng had been ticked at him last night, to put it mildly. He'd gotten quite the lecture on violation of trust and treating the rookie like he had when her integration into the team was largely his responsibility. And then there was Rude... If he found out about any of this, he'd never let him live it down.

Reno stood, muttering curses under his breath, and picked up the bucket. He staggered to the next section of floor, fighting to maintain his balance in the shoes. 'How the fuck do women walk in these things?!' he asked himself as he nearly rolled his ankle.

* * *

At last he was finished. Every inch of tile had tasted his toothbrush-wielding wrath, and the toothbrush itself had been reduced to little more than stick. His knees ached terribly from having been crawling around the kitchen for the last four hours. Reno had to grip the counter to hoist himself to his feet. He gingerly walked out of the kitchen, using the wall as a support, as, between the ache in his legs and the damned shoes, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't end up sprawled on the floor. He found Elena curled up in a chair, reading a book.

"I'm done. Can I take this off now, 'Lena?" he asked gesturing to the outfit he wore. Elena glared at him. "Elena," he quickly corrected himself.

"Nope," she replied, lowering her gaze back to her book, and holding out a feather duster. Reno snatched it, and Elena grinned wickedly at the string of muttered profanities as he made his way over to one of the bookcases in the living room and began dusting. She peered over the top of the book and watched him. He looked utterly miserable. 'Good,' she thought.

Reno, meanwhile was beginning to wonder just how badly he'd underestimated the rookie. She had certainly never struck him as especially vindictive. He'd had her pegged as the type who was mostly willing to suffer in silence instead of standing up for herself – which, incidentally, was something he'd fully intended to train her out of as quickly as possible. Now he was seriously starting to reconsider his initial impression.

He had only been at his latest task a few minutes when a loud knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Answer that, would you Reno," Elena called out from the chair.

"What?! Forget it!" Elena fixed him with a cold stare. 'Goddammit, Tseng...' he cursed silently.

"Fine," he hissed through clenched teeth, "Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll be the friendly neighborhood serial killer."

He teetered only slightly in the shoes as he moved toward the door, wondering if it was a good thing or a very, very bad thing that he was actually starting to get the hang of walking in these abominations. With a sigh of resignation, he twisted the knob and yanked open the door.

"Tseng!" he yelped in surprise, as he met the visitor's gaze briefly before instinct took over and he attempted to dart behind the door. Not that it was going to do him a damn bit of good. The Turk leader had undoubtedly already gotten an eyeful. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite as accustomed to the shoes as he'd thought. Reno felt his ankle twist painfully in the wrong direction, as he suddenly found himself falling face first onto the carpet. Tseng stepped casually into Elena's apartment, carefully avoiding Reno's prone form.

"I see you're not having any trouble with him," he said as Elena set her book aside and rose from her chair to greet him.

"No, sir… No trouble at all," she replied.

"Oh, don't worry about _me_ … I'm just _fine_ , everyone… _Really_ …" Reno snarked from his position on the floor, his voice muffled by the carpet. Elena bit her lower lip so as not to begin a fit of laughter she couldn't stop. Reno remained motionless on the floor, deciding he was more comfortable now than he'd been since this Ifrit-forsaken day had begun.

"Indeed…" said Tseng, ignoring Reno's sarcasm with an amused smile, "I just thought I'd check in and see how things were going. It seems you have things well in hand, Elena."

"T-thank you, sir," she replied, somewhat flustered by the compliment. Tseng reached down and helped Reno to his feet. Reno glared at the pair for a moment before wordlessly limping back over to the shelves to resume his dusting, rather than stand around being ridiculed. His ankle throbbed with every step, and the wobbly heels didn't help, but he ignored it.

"Try not to hurt him too badly, Elena… I want you both back on duty once Reno's learned his lesson," said Tseng.

"Yes, sir," Elena replied, nodding. Tseng gave a soft laugh and shook his head.

"Rude is going to regret not coming with me when I tell him what you've got Reno wearing…" he added, with one final glance in Reno's direction. Reno cringed. Tseng nodded a farewell to Elena and took his leave of them. Elena closed the door behind him and grinned to herself. Knowing Tseng approved made the sweet satisfaction she felt right at that moment so much more delicious.

She turned back toward Reno, snickering as she watched his display of alternating between limping and dusting as he moved around the room. Reno caught her watching out of the corner of his eye and gave an exaggerated whimper as he rested his weight on the injured ankle.

"Oh fine. You can take off the shoes… before you break your neck," said Elena, smirking.

"Thank god," Reno groaned in relief, as he gladly kicked the shoes off his feet and under the couch. He winced as the blood flow he hadn't even realized had been cut off returned to his toes. 'I need a drink,' he thought to himself, wondering what Elena kept in the fridge.

"Wow… I hadn't even realized it was after noon," Elena said suddenly, interrupting Reno's thoughts once again, "Go make us some lunch."

"Yes, your majesty," Reno grumbled, heading for the kitchen.

* * *

"Well, that figures," he sighed, noting the distinct lack of alcoholic beverages in Elena's kitchen. In fact, the contents of the refrigerator looked nauseatingly healthy and far too green for his taste. At last he found something that seemed at least vaguely edible… Egg salad. It was either that, or starve, and despite how his day was going, he wasn't quite willing to starve himself to death just yet. But oh, what he wouldn't have given for a burger, or a mountain of chili fries, or even a slice of week old pizza. But apparently, it was not to be. He slapped together two sandwiches, gathered a few other items from the pantry, and carried it all over to the table.

"Smile, Reno!"

He looked up just in time to be momentarily blinded by a bright flash of light.

"The fuck… ?"

Another flash. "No!" he shouted, the reality of the situation setting in. He could hear Elena giggling like a child as he blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the spots that now dotted his vision. That did it. He'd reached his limit. It was one thing to be subjected to outright humiliation while sequestered here in Elena's apartment, but he'd be damned if there was going to be photographic evidence.

"That's it! I've put up with you ordering me around all day… I cleaned, I humiliated myself, I made you lunch… I even wore this stupid outfit. But this ends now, dammit! Tseng can go shove this 'punishment' right up his ass, because I'm done!" Reno yelled, eying the PHS in Elena's hand. He lunged for it, dreading what she might do with those pictures if he didn't delete them. The rookie Turk let out a surprised yelp and dove out of the way just before Reno could tackle her, his own momentum sending him to the floor, where he landed face down, the wind momentarily knocked out of him. It had been a very near miss. Reno was scary fast, especially when he was angry, and Elena knew that, despite her own training, she wouldn't be able to keep ahead of him for long. Before he could recover, she bolted, timing her steps to plant a foot firmly between Reno's shoulder blades and slamming him hard into the floor again with a loud grunt. Elena disappeared into her bedroom, locking the door behind her, and hoping that he wouldn't just break it down.

"Elena!" Reno's voice sounded muffled through the door. "Get out here!"

* * *

'Oh, crap... now what do I do?' Elena thought. Well... at least he wasn't so pissed off that he was going to start breaking things... but the cheap interior door lock wouldn't keep Reno out for long. Sure enough, a moment later, he popped the lock and shoved the door open.

"Hand it over, Elena," he growled, and Elena thought that he probably would have looked incredibly intimidating just then... were it not that he was presently dressed as a French maid. As it was, the image was so surreal she almost laughed. Almost. She was actually a little worried what he might do if she dared. She cautiously held her PHS out to him. Reno grabbed it from her, thumbed through the gallery, and deleted the offending images before wordlessly handing it back to her.

Mission accomplished, he turned on his heel, and stormed out of the bedroom, and then out of the apartment altogether. Just when she thought it safe to breathe a sigh of relief, laughter rang out from the hallway of Elena's apartment building. Moments later, Reno slunk back into her apartment, slamming the door behind him.

"Alright… Now hand over my clothes…" he said in measured tones. Elena could plainly hear someone still laughing hysterically outside in the hall.

* * *

Tseng arrived at the office the next morning to find Reno sulking behind his desk. He tapped his watch, amazed to find that it was indeed still working.

"Reno… Are you aware you're on time?" he asked with some surprise, "Early, in fact…"

"Damage control. I wanted to get here before Elena…" said Reno, yawning, "Just in case she decides that what she put me through yesterday wasn't enough."

"Don't you think you're being just a bit paranoid, Reno?"

Before Reno could answer, the door opened and in walked Rude. Upon seeing Reno, he paused for a moment, looked down at his watch, and then back up at Reno. Reno was almost certain he saw an eyebrow rise in curiosity behind the dark lenses. Finally, Rude shrugged and sat down at his desk, still eying Reno oddly.

"Oh, shut up," Reno snapped at him, earning a soft snort of laughter from his partner. Tseng settled himself on the corner of Reno's desk, eager to see his reaction to Elena's arrival. He didn't have long to wait, as the door swung open minutes later. Elena emerged from the hallway, a cheerful smile on her face and two colorfully wrapped boxes under her arm.

"Good morning, Rude… I have a present for you," she said strolling over to her fellow-Turk and handing him one of the boxes. "And one for you too, sir…" she continued, holding the second out to Tseng, who took it with a small smile. "Open them."

"Hey… How is that fair? Don't I get anything?" Reno pouted.

"Oh, you'll get what's coming to you, Reno…" Elena replied. Tseng raised an eyebrow quizzically and began removing the wrapping paper. Rude did the same. The two men opened the boxes, Tseng chuckling softly as he pulled out the package's contents. Rude, on the other hand, cackled loudly, causing Reno to jump in shock at the normally stoic man's reaction.

"What? What is it?" asked Reno. Rude answered him by standing and reaching up to remove one of the Shinra emblems from the wall behind him, replacing it with the framed photograph from the box Elena had given him.

Reno eyes went wide, as he saw the eight by ten photo of himself… The same photo he had been so sure he'd sent to a digital oblivion when he'd taken her phone.

"I fucking deleted that. I know I did," he groaned, raising a hand to hide his face.

"Automatic cloud backup," Elena explained, "All my photos get uploaded immediately and stored online. I think it really adds something to the room, don't you Reno?"

She smiled sweetly, as Reno repeatedly slammed his forehead onto his desk.

-fin-


	3. Rude Awakenings

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 3: Rude Awakenings**

 **by Desha**

"She's going to pay for this," Reno hissed, stalking unannounced into Tseng's office. Really more of an office within an office, Tseng's desk was separated from the shared workspace the other Turks occupied by a soundproof wall. Being that it was primarily in place for the sole purpose of being able to have a private conversation, Tseng typically left the door open to the rest of the room... though, he mused, even were that not his typical habit, he suspected Reno would never have bothered knocking anyway.

"What…" Tseng began, slowly looking up from the email he'd been reading, "… now? Oh, I see." He fought back the bemused smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth and cleared his throat. The reason for Reno's decidedly irritated demeanor was readily apparent... and Tseng had a feeling he already knew who was responsible, as well.

"She's gone too far…" Reno growled, "She really has… You need to do something about her, boss."

"Calm down, Reno. I'm sure it will wash out." Reno, however, was either far too into his rant to hear him, or simply chose to ignore him entirely.

"My hair is blue, Tseng… _BLUE_! Fucking toilet-bowl blue! I look like a goddamn ocean chocobo!" Reno all but screamed, his voice rising a full octave. Tseng was trying too hard not to laugh to make any kind of comment on that. Reno had a flair for the dramatic on occasion, and this was shaping up to be one of those times. "Do you have any idea what it's like being forced to walk around this building with blue hair? Those bastards down in the lobby are probably still laughing their asses off!"

"How could she do something like this to me?" Reno continued, pacing the room.

"I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with the cayenne pepper incident on Monday," Tseng, having finally regained enough control to keep a straight face, replied calmly. Again, Reno didn't acknowledge his response.

"The question is, what am I going to do to get her back for this?" Reno added, this time more to himself than to Tseng – if that were even possible. Tseng had the distinct impression he had never actually been a part of this 'conversation' to begin with.

He sighed. This was getting just a little ridiculous… though he had to admit – to himself... certainly not to _anyone_ else should they inquire – it had been rather amusing to watch. And given that Reno and Elena had kept their little feud confined to off-duty hours and times during the day when their pranks wouldn't interfere with business as usual, he couldn't really justify officially reprimanding either one of them. Reno flicked a lock of azure hair out of his face.

"I don't suppose you could possibly take the mature route for once, and just let it go?"

Reno turned then, and suddenly seemed to realize that he was not, in fact, talking to himself. The former redhead flashed him a mischievous grin. "You know me better than that, Boss…"

"Mmm... I thought as much," Tseng replied. This had been the pattern for more than two weeks now. First had been the photo of Reno dressed in a maid's uniform... showing far too much leg for Tseng's taste, but Elena had certainly captured the moment expertly. Rude had left his copy hanging on the wall for three days before Reno had finally managed to bribe him into removing it. Tseng didn't have the heart to tell him that Rude had actually just relocated it to the archive room, the one area of the Turks headquarters within the Shinra Building that Reno made it a point to stay out of, as every time he ventured inside, Tseng was inevitably reminded to get on him about his backlog of incident reports.

Reno had returned the favor the following afternoon by airlifting Elena's car to the roof of the Shinra Building and refusing to bring it back down. The rookie had finally been forced to appeal to Tseng for help, as she was not trained as a pilot herself.

Elena then retaliated by emailing the aforementioned picture to every employee in the building… for which Reno had reciprocated by breaking into her apartment and doing a little creative tailoring work on her uniforms. And so it had gone on, back and forth, day after day, neither one of them willing to call a truce.

"Good morning, sir. Good morning, Reno… _love_ what you've done with your hair," a cheery voice called from the open doorway. Reno cast the interloper a glare that could have warped steel.

"Good morning, Elena," Tseng said, stopping Reno before he had a chance to reply… or go for his mag-rod. He wasn't quite sure which the younger man had in mind at the moment. "I'm sure you'll both be happy to know that the two of you will be working together today." The smile dropped from Elena's face so fast that, for a moment, Tseng wondered if he'd imagined it, and Reno looked downright indignant at the very idea.

"President Shinra will be traveling to Junon this morning to welcome the new recruits to Soldier. The two of you are going to accompany him as his guard detail," he went on, ignoring their responses.

"Yes, sir," Elena said, automatically, looking markedly more pleased now that she'd been given such a notable assignment. Probationary Turks were seldom given that level of responsibility. Reno, on the other hand, paled.

"Tseng… You can't seriously expect me to go out in public looking like this!" he groaned, mortified, as he gestured to his shockingly bright blue hair. Elena tried and failed to hide her not-so-quiet snicker behind a cough. Reno inwardly cringed at the thought of being forced to face a crowd of new recruits looking like this while the president delivered one of his long-winded speeches. Oh yeah... the rookie was definitely gonna get it.

"I expect you to follow orders… And I expect both of you to behave professionally. If I hear otherwise…"

"You won't, sir," Elena quickly stated. Tseng looked pointedly at Reno.

"Yeah, I got it…" Reno said, looking defeated.

"Then get going. You're expected on the helipad in ten," Tseng ordered. Elena nodded curtly and marched herself out the door.

"You sure you can't have Rude do this instead of me?" Reno asked imploringly once Elena was out of earshot, "Don't make me beg, Tseng..."

"I'm afraid not. Rude is otherwise engaged this morning," Tseng replied, the barest hint of a smile turning up the corners of his mouth. Reno, however, didn't seem to notice, and muttering a less than enthusiastic "Yes, sir…", he headed off after Elena. Once he was finally alone again, Tseng allowed the smile to spread across his face in earnest, rereading the email Rude had sent him earlier.

* * *

It wasn't hard to pick out Rude among the scattered people who littered the small restaurant that afternoon. Then again, it wasn't all that difficult a task to spot the six foot three, intimidating bald man in just about any environment. Tseng walked over and joined him at his table, where Rude was calmly sipping a glass of merlot and enjoying a plate of chicken marsala.

"So, tell me... just what did you have in mind?" Tseng asked. The message had been short on details... Rude had simply requested leave to set up a little surprise for Reno and Elena, and asked Tseng to join him here for lunch. Rude smirked and tossed Tseng a key. Printed on the keychain were the words "Sordid Rose Inn, Room 212" and an address somewhere on the Sector 3 plate.

"Sometimes I forget how delightfully twisted you can be…" Tseng chuckled.

"Try the veal," was all he said in reply, as their waitress approached.

* * *

'This is never going to end,' Reno thought to himself. He subtly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying not to draw attention away from President Shinra. He'd been standing there for well over an hour now, watching the gathered crowd from his position on the platform, just behind and to the right of the president. The rookie stood to the man's left, keeping an eye on her half of the crowd, and making a point of _not_ looking at Reno. The trip to Junon had been a tense one for her... and not just because she was sharing space with her boss' boss' boss. Reno had made it very clear, without ever saying a word to her, that he was not happy about the liberty she'd taken with his hair.

To her credit, he'd never even seen it coming. Nothing had seemed the least bit out of place this morning. If his hair hadn't started turning blue as it dried from his shower, he wouldn't have ever known she'd been in his apartment. And even Reno had to admit that the delayed color change was nice touch. It had ensured that he wouldn't have time to attempt to fix it before he was due at work. He had no idea what she'd used on him, and still wasn't sure when exactly she'd rigged it. One thing he was certain of, though... all of his bath products were going in the trash when he got home. He had found the source of the dye, but he wasn't about to take a chance on any more... surprises.

By now, even the recruits, who had seemed so eager and attentive when the president had stepped up to the podium, were beginning to look bored. Some of them shifted restlessly, undoubtedly tired of standing at attention… Others were turning their gaze towards the two Turks instead. Or more specifically, towards Reno. Any other time, it wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest... today though... Today, he knew exactly why he was drawing their attention, and he didn't like it one bit. Reno had never considered himself especially vain. Generally speaking, he really couldn't care less how he looked... he wasn't being paid to be a fashion plate, after all... but there were limits to even _his_ apathy. And being set up as a public spectacle because his hair had taken on a shade of blue to rival the waters of Costa del Sol was apparently one of them.

Reno scowled at a few of the young men and women, deflecting some of the more blatant stares, but it made little difference. The unnerving feeling of being trapped under the microscope refused to abate. And still the man droned on and on…

* * *

Rude had been right. The veal was delicious.

"I assume you also have something in mind to..." he began, only to pause mid-sentence as his lunch companion reached into his jacket and placed a small vial in the center of the table. The label bore the Shinra insignia... obviously something from the labs.

"I'm not sure I entirely approve of that," the Turk leader stated. It was all fun and games until someone ended up drugged. While the Turks held to the general philosophy that the ends justified the means, turning that doctrine on two of his own teammates didn't sit well with him. On the other hand... things were beginning to escalate between Reno and Elena, and playing dirty might be for the best. He sighed.

"Alright," Tseng said at last. He took another bite of his lunch. Tonight was going to be interesting...

* * *

"Thank god… I didn't think that would ever end," Elena muttered under her breath as President Shinra disappeared into the executive helicopter.

"Yeah? Tell me about it…" Reno replied bitterly, coming up behind her. Elena jumped. She had thought he'd hung back to watch the rear. The tone in his voice almost made her feel sorry for him... until she thought back to the morning she'd discovered that every one of her uniforms had been coated in glitter – which she was _still_ finding all over her damn apartment – and edged with red fringe.

No, she definitely didn't feel sorry for him. He had it coming. The two Turks boarded the helicopter and passed the trip back to Midgar without speaking to one another.

* * *

"Finally. Quittin' time!" he cried, practically leaping to his feet. Reno had been watching the clock off and on since he and Elena had returned from Junon. He'd been starting to wonder if it was running backwards every time he looked away. "Come on, Rude… After the day I've had, I need a drink or twenty."

He marched past Elena without so much as a sideways glance, and grabbed Rude by the arm, intent on dragging the man along with him whether he was ready to leave or not. Reno was more than ready to get away from the muffled laughter that seemed to follow him wherever he went… or at least get drunk enough that he just didn't notice it anymore. That was where Rude came in. Odds were good that someone was going to have to haul his ass home later. Odds were also good that he'd regret it in the morning, but a minor hangover was a small price to pay.

"Give us a moment, and we'll join you," Tseng's voice called out just as Reno had nearly made his escape. He turned, looking at the other man quizzically.

"Boss?" Tseng wasn't overly fond of the sort of nightlife Reno and Rude usually partook of. Not to say that he never came along for an evening, but it was rare. And what the hell did he mean by "we"? Surely he wasn't planning on bringing the rookie along.

"Care to join us, Elena?" Tseng asked in an offhanded manner. Reno visibly cringed at his words. Apparently he _was_ planning on bringing her. Great.

"Y-yes sir!" she stammered out, caught off-guard by the unexpected invitation. She happily gathered her belongings and took Tseng's proffered hand as he helped her to her feet. Reno's obvious aversion to her coming would be an added bonus to spending time outside of work with Tseng. Reno looked to Rude, silently asking what was going on... Rude merely shrugged.

"Ah hell, whatever… Let's just go already." Reno turned back toward the door, pulling his partner along behind him.

* * *

Reno sat at the bar with Rude, his mood much improved over when he'd left the office. His complaints about his day, his hair, Elena – which had been unending during the drive over – had ceased almost the moment they'd arrived.

Tseng smiled. It really didn't take much to pull Reno out of a dark mood. It was a trait he found somewhat fascinating about the younger man, particularly given the way he'd grown up. Anyone else likely would have become an eternal pessimist, and not entirely unjustifiably, either. Reno, on the other other hand, seldom remained perturbed about anything for long, always managing to find a brighter outlook. Even as much as he complained about Elena's retaliations, Tseng could tell that his friend enjoyed the challenge.

Speaking of Elena... Tseng, for one, was grateful for the relative peace in the bar. It was a bit more upscale than the ones he usually found himself in when he ventured out with those two. He and the rookie Turk were seated at a small table set off to one side. The conversation had been little more than small-talk, as Tseng patiently waited for Rude's signal.

"Sir, may I ask you something?" Elena said, looking up from her drink.

"Of course," Tseng replied.

"Has Reno… er… mentioned anything he might be planning? Because of the blue hair, I mean…"

"Worried?" He couldn't exactly blame her. That Reno would get her back was a given. It was just a matter of when and how.

"Well… a little, sir. I think he was a lot more embarrassed... and angrier... than I'd intended…" she said awkwardly, "I... I think I might have gone a little too far. Especially after the president made a comment on the trip back…"

"Did he? Reno didn't mention that..."

"Y-yes, sir. I didn't hear exactly what he said, but, um... Reno didn't look too thrilled." she elaborated. Tseng laughed.

"I wouldn't be too concerned. I'm quite sure Reno's ego will survive the blow," he replied, "But to answer your question, no. He hasn't mentioned any elaborate schemes of revenge to me today. You'll just have to wait and see."

"Yes sir," said Elena, twisting her napkin in her hands. Tseng decided to take pity on the poor girl and placed a hand over one of Elena's tightly clenched fists.

"I'm sure it won't be anything you can't handle," he said reassuringly, "Besides which... once you've gotten to know Reno a bit better, I think you'll find that his sense of humor actually makes him quite forgiving about that sort of thing."

"Are you sure?" she asked, unconvinced.

"Ask him some time about the first time he was assigned to Rufus' guard detail," Tseng said mysteriously, "If he can laugh about _that_ he can laugh about anything."

Elena finished her drink, and Tseng ordered her a second. He watched Rude and Reno out of the corner of his eye, and eventually caught sight of Rude's almost imperceptible nod and his hand moving oh-so-subtly to drop something into Reno's glass. When Elena suddenly turned to glance suspiciously at the pair, Tseng took the opportunity to pour a small amount of white powder into her drink as well, watching it quickly dissolve and disappear.

* * *

"Heh... Wait'll she gets home 'n finds out what I did this afternoon…" Reno slurred, as he finished off the last few drops in his glass,"… it's… gonna be… awesome…"

As the last syllable left his lips, he fell forward, his head hitting the counter in front of him with a loud thud. Rude smirked and patted his comrade's shoulder. He looked over at Tseng and Elena, watching as the latter slumped over in her chair, the former moving quickly to catch her before she could hit the floor. Rude hoisted Reno from his barstool and slung him over one shoulder, carrying him effortlessly toward Tseng. The Turk leader was a bit less cavalier with his victim, lifting Elena into his arms and letting her head rest on his shoulder. They ignored the odd looks they received from some of the bar's other patrons and headed for Rude's car and on to Sector 3.

* * *

The Sordid Rose was aptly name, Tseng decided. The building was unremarkable, almost hidden amongst the more respectable businesses of the area, occupying half the length of a short side-street and rising a mere four stories. It was dwarfed by the taller offices and stores that surrounded it. It's entrance, likewise, was easy to miss, tucked away as it was, with its nondescript sign and windowless lobby.

The woman at the desk barely acknowledged them as they entered. She glanced up from her book at Rude and the burden he carried over one shoulder, and then back down again without batting an eye. It seemed they were nothing out of the ordinary.

"Come here often?" Tseng asked, only half serious, but genuinely curious, as they mounted the stairs to the second floor. He'd thought he was well-acquainted with the seedier side of Midgar... but he'd never had occasion to visit this particular location. Rude gave him a smug look.

"Midgar still have some secrets from you, Tseng?"

"Apparently."

"Found it a couple years back," Rude replied, pausing in front of room 212, and fishing the key from his pocket, "Informant was in trouble with Corneo. He was hiding out here... had to come and collect him."

The room was small and in desperate need of a coat of paint… preferably of a color that didn't turn a person's stomach to look at it. Tseng couldn't decide whether the hideous brownish-yellow hue that covered the walls was the result of filth or just time and neglect. He didn't bother attempting to find out.

It was sparsely furnished, the bed taking up most of the space all on its own. Besides that, there was only a rickety night table and a badly abused chair whose upholstery was split along one side exposing the padding underneath. A single curtainless window looked out over a fire escape, giving the occupants of the room a wonderful view of the wall of the building on the opposite side of the alley.

Rude dropped Reno unceremoniously onto the bed, while Tseng was a bit more considerate of Elena, setting her down gently.

"Shall we?" Rude asked.

"You're enjoying this far too much," Tseng replied, smirking.

* * *

Elena groaned and stared at the backs of her eyelids. Sunlight had stirred her from sleep and she was definitely not ready to face it yet. Her head still felt fuzzy and she had a truly awful taste in her mouth. She rolled over, shying away from the source of the light, and found something soft and warm. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around it, pulling it close, sighing in content as she snuggled against it. So soft... So warm... So... Moving?

Her eyes snapped open and her breathing quickened as panic set in. Feeling slightly ill, she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Where was she? How had she gotten here? And, more importantly, who the _fuck_ was she in bed with?! She sat up, drawing her knees to her chest and clutching her own half of the thin, threadbare blanket against bare skin. With a feeling of dread, she realized that she couldn't remember anything after going to the bar last night with Tseng and the others…

'Tseng?' she thought, hesitantly reaching to pull back the covers.

* * *

A blood-curdling scream wrenched Reno from a peaceful sleep, and he sat up, his mind frantically playing catch-up as he tried to determine where the hell he was and why he was suddenly not asleep. His gaze at last locked onto a blond-haired figure clutching a blanket to her chest, and staring at him with a mixture of horror, revulsion, and utter shock. He blinked, still dazed from being so rudely awakened. Reno's eyes widened as bedmate's face came better into focus.

'Oh fuck...' he thought, as recognition set in, and he let out a scream to echo Elena's…

* * *

Across the hall in room 211, the sound of twin screams could be heard from elsewhere on the floor, barely muffled at all by the paper thin walls. It was the sound the room's two occupants had been waiting hours to hear.

"Sounds like they're awake," Rude said, reclining back in a chair, his feet propped up on the nightstand. Tseng turned away from the window he'd been standing at.

"So it would seem," he answered with a soft chuckle, "What do you supposed the odds are of this actually putting an end to all this nonsense?"

"Slim to none," Rude replied, "So we might as well enjoy it. How long do we let 'em suffer?"

"I haven't decided yet," Tseng admitted, with an uncharacteristically sadistic grin.

-fin-


	4. Of Cheap Hotels and Condiments

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 4: Of Cheap Hotels and Condiments**

 **by Desha**

Elena flinched as Reno's shriek echoed her own. The air seemed to reverberate with the sound, long after both Turks had gone silent and could only stare at one another in shock.

'This is not happening. This _can't_ be happening. We... we didn't. _Did we_?' she wondered, her mind forming the question that her trembling lips couldn't manage. A sickening feeling of dread began to settle over her as she worked to piece together the previous night's events.

"So... 'Lena... Not to ruin the moment here, but you wouldn't happen to know where our clothes are, would you?" Reno asked, drawing her back to the present. Elena looked down at the blanket she was still clutching like a lifeline against her bare chest, and felt her cheeks flush. Why did it have to be _Reno_ of all people?

"P-please just tell me that this is some sick joke you came up with to get me back for the blue hair…" She hated the way that her voice wavered. She fully expected the usual comment of 'Don't act so weak, 'Lena,' in that irritating, smartass, almost delusionally superior tone of his. Instead he just smiled at her.

"Nope," he replied, leaning over the edge of the bed. She heard him utter a soft "Ah ha!" and a moment later, he sat up, grin still plastered across his face in triumph as he held up his pants. Elena's last spark of hope was extinguished.

'That jerk…' she thought. She knew _all_ about Reno's reputation around the Shinra Building. The thought of ending up another notch on his bedpost was bad enough, but for it to have happened like this... She sank down into the covers in shame, pulling them over her head. 'Could this possibly get any worse?' She rolled over, away from Reno, pulling the blanket along with her. And then she realized that, yes... yes it could. Thoughts of Tseng questioning her on where she'd disappeared to last night played through her mind like some grotesque movie, and the possibility of actually having to explain left her feeling ill. She clutched the blanket in death grip and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"Hey… Where d'ya think you're going with that?" Reno asked, tugging at the blanket, amusement blatantly evident in his voice. That settled it… She'd just have to kill him. Or herself. Or them both. Elena twisted her fingers into the material and pulled still more of it away from Reno, cocooning herself in cheap cotton. He poked her in the ribs through the material.

" 'Lena?" She remained defiantly silent. Damned if she was going to answer him... particularly given that she didn't trust her own voice not to betray the mental turmoil she she was feeling at the moment. She felt him shift on the mattress, heard the sound of cloth sliding over skin and a moment later, a zipper being done up.

"El-en-a…" Reno's voice said softly in a teasing, sing-song tone, far too close to her ear, as if trying to entice a small child out of her hiding place. She kept right on ignoring him. The mattress rose slightly as Reno left the bed.

'That bastard,' she thought, blinking back tears of shame and embarrassment, 'He's just going to leave and pretend none of this ever happened… oh god... or worse, go off and brag about it. All of Shinra will probably know by this afternoon...' A small part of her mind pointed out that, in spite of what she'd heard about him around the office from others, she had never actually known Reno himself to brag about that sort of thing in the brief time she'd known him – most of the gossip about him came to her via the secretarial pool – but she was too wrapped up in worst-case scenarios to pay that part of her mind much attention.

Elena was about to wrestle aside the covers she'd buried herself under and give Reno a piece of her mind… or possibly rip his throat out… when something large and heavy slammed down on the opposite side of the bed. Simultaneously, she heard Reno call out, "Elena!" The impact drew a loud groan from the bedsprings, and catapulted Elena onto the floor with a thud.

For a moment, she simply lay there, her shoulder throbbing slightly where it had hit the hard wood before the rest of her, dazed as she tried to sort out what the hell had just happened. She could hear him laughing quietly from above. That was the final straw. She would _not_ be laughed at, least of all by that perverted little man-whore. She shoved her confusion aside, and flailed angrily, trying to free herself from the bedclothes. When she finally succeeded in partially extracting herself from the confines of the material, she found herself looking up at a very smug Reno, who was casually stretched out on his stomach across the width of the bed, chin propped up on his palms.

"You… you… you son of a bitch!" she screamed, too angry muster a better response. There was plenty she'd have liked to say to him right then... she was just too furious to find the words.

"Oh good… I was afraid you weren't speaking to me." he drawled, the smile never leaving his face for a second.

'Death is too good for him,' Elena thought, glaring at him with every ounce of anger she could summon.

"Aw relax, 'Lena… I think we've been had," Reno added.

* * *

The disorientation of waking up in a strange bed, in a strange room… Finding Elena next to him, blanket clutched to her chest as she stared at him in horror… The sudden shriek that had awakened him in the first place… No wonder he'd echoed her scream.

'I couldn't possibly have been that drunk last night…' Reno thought to himself as Elena gawked at him wide-eyed, mouth slightly open. ' 'Course it just had to be 'Lena… Tseng's gonna kill me.'

Not that the Turks had any explicit rules against fraternization – and it certainly wouldn't have been the first time he'd "fraternized" with a fellow-Turk over the years – but Tseng had a protective streak a mile long. And the rookie, in particular, he seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for. He sighed softly and ran his fingers through his hair as he looked over at Elena again. The shock was so clearly etched across her face that he might have laughed had he not been in a similar state himself.

'Fuck, Rude... how could ya have let me... Wait a damn second…' he thought, his eyes narrowing. He'd been with Rude last night, and Tseng had been there, too. Even on the off chance that Rude had failed to stop him from doing something so indescribably stupid, Tseng would've been keeping an eye on Elena, as well. Between the two of them, there was just no way for something like this happen. Which left only two possibilities in his mind. Either both men had died sudden, horrible deaths, leaving Elena and Reno to wander off in a drunken stupor and get busy in some cheap hotel room, or the more likely choice, they'd had something to do with the current situation.

He thought back to the night before. Reno had thought it odd that Tseng had come along without any pestering or prodding at all, and odder still that he'd invited the rookie... but it wasn't unheard of, and he'd been more annoyed than concerned about it at the time. He'd just wanted to get out of the building and into the nearest bar. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Rude hadn't seemed especially surprised to have the boss joining them... almost as if it had been expected.

'Those brilliant motherfuckers... they were both in on it…' he thought, hanging his head in defeat. He'd been set up, and he'd never even seen it coming. He knew Rude far too well to believe him to be above pulling off a prank of this magnitude... but for Tseng to be involved? That was new territory. He frequently joked that the Turk leader had no sense of humor, and while he knew better, pranks weren't really Tseng's style. Reno couldn't help but wonder which of them had masterminded things. It was certainly twisted enough to have come from Rude... and this wasn't the first time he'd woken up naked in a strange place on his account. On the other hand, he was beginning to suspect that there was a side to Tseng that had never come out to play before.

Suddenly, he realized that, while he'd been pondering Tseng's new-found enjoyment of practical jokes, Elena hadn't made a sound since she'd first screamed him awake. She was still staring at him blankly, probably trying to figure out how in the hell she'd gotten here. Apparently, she hadn't come to the same conclusion he had yet.

"So... 'Lena... Not to ruin the moment here, but you wouldn't happen to know where our clothes are, would you?" Reno asked. The room wasn't very well-lit, but he was pretty sure she blanched.

"P-please just tell me that this is some sick joke you came up with to get me back for the blue hair…" Elena replied. The quivering tone of her voice betrayed the distress and mortification she must have been feeling. Reno smiled, thoroughly enjoying this, now that he had a better idea of what was actually going on. 'Serves her right…' he thought, smoothing back a lock of still-blue hair.

"Nope."

'Wish I'd been the one to think of it, though,' he added silently, mentally sniggering, as he leaned over the side of the bed. 'Pants… Pants would be nice…' They were nowhere in sight, though, now that he looked, the rest of his clothes, as well as Elena's, seemed to have been flung about the room in a frenzy of drunken passion. It was a nice touch, if a little annoying. He didn't have any issue with walking around in the buff, but he didn't want to traumatize Elena _too_ much for one morning. It seemed a little unsportsmanlike. He fished around under the bed for a moment, fingers at last encountering fabric.

"Ah ha!" he murmured, sitting up and grinning in triumph. 'Thought you could hide from me, huh?' he silently chastised the elusive garment. Elena whimpered softly and leaned back against the pillows, pulling the covers over her head... and subsequently dragging them away from Reno.

"Hey… Where d'ya think you're going with that?" he asked as he found more and more of his bare skin being slowly revealed, trying not to laugh. He made a half-hearted attempt at reclaiming his portion of the blanket... to which Elena responded by stealing all of it – leaving him completely exposed – and rolling herself to the opposite edge of the bed.

" 'Lena?" he ventured, poking the blanket. He received no answer from her, just stony silence. Despite his annoyance over the fact that his hair was still very, _very_ blue, he couldn't help but think that this had gone far enough. A joke was one thing, but seeing the obvious effect the situation was having on the rookie, it was beginning to lose its appeal.

'Damn conscience,' he thought as he lay back and slid into the one article of clothing he'd retrieved, 'A perfectly good opportunity to torment her and I can't bring myself to do it…'

He rolled onto his side, propping his head up with one hand so he could ever so slightly lean over the rookie Turk. Time to let her in on the joke.

"El-en-a…" he sang softly, leaning in close to her ear... or at least his best guess at where her ear was. Still no answer. 'Well, fine… Two can play at this game…' he thought. Reno slithered off the bed and and backed up a few paces, then took a running start and launched himself onto the mattress, hitting it hard on his knees.

"Elena!" he cried loudly as the impact had the desired effect. Blanket and all, Elena was bounced upwards and tossed to the floor with a thud. Reno stretched out across the bed, looking down at her as she fought against her confines, finally succeeding in poking her head out.

"You… you… you son of a bitch!" Oh yeah... she was definitely angry. Reno flashed her an innocent smile. This was much better than the brooding, shamed little thing she'd been a moment ago.

"Oh good… I was afraid you weren't speaking to me."

If looks could kill, Reno would've been a dead man… but as they could not, he let his smile spread, noting the murderous expression on Elena's scowling face. Yes... that was definitely much better.

"Aw, relax 'Lena… I think we've been had."

* * *

"It's gotten quiet."

"I doubt they've killed each other just yet," Tseng replied. The last sound they'd heard from the room across the hall had been a loud curse directed at Reno. The original plan had been to let them in on the joke as soon as they were certain the two of them were awake. Somewhere along the line, however, Tseng and Rude had come to a mutual agreement to hold off and just wait and see what happened.

Rude shrugged and leaned back in his chair, content to let Reno and Elena suffer a bit longer.

* * *

"W-what are you talking about?" Elena asked from her position on the floor, her earlier rage having been replaced by an inkling of hope that this might not be as bad as it had seemed.

"Oh, come on, 'Lena. Think about it… Would either Tseng _or_ Rude _really_ let us wander off to to have a one night stand in some third-rate hotel after a night of binge drinking?"

"I wasn't the one who was binge drinking," Elena muttered.

"Which only raises another point… I was just gettin' started, last I remember. I shouldn't have been anywhere _near_ black-out drunk. 'Sides... I didn't go in plannin' on obliterating the entire night to begin with. I do know how to keep track of how much I drink, ya know, and even if I _had_ gotten a little too enthusiastic, Rude tends to stop me before I get that far if we're workin' the next day."

"S-so... you think they set this all up? As a... a joke?" she asked, obvious relief flooding her features, "But… Tseng wouldn't… I just can't imagine him being in on something like that…"

"Heh... Gotta admit, it's kind of a surprise for me, too. But I can't think of any other scenario that makes sense, and believe it or not, Tseng _is_ occasionally capable of pullin' that stick out of his ass... No matter how much I might claim otherwise," said Reno, adding, "Plus, I don't think he's _really_ as annoyed with all the pranks as he lets on."

"But... he said..." Elena began, thinking back to early yesterday morning. Tseng had certainly seemed "annoyed" then...

"Please... he's been encouraging it from the beginning. Who was it that ordered me to be your slave for a day? And who let Rude leave that god-awful picture of me on the wall in the office? Oh... and, just so you know... he didn't exactly try to dissuade me when he caught me borrowing the cayenne pepper from the cafeteria…"

"I don't believe this," Elena moaned, "They really set us up..." Reno chuckled and rolled off the bed. He began to round up the stray articles of clothing that had been scattered around the room.

"Well, while you're waiting for reality to set in, I'm going to take a shower and pray that I'm a redhead again when I get out... Oh, this is nice," he added, holding Elena's bra up to his chest with a smirk, "Matches my eyes..." Elena rolled her eyes at him.

"You wanna borrow it, or something?" she deadpanned, feeling better now than she had all morning. He grinned and tossed it, along with Elena's other clothes, onto the bed before disappearing into the bathroom.

* * *

Reno closed his eyes and let his muscles relax as the water hit his skin, turning up the heat as hot as he could stand it and relishing the warmth. He let the stream wash through his hair, daring to open one eye and sighing in relief when he saw the clear water turn to a sapphire blue as it swirled down the drain at his feet. He just hoped that all of the dye came out so he wouldn't end up with some ungodly shade of purple.

* * *

Once Reno was gone, Elena had quickly dressed and sat herself down on the bed, trying to decide what to do. Reno had to be right… Tseng and Rude _had_ to have set them up. On one hand, she was incredibly relieved that she hadn't accidentally ended up sleeping with one of her commanding officers... on the other, she didn't necessarily want to believe that her teammates, and Tseng in particular, would toy with her like that.

Suddenly, a new thought occurred to her. If Tseng and Rude had planned this all out, then they would have wanted to be around for the punchline… which meant that they were almost certainly still somewhere in the hotel or at least very nearby.

"Hmm..." She pulled her gun from its holster beneath her jacket. A couple of gunshots would be bound to get their attention…

Just then, Reno emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, his damp hair now restored to its natural color. He raked his fingers through the tangled mess a few times before tying it back into a ponytail.

"That's more like it..." he sighed, before catching sight of his companion, noting the gun in the woman's hand and the look of sadistic intent in her eyes, "Uh… heh... 'Lena? What exactly are you planning to do with that?"

"Reno… I think it's time we called a truce and worked together for the greater good," she replied, not looking up from the weapon.

"Oh yeah? Well, if that 'greater good' involves a little retribution for last night, tell me whachya got in mind…"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Reno scrambled back up the fire escape and squeezed himself through the narrow second floor window and into the room.

"Ketchup?" Elena asked, eying the bottle clutched in his hand, "Are you sure they won't know?"

"I'm kinda countin' on them being too concerned about _me_ to look too closely. It's all I could get on such short notice… It's barely 6 am, ya know. Next to nothin's open yet. Besides, what are they going to do? Taste it to see if it's real?"

"I guess you have a point... Shall we then?" she asked, holding up her gun. Reno laughed quietly and nodded.

* * *

"Think we should check on them?" Rude asked. Tseng was silent for a moment. Normally, his natural patience would have allowed him to sit contentedly in that room all day awaiting the perfect opportunity... but Elena and Reno had been too quiet for too long. Something didn't sit right, and it was making him edgy. He nodded.

"Perhaps we've taken this far enough. Let's…" he was interrupted by a loud crash from across the hall.

"You bastard!" screamed Elena's voice, muffled only slightly by the thin walls of the hotel. Another crash.

" 'Lena... Put it down..." Reno's voice this time, his tone worried. Whatever was going on, he was on the defensive. A third crash followed by a sharp cry of pain.

"How could you take advantage of me like that?!" Elena shrieked. The sound of a body colliding with a solid wall.

"No! Elena, don't!" The sharp report of a gunshot and then a second. The sound of glass breaking.

"Get back here, Reno, you sack of shit!" And then silence. At the first sound of gunfire, Tseng and Rude had been on their feet, running for the hallway. By the time they'd reached the door opposite them, not a sound could be heard from within the other room. Tseng decided to forgo the room key, and the door yielded easily to his shoulder as he forced his way inside, his co-conspirator not far behind. The two men stopped mid-stride, taking in the shattered furniture, the broken window… and the red stains on the carpet and windowsill. Without a word, they turned back to the door, racing down the stairs and past the front desk, emerging in the alleyway that the window of Elena and Reno's room faced.

"Which way?" asked Rude. Tseng could hear the concern in his voice and he shared it. If something had happened to either one his Turks because of a stupid joke, he'd never forgive himself.

* * *

"Ah, gross..." Reno muttered, lifting his hand from a puddle of slime, and trying to wipe it off on the side of the dumpster he was curled up behind. When that failed, he wiped it on his ketchup-covered shirt instead, grimacing, "Why the hell did I even bother with a shower this morning?" That just caused Elena to laugh harder than she already had been.

"You can take another one later. Just get back there and look like you're dying," she said.

"Yeah, yeah… Aw, man... I don't even wanna know what I'm laying in. Well, don't just stand there laughin' at me! Hurry up and hide before they track us down!"

Elena nodded and hid herself further down the alley. She fired two more shots into the air, and then sat back to wait for Tseng and Rude.

* * *

"That way," Tseng replied, apprehension growing as he turned in the direction of the gunshots. He and Rude ran down the alley, looking for any sign of their fellow-Turks. Tseng frowned as they came upon a bright red handprint on the side of a dumpster, fearing the worst.

'This is my fault,' thought Tseng, 'I never should have agreed to this...'

Tseng crept cautiously to the back of the dumpster, coming upon a sight that made his blood freeze in his veins. Reno was sprawled awkwardly in the narrow space, propped up against a pile of trash bags, a bright red stain spreading over the shirt that covered his chest.

"Rude… Back here," he called, feeling his throat constrict as he crouched down beside his second in command. The younger man's eyes were closed tight, and his breathing was barely noticeable. He reached down to lift the slender redhead.

"Help me get him out of here," Tseng said, turning back towards Rude.

That was the moment Reno had been waiting for. His eyes snapped open as his hand leveled the plastic ketchup bottle at his partner and the Turk leader. By the time the two men realized what was happening, it was too late. Neither could react in time in so confined a space to avoid the spray of red liquid that spattered them as Reno squeezed down on the bottle. Tseng took the most direct hit from the first volley, and Rude hurriedly backed up a few steps looking for cover, only to be shoved forward from behind... directly into the path of the second wave of ketchup. Reno didn't let up until he'd emptied the bottle. Musical laughter could be heard from the main stretch of the alley.

"…" Rude looked down at his suit. Tseng shook his head and sighed, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the worst of the mess from his face.

"I suppose we deserved that," he said. He grimaced slightly, taking in the condition of his normally immaculate clothing.

"… You had us worried," Rude commented, looking pointedly at Reno.

"Yeah? Well, you two assholes scared the living hell out of me and 'Lena this morning," Reno replied, pulling himself to his feet by way of Tseng's proffered hand, "This was your idea, wasn't it Rude?" he added. Rude nodded.

"You're fuckin' evil, partner," Reno said as he clapped him on the back, grinning ear to ear, "Good one."

"Dare I hope that we've all learned a valuable lesson here today?" Tseng questioned, pivoting slightly to look back at Elena as well.

"Well, I, for one, learned that you're just as warped as Rude here, when ya wanna be, Boss," Reno replied, innocently.

"That's not quite what I meant, Reno."

"Don't worry, sir. Reno and I have called a truce. No more pranks. Right, Reno?" said Elena.

"Right," Reno replied, sounding a little disappointed at the prospect, "It's not fair that you came out of this without a single drop of ketchup on you, though…"

"Just my luck, I guess…" Elena said, smiling, "And since that bottle's empty, I guess I'll just have to stay clean."

Rude studied Elena for a moment, and before she could fathom what he intended, he had wrapped his ketchup-covered arms around her in a hug, physically lifting her off the ground as he did so to prevent her from escaping. Elena squealed and tried to get away, but Rude's grip was ironclad, and he didn't release her until he was satisfied that she matched the rest of the team.

"Ha! That's much better!" Reno said, draping an arm over Elena's shoulders and adding his own finishing touches.

Elena shoved him away, "Eew! Reno, don't get your gutter slime all over me! Ugh... You reek..." Tseng chuckled lightly.

"I think we should all go home, wash up, and change into some clean clothes," Tseng said, "If we hurry, we can make it into the office just in time to be late."

"Sounds good to me," Reno agreed as they headed off down the alley, "Oh…um… That reminds me. 'Lena?"

"Yeah, Reno?"

"Since we have an official ceasefire, I guess should probably warn you… um... unless you _really_ like lime Jell-O, you might wanna get in touch with a plumber…"

"W-what?! Reno! What did you do?!"

"Oh, crap..." Reno's eyes widened, and he turned, sprinting away from the group. Elena hesitated only a moment before taking off after him in hot pursuit.

"What do you think she'll do if she catches him?" asked Rude.

"How many bullets does she have left?" Tseng replied.

-fin-


	5. Long Way Down

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 5: Long Way Down**

 **by Desha**

"Check this one out… A bird!" Reno cried, with far too much enthusiasm. His long fingers fluttered spastically in front of the light that emanated from the tip of his electro mag-rod. On the wall, the shadows created a vaguely avian-like form. One that appeared to be flailing about in its death throes. Elena wondered if she could put it out of its misery.

"This is unbelievable," she groused from the opposite side of the darkened elevator car. A state of the art building, with billions of gil in technology, and she was stuck. In a damn elevator. With Reno and his pathetic puppet show. Why couldn't the power have just waited thirty more seconds to go out? She could be home by now, slipping into a nice warm bath with a book and a glass of wine.

"Yeah, I know. I rock," Reno grinned, "Heh… an elephant!"

Elena let her head bang once against the metal wall… Elephant. Reno's shadow puppet looked more like a mutant sea urchin than anything else. Did the man even know what a damn elephant _looked_ like? He was doing it on purpose. She knew he was. Sure, they'd called a truce and things had quieted down since that little… incident… at the Sordid Rose. And they'd even kept to it... in a manner of speaking. There had been no pranks, tricks, or practical jokes in over a week. Instead, they'd switched from public humiliation to subtle torture; driving one another crazy in little ways, striving to irritate each other without drawing attention to their antics.

It wasn't quite the same... but it did have its moments. Elena couldn't remember ever having derived so much enjoyment from lime Jell-O, for instance. She'd forced Reno to choke down every last drop of the lime Jell-O he'd taken the liberty of filling her bathtub with when she's finally caught up with him outside of the Sordid Rose… and ever since, the mere sight of the wobbly dessert turned him a shade of green to match. She'd made a point of requesting it in the cafeteria every day for the last week.

"And now… A bunny!"

"Dear Holy, will you just stop?!" she cried, her reminiscence interrupted. She couldn't take much more of this. Reno flashed her a grin, the odd lighting from his electro mag-rod making the expression look downright evil… At least she hoped it was just an effect of the lighting.

"So how about a dog?" he asked innocently.

"Reno, I swear, if you don't knock it off, I'll shove that nightstick of yours so far up your…"

She was cut off in mid-threat by Reno's laughter. "Now, now 'Lena… That's no way to speak to a fellow-Turk… and a superior at that," he chided, smirking.

'I'm not going to let him get to me… I'm not. I'm just going to ignore him until someone gets us out of here,' she thought, glaring at him, 'Ugh, why couldn't I have gotten stuck in here with Tseng? Or Rude? Or that creepy guy from the nineteenth floor that's always staring at my ass in the gym?'

"So what, now you're gonna pout?" Reno teased, "Don't act so weak, 'Lena."

'Don't act so weak… Don't act so weak…' she mimicked silently, 'Can't the son of a bitch think of a better insult?'

Weak? She hated it when he called her that. Almost as much as she hated it when he called her "'Lena". She honestly didn't know if it was Reno's fucked up idea of motivation, or if that was how he really saw her. Either way, it infuriated her to no end. One of these days, he was going to say it one too many times… then he'd see just how "weak" she was.

"Dammit… You'd think they'd have us out of here by now," Reno said, his tone turning momentarily serious, as he finally grew bored of the puppet show. Elena looked at her watch, squinting to see the tiny hands in the dim light. Seven fourteen pm.

"We've only been in here for twenty minutes," she said. She could hardly deny that she'd actually thought it had been considerably longer than that, and was starting to get a little antsy herself. But she wasn't about to agree with anything Reno had to say.

"Twenty minutes too long," Reno muttered, "I hate these damn elevators…"

"Scared of elevators? Ha! Now who's weak?" Elena replied smugly.

"I'm not afraid of elevators, in general" Reno said, with a huff of exasperation, returning to his shadow puppets, though with less than his previous enthusiasm, "I'm just not overly fond of these in particular. You tellin' me that the idea of hangin'... where are we right now? Fifty two? Hangin' fifty two stories in the air from a cable that's only 'bout as big around as your thumb doesn't bother you?"

"Aww… Reno, the big tough Turk is scared of a widdle elevator…" she taunted, laughing as she spoke. Finally, something she could do to annoy _him_ for a change.

"Oooh… That's real mature," Reno retorted, "For the record, fear isn't a weakness, 'Lena. Giving _into_ fear is. Anyway... only idiots and liars are scared of nothin'. And I'm neither."

It was a fair enough point. But she'd be damned if she was going to concede it. She opted for a slightly different tactic, instead.

"Yeah... well... as if you're one to lecture me on maturity, Mr. I-Still-Sleep-With-A-Stuffed-Animal!"

"W-what? I do not!" Reno replied, and if the lighting had been better, she was almost sure she'd have seen him turn a shade of red to rival his own hair.

"Oh yeah? Then what's that ratty old stuffed bunny you keep on your bed for, hmm?" she said accusingly, daring him to deny it. She'd noticed the grungy-looking thing during her stay at Reno's apartment when she'd taken him home while he was sick. It was the first thing he'd reached for when she'd finally gotten him to bed, and he'd curled up with it, much the way a child would cling to a favored toy. The bunny had definitely seen better days… In fact, it looked like it'd been dragged through the most vile gutters of the slums and then tossed into a washing machine in the hopes of restoring it to at least a sanitary condition again. But more importantly, it was information that she could, and was more than prepared to, use against him.

"Mr. Foo-Foo is not ratty!" Reno yelled back, realizing a moment too late what he'd just let slip.

"Mr… Foo-Foo?!" Elena managed to choke out before falling victim to a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Oh gods, it just got better and better...

"Yes, Mr. Foo-Foo," he replied with as much dignity as he could muster, "And he's not ratty… Just a little worn."

Elena had to fight hard to get herself under control. All the while, Reno glared at her from across the elevator car. "Hee hee hee… Oh, wow. Just wait until Rude hears about this…"

"You wouldn't dare…" Reno hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't… I still owe you for talking Tseng into assigning me to cover your incident report backlog. By the way... your handwriting is atrocious."

"You say one word to Rude... _One word_... I will hunt you down and make sure no one ever finds the body," he replied, knowing full well that his outwardly stoic partner would never, ever let him live something like this down. At least not without an explanation he wasn't prepared to give.

"Oh, this is just too perfect… _Finally_ , something I can hold over you…"

"Hmph... You've been hanging around Rufus too much, 'Lena. You're starting to think like him."

"Oh, that's not a very nice thing to say. I don't think Mr. Foo-Foo would approve… Nope, not at all." She could literally see Reno repressing the urge to strangle her. 'Good… Now he knows how I feel…' she thought happily.

"Just… Shut up!" he said at last. Reno folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, turning his eyes away from her and pointedly staring at the ceiling. Elena decided to do just that, for the moment at least. Let him think over his position for awhile. If she played her cards right, maybe she could even get him to start calling her by her proper name for a change. Reno had always had power over her due to his rank... now, at last, the odds had been evened a bit.

She smiled in triumph and let herself sink to the floor, trying to find a comfortable position to sit in. The elevator was silent, aside from the incessant buzz from the glowing mag-rod and the occasional creak of the wires that held them suspended fifty two stories up. She thought back to what Reno had said earlier... about those wires only being about as thick as your thumb, and suppressed a shudder. Now that she actually thought about it... it _was_ kind of unnerving.

'The maintenance crew sure is taking their sweet time getting here,' she thought to herself as Reno joined her on the floor, setting the electro mag-rod down between them as a sort of mutually acknowledged boundary. She wondered how long its power supply would hold out. She wasn't intimately familiar with the weapon, but she did at least know that it wasn't built for long-term discharge like this. Somehow, the idea of being trapped alone, in the dark, with Reno was not especially appealing… not when she'd managed to piss him off, at any rate. The reality was that she still didn't really know Reno all that well. She honestly didn't _think_ he'd actually try to hurt her, no matter how mad he was at her... but that being said, they were currently trapped in a small, enclosed space. It wasn't really the best time to test that theory.

"Damn… is it hot in here, or what?" Reno muttered.

"It's that stupid overgrown flashlight of yours," said Elena, nodding to the mag-rod. It was probably getting close to overheating, it'd been on so long.

"Well, we could always sit around in the dark," he spat back. Elena glared, but couldn't really comment, given that her own thoughts had been traveling in a similar direction just a moment ago. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Reno added when she didn't answer.

Reno shrugged his jacket off and tossed it on the floor beside him. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before beginning to unbutton his shirt as well.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"What's it look like?" Reno drawled, "It's like a fucking sauna in here. 'Sides... It's not like its anything you haven't seen before."

"Once was enough," Elena replied drily, rolling her eyes. Reno smirked and started to whistle innocently. When Elena cringed, he switched over to a harshly nasal tune. Her eyes narrowed at him and he paused just long enough to grin at her before continuing with what was almost certainly, knowing Reno, the most obnoxious rendition imaginable of a popular drinking song from one of his favorite bars.

He only did this when he really wanted to get under her skin. She had made the mistake of letting him know just how much that sound annoyed her. Whistling had always gotten to her, ever since she was very young. She had no idea why... She just. Couldn't. Stand it. She'd tried asking him calmly to stop, tried screaming at him, threatening him, even tried throwing various office supplies at him, but that had only seemed to reinforce in his mind that this was a great way to get on her nerves.

She hated that sound so much, and it didn't help that Reno's whistling always had a shrill, grating quality to it… nor did it help that the obnoxious bastard pretended to be utterly tone-deaf when he did it so that even songs that might have been at least tolerable were butchered and mangled so horribly that it was unbearable. And of course, she knew damn well that he did that on purpose, too… She'd had only a handful of opportunities to hear Reno sing – properly... not as a joke – but could safely say that, while he was certainly no undiscovered pop star, he could at least carry a tune.

She couldn't take anymore. The sharp whistle bounced off the walls of the little elevator car, which only served to amplify the detestable sound. Elena could already feel the beginnings of what was sure to become a splitting headache. Sadistically, she toyed with the idea of drawing her gun and simply putting him out of _her_ misery… but she knew that realistically, it wasn't an option. Aside from the the obvious fact that shooting a fellow-Turk for whistling would effectively end her career, any shots fired in the confines of the elevator would almost undoubtedly ricochet. With her luck, she'd probably end up shooting both Reno _and_ herself. Hell, even if she managed to come up with an excuse to justify it to Tseng, she'd never get away with it anyway. The little red light on the security camera in the corner told her that they were being recorded. The elevator may not have power, but security was on a separate circuit... with its own set of dedicated backup generators if main power failed. Finally, she settled on doing the next best thing to shooting him. She slipped off a shoe and flung it at Reno, nailing him squarely in the face. The whistle promptly died on his lips.

"Ow!" he yelled, rubbing his forehead. He snatched Elena's shoe from the floor, "Know what? Just for that, I'm keeping it."

"Fine!" she replied, "In that case, you'll want the other one to go with it!" She hurled the other shoe at Reno as hard as she could, hitting him in the chest. He flinched.

"Ow, dammit! Come on, 'Lena. I bruise easy, ya know…" She wished she had something else to hit him with. But at least he didn't start whistling again.

"Yeah? Tell it to Mr. Foo-Foo," she muttered, and glanced down at her watch. 'Half and hour stuck in here,' she thought, 'Where are those repair guys? They've gotta know we're in here…'

She leaned back against the wall and sighed, gazing up at the security camera. Someone had to be watching… And if they weren't, that someone was going to lose his job just as soon as she got out of here. But thoughts of vengeance were suddenly shoved aside as the faint odor of smoke registered.

"Reno?" she said, alarmed.

"What?" he replied, only barely acknowledging her.

"Do you smell smoke?"

Reno's eyes widened and he sat up, just as the light from the mag-rod began to flicker.

"Ah, shit! It's overheating…" he muttered, reaching for the weapon to turn it off. A stream of electricity arced out from the tip just before he touched it. Elena gasped as, for a moment, she could actually see the current flowing up his arm. Reno let out a pained yelp, skittering backwards as the rod shorted out, clutching his arm to his chest.

"Oh my god, Reno, are you alright?" she cried, her previous annoyance replaced with concern. The voltage off of that thing could be dangerous at higher levels, and she had no idea was setting it had been on. If Reno had been seriously injured by it, her options were severely limited.

"Yeah, I'm peachy," he growled, "Great! This is just great! Now I'm going to have to deal with Scarlet to get it repaired! That's always _so_ much fun..."

She relaxed. If he was bitching about the head of weapons development, he was fine. She'd never gotten the whole story behind why Reno and Scarlet didn't get along, but from what she'd gathered, it had something to do with him turning her down once. It seemed, she mused, even Reno had standards. In the pitch dark, Elena could hear him moving around for a moment before he sat back down.

"Perfect..." he continued, "Stuck, in the dark, in an elevator… with you!"

"What's the matter Reno? Don't like the dark? Maybe you'd feel better if Mr. Foo-Foo was here…" she teased.

"Oh, would you just drop it?!" his voice shouted at her from the darkness, with a surprising amount of venom, leaving Elena a little shocked. Apparently, she'd hit a nerve, "My mom gave me that toy! It's the only thing they let me keep when…"

Whatever he'd been about to say, he caught himself and lapsed into silence. The tension hung thick between the two of them, but finally, Elena's curiosity got the better of her.

"When what? Reno?" she prodded. He didn't answer right away so she tried again, "Reno?"

Reno sighed softly, "... When they dragged me off to the orphanage after she died. There. Happy now?"

She's been prepared to respond with another biting remark, but the sudden admission stopped her cold. She'd never known Reno had lived in an orphanage as a child. But she _did_ know that he'd grown up in the slums... and orphanages in the slums weren't exactly known for their safe, nurturing environments. How old had he been, she wondered. Hadn't he had any other family? Were the stories she'd been told as a little girl, when she misbehaved and her father threatened to abandon her in one of those awful places, true or just stories meant to scare her into being good?

"I-I'm sorry," she said dumbly, lacking anything more intelligent to say.

"Whatever."

Neither of them said a word after that. They sat silently in the dark elevator until suddenly the car lurched and the fluorescent lights flickered back on as they began to descend.

'Oh thank you… Thank you, thank you, thank you…' Elena thought as she climbed to her feet. A few seconds later the chime sounded and the doors opened on the nearly empty parking level. The two Turks stepped out. Elena had expected someone to be waiting there for them – preferably with an explanation and an apology for leaving them stranded for so long – but the fact that she was finally free overshadowed that minor slight as she followed Reno towards their respective parking spaces.

"Um… Reno?" she asked, intending on apologizing again for their earlier conversation.

"Now what?" he sighed. She couldn't help but notice how resigned he sounded, as if acknowledging already that he knew she wasn't going to drop a subject that he really didn't want to discuss further. She decided it was just a little too cruel to push him on it.

"Can I… um… have my shoes back please?"

Reno stopped in mid-stride and spun around to face her. That was obviously not what he'd been expecting to hear, and for a moment, Elena was quite pleased when the frown he wore quickly turned into his trademark smirk.

"No… I think I'll keep 'em… They'll look great on Mr. Foo-Foo…"

Elena stared at him, her mouth hanging open. 'That's it… I hate him…'

"H-hey!" she yelled as Reno turned and continued towards his car, "Give those back! Those shoes cost me 900 gil! On sale!"

Reno laughed wickedly and broke into a run, leaving Elena no other choice but to chase him or go home barefoot.

* * *

Rude turned away from the video monitor showing the interior of the elevator, and switched off the microphone he'd planted inside the car. Technically, he hadn't been instructed to listen in. Just to hold them there for awhile. But it had definitely been worth the trouble. He wasn't sure this had accomplished what Tseng had intended, but it certainly netted Rude some interesting information about his friend.

"Mr. Foo-Foo, eh? I'll have to remember that one…" he said to himself.

-fin-


	6. The Case of the Disappearing Bunny

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 6: The Case of the Disappearing Bunny**

 **by Desha**

 _Author's Note: Those familiar with the earlier incarnation of this series may remember that this chapter had an alternate version. With this rewrite, I've combined elements of both versions into a single installment._

* * *

Reno could barely keep his eyes open as he finally made his way into the Turks' headquarters... twenty three minutes late, and looking like he'd been trampled by wild chocobos. He was lucky to have made it in at all. He'd accidentally run four red lights and twice had caught his attention drifting to random things in heavy morning traffic.

"You look like hell."

He felt like hell, too. Reno honestly couldn't remember ever having been so tired in his life. The worst part was, short of drugging himself, it seemed there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. No matter how hard he willed it, sleep just would not come. If something didn't change very soon, that might be his only option for a decent night's rest. It wasn't a prospect he relished... a naturally light sleeper, he didn't care for the idea of not being able to wake up if he needed to, no matter how exhausted he was.

"Yeah… I'm goin' for a new look… Like it?" he finally muttered in reply. Rude lowered his ever-present sunglasses to take a better look at his partner as the redhead dropped into the chair behind his desk.

"So you gonna tell me what's up?"

Reno let his head flop back and closed his eyes. He was desperate to tell someone. The problem was that he _couldn't_ tell anyone. Not without making himself look ridiculous, at any rate. He knew perfectly well why he couldn't sleep. It took him a moment to realize that Rude was still waiting patiently for an answer. It seemed the Fates favored him today, however, as he was rescued by an overwhelmingly cheerful and far-too-chipper-for-seven-twenty-three-in-the-morning cry of "Good morning!".

Reno winced and sat up, wondering if there was any way to add some sort of remote volume control to the rookie. Any time he felt like crap, she always seemed to be entirely too loud.

"Sorry I'm late... There was an accident in Eight and traffic was backed up across half the sector. Wow, Reno… What happened to you? You look terrible…" Elena said, halting in the path she was taking to her desk and pausing directly in front of him.

"Thanks for noticing," he said, dryly, "If you must know, I haven't been sleepin' real well." Ha... not sleeping well? He hadn't been sleeping at all. It had been... days. Come to think of it, he'd actually lost track of how many.

"Yeah? How come?"

"Don't really know," he answered. But something about her tone triggered his innate suspicion. Elena. She knew about... but no, it couldn't be. She wouldn't. They'd called a ceasefire. Still... he narrowed his eyes at the woman, considering the possibility. He still hadn't returned the shoes she'd assaulted him with in the elevator. He'd said he was keeping them, and he'd meant it. Was that enough to make her take...

"Don't really know what?"

Reno gave a startled yelp at the sound of the new voice, and nearly fell out of the chair. 'Man... must be worse off than I thought. Didn't even hear him come in…' Reno thought to himself, as he swiveled away from Elena and Rude to glance up at the man who was suddenly standing directly behind him.

Tseng arched an eyebrow, taking in Reno's – significantly more than usual – disheveled appearance. After all this time, he was very much accustomed to the younger man's subconscious disdain for neatness… but this morning, Reno looked like he'd gotten dressed – not to mention shaved, eaten, and been attacked by rabid moogles – in the dark.

"He couldn't sleep last night," Elena offered, as Reno didn't appear to be forthcoming with an answer any time within the next hour.

"Or the night before last," Reno interjected, as he began to babble, "Or the night before that… or the night before that… or the night…"

Tseng held up a hand, motioning for the Turk to stop. Reno's mouth snapped shut automatically at the implied order. Tseng gently lifted Reno's chin and studied him for a moment, noting the dark circles that shadowed his eyes and the difficultly he was having focusing on the Turk leader's face. "Just how long have you been awake?" he finally asked. Reno closed his eyes and thought for a long moment.

"... Ah, hell… What day is it?" he asked at last, frustration evident in his voice. This was bad. Reno'd known he was getting kind of loopy from sleep deprivation, but he was more than a little disturbed to discover that he couldn't think straight enough to remember if it was Wednesday or Thursday... or possibly Friday.

"Go home, Reno."

"But…"

"You're no good to anyone like this. Go home and sleep," said Tseng.

"Yeah, yeah…" Reno muttered, hauling himself to his feet, and sluggishly dragging himself towards the door. Like sleep was going to happen.

"Elena, would you mind…" Tseng began. Reno groaned.

"I don't need a fucking babysitter!"

"No. But you do need someone to take you home. I'd like you to actually _make_ it home. You're not driving yourself," Tseng said firmly.

"I'll make sure he gets there in one piece, sir," Elena piped up, before Reno could protest further. Tseng nodded and waved them off.

* * *

"It was _you_ ,wasn't it?!" Reno accused as the elevator doors slid shut. Elena squeaked, startled by the sudden shout, and spun around to face a none-too-happy red haired Turk. "Where is he, 'Lena?" he hissed menacingly.

"W-where is who?" she managed after a moment, thoroughly confused and more than a little concerned by the near-homicidal look in Reno's aquamarine eyes. She had no idea what he was talking about or what had brought on this sudden change, but she instinctively backed away.

"You know exactly who I mean," said Reno, "Mr. Foo-Foo!"

"What?!"

"I want him back… Right now!"

"Well I don't have him!"

"Don't lie to me! I know you took him!"

"I did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did not!"

" _DID SO_!" Elena screamed automatically, and then facepalmed as she realized what she'd just done. She felt ridiculous.

"Ha! I knew it!" Reno crowed triumphantly.

"Oh, will you grow up," she said flatly, as the elevator pinged at their destination and the doors opened. The drive to Reno's apartment was passed in cold silence. Elena could feel his glare on her the entire time... and could still feel it even as she drove away after dropping him off.

'What the hell has gotten into him?' she wondered.

* * *

"Mmm, yeah... Just like that…" she murmured.

 _*RING*_

Elena's eyes snapped open, as she was unexpectedly roused from a very enjoyable dream.

 _*RING*_

"What the hell…?" she muttered, and it took her a moment to realize it was her PHS. She glanced at glowing digital numbers of the bedside clock and her half-awake mind somehow managed to register that it was three in the morning.

 _*RING*_

"This had better be an emergency…" she murmured sleepily as she reached for the phone, "Hello?" she said in a groggy voice.

"Yeah, I want a large pizza, with pepperoni, green peppers, bacon, pineapple, extra cheese, and anchovies, and a large order of breadsticks, extra garlic…" a high-pitched, nasal voice whined.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, I want a…"

"I heard you… Look, you've got the wrong number…"

"Oh, well in that case, I'll have the house special number five with a side of onion rings…"

"Listen pal… I don't do takeout!" she yelled, and hung up the phone before collapsing back into her pillows. It wasn't long before her eyes began to drift closed…

 _*RING*_

"Yes?!" she hissed into the phone.

"Hey, can I get a turkey sub with mayo, lettuce, cheese, mustard…"

This time, she recognized the voice through the attempted disguise, and felt her blood boil.

"Goddammit, Reno, I don't have Mr. Foo-Foo!" she growled, and hung up.

 _*RING*_

'I'm just gonna ignore it… He's gotta give up eventually,' she thought.

 _*RING*_

She pulled a pillow over her head.

 _*RING*_

She picked up the handset and sent the call through to her voicemail, and then she waited. The darkened room remained still and undisturbed, and when she was satisfied that the phone would continue to be quiet, she lay back down, determined to salvage whatever was left of the night.

 _*RING*_

"Ahhh!" she screamed, hurling the offending phone across the room. It smacked into the wall with a loud crack and clattered to the floor where it sat, blissfully silent.

"Oh, brilliant, Elena... now you have to requisition a new phone," she muttered to herself, pulling the covers over her head. That was a problem for tomorrow, however, and soon she was drifting off to sleep again.

Unfortunately, Elena's peace and quiet didn't last long… As she slept, a shadow crept silently into her apartment, nimble fingers having made short work of the lock. It stole into her bedroom and paused beside her bed for a moment, watching her sleep, before tossing something to the floor. A greyish-white smoke began to fill the room, and the shadow quickly retreated, dropping more of its little smoked-filled surprises as it made its way back into the night from whence it came.

Elena bolted upright, coughing and gagging on the unimaginable stench that was rapidly filling the air in her room. Her eyes burned and watered, and whatever was spewing out that god-awful odor, she couldn't see it. She made a mad dash for the door, blindly groping for the handle and at last escaping into the living room… only to find that the smoke and the smell were just as thick there. It was so nauseating she began to dry heave before realizing that she had no other option but to abandon her apartment. It was four-thirty in the morning.

* * *

Gods, she reeked. And not just her pajamas... the stink seemed to cling to her skin as well, and even with the car windows down it didn't fade in the slightest, as if it had infiltrated her sinuses as well, forcing her to breathe through her mouth or risk another round of near-vomiting.

Elena yawned as she drove toward the Shinra building, occasionally rubbing bleary eyes that were still watering badly from the smoke. She could shower at the gym, she told herself, and she always kept a clean uniform in her locker, just in case. As a Turk, she never knew what she might run into. And as Reno's frequent target, the odds for needing a change of clothes increased substantially.

It was going to be a long day. She was running on less than three hours of sleep, and she felt more tired now than she had when she'd gone to bed the night before. Elena glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror and winced. She looked as bad as she smelled.

'Dear Holy, I hope Tseng didn't come into work early today… I can't let him see me like this…' she thought as she pulled into her reserved space in the parking garage. To her dismay, she recognized Tseng's sleek black sports car two spaces over. And worse still, Reno's bright blue convertible was parked in his space as well.

Yep... today was gonna suck.

* * *

The tile floor was cold under her bare feet as she made her way to the gym's locker room.

'I'll just get my clothes, head for the showers, and hope like hell I don't run into anyone,' she told herself.

"Mornin' 'Lena… You're here awfully early. Did we sleep well last night?"

She turned around slowly as the sound of Reno's smug drawl.

" _You_ …" she replied, narrowing her eyes.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. By the way, did ya know you're outta uniform?" he grinned, fingering the fabric of her pajama top, then wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Whew… 'Lena, babe… Ever hear of bathing?"

"I hate you. _So_ much."

"Hey, this all coulda been avoided… All you had to do was give Mr. Foo-Foo back…"

"I don't have him, I don't have him, _I DON'T HAVE HIM_!" she screamed, her voice growing louder with each repetition.

"Isn't it a bit early for this?" a new voice asked, "And _what_ is that smell?"

"Heh… That would be 'Lena, Boss…" said Reno, his grin widening even more as Tseng made an unexpected appearance… Things were going even better that he'd hoped. Elena blushed bright pink, wishing she were anywhere but here at the moment. Why? Why did she _always_ have such terrible luck?

"I… er… that is, sir… It's all his fault!" she managed, pointing at Reno, who stood a few feet off, giving Tseng his best "I'm innocent" look. Between the lack of sleep and somehow ending up in her own worst-case scenario, she was on the verge of tears.

"I don't even want to know…" Tseng said, shaking his head as he walked off.

* * *

Reno may have been in better shape than the previous day, but he was far from back to normal... not to mention downing coffee like an addict. Elena had spent the better part of the morning doing her very best to avoid him. By the time the lunch hour had rolled around, however, Reno was practically stalking her, following her – sometimes subtly, sometimes not so much – all over the building. And, Reno being Reno, after all, he had quite literally followed her everywhere... twice even into the woman's restroom, much to the alarm of a few other female employees.

And there there was the fallout. Tseng seemed to have come to the conclusion that Reno's erratic behavior was due to some new prank. She had sworn up and down that she'd done nothing, and as far as she could tell, he'd believed her, but still... he'd been casting disapproving glances at her all day, as if it was somehow _her_ fault Reno had gone completely and utterly insane. Thankfully, once the day was over, she'd finally lost psychotic Turk somewhere between the conference room and the parking garage.

Elena sighed in relief as she climbed into the driver's seat. 'I am going to a hotel to soak in a nice hot bath, and forget all about Reno and his stupid lost toy,' she thought to herself. She didn't dare face her own apartment just yet. She'd called a neighbor earlier and asked just how bad it was. Apparently, several people on her floor had been driven out by the smell, and it was still as strong as it had been last night. Despite her best efforts, her thoughts turned to Reno. Just why the hell was he so convinced that she took the damn thing anyway?

"Where is he, 'Lena?" a dead calm voice asked from the backseat. Elena bit back a reflexive scream, and drew her weapon, turning and aiming with practiced ease. Reno didn't even flinch upon finding himself staring down the barrel of her gun.

"Reno, have you lost you mind?!" she cried, lowering the weapon, "I could have killed you! And for fuck's sake, I don't have your stupid rabbit, you lunatic!"

Reno's face took on a look of desperation. "It had to be you… You're the only one that knows about Mr. Foo-Foo. Unless, of course, you opened that big mouth of yours!" he sneered. _Now_ she understood... of course, it made sense. Hadn't he explicitly told her that he'd never told Rude or anyone else about his attachment to the little toy? So naturally, suspicion would fall on her first. She was actually a little hurt that he apparently thought so little of her ability to keep a secret. Or that she'd launch so personal an attack without any sort of provocation.

"I want him back!" Reno stated again.

"I _swear_ , Reno, on my honor as a Turk. I didn't take him..." she replied, putting as much sincerity into her words as she could.

Reno shrank back against the seat. "You... really didn't take him?" he asked softly. Elena shook her head. He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I'm sorry, 'Lena," he said after a moment, "This whole not sleepin' thing is really messin' with me. Ever since he went missing, I..."

"Wait a second... _That's_ why you can't sleep?!" she asked incredulously. Reno felt his face redden slightly in embarrassment and he looked away from her.

"... Yeah. That's why," he admitted, "Look, I've had him almost my entire life, ok? I know it's ridiculous, but I've never had to sleep without him, and now that he's gone, I can't sleep at all!"

"You've never had to sleep without him?" Elena replied, "What about on missions?… I mean you don't actually…"

Reno went a shade redder.

"You… You bring him with you… Don't you?" she said, doing her best to stifle the laughter that begged for release. Reno hid his eyes behind one hand and muttered something incomprehensible.

"You know… " she continued, clearing her throat to cover up a giggle, "He's probably just buried under a pile of junk in your apartment. I'll help you look, if you want…"

"You will?" Reno asked, looking rather shocked by the offer, "Even after I went all psycho on you, trashed your apartment, and embarrassed the fuck out of you in front of Tseng?"

"You are so gonna pay for that. But yeah, I will. Frankly... insomniac-Reno is creeping me the hell out. The sooner you get some sleep, the better off we'll all be."

* * *

"Ewwww! I never should have offered to help… Reno, how can you live like this?!"

She was almost afraid to move beyond the threshold of the door. Elena wouldn't have thought it possible without actually seeing it with her own eyes… but Reno's apartment looked even worse than the last time she'd been there.

"Heh... Yeah, I know. It's bad... even for me. Cleaning hasn't exactly been top priority lately," Reno said, looking somewhat abashed as he wandered into the mess, "Just watch where you step."

'No kidding,' she thought. She slowly followed him inside, closing the door behind her. As she surveyed to room, she thanked the heavens that it at least didn't smell the way it looked… That in itself was no small miracle, given the various remnants of food and laundry that were scattered everywhere.

"Ok, gross..." she said, cautiously picking up what looked to be a half-eaten peanut butter and cheese sandwich, holding it gingerly between two fingers at arms length.

"Hey, that's still good!" Reno replied as he snatched it from her hand and took a bite. Elena felt like gagging.

"Ugh... _Reno_ …" she moaned, somewhat nauseated.

"What?" he replied, mouth full of food. He swallowed and added, "You have something against leftovers?" Elena shuddered and quickly changed the subject.

"Let's just start in the bedroom…" she suggested, hoping that, at least, was relatively livable and 'leftover'-free.

Reno nodded and began to lead the way. Suddenly, _something_ skittered across her foot. She caught a fleeting glimpse of a long, fury body as she leapt onto a nearby chair. Scanning the floor, she searched frantically for whatever the creature was. She was _not_ moving another inch until she knew what she was dealing with and where it was. The chair, however, had other plans. Elena shrieked as she found herself falling a moment later as the chair wobbled and then tipped. She closed her eyes, arms poised to break her fall, hoping that she landed on something soft... and preferably not disgusting. She was extremely grateful, therefore, when she landed inelegantly in Reno's waiting arms instead of face-planting into a pile of laundry – or worse.

"Ah, shit!" he grunted as he was thrown off-balance by the awkward catch. He landed flat on his back on the floor, Elena sprawled across his chest. For a moment, neither of them moved.

"You alright?" he asked, at last.

"Yeah… Thanks for the save."

"Tch… What? You couldn't wait to get to the bedroom before throwin' yourself at me?" Reno teased as Elena lifted herself up.

"Shut up, Reno," she said, reddening slightly. Figures that would be the first thing to come to his mind.

"Oh, don't be such a prig… 'Sides, you're the one who suddenly decided you could fly, remember? What was that all about, anyway?"

"There is _something_ crawling around on the floor in here!" she replied, standing up and straightening her uniform before offering to help her unexpected savior to his feet. Reno smirked and grabbed her hand.

"Oh… That's just Snuffy."

"… Snuffy?" she asked, wondering what in the hell was a 'snuffy'.

"My new pet… Kid across the hall brought him home a couple weeks ago, but his mom wouldn't let him keep the little guy. And before you ask, the kid named him… not me."

"And… just what _is_ Snuffy?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"He's a ferret. Don't worry… He won't hurt ya… He's just…"

"There's some creepy little rat-thing wandering around in here?!" Elena cried, cutting him off.

"He's nothing like a rat!" Reno replied defensively, "Ferrets are awesome. Gimme a minute and I'll find him for ya so you can see for yourself."

"Really, Reno… I don't want to see it… Let's just go find Mr. Foo-Foo so I can get out of here," she said, inching herself away from the area Reno had started searching in, and leaning against the counter that separated the living room from the kitchenette.

"I thought women loved cute little fuzzy creatures…" he replied, stifling a yawn.

"Not when they're…" she began, stopping abruptly as something tugged at, and then began to climb, her jacket sleeve. She froze as she felt the weight perch on her shoulder. Elena turned her head slowly to look, and came face to face with two beady little eyes staring back at her intently.

"Not when they're what?" Reno asked, not bothering to look up.

"Get… it… off of me."

"Huh? Oh, hey… You found him!" said Reno, catching sight of a very statue-like Elena and the little ball of fur that was nosing through her hair, "Come're Snuffy."

He picked up the ferret and set it on his own shoulder.

"Ugh… You know… normal people hire exterminators to get _rid_ of things like that…"

"Aw, don't say that. You're gonna hurt his feelings. Snuffy's a great pet. He's quiet… He's friendly… Pretty much takes care of himself. Wanna pet him?"

" _NO_!" Elena cried, jumping back a step or two, "No, I don't want to pet your rat-thing! Let's go find Mr. Foo-Foo. Now."

She turned before he could say anything else and trudged off to the bedroom, hoping that Snuffy was the last of the surprises Reno's apartment had to offer. She wasn't sure she could take many more.

"Alright," she said, surveying the room with determination, "Where did you see him last?"

"I left him on my bed, just like I always do… I'm sure of it. And when I came home from work, he was gone."

"Well, a stuffed rabbit can't just walk off on its own. You must have… Reno, will you please get that thing away from me!" she cried, eying the little ferret in Reno's arms. He smirked and took his pet back into the other room.

"Ok," she said when he returned, "I think the easiest way to do this is to just clean things up a little... He's got to be somewhere in this mess."

"Never in a million years thought you'd offer to clean my apartment again…" he teased.

"Keep it up, and you can just look for your precious little bunny by yourself!" Elena retorted.

"Ok, ok… Shutting up now…"

* * *

"Oh, this is just ridiculous… It's got to be somewhere," said Elena. They'd been over the entire apartment with a fine-toothed comb. No bunny… though they _had_ found a large stash of other missing items that had been ferreted away by a certain new pet…

"Well, he's not," a disheartened Reno replied, "We've looked everywhere."

Looking around, taking in the now-orderly apartment, Elena had no choice but to agree. Reno sighed and sank down onto the couch.

"Now what am I gonna do?" he lamented. A knock at the door interrupted the female Turk before she could reply.

"You mind gettin' that, 'Lena?" asked Reno, morosely petting the ferret that had climbed onto the couch and curled up in his lap. Elena silently complied. She couldn't help but feel bad for him. Reno looked exhausted, defeated, and depressed. It was such a stark contrast to his usual nature.

She opened the door, only to find the hall empty, and was about to step back inside when a small box on the floor caught her eye. A folded note with "Reno" printed across the front in bold type-written letters sat on top, and Elena quickly stooped down and retrieved it.

"Who was it?" Reno asked listlessly.

"No one… Someone just left this for you," she said, handing him the box. Reno opened it and pushed aside the tissue paper that concealed its contents, letting out a shout of joy as he seized on what was inside.

"Mr. Foo-Foo!" he cried with relief, scooping the beloved toy out of the box and hugging it tight… until he remembered that he wasn't alone. Elena was giggling softly behind him. He slowed turned to her, setting the bunny back in the box. "Uhhh... you didn't see that."

"See what?" she asked, innocently.

"Yeah... Let's keep it that way," he replied, glancing back down at Mr. Foo-Foo, "What I wanna know now, though, is who took him?"

"Well... There _was_ a note," Elena pointed out, gesturing to the square of paper taped to the box lid Reno had tossed aside. He picked it up and unfolded it.

"Gotcha back," he read, then looked up at her, "That son of a bitch..."

"What? Who?"

"Rude." Reno suddenly burst out laughing, leaving Elena with the distinct impression that the redhead really had finally lost it completely. Apparently, Snuffy agreed, because as hysterics claimed his owner, he'd taken off to the far side of the couch, well out of Reno's reach, and sat watching the man quizzically.

"Oh, man..." Reno gasped several minutes later, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, as he slowly began to calm down, "Talk about playin' the long game..."

"W-what are you talking about? Why would Rude take Mr. Foo-Foo? How'd he even know about him?" Elena asked, feeling very confused. Reno glanced up at her, looking for all the world like he'd just heard the greatest joke ever written.

"Word of advice, 'Lena. Don't _ever_ cross Rude unless you're willing to pay the price for it. Guy never forgets a thing, his specialty is intelligence, and he can hold a grudge like you wouldn't believe," he said, grinning widely, "He just got me back for something I did over a _year_ ago."

She blinked. "And... for some reason, that's funny?"

"You kiddin'? It's hilarious!"

"Let me get this straight," she said, shaking her head, as she tried to make sense of everything, "You've been awake for days, basically going completely out of your mind, accusing _me_ of causing it, _practically_ giving me a nervous breakdown, _destroying_ my apartment... and now, when you find out it was Rude behind it all and _not_ me, you're not even angry?"

Her brain hurt.

"Pretty much," Reno confirmed, "Oh, hey... about the stink bombs... No hard feelings, right?"

"No… Hard… _FEELINGS_?!" she cried in disbelief, as she imagined her apartment smelling of rotting garbage for the next few weeks.

* * *

"No… Hard… _FEELINGS_?!"

A bald figure chuckled softly in the shadows of the stairwell as the frustrated and confused cry reached his waiting ears.

-fin-


	7. The Island Closest to Heaven and Hell

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 7: The Island Closest to Heaven and Hell**

 **by Desha**

She stood stiffly in front of his desk. The door was closed, isolating her from the rest of the Turks' office. That door was almost never closed. Being cut off like this was unnerving, particularly knowing that he was less than pleased with her.

"Elena… Would you mind explaining to me just why you are standing in my office, looking like that?" Tseng asked, keeping his voice even, his face neutral, despite the extraordinarily comical sight that was currently posed before him.

"They…" she began, only to find her throat had gone dry. She swallowed harshly and tried again, "They won't come off, sir…" Her cheeks – what he could see of them at least – flushed crimson in embarrassment as she motioned to the multi-colored feathers that had been affixed to her face and hands. Tseng stood and slowly circled his rookie Turk, absently wondering just what sort of adhesive Reno'd used to get them to stay on so well…

"I see," Tseng deadpanned, "This wouldn't, by chance, have anything to do with Reno's new-found aversion to toast, would it?"

He was still trying to figure that one out. Reno refused to discuss it, but at some point in the last few days, toast had joined the extremely short foods-Reno-won't-touch list. Tseng was certain it had something to do with the recently renewed prank war between the two Turks.

"Yes, sir… I think it's possible that the two incidents might be related, sir…" Elena responded, staring straight ahead at the wall behind Tseng's desk.

"Indeed…"

Reno had gone all out this time. She's awoken groggy and disoriented this morning… and when she looked in the mirror, it hadn't been hard to figure out why. She'd been drugged… That was the only possible way he could have…

"This has gone, I think, a bit too far, Elena."

She was certain she went a shade or two paler at those words, and her stomach dropped. Was she being suspended? Or worse, dismissed from the Turks altogether?

"S-sir?" she queried, uncertainly.

"The two of you are turning the name 'Turk' into the company joke," the Wutaiian Turk said, gravely, having paused to stand just outside of her range of view.

"Y-yes, sir…" she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. 'Oh gods… He really _is_ going to fire me…' she thought in horror. All her hard work. All her accomplishments. All for nothing.

"I really expected better of you, Elena…" Tseng continued, continuing his slow circuit around the stock-still woman. Her eyes never left that spot on the wall… and so she didn't see the smirk that flickered briefly across his face.

"I… I'm sorry, sir," she said with an audible tremor in her voice. Elena clenched her fists, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wondered if Reno would face the same fate. He was just as much to blame as she was... more so, in this particular instance. But then... Reno was an integral part of the team with years of seniority on her. She was just a rookie, barely starting out. And sometimes – like now – she worried that that made her easy to replace.

"As you should be. I'm afraid, Elena, that this merits severe punishment," he said calmly, "For both you _and_ Reno."

He completed his agonizingly slow tour around the woman, returning to his desk, and took a seat.

"To begin with, you're both suspended for one week… without pay."

That alone _might_ be sufficient to deter Elena, who was still very much finding her place among the Turks, but it would hardly discourage Reno from indulging in such behavior in the future. Though, he noted, somewhat amused – and perhaps a little pleased, as well – that Elena, instead of being completely cowed, looked rather relieved. Probably, she had expected much worse from her first official reprimand. Well, Tseng certainly didn't want to disappoint her…

"Furthermore, _during_ that week, you and Reno are going to be spending some… quality time... together," he added, and it took supreme effort of control on his part not to laugh out loud at the expression of horror now clearly etched on Elena's face.

"Q-quality time, sir?" she squeaked.

"I'll fill you both in on the details once I've finalized the arrangements."

That was clearly the final word on the matter, and Elena silently left Tseng's office, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could, as if making too much noise might further anger the man. When she turned away, she found Rude was watching her intently from across the room.

"You think you had it rough, trust me... Reno had it worse," he commented, " _He's_ supposed to set an example. Tseng had him in there for almost an hour."

Elena shuddered. An hour of _that_? An hour of Tseng's soft, even voice dripping with disappointment, never rising above his normal speaking volume but somehow making the object of his ire squirm uncomfortably until he saw fit to release them? She glanced at her watch, and found that she'd been subjected to a mere eight minutes. How could anyone, even Reno, tolerate an hour? Had he simply been on the receiving end so many times he was immune?

"You don't get used to it," Rude added, as if reading her mind.

"I think I need to sit down for awhile," she said quietly, as she slid into her chair. She was a little surprised to find a mug sitting innocuously on her desk, steam rising from the dark liquid inside. She picked it up and inhaled, immediately recognizing the calming scent of camomile. She glanced back up at Rude, smiling gratefully, but he had gone back to his computer screen as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

* * *

"That's right! See the amazing chocobo woman, only five gil!" a voice shouted as the elevator doors parted in the main lobby to let one of her fellow passengers – who had been doing their level best to completely ignore her for the entire ride – disembark. Elena stepped out as well, to see what was going on, eyes widening as she entered the expansive area. A crowd had gathered, and she was not even remotely surprised to see Reno in the middle of it all.

"Yes, just a mere five gil for a look at this hideous freak of nature! Ahh, there she is now! Careful… Don't get too close! She's a dangerous and easily provoked creature!" Reno continued, speaking like some deranged carnival side-show barker.

"Reno!" she screamed, absolutely furious, and lunged for the redhead, clawing her way through the raucously laughing crowd. But Reno's lithe body easily slipped away from her amidst the guffawing spectators, and once he was clear of them, he broke into a run towards the second set of elevators on the opposite side of the concourse. Elena cleared a path for herself and sprinted toward him, looking for all the world like some kind of giant, enraged bird, but Reno was already in the elevator car. By the time _she_ made it that far, the doors had slid closed, and he was safely out of her reach.

* * *

The message Tseng had left on her voice mail that morning had instructed her to pack light for a week-long trip… specifying that if it couldn't fit in a standard issue travel pack, she was to leave it behind. He had given no further details other than a planned time and location for her departure. Elena groaned, thinking of the implications of his instructions, as she carefully packed several sets of clothing and various other necessities into her bag.

"Thanks a lot, Reno," she growled to herself. This was all his fault. Her toast assault had been a work of pure genius – more so, given that even Tseng still hadn't figured exactly what she'd done to Reno. It had gone off without a hitch, and almost no one was the wiser. But Reno… that little troll. _He_ had to go for _public_ humiliation. If he'd just done something more subtle to get back at her, they wouldn't be in this mess. But _no_ …

Her pack was filling up quickly, she realized, as she tried to shove her hair dryer into it.

She thought about it for a moment. Tseng had said she'd be spending quality time with Reno. Was a hair dryer really something that would help her survive that? In a pinch, she supposed she could bludgeon him with it… With a sigh, she tossed it onto her bed, and in its place, tucked her spare sidearm into the bag. After all, one never knew when a backup weapon might be needed. Her main weapon, of course, was holstered in it's usual place, beneath her jacket.

Satisfied that she was packed sensibly for whatever Tseng was going to throw at her, Elena decided that a few small luxuries could still fit. She retrieved a package of cookies from the kitchen, and also stowed her MP3 player and some spare batteries in the pack. Now all that was left to do was await the pre-arranged departure time.

* * *

"Reno… I thought I told you to pack for a week-long trip… not a frat party…" Tseng noted. The contents of Reno's pack looked like he'd just cleaned out a convenience store of its entire inventory.

"I did, Boss," Reno said, grinning at him, as he tapped his electro-mag rod on his shoulder, "Got all the necessities… Chips, beer, candy bars, beer, smokes… beer…"

Tseng fought the urge to sigh in exasperation. Only Reno...

"Your funeral…" he said instead. A helicopter was standing by to airlift the misbehaving Turks to their punishment.

"So what'cha got in store for us, anyway?" Reno asked, "One of those sensitivity seminars or some new age crap like that?"

"Not exactly…" Tseng smirked. Reno was about to question him further, but Elena arrived at that moment, looking grimly at the two men.

"Ready to go, sir," she said to Tseng, sounding as if she were preparing to leave for her own execution.

"Good… Let's be off then, shall we?" Tseng said, just a little too cheerfully.

They boarded the helicopter, and soon they were heading east, hugging the coastline for a long while before swinging north out over the open ocean. Elena gazed down at the water as it reflected the warm mid-morning sunshine. It really was a beautiful sight, and for awhile, it took her mind off whatever it was Tseng had in mind for her and Reno. The aforementioned Turk, on the other hand was dozing, his forehead leaning against the plexiglass window, arms folded across his chest... though ever now and then, he was startled awake by the constant noise and vibration of the helicopter.

Elena sighed. Reno was _not_ what she would call a morning person. Napping on the way to... wherever the hell they were going... might have made him a bit more tolerable. Now she'd probably be stuck dealing with his cranky, annoyed, pain-in-the-ass self until at least lunchtime when the prospect of food would almost certainly bring him back to the more easy-going attitude he usually sported.

'Dear Holy… A whole week, stuck with _Reno_ …' she thought miserably to herself.

* * *

The helicopter set down with a thump that jarred Elena from the light doze she'd somehow managed to fall into. It had been a long trip. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, gazing out the window with a yawn. They had set down on a wide expanse of beach.

"Hey… this 'punishment' might not be so bad after all," Reno commented upon seeing his surroundings.

"Alright, you two… out," Tseng ordered, and Elena, grabbing hold of her pack, moved quickly to disembark. Reno, on the other hand, took his sweet time stretching his limbs and hopping out onto the beach. Tseng stood calmly as Reno sauntered over to join him and Elena. Behind him was a small mound, covered by bright blue tarp that had been anchored into the sand. Tseng reached out and pulled the tarp away, and Elena looked on in dismay at what it revealed.

Two sleeping bags, tightly rolled and secured with straps… some rope… a pair of canteens… two small bags that could be slung over a shoulder… and one last item…

"Uh… s-sir?" said Elena, hesitantly.

"Yes, Elena?"

"T-there's only one tent… sir…"

"I'm aware of that," Tseng replied.

"Ah, come on, Tseng… You can't be serious," Reno moaned.

"When I said 'quality time', I meant it," Tseng said, "Now then… The pair of you have one week to get from this beach to the opposite side of the island, where you will rendezvous with your ride home. There's a map in one of those bags marking the trail you're to take. You are to follow the trail exactly. There will be global positioning markers for you to activate along the way. If you try to cheat and skip a marker or markers…" At this point Tseng looked directly at Reno before continuing, "… you will not like the consequences, I assure you."

"Is it too late to promise to be good?" Reno sighed.

"Far too late, Reno…" Tseng replied, looking uncharacteristically smug, "Have fun… With any luck, I'll see you both in a week."

With that, he slipped back into the helicopter and ordered it into the air, stranding the other two Turks on the beach.

"Well, this is just great," Elena said as she watched the helicopter vanish into the horizon, "Thanks a lot Reno… This is all your fault, you know!"

"My fault?!" Reno yelled, "How is any of this my fault?!"

"If you would just act your age once in a while…" she began.

"If you'd just pull that stick out of your ass…" Reno cut her off.

"How dare you?!" Elena shouted before he could finish that sentence.

"What? Can't take a little constructive criticism?" he countered.

"Oh like anything you ever have to say to me is 'constructive'," she growled back, temper flaring. Reno outright picked on her, was what he did. There was nothing constructive about it, most of the time, and she was sick of it.

"Now, now, Elena…" Reno said, wagging a finger at her, "Remember who the superior officer is here…"

"Higher ranking doesn't necessarily imply superiority," she retorted, turning her back on him and crossing her arms huffily.

"Ouch… That stung…" Reno said in a mock-hurt voice, clasping a hand to his chest. He set down his backpack and wandered over to the supplies Tseng had left for them. Picking up one of the sleeping bags, he threw it hard at Elena, shouting, "Catch!"

She turned, and it smacked her in the face, catching her by complete surprise, and knocking her over.

" _RENO_!"

She snatched up the sleeping bag, stomped over to the laughing Turk, and swung it hard at his head. Reno saw it coming, though, and ducked, laughing even harder as Elena's momentum spun her in a circle.

"Arrrgh!" she screamed in frustration.

"Aw, chill out, 'Lena…" Reno drawled, "All we gotta do to make Tsengy-kins happy is follow the map, and avoid killing one another for a week. Tell ya what… I'll call a truce if you will. Deal?"

He held his hand out. After a moment's hesitation, Elena shook it. "Deal," she replied, grudgingly. They certainly wouldn't get far if they were constantly at each other's throats.

"Great… so now that that's settled, where the hell's that map? Might as well get moving…"

They rummaged through the two bags, finding food, a first aid kit, matches, a flashlight, a compass, and, nestled at the bottom, the map. Elena unfolded it.

"Ok…" she said, pointing at the southernmost part of the map, "Right now, we're right about here, I think. And we need to go here…" Her finger trailed up to a second beach almost directly opposite their current location.

"Ugh… Tseng didn't wanna make this easy on us, did he?" said Reno, "Look at the trail he's got marked out!"

Said trail wound all around the island, never crossing itself, but backtracking several times, leading over streams and cliffs, through the densely forested interior of the island, across valleys… all in all, it looked as through Tseng had created the most hellacious trek for them that he could come up with. Every seven inches or so, the map showed a bright blue dot on the trail… Elena assumed they were the GPS markers that she and Reno were supposed to activate. There were twelve in total.

* * *

"Ow! Reno… Slow down a minute!" Elena called, "Ow! Stupid rocks…"

She balanced on one foot and yanked her shoe off, shaking out the pebble that had been driving her nuts for the last five minutes. Reno had disappeared among the trees by the time she got it back on her foot.

"Reno!" she yelled again.

"Hurry the hell up, 'Lena," Reno yelled back.

"Asshole," she muttered as she set off again in the direction of his voice. When she eventually caught up to him, he was leaning against a tree, looking annoyed.

"Keep up, will ya? Ya keep falling behind like that and it'll take us a month to get out of here instead of a week."

"I was keeping up just fine until I got a rock in my shoe! Would it have killed you to wait two seconds while I got rid of it?!"

Reno rolled his eyes, and set off again, ignoring her. Well if he was going to ignore her, then she was just gonna do the same right back. Elena glared at Reno's back as she fell into step behind him. They continued on in silence for a little while, and eventually, Elena's anger at her fellow Turk began to gradually abate.

'So much for a truce,' she thought to herself. They hadn't gone more than an hour without getting into an argument over one stupid thing or another. By now, the sun was starting to set, and they hadn't covered anywhere near the amount of ground they had planned on for the first day of their 'punishment'. She sighed… it was going to be a very long week…

"Hey… Reno?"

"What?" he snapped at her. Apparently he hadn't cooled off as much as she had.

"Geez… I was just gonna say that maybe we'd better find a spot to camp for the night. It… It's gonna be getting dark pretty soon," she replied, hoping that if she appealed to his sense of reason, they could avoid another fight. Reno paused a moment, considering.

"Yeah… I s'pose you're right," he conceded. He stopped and pulled out the map, "Looks like there's a decent spot not too far ahead of us."

Elena nodded, and they moved on. As it turned out, Reno was right… less than ten minutes later, they found themselves in a clearing. Elena dropped her pack at the base of a tree. Reno did the same, stretching as the burden was removed from his shoulders at last.

"Oh man, my back is killin' me," he muttered, rolling his shoulders until they gave a satisfying crack, "You get to carry the tent tomorrow. So, uh… You know how to put it up, right?"

Elena smirked at him.

"Why? Don't you?" she goaded.

"Hell no…" Reno replied, digging through his bag, and coming up with a pack of cigarettes. He pulled one out and stuck it between his lips, fishing around in his pocket for his lighter, "I'm a city boy, born and bred…"

He lit the cigarette, and took a long drag from it, and leaned back against a tree, closing his eyes.

"You mean to tell me you've never been camping before?" Elena asked. Not that she was exactly the outdoorsy type herself… but she'd been on her share of camp-outs. Her father had taken her and her brothers camping and fishing every summer when she was a little girl.

"Me? Come on, 'Lena…" Reno replied, snickering, "Do I seriously look like the kind of guy who's into camping on the weekends."

"Not even when you were little?"

Reno raised an eyebrow at her.

" 'Lena, unlike _some_ people on this island, I grew up in the slums…" he replied, pulling in another lungful of smoke, "I had more important things to do when I was a kid. Like not starvin'."

"… Oh," Elena said. She hadn't really thought about that, and she certainly hadn't meant to bring up any bad memories, either… especially since the two of them finally seemed to be on civil terms again, "Err… sorry."

"Tch… Ancient history. Don't worry 'bout it," said Reno, waving a hand dismissively, "So… about that tent…"

"O-oh right!" Elena cried, snapping out of her reverie, "I'll set it up."

It had been a long time since she'd had to pitch a tent, but she managed it without too much trouble. She caught Reno watching her a couple of times, out of the corner of her eye, though he did his best to look completely uninterested as soon as he was noticed. By then, the sun had nearly set. There wasn't much light left at all.

"You hungry?" Reno asked. He was going through one of the bags Tseng had packed for them.

"Definitely," Elena replied. Hungry was an understatement. She was half starved.

"Looks like we got a bunch of sandwiches to start us off," Reno said, "Might as well eat 'em now. They won't last long out here."

He tossed one to Elena, and she quickly unwrapped it and devoured half of it immediately. Reno settled himself down beside her, pulling the cellophane off of his as well.

"Easy," he smirked, "You'll make yourself sick."

"Mmmph mmm mph uph," Elena retorted, her mouth full.

"Sorry… could you repeat that? I seem to have forgotten my pig to English dictionary…" he laughed. Elena glared at him, and took a swig from her canteen.

"I said, 'Shut the hell up'. Besides… you eat like a pig all the time and it never makes you sick…"

"Yeah, but I'm conditioned to it," Reno said, cramming half a sandwich into his mouth and hardly chewing before swallowing it down, "You, on the other hand, normally eat like a little girl minding her manners at a grownup dinner party." Elena rolled her eyes and reached for a second sandwich…

* * *

"Oooh…"

"Told ya so," Reno's voice said from the darkness.

"Shut up, Reno…" Elena responded, weakly. Her stomach ached. And the worse part about it was that Reno _had_ warned her, and now that smug son of a bitch was gonna rub it in. She really hoped that she'd just fall asleep… preferably sooner, rather than later.

"And you'd better not puke on me," he added.

"Seriously, shut up," she moaned, wrapping her arms tight around her abdomen.

"I mean, really…" Reno continued, "As far as we hiked today? You'd think that your training would have taught you that high impact cardio and binge eating don't mix…"

"Reno, I mean it…" Elena said as she sat up in the darkness of the tent, intent at yelling at him… but as she did so, a wave of nausea hit her hard, "Please just shut... Ohhh…"

She clapped a hand over her mouth, and lunged for the tent's doorway, practically throwing herself through it.

" 'Lena?" Reno called. The only answer he received was the sound of violent retching from somewhere outside.

"Tch… told ya so," he said again, and then lay back down, drifting off to sleep before Elena ever returned to her sleeping bag.

* * *

The next morning, Elena awoke feeling moderately better… though her stomach still felt sour, and she didn't even want to think about what her breath must smell like.

"Mornin'," Reno's voice drawled. He was perched on a fallen log, a candy bar in one hand, and a cigarette in the other.

"Nice breakfast," Elena muttered. Reno shrugged.

"Ready to head out?" he asked around a mouthful of caramel and nougat, "Or you want something to eat first."

"Ugh… Don't even _mention_ food…"

"You really oughta eat something, ya know," Reno prodded.

"Reno, are you trying to make me sick again?" she snapped at him.

"Hey, don't blame me for that. I tried to _prevent_ you from gettin' sick. You brought that on yourself. But no, as a matter of fact... right now I'm tryin' to make sure you're not gonna pass out from hunger later this afternoon," he replied lazily, "Bad enough I gotta lug all this shit along… I am _not_ carrying you, too."

"Fine!" she growled, hating to admit – and supremely annoyed with herself that she had to – that he was absolutely right. She dug a granola bar out of one of the bags, took a tentative bite of it, and swallowed. At least it stayed down. Elena forced herself to finish it off… slowly... as Reno was rolling up the sleeping bags and the tent, getting ready to set off again.

But as irritated as she was at him and his know-it-all commentary, it wasn't lost on her that, despite his declaration the previous evening, Reno strapped the tent to his own pack, not hers... and did so without comment or complaint.

* * *

Hours later, they found themselves lost.

"I'm telling you it's this way," Elena insisted.

"I know how to read a fucking map, 'Lena," Reno replied. They'd made good time for awhile. The trail was straightforward and easy going. They'd found and activated two of their markers, and both of them had previously been in an exceptionally good mood… until they'd somehow wandered off the trail.

"I know how to read a fucking map, 'Lena," the rookie Turk mimicked, "Well, ya could've fooled me!"

"Fine! You wanna go that way, go that way!" Reno yelled, "I'm going this way!"

With that, he stormed off into the woods.

"R-Reno?!" Elena called after him, not expecting to be abandoned. He wouldn't really just leave her, would he? And without a map?

"Reno?!"

When she got no answer, she started to worry. He really was going to leave her, the bastard!

"Reno! Wait for me!" she shouted, running after him. The trees and brush were dense here, and she couldn't see him anywhere. It was as if he'd just melted into the forest and vanished. He had to be able to hear her… he wasn't that far ahead. He was just being a jerk, and not answering her… letting her squirm.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes behind her. She turned, but as soon as she did so, the noise stopped, and everything went still.

"Reno?"

No answer.

"Real mature, Reno…" she muttered, and headed off in the direction of the rustling. Then she heard more rustling… back in the direction she'd just come from.

"Ha, ha, Reno… knock it off," she called out to him. The other Turk still didn't answer. Elena sighed and walked back to where she'd just been. Just as she reached the spot, more rustling, again from behind her. She spun around.

"Reno, come on… This isn't funny anymore!"

In fact, it was starting to freak her out a little bit. This was how every bad horror movie she'd ever seen started out.

" _Kill, kill, kill… Die, die, die…_ " a voice whispered right next to her ear. Elena screamed, and spun around, hand instinctively reaching for her gun, as she was half expecting to come face to face with a lunatic in a hockey mask. But the only thing she saw was one very amused redhead. Reno snickered and then broke out laughing hysterically.

"That… That was fucking priceless!" Reno managed to spit out.

"Reno, you asshole!" she shouted, punching him in the chest, "You scared me half to death!"

"Ow! Come on… it was a joke," Reno said.

"Do something like that again, and next time I'll shoot you!" Elena yelled. Reno smirked.

"Go for it… I'd love to see you explain _that_ to Tseng…"

* * *

As the sun was setting on their second day of punishment, Reno and Elena set up camp for the night. They'd managed to find one more of their markers before it had started getting too dark to go any farther. It had taken them almost two hours just to find their way back to the trail earlier, a detour that they'd have to make up for the next day. Elena sighed and poked the fire with a stick. Only two days, and already all she wanted to do was go home and fall asleep in her nice, soft bed.

To make matters worse, for the latter half of the afternoon, the sky had taken on an ominous gray hue, as wave after wave of dark clouds began to block out the sun. She really hoped it wasn't going to rain… but she was fairly certain that she could already hear thunder rumbling in the distance, and the wind was picking up noticeably.

"Yo, 'Lena…" Reno called, "Better get everything into the tent… Doesn't look like the weather's gonna be too pleasant tonight."

She nodded, and grabbed her pack, hastily tossing it inside, along with her other bag and her canteen. Reno carried his gear over as well, just as the first few drops of rain began to spatter the ground.

"Uh oh…" he muttered.

Elena crawled inside, before the downpour could start, and Reno wasn't far behind, zipping the tent door shut behind him. The next thing she knew, their little shelter was being pounded by rain, and lightning was illuminating the clearing all around them. Reno pulled his boots off and tossed them into a corner.

"Guess we're stuck in here 'til this stops," he said, stretching out in his sleeping bag, clasping his hands behind his head.

"Looks that way," Elena agreed, making herself comfortable as well. A deafening crash of thunder split the air, making both Turks jump.

"Fucking A, that sounded close…" Reno muttered.

"Y-yeah, it did," Elena replied, nervously. She'd never been a big fan of storms… and being stuck out here with only a flimsy tent for cover was not exactly her idea of a good time. Reno didn't look too thrilled about it, either. More thunder sounded, and Elena hesitantly laid back down, pulling her sleeping bag close. After the third clap of thunder, Reno sat up and started rummaging through his pack.

"Reno? What are you looking for?" Elena asked, curious.

"Nothin'," Reno said firmly.

"Well you must be looking for something," Elena pointed out. Reno didn't answer… but apparently he had found whatever the object of his search was. Whatever it was, he didn't let her get a good look at it, and before she could maneuver into a better position, he'd tucked it into the folds his own sleeping bag.

"Reno?"

"Just try and go to sleep, 'Lena," he said. He was curled up on his side, his back to her. Lightning lit up the tent, and thunder crashed.

"Sleep… yeah, right," Elena snorted, "Come on… what've you got?"

"Nothing!" Reno insisted.

"Fine… You don't wanna tell me? I'll just have to find out for myself!" she said, grinning maniacally, ready to extract a little payback for earlier in the day. Elena pounced on the male Turk, pinning him so that his own sleeping bag was working against him, holding his arms tight against his sides. Reno growled and tried to squirm away, but he'd been caught off-guard, and Elena now had the upper hand.

"What is it, Reno?" Elena demanded.

"Ahhh… get off me!" Reno grunted as Elena's knee can dangerously close to planting itself in a very sensitive region of his anatomy. By then, she was wrestling the sleeping bag open, trying to get at whatever it was he was hiding. Her fingers closed around something soft, and she snatched it, stealing it away from the pinned Turk and rolling back to her own side of the tent.

"Give him back!" Reno yelled.

Elena clicked on her flashlight to get a better look at her prize… and burst out laughing.

"M-Mr. F-Foo-foo?!" she cackled, staring at the little stuffed bunny.

"I _said_ give him back!"

"I _cannot_ believe you brought a stuffed animal camping!" Elena said, wiping away tears of laughter. Reno glared at her in the dim light. The storm was still raging outside.

"Alright... you've had your laugh. Now give him back, 'Lena," Reno sighed.

"Say please…" Elena smirked.

"… Please," Reno complied, barely audible above the thunder.

"Say 'Pretty please'…" Elena taunted him.

"Dammit, 'Lena!"

"Say it!"

"… Pretty please."

"Now say 'Elena, I'm sorry I'm such an asshole and I promise I'll be nice to you from now on and stop calling you 'Lena'…"

"In your dreams…" Reno snorted.

"Fine… then I'm keeping him," Elena said with a shrug.

" 'Lena… Elena..." Reno said, his tone suddenly serious, "Come on… seriously, give him back. Please? I'm asking ya nice, ok?"

Elena sighed and handed the bunny back. The look of sheer relief on Reno's face was so pronounced, she broke out laughing all over again.

"It's not funny!" Reno muttered, clutching the bunny against his chest.

"God, Reno, I know you're sentimental about it and all, but it's just a toy..."

"It's not just a toy," Reno growled, and buried himself and Mr. Foo-foo in the sleeping bag, turning his back on Elena once again.

"Reno?"

"Just fucking drop it!" Reno yelled, his voice muffled by the fabric of the sleeping bag. The anger in his voice caught Elena by surprise. For a moment, she just stared her fellow-Turk.

"Reno…" she tried again, lightly prodding him.

"Leave me the hell alone," he replied. He was definitely angry… and in retrospect, making fun of the bunny might not have been the kindest thing to do. She didn't know the whole story behind it, but she knew enough of it to understand that the toy meant a lot to Reno, and she knew how that was. She'd had her share of treasured childhood possessions. They still had a full five days to go… and it was going to be a horrible five days if Reno spent the entire time deliberately trying to make her life hell. Finally, Elena decided to swallow her pride and apologize before things came back to bite her in the ass. She sighed and moved a little closer to him, pulling the edge of the sleeping bag back, away from his face. Reno glared up at her, the occasional flashes of lightning making him look even more ticked off.

"I'm sorry," she said, "That was uncalled for."

Reno blinked and peered up at her, clearly not expecting an apology.

"So… Forgive me?" she asked. He sighed and and turned his face to look her in the eye.

"Yeah, I s'pose," he said.

"So... look. I get that you're attached to it, but don't you think you might be just a little _too_ attached?" asked Elena.

"No," Reno replied.

"Seriously... what's the whole story here?" Elena asked, genuinely curious now.

"It's personal, and I don't want to discuss it with someone I can't trust," Reno said in response, as he pulled the sleeping bag back up around him, "Now get some sleep. We still got five more days of this shit, ya know."

"Y-you don't trust me?" she asked, somewhat meekly. Well, that hurt. And it wasn't just "don't trust"... he'd said "can't trust". The words left her feeling hollow.

"Tch… go to sleep, 'Lena," was all the answer she received. She was still for a few moments, before laying back down and letting her eyes close. It was quite some time, however, before sleep finally claimed her.

* * *

The next morning dawned, a gloomy haze in the air. The sky was still overcast, as if more rain threatened at any moment. Elena had woken first and was fixing breakfast over the campfire. It had taken quite a bit of effort to get it going again after last night's downpour, but finally she had coaxed a meager little flame out of some of the wood that wasn't completely saturated. She was using it to boil water to make oatmeal. Reno emerged from the tent around the time that it was ready, yawning. He had a can of beer in his hand. Elena stared at him.

"Isn't is a little early for that?" Elena asked.

"No such thing as too early… or too late, for that matter," he smirked, taking a long swig from the can, "Want one?"

"Uh… no," she said, and Reno shrugged, "Just out of curiosity, did you bring anything useful with you?"

"Of course…" Reno said.

"Yeah? Like what?"

Reno raised the can and shook it lightly in front of her face.

"I'd hardly call that 'useful'," Elena groaned.

"Not my fault you don't share my priorities…" he said, grinning at her.

'Well,' thought Elena, 'At least he's in a better mood this morning.'

A part of her wanted to continue the conversation that Reno had so abruptly terminated the night before… but somehow, she didn't think the man's good mood would last very long if she brought up a certain stuffed bunny and his lack of trust in her again. Reno snagged a bowl from Elena and scooped half of the gooey oatmeal from the pot, downing it.

"Geez, Reno… do you even taste your food?" she asked, opting for a more neutral topic of conversation and blowing softly on a spoonful of her own breakfast.

"I'm more concerned with quantity than quality," said Reno, "'Sides… I'm starved."

"How can you be?!" she asked in disbelief, "You ate your dinner last night, went back for seconds, and then ate at least a third of mine!"

"High metabolism. I gotta eat or I crash," he said with a shrug, and then glanced at her half-empty bowl, "You gonna finish that?"

"Yes, I'm gonna finish it…" she said, gripping her bowl protectively. Reno snickered.

"I was kidding, 'Lena…"

* * *

"Hey Reno! I think I see it!" Elena called. She had taken the lead today, Reno bringing up the rear. Their next marker was in sight. That would make four in total… a third of the way done. Reno hurried to join her.

" 'Bout time… I was starting to wonder if we'd gone off the trail again," he commented.

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence," Elena replied, "Tell me again… who got us lost yesterday, hmm?"

"Do you have to take everything I say as an insult?" Reno asked, somewhat bemused.

"It's hard not to, when nearly everything you say to me _is_ an insult," she countered.

"It's not… you're just too insecure to see the difference between an insult and constructive criticism."

"Oh, so now I'm insecure?!"

"There! You see what I mean? All I did was point out that you take things too personally sometimes, and you snap on me."

"You did not! You called me insecure!"

"Only because you are…"

Elena glared at him, and stomped off down the trail to the GPS marker, leaving him behind. She flipped up the panel on the top and pressed the button to activate it, slamming it down again as the LED indicator light began flashing.

"And you've got a short temper, too…" Reno continued, goading her with a grin as he caught up to her. Elena stormed off down the trail a second time.

"Not to mention a tendency to avoid confrontation with authority!" Reno called after her. Elena froze in her tracks.

"Uh oh…" Reno muttered to himself, "That one mighta been over the line…"

The rookie Turk turned on her heel, and strode back over to him.

"I'll show you a 'tendency to avoid confrontation with authority'," she hissed, and slapped him hard across the face.

"Ow!" Reno yelled, rubbing his cheek, "Damn, 'Lena..."

* * *

Two more markers were activated by the time they'd reached their next campsite. They still had a few hours of light left, but the trail ahead was going to be rougher than it had been up until now, and both Turks were tired. Not to mention the fact that the rain that had been threatening all day was beginning to fall in a cold drizzle. By the time Elena had the tent unrolled and was assembling the poles, her clothes were already well past damp.

"You could help, you know!" she yelled at Reno, who was watching her from under the cover of a tree, "… And didn't anyone ever tell you not to stand under a tree during a storm?"

"We're in a forest, 'Lena… anywhere I stand I'm gonna be under a tree," Reno replied, but he did come over to help her. The tent went up quickly, but not before both Turks had been hit by a deluge of rain as the skies opened up and poured it down on them. They scrambled inside, dripping.

"Man that's cold…" said Reno, shivering. Elena dug through her pack, and pulled out some dry clothes. Reno was already stripping out of the saturated fabric, revealing the tone, lean body beneath. Elena didn't even realize she'd been staring until he spoke.

"Like what ya see?" he asked, waggling an eyebrow suggestively.

"Dream on," she replied, rolling her eyes before looking away. Of course, for all his obnoxious personality quirks, Reno was far from unattractive, by anyone's standards... even hers. And she couldn't deny having furtively admired his physique on occasion. Not that she'd ever want to take things any farther than that… Elena shuddered at the thought, thinking back to the first time she seen him undressed. She _still_ felt slightly traumatized over the whole Sordid Rose incident.

Reno slid naked into his sleeping bag, as Elena changed into something warm and dry… though not before checking to make sure that Reno was facing the opposite direction. Which, upon further reflection, she supposed was a little hypocritical of her, all things considered. She also belatedly realized that, despite her past accusations – and the general consensus of every woman in the Shinra Building – of Reno being a total pervert, _he_ hadn't been the one staring. She hadn't even had to ask him to turn away while she changed.

* * *

"Hey 'Lena," Reno said, lighting up a cigarette. He was down to his last three, a prospect that didn't bode well for him, "Why the hell are we doin' this?"

"Doing what?" Elena asked. They'd been hiking for almost three hours, most of it uphill as they neared the center of the island. The terrain rose sharply in the interior, and judging by the map, they'd have a short bit of climbing to do in the near future.

"For the last three and a half days we've been wandering around on Tseng's little camping trip from hell… Why?" he asked, taking a drag off the cigarette and flicking the ash onto the ground.

"… Because we're being punished?" Elena replied, wondering just where the hell he was going with this.

"Yeah… so?" Reno said, "What's the worst Tseng'll do to us if we don't do everything exactly as he says?"

"He could fire us…"

Reno chuckled softly. "Aw, he wouldn't dare… Not over somethin' like this. If he did, he'd have to replace us, and training a new Turk is a huge pain in the ass," said Reno.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elena said, rounding on him.

"Chill, 'Lena… I didn't mean you. You're long past the pain in the ass stage," Reno said, laughing openly now.

"… I am?" she asked. That was news to her… Reno always seemed to think she was a pain in the ass, at least as far as she could tell.

" 'Course you are. You're a rookie, not some untrained recruit," Reno replied, "You've already got the training… you just need the experience to become a good Turk, and that'll come in time. But recruits… Tch, talk about annoying. Think they already fucking know everything... Why do ya think so many of 'em wash outta the recruitment program before they even get _considered_ for probie status, much less actually gettin' promoted?"

It took Reno a moment to realize that Elena was no longer walking beside him. He stopped, and turned back. She was standing a good six paces behind him, looking at him quizzically.

"What?" he asked.

"You… really think that?"

"Think what?" he prodded, completely oblivious.

"That I'll be a good Turk someday," she clarified.

"Come on, 'Lena… be serious," he snorted, turning to head back up the trail.

"I am being serious!" she called after him. Reno stopped and turned around again.

"Fuck, Elena… You really think you'd have been _promoted_ to the Turks if I didn't think you had it in you? Tseng doesn't make that decision by himself, ya know," Reno replied, trying to gauge her response.

"I… I… You mean, you… Huh?" she stammered.

" 'Lena?"

"I thought that you hated me!" she blurted out, finally.

"Hated you? Why would I hate you?" Reno asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, not hate, exactly… but you're always telling me I'm weak and that I talk too much, and… It's just… You're always… I mean, you… you always seem so underwhelmed with everything I do..."

"Oh, please… just 'cause I'm hard on ya doesn't mean I don't like you… or that I don't think you're good at what ya do…" Reno said, snickering.

"So what does it mean, then?" she asked, almost timidly. Reno sighed.

" 'Lena, sit," he ordered, motioning to a large rock beside the trail. Too stunned to do anything else, she obeyed.

"Look, 'Lena… I know it'll probably send you into shock, but I'm gonna be serious here for a minute or two," he said with a grin, "You're new to the job. You've got the training, but like I said, you don't have the experience. So for the time being, it's part of _my_ job to make sure you don't get yourself killed out there. Literally. That's _actually_ in my job description. I know I'm tough on ya… even mean sometimes… but I do it to drive my point home. You make a lot of mistakes – and you know damn well that you do, so don't even try to deny it. Sometimes it's because you don't know any better, and sometimes it's because you just don't think things through all the way. We've all been there… We all started out just like you." He paused for a moment, apparently thinking about something, before shaking his head and laughing, "… Know what? Scratch that last comment. Do me a favor and don't _ever_ ask Tseng what trainin' me was like. Believe it or not, you impress the hell out of me, Elena. You wouldn't be here if you didn't."

Elena was staring at him as though he'd suddenly sprouted a second head.

"Ok… serious moment over," Reno declared, "Time to get moving…"

"Reno… just tell me one more thing," Elena said, climbing to her feet.

"Hmm?"

"If I impress you so much, how come you keep throwing all these stupid, humiliating pranks at me?"

"… 'Cause it's fun," he said, with a sadistically wide smile. Elena's look of shocked disbelief slowly morphed into righteous fury. Reno laughed and took off running down the path, Elena hot on his heels.

* * *

At the base of the cliff they finally stopped, both out of breath, and collapsed against the cool rocks.

"So…" Reno panted, "Back to my initial question…"

"What initial question?" Elena asked, breathing hard.

"What do ya think's the worst Tseng'll do to us if we don't finish this according to his rules?"

"How should I know?" she replied, "I suppose he could leave us here until we do finish…"

"Nah… He needs us back in Midgar eventually, and he knows I'd be perfectly happy to lay around the beach doing nothing for weeks on end."

"Public humiliation?" she ventured.

"Not Tseng's style… Remember? That's what landed us here to begin with…"

"… Torture?"

"There's a thought. Ya know? Sometimes I wouldn't necessarily put it past him. But then we still come back to him needing us to be physically and psychologically able to do our jobs."

"So what do you think?"

"No idea… but he's got something planned, just in case. You heard him. He told us point blank that we wouldn't like the consequences if we slacked off, and Tseng doesn't make empty threats," Reno said, going over the possibilities in his head.

"Are you saying we should stop killing ourselves with this punishment, and take our chances with the alternative?" Elena asked.

"Maaaaaaybe," Reno chuckled, "But if I knew what the alternative was, it'd be a hell of a lot easier to decide."

"We're halfway there… Maybe we should just finish and be done with it?"

"And deny Tseng the sadistic pleasure of disciplining us further? He'll be so disappointed…" Reno said, in a mockingly scolding tone.

"There's an upside to that, though," said Elena.

"Yeah?"

"We get to see the look on his face when he learns that not only did we complete our 'mission' flawlessly, but we also didn't brutally murder one another in the process…"

"Heh… Fair point," Reno laughed, "Tell ya what… You choose. Either we go ahead as ordered, or we blow this whole thing off, make a run for the beach, and work on our tans for the next three days. I'll go along with whatever you decide, no complaints."

"Tempting as that beach sounds… I say we finish what we started," said Elena.

"Tch… typical goody-goody mentality," Reno groused, "But whatever… like I said, no complaints. Let's go, rookie."

He stood up, and helped Elena to her feet.

* * *

Elena found that things improved markedly from that point on. By the end of the sixth day, they'd found and activated all of the markers… due largely to the fact that Reno had decided to legitimately uphold the truce they'd made at the beginning of the trip. The beach where the helicopter would be arriving to take them home was still a few hours hike. With any luck, they could make it by nightfall, and spend their last day on the island enjoying the sand and surf.

As early evening set in, they were making their way down a steep incline, descending from the cliffs in the island's interior back down into the forested areas that surrounded them. Reno was leading, and Elena was following carefully behind him.

"How far do you think?" asked Elena.

"At a guess? Three… Four miles, maybe?" Reno answered, "If we hurry, I think we'll make it while there's still enough light to see by."

"I'm not sure hurrying is a good idea," Elena said, as the loose grit and gravel beneath her feet shifted, and she slid a bit before catching herself.

"Easy, 'Lena…" Reno cautioned, "You fall, and we're both goin' down."

That was not exactly a welcoming prospect. The northern side of the cliffs, while not too ominous-looking from a distance, was steep and covered in a layer of loose sediment and rock. A misstep wouldn't kill you… just send you sliding out of control down the incline. But you definitely wouldn't stop sliding until you hit the bottom.

Which naturally meant that, less than thirty seconds after the words had left Reno's lips, Murphy's Law went into effect full force, and Elena's foot came down on a patch of gravel that wouldn't support her weight. She lost her footing entirely, and the next thing she knew, she was heading straight for Reno. Her cry of alarm didn't go unnoticed… Reno turned around just in time for Elena to careen directly into his chest. He went over sideways as he made a last ditch effort to stop their momentum, landing hard on his arm. He hissed in pain as a particularly sharp-edged rock sliced deep into his bicep. His other arm was busy hugging Elena to his chest, but he hadn't had a good grip on her to begin with, and when she was twisted away by the fall, he couldn't hold on. So, he did the only thing he could do… wrapped his arms around his head, and let gravity carry him down.

After what seemed like an absurdly long time spent sliding and tumbling, he finally rolled to a halt in a patch of mockingly soft grass, the wind knocked out of him and his head spinning.

"Reno!" Elena's voice called to him. He tried to answer her, but only managed a gasping cough as he tried to reclaim his breath.

"Reno?! Where are you?" She sounded worried, he thought.

"Over here!" he finally managed, with a groan. Footsteps ran toward him. With some effort, he sat up, wriggled his pack off, and started taking stock of his injuries.

"Reno, are you alright?" Elena asked, in a panic-tinged voice.

"More or less… You?"

"I… I think so," she replied, "I sort of fell on top of you, and then I just slid the rest of the way."

"Yeah, I noticed the falling on top of me part, believe me…" Reno muttered.

"I-I'm sorry, Reno… It was all my fault…" Elena cried, and then caught sight of his arm, "Oh! You're bleeding!"

"We're both in one piece. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just do me a favor and grab the first aid kit, will ya?"

Elena, fumbled through the bags, tossing the contents onto the ground in her search for the first kit.

"Yo, 'Lena… calm down," said Reno, "It's not like I'm dyin'..."

"R-right," she replied, flustered. At last she found what she was looking for. Reno had pulled his shirt off to get a better look at the injury, and was gently prodding the ragged edges of the laceration.

"Damn, it got me good," Reno said, "Probably gonna need stitches when we get back."

Elena knelt down beside him and opened the kit.

"Make sure ya clean it real good," Reno said, "Last thing I need is for it to get infected."

Elena nodded, and opened the bottle of alcohol, pouring some onto a piece of gauze. Reno flinched as she pressed it against the gash, feeling the sting of the antiseptic seeping into his flesh. Elena was wiping the dirt away from the wound as gently as she could, but by the look on Reno's face, she could tell it was hurting him quite a bit.

"Sorry," she whispered, adding more alcohol, and resuming her assault on the injury.

"S'ok. I'm good…" Reno said through gritted teeth, though he looked decidedly relieved when she was finished. Elena wrapped his arm in a bandage, applying gentle pressure to slow the bleeding. When she was done, Reno groaned and climbed to his feet, carefully pulling his shirt back on.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Elena, noticing how Reno winced as he stood.

"Yeah… just a little banged up is all. Gonna be sore as hell in the morning," he replied.

* * *

Their arrival on the beach was made by moonlight. Both Turks were tired, filthy, and more than ready for their punishment to be over.

"Ugh… do we have to bother with the stupid tent?" Reno whined, "Let's just sleep on the sand…"

"Yeah, and what are you going to do if it starts raining again?"

"Lie on my back, open my mouth, and hope I drown in my sleep," came the dry answer. The comment set Elena off laughing.

"The worst part of that," Elena said, regaining control of herself, "is that I can almost picture you actually trying it."

"Fine… we'll set up the damn tent," Reno said, smirking.

It didn't take them long, and eventually they were both ready to be wrapped snugly in their sleeping bags. Elena checked Reno's bandage one more time, and pulled it a little tighter, before finally letting him lay down to go to sleep. But just before he managed to drift off, she prodded him back to the land of the living by shining her flashlight at him, eager to ask him the one question that had been nagging her for days now.

"Hey Reno?"

"Yeah?" he mumbled sleepily.

"About Mr. Foo-foo…" she began.

"I thought I asked you to drop it," Reno replied, defensively.

"I just… I wanna know. That's all. I keep trying to make sense of you, and every time I think I've got a handle on you, something new comes up," said Elena, "I-I know you said you couldn't trust me... but..."

Reno sighed softly, and rolled over to face her. "I didn't mean that," he replied, "And I'm sorry I said it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really… I was angry at ya, that's all. Doesn't really make me any less of a jerk, but that's why I said it," Reno explained, "... Alright, look. If I tell you, you have to _swear_ that not a word of it leaves this tent. Like I said before, it's personal. Who I tell is my business."

"I promise… I won't breathe a word to anyone, ever. Not even to Tseng," she said, seriously. Reno was silent for a minute.

"You remember I told you my mom gave him to me, right?" Reno said at last.

"Yeah," she nodded, thinking back to the time they'd been trapped together in an elevator, and she'd badgered him about the toy until that little bit of information had slipped out.

"I was five when I got him. I lived with my mom down in Sector Two. Born there, ya know? It was always just the two of us. Never knew my dad... to be honest, I'm not _entirely_ sure she even knew who he was. We didn't have a whole lot of money, so I didn't get toys real often. And I sure as fuck _never_ got new toys. But Mr. Foo-foo was different. He was a present for my fifth birthday. My mom must've saved for weeks to buy him," he said, pulling the toy out of his pack, and turning it over, fondly, in his hands.

Elena was on the edge of her seat; Reno never talked about his life before the Turks, at least not to her. It had always been something of a mystery. Sure, she knew a few little details she'd picked up here and there… that he'd grown up in the slums… that he'd been recruited by Tseng when he was just sixteen… that he still had some friends down below who were engaged in… less than legal professions. But nothing specific about his life had ever been volunteered, and she'd never had the courage to come right out and ask him about it until now.

"I guess that's why it meant so much. It wasn't anything I needed… probably could've fed us both for a month on what it cost. It was just to make me happy," he continued, "… Mom... died... less than a year later."

Reno paused a moment, regarding her closely, "Ah, hell... might as well be honest here. The truth is she... she killed herself. I found her the next morning. And then I got dragged off to a youth center. Mr. Foo-Foo was the only thing they let me take with me. Tch… not that I had a whole lot else, besides the clothes on my back, and they even took those. Stuck me in one of those god-awful uniforms they give the kids at those places. You know, I can barely even remember what Mom looked like, sometimes? Just that she was really beautiful with red hair and blue-green eyes like mine. Mr. Foo-foo is all I have left of her."

Elena could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and she tried desperately to blink them back. That was such an awful thing for _anyone_ to go through... and he just a little boy when it happened. She felt horrible about teasing him, now. She must have sniffled or something, because Reno suddenly looked up at her.

"Ah, fuck... no. I knew I shouldn't've told ya that part. No, no, no… Come on, Elena, don't you dare start cryin' on me here," Reno said, eyes widening in panic.

"S-sorry," she said, taking a deep breath and reining in her emotions before they got the better of her. Reno relaxed slightly, seeing that she wasn't going to start sobbing.

"I fucking hate seein' women cry…" he muttered, more to himself than to her. "So that's the story," Reno said, "Now… I'm trusting you. Remember, you promised…"

"Not a word to anyone," Elena replied. Reno nodded, and slid back into his sleeping bag, taking the stuffed bunny with him. Elena, too, lay back, staring up at the domed ceiling of the tent for a a few minutes.

"Reno?" she called.

"Mmph… Now what, Elena? Can't a guy get any sleep around here?" he answered, sounding as if he'd been startled out of the very edge of slumber.

"How come you've never told Tseng and Rude about Mr. Foo-foo?"

Reno was quiet so long, that for a moment, Elena thought that he'd ignored her and just gone back to sleep.

"Tseng knows too damn much about me as it is… No point in adding more baggage to what he's already carrying," Reno said at last, "And Rude… He's a great friend and all, but he's not the sentimental type, ya know? Doesn't hold onto stuff from his past. He'd understand in his own way, but it wouldn't really mean to him what it means to me."

"So why'd you decide to tell me? They're both closer to you than I am… Is it just 'cause I accidentally found out about Mr. Foo-foo?"

"Elena, you talk too much," Reno said, yawning widely, "Gimme a break… I'm tired."

"Last question, I promise."

"Fine… I told you 'cause you'd understand," Reno said.

"Why do you think that?"

"Thought you said that was the last question…"

"… Sorry."

Elena rolled over, and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. She heard Reno sigh softly.

"You forget or somethin'? ... I've been over your apartment with a goddamn toothbrush," he said from the darkness.

"Huh?"

"Back when Tseng made me your slave for a day… When you made me clean the whole place. There's a picture in your living room of you as a kid. You're standing next to your dad in a park somewhere, holding a doll… it's got yellow hair, and a blue dress, and pink ribbons…"

"Her name's Marci…" Elena said absently, amazed that Reno could recall so much detail from one photo among the dozen or so on that shelf. She thought back to the day that picture was taken. It was a few months before her father had been killed in a reactor accident.

"You still have her. I saw her… sittin' on your bed. Figured since you kept her all this time, you'd understand about Mr. Foo-foo."

Elena didn't quite know what to say, though she felt a new understanding of Reno beginning for her.

"So... Any more questions you're just dyin' to have answered?" Reno asked, utterly killing the moment.

"N-no," she stammered.

"Good… I'm going back to sleep. Don't wake me up again, okay?" he said, somewhat irritably. Elena was silent, not wanting to bother him any more than she already had. After all, he sounded like he was exhausted. Elena, on the other hand, was suddenly very much awake. She rolled onto her side, but found that to be uncomfortable. She rolled onto her back, but that was even worse. She tried her other side, and then her stomach with the same results, finally repeating the futile pattern... her back again, her side, her back, her other side…

"For crying out loud, Elena!" Reno lamented, "Stop with the gymnastics and go to sleep!"

"S-sorry, Reno…"

But she couldn't seem to find a position that would _let_ her sleep. Her mind was just too wide awake. After a few more minutes of her tossing and turning, she heard Reno swear under his breath. She froze, half expecting him to start yelling at her for keeping him up half the night. There was a soft rustle, and the sound of the zipper of Reno's sleeping bag, and then she heard Reno moving around. For a moment, she thought he was just going to leave the tent altogether and take his chances with the possible rain… a thought given more merit when she heard what could only be his sleeping bag sliding over the canvas floor of the tent. But a moment later the sleeping bag flopped down right next to hers eradicating the two or so feet of personal space they'd left between them, and the Turk slid back inside of it. Reno wrapped an arm around her waist, and gently urged her closer to him, pressing himself lightly against her back.

A moment later, she felt something soft and fuzzy pressed into her hands… and judging by the shape, she realized that there was only one thing it could possibly be.

"Now… Go. To. Sleep, Elena," Reno said, gently.

"Reno?" she prodded, as there was one more thing on her mind.

"Oh, for... What now?" he asked, though this time he sounded slightly more amused than annoyed.

"How come you're suddenly not calling me 'Lena anymore?"

" 'Cause I know ya can't stand it," he admitted, "I figure I could do at least _one_ thing to stop bein' such a dick all the time."

"Reno?" she said, yawning. She could barely keep her eyes open now.

"Yeah?"

"You can call me 'Lena, if you want. It's kinda starting to grow on me." Elena curled herself around Mr. Foo-foo and finally drifted off.

" 'Night, 'Lena," he whispered, protectively pulling her just a little closer.

* * *

Later the next day, the thumping of helicopter blades broke the peace and quiet of the beach. Elena looked up and spotted the large craft with the Shinra logo emblazoned on the side. She tossed down the shells she'd been picking up as she walked, and headed back up the beach to where Reno was stretched out on the sand, stripped to the waist, enjoying the sun.

"Looks like our ride's here," he commented, sitting up and shoving his sunglasses up to where his goggles normally rested on his forehead.

The helicopter set down several yards away, the rotors whining to a stop. Tseng stepped out onto the beach, and made his way over to the two Turks.

"Glad to see you've survived," he said, regarding them both.

"Piece of cake, Boss," Reno drawled, not bothering to get up.

"Is that so?" Tseng asked, "What happened to your arm?"

"Totally your fault, boss-man… that trail you marked out is treacherous," Reno replied, with a smirk.

"He fell," Elena supplied, "Actually, we both did, on the northern side of the cliffs… but Reno got the worst of it. It's a pretty deep cut, sir. I think it might need stitches."

"Nothin' too serious," Reno added, "Here… I'll give ya a hand with the gear."

Reno held out his hand, and Elena quickly moved to take it and help him up. Tseng raised an eyebrow in surprise. Not only were the two of them being remarkably civil… they actually seemed to be _getting along_ …

"… Alright," he said, said suspiciously, "Who are you, and what have you done with my Turks."

Reno shrugged.

"What'd'ya mean?" he asked innocently. Tseng just shook his head and waved them off to get their things.

* * *

"Ha... I think we freaked him out a little," said Reno, once they were out of earshot, "This could be a definite advantage…"

"W-what do you mean?" Elena asked, caught a little off guard.

"I mean," Reno said, grinning widely, "… just think of the havoc we could wreak if we teamed up in the name of mischief…"

"Reno!" Elena said, her eyes widening, "You can't be serious! After the trouble we've already gotten into?"

"Come on, 'Lena… we make a pretty good team. What'd'ya say?"

"Well…"

"Join me, 'Lena… Come over to the dark side…" Reno said in hushed tones, holding out his hand and grinning maniacally. Elena didn't hesitate. She shook it, letting a matching grin spread across her own face.

-fin-


	8. When Valentine's Day Attacks

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 8: When Valentine's Day Attacks**

 **by Desha**

The after-work crowd seemed to have descended on The Phoenix Nest _en masse_ , filling the tiny bar to capacity. Waitresses were hurrying between tables, hustling to keep the customers happy, and the bartender seemed to be constantly in motion. Reno polished off his third beer of the night, and motioned for a fourth. Another workday was over, and, tomorrow being Friday, the weekend stretched out enticingly, just waiting for him make it through that pesky last day of the week. All in all, Reno was in a pretty damned good mood.

"Hey, Rude," he said, grinning widely, and poking his drinking buddy and fellow-Turk in the ribs, "Valentine's day is tomorrow… Spendin' it with anyone in particular?"

"Nope."

"Valentine's Day is just another excuse for the greeting card companies to turn a profit," Elena grumbled, irritably nursing a wine cooler. She hadn't really wanted to go out after work, but Reno had insisted despite her protests. Ever since their week on the island, he'd been a lot less of an asshole and a lot more... Reno. And frankly, she'd discovered that she actually _enjoyed_ Reno's company when he was just being himself and not intentionally trying to piss her off, humiliate her, or otherwise drive her out of her mind. So it wasn't that she didn't want to be there. Finally being included socially was great. She just wasn't in the best of moods tonight.

"Aw, you only say that because you were hopin' to spend it with the boss. I told ya, just ask him yourself, and he'd probably say yes… but did you listen? No. You went off into your little fantasy world, thinkin' maybe he'd come and sweep you off your feet like the guys in those lame-ass romance novels you're always readin'. It's pathetic, 'Lena."

"…" Rude inched slowly away from the redhead, suspecting that his mouth was going to get him into trouble. He loved Reno like a brother, but drunk-Reno definitely had a problem with knowing when to shut the hell up. And tonight, he just couldn't seem to stop goading the rookie Turk. As for Elena... well, the rookie was quickly learning to stand up for herself. This was _not_ going to end well.

"Fuck, we all know you've kinda got a thing for him… If you didn't turn into such a babbling idiot when he's around, you might even have a chance with him…"

"Shut up, Reno," Elena snapped. Rude mentally echoed her words, though more pleadingly, willing his friend to drop it before he took it too far. But he had a feeling that Reno was intent on this direction of conversation, and he wasn't about to try and get in the middle of it. Instead, Rude sat back and watched, mesmerized. It was a bit like a train wreck.

"Seriously, 'Lena! You should see yourself when you try to talk to him. It's hilarious!" he continued… Reno was definitely buzzed by this point, what few inhibitions he had squashed flat and long forgotten, and was utterly oblivious to the glare Elena was casting at him, "I've never seen anyone get so tongue-tied..."

This wasn't going to be pretty, Rude was sure. Granted, Elena and Reno had been a lot more friendly toward one another after being disciplined and stranded on an island for a week... but sometimes, no matter how much you liked the guy, Reno occasionally just made you want to smack him. The redhead knew it, too… and seemed to thrive on the fact.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Reno added, turning to face her, "Don't act so weak."

Rude suppressed a groan. That was definitely the last straw; he could see it in her eyes. He ducked, just in case. Reno didn't.

A hard right hook caught the redhead completely unprepared, and sent him tumbling off his bar stool. He watched, slightly dazed and sprawled on the floor, as Elena stormed out of the bar. It wasn't until she was out of sight that Rude deemed the situation safe once more. He grabbed his fallen friend by the collar of his jacket and wordlessly hoisted him back onto his seat.

"Was it something I said?" Reno asked, with a lopsided grin.

* * *

' _Roses are red, but this one is white. I'm sorry that I made you punch me last night. I'll make amends, I promise you. Just don't hit me again… My eye's still black and blue.'_

Elena snorted in quiet laughter as she read the card affixed to the stem of the single white rose. It had been waiting for her on her desk when she'd come in to work. Reno's untidy scrawl was unmistakeable, as was his signature brand of humor.

Truth be told, she'd felt awful about hitting him like that… once her initial anger had finally had a chance to abate, that is, which was quite some time later. And much as she hated to admit it – and she really hated to admit it – Reno had been right. Obnoxious, but right. She should have asked Tseng out for Valentine's Day herself, and yes... she did tend to babble like an idiot when she attempted to speak to the Wutaiian Turk in anything less than a professional capacity. She didn't really appreciate having that pointed out to her, however.

Elena lifted the rose from its little glass vase and inhaled its sweet scent, smiling.

It _was_ kind of sweet of him to apologize for it... Especially given that she was pretty sure that she was the one who should be doing the apologizing.

"So… Am I forgiven? Or should I go into hiding for a few more days?" a voice drawled from the doorway. Elena snapped out of her reverie and looked up. Reno's head was peeking cautiously around the door frame of the main office shared by the four members of the Turks. His left eye was ringed by large bruise that had turned a hideous shade of bluish-purple overnight.

"Oh, god... Reno!" Elena gasped, "A-are you alright? I… I didn't realize I'd hit you _that_ hard!"

"Tch… You've got a helluva right hook, rookie," Reno said, looking relieved that she wasn't still angry, as he stepped fully into the office, "But I'm pretty sure I'll live. 'Sides… you know how easy I bruise. It looks worse than it really is, and it'll be gone by Monday."

"You're sure?" she asked, not entirely convinced.

"Yeah, it'll be fine…" Reno said, waving her off as she got up from behind the desk, "Listen… If we're back on good terms again, I had an idea I wanted to run past you."

"An… idea?" Elena queried, not sure where this was going.

"Yep. We still owe Tseng for his little camping trip from hell, ya know. It's been weeks, and we haven't tried anything. Though I gotta admit, it's been fun watching him jump at shadows expectin' at least one of us to do something in retaliation. But I think he's finally let his guard down. Now's our chance for some payback," said Reno, sadistic intent in his eyes.

"I… I don't know, Reno…" Elena replied, "I mean… it'll just get us into trouble again."

It was true that she'd agreed to "join" Reno after their forced camping trip, but the heat of the moment had long since passed, and she was beginning to think that she'd been a little hasty.

"Heh… Gettin' cold feet, 'Lena?" Reno grinned knowingly. He was hardly surprised. In fact, he'd been expecting this. Elena was still at the point of testing the waters of her position with the Turks. She was a lot more confident than she'd been in the beginning, but stepping out of line – even _thinking_ about stepping out of line – still unnerved her, and Reno knew it. Which was why he'd included something much too tempting for her to pass up in his plans.

"W-Well…"

"What if I told you that by the end of it, you'll be having a nice candlelit dinner with Tsengy-kins on Valentine's Day?"

Oh, yeah… That got her attention, alright. He could literally see her beginning to crack.

"This... doesn't sound like much of a prank… What's the plan?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Bingo.

"I am _ever_ so glad you asked," Reno said, impishly.

* * *

"What happened to you?" Tseng asked upon spying his second-in-command reclined on the sofa in the Turk's private lounge, an ice pack held over his eye. Reno lifted the ice away, revealing the deep purple bruise it was covering.

"Long, boring story, Boss. I doubt you'd be interested," he muttered. Tseng sighed, wondering just how much trouble Reno'd managed to get himself into last night, and where said trouble had occurred. On the bright side, he hadn't gotten any late-night calls from Rude informing him that the redhead was in the emergency room, so apparently the injury was as superficial as it looked.

"Try me," he dead-panned, his arms folded across his chest. It wasn't a request.

"Tch… I pissed off 'Lena, that's all," Reno replied, with an offhanded shrug. Tseng cocked an eyebrow.

"I should have known having the two of you on civil terms was just too good to be true," he noted, "What happened?"

"Heh... I forgot to duck," the redhead said, smirking.

"I meant," Tseng patiently spelled out, "What did you do to make her angry enough punch you in the face?"

Reno opened his mouth to reply, but it was at that moment the very topic of conversation herself walked into the lounge, shot an icy glare at Reno, stormed across the room and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Mornin', 'Lena!" Reno said cheerfully. Elena pointedly ignored him, picked up her coffee, and stormed back out of the room. Tseng groaned inwardly. Weeks of peace and quiet… weeks in which he had dared to hope that the feud between his two Turks had ended permanently… all brought to an end in a single night. He could already feel the familiar headache beginning.

* * *

"Damn, 'Lena… That was a hell of a performance. For a minute there, even _I_ was convinced you were ticked at me," Reno said, grinning madly as he slipped into the elevator alongside the rookie Turk. Elena shyly smiled at the compliment.

"You really think Tseng bought it?"

"Hell, yeah he bought it!" Reno laughed, "You shoulda seen his face. Almost made me feel sorry for him…"

"So... what's next?"

"Next, we enlist a little outside help…"

"Outside help?" Elena asked.

"Heh… El Presidente's secretary owes me a favor. I plan on calling it in."

"The president? W-what are you going to do?" She was suddenly not liking the direction this was taking. A joke on Tseng, was one thing… but getting the President of Shinra involved? Did Reno have a death wish or something?

"Relax, 'Lena…" Reno replied, "It's nothin' that'll get us in any real trouble… 'cept maybe with Tseng, when he finds out we've been messin' with him. I just need to borrow a little stationary, that's all. Can't forge a direct order from the President without his personal stationary, ya know…"

* * *

"What's up, Boss?" Reno drawled, sauntering into Tseng's office.

'Right, on cue,' he thought to himself, spying the sheet of paper in Tseng's hand. He, of course, already knew exactly what it said, having personally composed it not forty minutes ago… and quite expertly forged Shinra's signature, if he did say so himself. Moments later, Elena joined the little group, narrowing her eyes coldly at Reno, but otherwise ignoring him.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked Tseng, in her most professional voice.

"I have an assignment for the two of you," he replied.

'Oh, so predictable,' Reno mused silently, 'A little hostility in the ranks, and his natural reaction is to force us to work together. Tseng, you're walkin' right into our hands…'

"One of our researchers has been selling company secrets. The President wants him neutralized. Immediately," Tseng continued, apparently oblivious to Reno's inner monolog. He handed him a dossier… a dossier, that Reno and Elena both knew to be a complete forgery. The man in the file didn't exist… had _never_ existed. That part had been a calculated risk on his part. If Tseng's suspicions had been aroused, and he'd dug around in the company records to verify the information, it would have been immediately apparent that the file was a fake. But using an actual employee file was completely out of the question. Having an innocent employee end up dead just because Tseng inconveniently happened to run into them before the joke got to the punchline wasn't something he was willing to chance. Fortunately, it seemed that Reno's little ruse had been convincing enough. Tseng had accepted the file at face value.

"Yes, sir," Elena replied, as Reno accepted the folder. Tseng eyed Reno, pointedly.

"No problem, Boss," he said with an indifferent shrug, "We'll have it taken care of by quittin' time."

"Then get going," said Tseng, dismissing the two Turks. Elena turned sharply, and strode smartly out the door. Reno gave Tseng a casual wave and followed suit, not in any particular hurry.

"And now the fun begins…" said Reno, as soon as they were out of earshot.

* * *

Sector 4 of the Plate was largely reserved for the most respectable and upscale businesses of upper Midgar. It was where one could find high-end hotels, five-star restaurants, elaborate shopping plazas, and elite department stores. It was where high society spent their time. And their money.

And it was where Reno and Elena were casually making their way through the waves of pedestrians busily window shopping on the main street.

"Ok, Reno…" Elena finally said, as she hurried to keep up, "What's the deal… you still haven't filled me in on the details!"

"I know, I know… just hold on a little longer. Soon as we get where we're goin', I'll explain everything."

They moved quickly along the street, Elena practically having to jog to keep up with Reno's longer stride and his effortless ability to slip in and out of the throngs of people that surrounded them. Suddenly, he stopped short in front of a large glass revolving door. He grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her inside.

"R-Reno… This is…"

"Pretty swanky, huh?" Reno grinned. Swanky was an understatement. Elena gazed around at the huge lobby of the The Silver Swan… easily the most expensive hotel in upper Midgar. Plush carpeting spread out in a wine-colored swath leading to a huge polished marble staircase. Deep gray stone columns flanked it on either side. The uncovered portions of the floor were of the same stone, and the walls were paneled with beautifully rich cherry hardwood. A trio of crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, bathing the entire room in soft golden light.

A man in a very expensive-looking suit was rounding the concierge's desk, making a beeline for the two Turks, whom, Elena belated realized, must have looked horribly out of place. Especially Reno, with his unkempt hair, sloppy appearance… and very noticeably bruised face.

"Can I help you, _sir_ ," the man asked, his tone clearly indicating that he felt the two of them didn't belong in the general vicinity of the hotel, much less in its lobby.

"You can drop the snotty upper class act, Kel," Reno grinned, "I'm not tryin' ta get in her pants."

Elena blinked as the man immediately assumed a friendly expression, grinning right back at the redhead as if he'd known Reno all his life.

"Seriously? You walk in with this pretty little thing on your arm and you're not plannin' on makin' her your Valentine? And what the _hell_ happened to your eye, yo?" the man – Kel, apparently – replied, his whole demeanor changing.

" _She_ happened," Reno replied, shooting a half-hearted glare at his partner in crime.

"Yeah? Well, knowing you, ya probably deserved it," Kel smirked, turning to Elena, "Somethin' he _did_ or somethin' he _said_? My money's on somethin' he said."

"That would be a safe bet," Elena said, immediately beginning to like this friend of Reno's. Kel laughed, and ushered the pair of them into the back office.

" 'Lena, this is Kel Volkman. Ya know, Kel… I swear, the longer ya work here, the more pompous you sound when you're pretendin' to kick me out. One of these days, it's gonna be permanent."

"Ugh… don't even joke about that," Kel replied, rolling his eyes. The tone of voice and expression on the man's face now so completely contradicted his professional attire that Elena had to try very hard not to burst out laughing, "So... if you're not with Reno, you lookin' for a date tonight? 'Cause I'm free and I've got my choice of rooms... We could have some _fun_..." He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Elena blushed. Reno's own frequent joking innuendo aside, she wasn't exactly used to being hit on quite so blatantly.

"Reign it in, Kel... Elena's off limits," Reno replied before she could say anything. His tone wasn't threatening towards the other man, but it also didn't leave any room for argument. Kel tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"Elena. Elena..." he mused, "Oh, right! So you're the rookie, huh?"

"Er… Yeah," Elena replied, confused as to how the man knew that.

"Ha... Now I get it," Kel replied, and Reno rolled his eyes, "Reno talks about ya. Much as he's allowed to say, anyway. You Turks are harder 'n hell to pry information out of."

Elena looked at Reno, surprised to discover that she was apparently a regular topic of conversation with his friends. She kind of had to wonder what exactly he said about her.

"Kel's an old friend of mine… We hang out now and then," Reno explained, "Known him since I was… what? 'Bout ten or eleven?"

"Somethin' like that, yeah," Kel confirmed, as he pulled a bottle of a very expensive brand of beer out of the mini-fridge in his office and tossed it to Reno, before offering one to Elena as well, "We go way back."

"No thanks," she declined, with a smile, "So… You two grew up together?"

"Nah…" said Reno, uncapping the bottle on the edge of a filing cabinet, and taking a swig, "We were in a gang together. Well… we called it a gang, anyway. Mostly just a bunch of dumb kids with nothin' better to do, though. And then Tseng came along and recruited me…"

"And I fucked around in the slums for awhile, until I decided to find something better…" Kel interjected.

"We met up again 'bout six years ago," Reno finished, "Kel pretty much runs this place. Let's me drop by on occasion. When I really wanna impress a date."

"Like _you've_ ever had trouble impressing a date?" Kel smirked.

"Uhhh… Ok, Reno. I give up. What are we doing here?" Elena finally asked.

"Oh yeah… Guess I better fill you both in on the rest of the plan," said Reno.

* * *

Tseng glanced at the clock. It was nearing 4:00pm, and he hadn't heard a word from Reno and Elena. They should have checked in by now. It was regulation on any mission that didn't require a communications blackout. And now, just moments ago he'd tried first Reno's PHS, and then Elena's, but there had been no answer.

It was time, he knew, to start looking for them. He panned through his contact list and hit Rude's number…

* * *

Reno glanced at the glowing screen on his phone. The log showed one missed call. The number belonged to Tseng.

"Looks like we've finally been missed," he commented with a wry grin.

"How long until they find us, do you think?"

"Least another hour… I made sure our trail was obvious, but not too obvious."

He and Elena were lounging quite comfortably in one of the hotel's larger suites, after spending the last few hours in preparation for Tseng's arrival. Reno had been feeding gil into the vibrating bed for the last twenty minutes. He shoved another coin in the slot and laid back, spread-eagle on the bed.

"Thiiiiis... iiiiiiis... fuuuuuckiiiiiing... aaaaawesoooome..." he said, intentionally drawing out the syllables to get the full effect, and causing Elena, who was putting the suite's wide screen TV to good use, to giggle.

"Reno, if you stay on that thing much longer, you're going to scramble your brain," she jabbed. He stuck his tongue out at her, then moaned softly and closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the next five minutes.

"Awww..." He sighed as the timer ran out again, and sat up. He supposed it was for the best. Fun was fun, but Tseng would be arriving soon.

The first thing they'd have to do was neutralize Rude… as Reno had no doubt in his mind that Tseng would arrive with backup. For that purpose, he'd recruited Kel to keep an eye on the security monitors. Knowing the Turk leader, he would likely send Rude up along an alternate route to ensure that any major means of escape were covered. Trapping him in an elevator would be ideal… but barring that, Reno had other ways of keeping him from reaching the suite.

A knock at the door interrupted Reno's thoughts, and he hurried to answer it.

"All set in here?" asked Kel, as he wheeled in a large cart laden with covered dishes.

"All set," Reno confirmed, "Just give us a call when they get here, alright?"

Kel nodded, flashed Reno a grin, and headed back to his post at the front desk.

* * *

"Mr. Volkman? I believe you spoke to my associate earlier…"

"Ah yes," Kel replied, turning his attention on the two men who had just entered, recognizing the taller, balder of the two instantly.

"And they're here?"

"Yes, sir… as I told him," he motioned to Rude, "… they arrived several hours ago. I sent them to this room," Kel confirmed, handing over the electronic card key for the suite currently occupied by the two scheming Turks.

"Thank you… you've been most helpful."

With that Tseng and Rude separated, and the Turk-leader mounting the stairs, as Rude stepped calmly into the elevator.

* * *

The phone in the suite rang.

"Finally!" Reno said with a gleeful cackle. He'd been waiting impatiently for the call, and practically leapt for the phone, seizing the receiver.

"Yeah?" he queried, then paused, listening to the response, "Sweet… thanks, man. I owe ya."

He hung up the phone and turned to Elena, beaming with excitement.

"Show time. They're on their way up. Kel's gonna hold Rude in the elevator… Tseng's all ours."

"I'm ready," Elena replied.

Reno had already shed his uniform in favor of something a little more intimidating… an all black leather ensemble that effectively concealed his more distinguishing features, padding his stature and hiding some of his natural lankiness. As Elena took up he own pre-determined position on the bed, he reached for the two items that would complete his costume; a long black trench coat, and a ski-mask. He withdrew a small object that fit neatly in the palm of his hand from a coat pocket – a slender cylinder with metal pin protruding from the top – double-checking that all was ready.

He grabbed a roll of duct tape, and Elena held out her arms, willingly letting Reno bind them together.

"Too tight?" he asked when he was finished. He needed it to be convincing, but he still wanted her to be able to get out of it with a little effort if she really needed to.

"No, I'm good," she replied. He grinned and pulled a long strip of cloth from his pocket, tying it around her mouth as a gag.

"Heh... Wish me luck," he said, giving his co-conspirator a mock salute. Without another word, he slipped into the hallway.

* * *

Back pressed to the wall, Tseng stood on the landing, weapon drawn. His senses were on high alert, despite the aura of calm determination he projected. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but whatever it was, he knew it was coming soon. Only a set of ornate wooden doors stood between him and the main part of the floor. One hand soundlessly swung the closest door outward, and he peered around it. The corridor beyond appeared empty, though he was instinctively certain someone was waiting for him.

There was no hesitation as he stepped into the hallway. Trap or no, standing around doing nothing wouldn't get him any closer to his targets. The Turk leader moved like a ghost, approaching the suite to which he'd been given the key, all the while wondering which direction the expected attack would come from.

He didn't have to wonder for long. Something metallic clattered loudly against the tiled floor behind him, and a hiss filled the silent air. He whirled around taking aim at the shadow that disappeared around the far corner, but the gas hit him almost immediately, sending him reeling back, dazed. It was potent stuff, and very effective. Tseng swore under his breath as he felt his entire body growing heavy, his reflexes sluggish. Moments later, he slumped to the floor, out cold.

When the air cleared a few minutes later, Reno slipped out of his hiding place. He gently nudged the unconscious man with the toe of his boot, half expecting Tseng to seize him by the ankle and send him twisting painfully to the ground, as he had done numerous times in training matches against him. Reno hated that move. Even on the padded mats in the gym, it fucking hurt every time, and he seldom managed to effectively counter it.

But he wanted to make damn sure Tseng was out before he did anything else. It wouldn't be the first time the senior Turk had used such a ruse to regain the upper hand. But the gas grenade seemed to have done it's job and Tseng was down for the count.

"You're makin' this too easy, Boss," he teased, as he gripped his commander under the arms and dragged him towards the suite.

* * *

Tseng fought the drowsiness that threatened to send him back to a dreamless oblivion, forcing his eyelids to open, and surveying the room. He was seated at a table laden with mouthwatering dishes, dual candles burning brightly on either side of a floral centerpiece. He noticed it was set for two.

He quickly took stock of his situation. Weapon… on the mantle of the large fireplace, well out of reach. Wrists… securely fastened to the arms of a sturdy wooden chair with even sturdier steel handcuffs. Backup handcuff key... had been removed from its concealed spot inside the cuff of his shirt. Ankles… duct taped to the legs of the aforementioned chair. Elena… bound and gagged on the bed several feet away from him. Damn.

The room was dimly lit, the lights turned down low... though whether that was merely for ambiance or to better conceal the whereabouts of his captor, Tseng wasn't certain.

"Elena? Are you alright?" he asked, calmly. The rookie Turk nodded her head, wide-eyed.

"I haven't hurt her… yet," a rough, somewhat unnatural voice growled from behind him.

A figure slunk out of the shadows, plucking Tseng's own gun from the mantle, and strolling over to the captive Turk. Holding her at gunpoint, he dragged her to her feet, forcibly propelling her into the chair opposite Tseng. The Turk leader frowned at the rough treatment of his subordinate.

"Now… we're gonna have a little fun," the other man said.

"Indeed, we are… _Reno_ ," Tseng responded a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His captor froze. It was clearly not the reaction he'd expected. In the dim light, Tseng saw the unmistakable "Oh shit," expression in the other Turk's eyes.

"Aw, come on! You've gotta be kidding!" Reno whined in his normal voice, "How the fuck could you possibly…"

It was right about that time that Rude made his appearance by means of the French doors that separated the suite from the balcony... looking decidedly intimidating.

"H-hey... come on, partner. It was just a joke," Reno said, setting the gun down and raising his hands in surrender. Rude smirked. Reno knew better than to put up a fight now that he'd been found out. In a matter of seconds, he was pinned face-down on the floor, his arms behind his back, held firmly in place by his fellow Turk.

"Ow... not so rough, man! I give, already!" he groused as Rude pressed a knee into his lower back to keep him from moving as a pair of handcuffs were snapped onto his wrists and the ski-mask was whipped off his head.

"Reno… Elena... A word of advice. Never try to pull one over on me," Tseng replied, fixing his gaze on each of them in turn, "Rude, if you would be so kind…"

He nodded toward his own handcuffs that held him to the chair. Rude left Reno where he was and released the Turk leader.

"Should I cut her loose, too?" he asked, glancing at Elena.

"By all means," Tseng replied as he released his legs from their bonds, and then picked up the glass of wine that sat at his place-setting and took a sip. It really was quite good... but then, it was hard to find fault with Reno's knowledge of alcoholic beverages. Rude pulled a knife from his pocket and flicked out the blade, neatly slicing through the tape that held the rookie's arms bound. Elena quickly did away with the cloth that had been used to gag her on her own.

"I had it planned out perfectly, dammit!" Reno insisted, rolling awkwardly only his side so that he could face the others, "How? How the fucking hell did you know?"

"You're good, Reno. But I'm better," he replied half-teasingly, goading the younger Turk's temper, "The 'target' you were to be sent after? That was your first mistake. For future reference, I personally confirm the identity of every target sent to the Turks. Even when it's supposedly sent to me by the President himself."

Reno groaned, and Tseng couldn't suppress a quiet chuckle as his expense.

"Your second mistake," he continued, "Was not noticing you were being followed. Really Reno… I'm surprised at you. I would expect such a rookie mistake from Elena, who is, in fact, a rookie. But you? Very careless, Reno. Not to your usual standard at all."

"Rude…" Reno moaned, knowing full well who must have been tailing him, "You bastard. How could you?"

"Orders are orders," he said with a shrug.

In Reno's defense, Tseng couldn't hold him entirely responsible for not catching Rude in the act. Rude was just as skilled and seasoned a Turk as Reno himself. The odds hadn't been in his favor, particularly since Reno had believed no one was any the wiser to the plot.

"You also relied far too much on the loyalty of your friend downstairs," Tseng added.

"Wha...? Oh, for fuck's sake. Kel, too?" Reno lamented.

"I'm afraid so… It seems he shares your fondness for practical jokes, and was only too happy to help us turn the tables on you."

Reno just responded by banging his head repeatedly against the floor. All his planning… All of the set-up… All for nothing. He was gonna kick Kel's ass.

"But your biggest mistake was assuming that I had let down my guard," said Tseng, looking quite uncharacteristically smug, "I know you far too well, Reno, to believe that you would let a matter of personal revenge simply drop."

"S-sir… just how much trouble are we in?" Elena asked nervously.

"Hmm… That is the question, isn't it?" he said, not wanting to let them off the hook just yet, "What do you think I should do with you?"

"Let us go with a slap on the wrist and forget this whole thing ever happened?" Reno suggested.

"Nice try, Reno," Tseng dead-panned.

"Can't blame a guy for tryin'."

"No… I think I'll use the situation to my advantage," said Tseng, "Rude, take our wanna-be kidnapper back to headquarters. It seems only fair that since he's been caught, spending the night in one of the detention cells is in order."

" _WHAT_?!" Reno shrieked, as Rude tossed him effortlessly over his shoulder and began to carry him bodily out of the room, "Ah, son of a… Tseng, did anyone ever tell you that you're an evil, vindictive bastard?!"

"The _smallest_ cell, if you would, Rude," he added in response, allowing himself the luxury of enjoying Reno's dismayed groan. The redhead's protests gradually faded as he was 'escorted' out of the room and down the hallway. Tseng then turned his attention on Elena, who swallowed apprehensively.

"Would I be correct in assuming that this was, primarily, Reno's idea?" he asked.

"Well..." she began. It had been _entirely_ his idea... but she didn't like throwing Reno under the bus like that. After all, she'd been more than willing to go along with it. It wasn't fair that he ended up taking all the blame.

"The truth, Elena," he prodded, "Though I can certainly appreciate your loyalty."

"Y-yes, sir. It was mostly Reno's idea," she admitted.

"And you went along with it because…"

"I… I… Well, I… just… wanted…" she stammered, searching for the right words. Tseng just looked at her with his usual unwavering patience, waiting for her to find them, "It… was because of the camping trip, sir."

"Oh?"

"I… I just got to know him a lot better. And I found out that he's... well... not what I thought. I guess we kind went from just working together to... I don't know..."

"To being friends?" Tseng offered.

Elena glanced up somewhat shyly. "Y-yes sir."

Tseng regarded her for a moment, letting her squirm a bit in her nervousness. Finally he relented.

"Good. It's about time."

"Sir?"

"Elena, as Turks we have to trust one another implicitly, and part of being a Turk is earning that level of trust from your compatriots. And to do that, you have to get to know a person." He chuckled and shook his head, "Believe me, I'm well aware that Reno isn't the easiest person to get close to. Most people take him at face value and don't bother to look past the obvious. I'm glad to see that you've managed to make some progress in that regard," he said, smiling warmly now.

Elena was so flustered by the comment that she couldn't say anything in reply.

"Of course… you _did_ still team up with Reno in this endeavor. I'm afraid I can't let that go without some sort of reprimand," Tseng added, and Elena inwardly groaned. She should have known he wasn't going to let her off the hook just because it had been Reno's idea. That was part of being a Turk, too… taking responsibility when you screwed up.

"Yes, sir," she replied, chastened.

"Therefore, you will join me for dinner."

Elena's gaze shot up to his face, and she blinked in surprise. That was it? Reno was being carted off to a holding cell, and who knew what else, and _her_ punishment was dinner with Tseng? She couldn't believe her luck.

"Oh, no… don't think you're getting off that easily," Tseng smirked, as if he'd read her mind, "I simply think it would be a shame to waste all the trouble Reno went to in setting this up. And it is Valentine's Day, after all. Plan on working this weekend, however. Beginning tomorrow, you will be joining Reno on a week long guard detail. For Professor Hojo in the biologic research department. It should be a very… memorable… experience."

Elena shuddered involuntarily. Hojo, though she'd only met him briefly in passing, was not one of her favorite people. And besides her initial impressions, she'd heard _stories_.

"Yes, sir," she said, resigning herself to her fate.

"But don't let that spoil the evening," Tseng added, lifting the cover off of one of the dishes.

"No, sir," she replied, perking up a bit and smiling. It wasn't all bad. Reno had promised her a candlelit dinner with Tseng on Valentine's Day, after all, and in spite of things not going quite according to plan, he'd delivered. And if it came at the price of having to spend a week in the company of Shinra's creepiest scientist… well… Reno'd be right there with her, so she knew she'd be alright.

She decided to put tomorrow's punishment out of her mind, and enjoy herself while she could. She picked up a fork, and mused over which of the dishes before her she should sample first.

"Elena?"

"Sir?"

"Happy Valentine's Day."

-fin-


	9. We All go a Little Mad Sometimes

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 9: We All go a Little Mad Sometimes**

 **by Desha**

Reno grunted in annoyance and shielded his eyes as the the overhead florescent lights flickered on. He sat up, his back muscles protesting the long night spent on an uncomfortable metal cot, and stretched, cracking his shoulders and neck.

"'Bout goddamn time," he muttered to his jailer. Rude unlocked the cell door with a key card and let him out. "Really didn't want to spend my _entire_ Saturday in here. Do I get to go home now, or am wanted immediately for my lecture on misuse of company time?"

"No lecture," Rude replied, "And Tseng says to hit the gym showers, then come upstairs. You're working today."

"Ah, fuck. Weekend duty? Great. Wait a minute... You serious? He's not gonna chew me out?" Reno asked, shocked, "The boss must be goin' soft."

"Wouldn't say that," Rude smirked knowingly, causing Reno to halt in his bid for the door. He turned back to his partner.

"You know somethin', don't you..."

"Yep."

"And you're not gonna tell me, are ya?"

"Nope."

Reno sighed. "You're a real asshole, ya know that, pal?"

"Yep," Rude acknowledged, grinning at his partner.

* * *

There wasn't much else he could do to stall for time. He'd showered, shaved, brushed his teeth, cleaned his nails... hell, he'd even stolen a blow drier from the woman's locker room and dried his hair. Reno sighed and tossed the towel wrapped around his waist into the laundry bin, and grabbed a clean uniform from his locker, dressing at as leisurely a pace as he could manage.

"Might as well get this over with." He left the gym, and hopped the first elevator he came upon, riding it up several floors to the Turks' headquarters. As he stepped into the main office, he found Tseng was waiting for him looking almost impatient. Either he was supremely pissed off... or he was very, very pleased with himself over whatever he had planned. Neither option boded well for Reno. Elena stood there, too... looking decidedly nervous. For just a moment, he could have sworn he saw a smirk flicker across Tseng's face.

"Why do I get the feeling that I shoulda just stayed in that cell indefinitely?" he groaned. This time he was certain Tseng smirked.

* * *

"Maybe it won't be so bad…" Elena said hopefully as the two Turks made their way down the hall. Reno snorted.

"Suuure, 'Lena. We're stuck with a week of guard duty for Dr. von Creepmaster… I'm sure it'll be great!" he said, sarcasm dripping from his words. Any amount of time in Hojo's company was far too long, in Reno's opinion. The obsessive scientist just had an air of… wrongness… about him. Not to mention the fact that his tendency to regard every living thing that crossed his path as a potential "specimen" creeped him right the fuck out. The two Turks stepped into the elevator, and Reno hit the button that would carry them up several more floors to the high security research labs.

"But… it's just guard duty, right? How bad could it possibly be?"

"You ever actually been _in_ that lab of his, 'Lena?" Reno asked.

"W-well, no, but…"

"Heh… Didn't think so. Seriously, 'Lena. Some weird shit goes on up there. Watch yourself," he admonished.

Elena very nearly laughed, but the serious expression in Reno's eyes didn't waver for an instant. She swallowed nervously as a chime announced their arrival at the labs and the doors slid open. She half expected to see some bizarre scene unfolding before her, like something out of an old monster movie. The sterile white tiled hallway, humming with the activity of dozens of people in lab coats was so far removed from what she'd pictured, she snickered. Reno eyed her strangely, but shrugged it off.

Organized chaos. If Reno had to come up with a term to describe it, that would have been it. Technicians in white coats scurried to and fro, checking and rechecking the crates and containers that were being carted into the hallway. Those were what he and Elena would be guarding. According to their briefing, due to the increasingly sensitive nature of Hojo's experiments, several of his current projects were being transferred to science personnel at the military installation in Junon… not only for the added security, but also because the Midgar research staff simply couldn't handle the workload any longer.

Teams in Junon would be taking over a total of six projects over the course of the next week, during which time all specimens and research materials relating to those projects were to be inventoried, crated, and transported from the Midgar labs to the Junon labs. The Turks were there to provide security during said transport. And of course, to provide security for Hojo himself, who would be traveling with his "precious specimens" to ensure that they were treated with the proper care.

"It's about time you arrived. The first shipment has been ready for nearly an hour!" a thin, bespectacled man with long, slightly greasy hair shouted over the din of the bustling lab assistants. Reno inwardly cringed. Speak of the devil…

"Yes, sir," Reno replied, instinctively taking the lead and stepping out ahead of Elena. Hojo shuffled forward and glared at him. Reno was easily a head taller than the man, but his gray-eyed gaze was still slightly unnerving. Even more so when he realized that Hojo was looking him over rather intently. Suddenly, his hand shot out, grabbing Reno's bicep, and prodding the muscle there. Only years of dealing with the higher-ups of the company prevented him from reacting violently.

"Hmm… A good physical specimen," he stated, clearly speaking to himself, rather than the Turk, as he released him, "Perhaps lacking in higher intelligence, but decently suitable."

Reno narrowed his eyes, feeling more than a little insulted, and opened his mouth to comment on that remark, but Hojo had already turned his attention on Elena… who had, Reno noticed, taken a half-step backwards. He smirked slightly. Maybe now she'd believe him about just how bizarre the guy was.

"Oh, excellent. Excellent. Very healthy-looking, strong, of prime age… likely _very_ fertile… This one would make a _fine_ breeding specimen for project 217… You're not already pregnant by any chance, are you?" he queried, one hand stretching out toward her belly.

"E-excuse me!" Elena squeaked. Reno smoothly stepped between the rookie and Hojo before he made contact.

"If the preparations for transport are finished, _sir_ , perhaps we should get going," he ground out, suddenly feeling very protective of his fellow Turk, and not about to let things go any farther down _that_ road. Hojo gave him a cold look.

"Very well… If you'll not indulge my research, we'll be off," he said, turning on his heel, and began issuing instructions to his assistants. Reno turned back to look at Elena, who was obviously unsure of what had just happened... not to mention a little rattled.

"Told ya the guy was creepy," he said, chuckling at her bewildered and slightly disgusted expression.

* * *

It wasn't often that Reno got to ride in one of Shinra's massive airships. The things were damned impressive… and generally reserved exclusively for Junon's military troops. In fact, this was only the third time he'd ever been inside one of them. For Elena, it was a first, and despite the fact that she was trying very hard to maintain a professional air, Reno had caught her, more than once, looking around, awed by the complexity of the machinery that was keeping them aloft.

"Fuckin' cool, huh?" he commented.

"Y-yeah…" she breathed.

"Heh… Better go look around while you can. You probably won't get another chance for a long time."

"Er… But we're supposed to be on duty. I can't just go wandering off," she protested, though it was blatantly obvious that she really did want to do a little exploring while she had the opportunity.

Reno shrugged. "So call it a patrol," he replied. It wasn't like she needed to stick around. The odds of anything happening up here were so slim, Reno was surprised the Turks had even been requested for the job. Besides... he was feeling generous.

"R-really?"

"Ah, go on," he said, smirking, "I'll cover things here. Just watch out for Hojo. Wouldn't want ya to wind up as one of his 'breeding specimens', after all."

"Ugh…" was Elena's only reply to that.

"By the way, while we're on the subject of breeding…" Reno said, a teasing note in his voice, "How was dinner with Tseng? Any tales of debauchery to share or did ya strike out? I want details, here!"

Reno couldn't help but laugh as she rolled her eyes and she walked away.

"Hey, come on, 'Lena... I spent my Valentine's Day in a fucking holding cell to set that dinner up for you. The least you could do is tell me if ya scored or not..." he called after her.

* * *

The wind in her hair and the ground racing by far below was exhilarating. She could see for miles in every direction standing on the deck of the airship. Elena peered over the railing, catching site of a small herd of wild chocobos racing across the plains. They would be arriving in Junon within the hour, and from there, she and Reno would be supervising the unloading and transport of all of Hojo's materials. It was going to make for a very long week, but the airship ride almost made it worth it.

Not long ago, she'd caught sight of Hojo below deck… which was, primarily, the reason she'd come out here. She really didn't want a repeat of their earlier encounter. Particularly not without Reno around to stop the man from invading her personal space. Anyone else and she'd have flattened him... but Hojo was a top-level Shinra employee. She could hardly take a swing at the guy, no matter how uncomfortable he made her. Even Reno hadn't reacted when Hojo had grabbed him.

Reno had been right about him, though she didn't shared his apparent innate distrust of the scientist. Hojo didn't actually seem dangerous… just very, very odd and socially awkward. Discomfiting, definitely... but not dangerous. She supposed that was a trait that went along with being a genius. Her musings were interrupted by the insistent ringing of her PHS. She quickly moved to answer it.

"Elena here," she said.

"Yo, rookie… Get back down here. We've got a problem," Reno's voice responded tensely over the handset.

"On my way, Reno," she replied, and hurried back to where she'd left her temporary partner.

When she arrived in the cargo bay, things were definitely not as she'd left them. Where once it had been only she and Reno, and the occasionally cursory inspection by Hojo or one of his lab assistants, now, it seemed, his entire staff was on alert, checking containers, flipping though checklists, and generally buzzing about with an air of repressed panic.

"W-what's going on?" she asked Reno.

"We're not sure… Someone was down here. Almost had him, but one of those idiots got in my way, and he slipped past me," Reno said, annoyance clearly evident in his voice.

"Is anything missing?"

"They're checkin' into that now," the senior Turk replied, "But there's a lot to check. You and I are going to look for our intruder. He can't have gone too far."

* * *

Their search was proving fruitless. Whoever he was, he seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"Could he have left the ship?" Elena asked, her sidearm drawn and poised to fire, should it be necessary. They had begun their search in one of the aft compartments, thoroughly sweeping the ship from stern to bow. The bowels of the airship, however, were like a maze, and their target could have been hiding anywhere. Both Turks were being especially vigilant, and moving cautiously.

"Could've, if he had a parachute, I guess… But I think someone would have noticed a guy bailing out of an airship a couple miles above the ground. We'd have heard about it by now. Nah, I think he's still down here somewhere."

A loud clang sounded behind them, and both Turks spun toward the noise, weapons raised, as a mangy-looking cat darted out from behind a crate.

"Shit," Reno muttered, rolling his eyes, "Fucking cat. Bastard almost lost about six of his lives…"

He lowered his electro mag-rod.

"Come on, 'Lena… Let's keep go- _AHHHH_!"

Elena jumped at the pained cry, gun aiming automatically in the general direction of danger. What she saw stopped her cold.

"Reno!"

He'd been ambushed from behind. A short, rotund man in a dirty yellow and white t-shirt and jeans had a firm grip on Reno's hair. But that, Elena knew, was not what had made the Turk cry out. Implanted firmly in the side of his neck was a rather large syringe. A now-empty syringe. Reno himself had gone frighteningly pale, and beads of sweat rolled down his face. Whatever he'd been injected with was taking effect quickly.

Elena fired once, hitting Reno's assailant cleanly in the shoulder. He released his hold on the Turk and staggered backwards. Reno collapsed, shivering violently, on the floor, eyes rolled back in his head.

"What did you do to him!" she shouted at the man, gun leveled at him. Her finger twitched on the trigger, her instincts telling her to eliminate the threat, but she needed information. Reno's life might depend on it.

"Why don't you ask that bastard of a scientist you've got workin' for ya? He's the one that made it," he sneered, reaching into his pocket.

"Don't move!" Elena warned, but the intruder apparently had a larger agenda than simply escaping with his hide intact. He withdraw a small remote control, thumb poised over the single large button in the center of it. Elena didn't give him a second chance. She fired, putting a bullet right between his eyes. He died instantly, but it was too late. At almost the same instant, his finger hit the button. Elsewhere on the airship, there was a massive explosion, and the entire vessel lurched to one side. Elena felt the sickening sensation of rapid decent in the pit of her stomach.

'This is how I'm going to die,' she thought, and was surprised that it didn't frighten her nearly as much as she thought it should. Suddenly, there came a jarring impact, and the screeching of metal against metal. Elena was thrown forward, slamming hard into the wall directly in front of her, and her world went dark.

* * *

"Ohhh…" she moaned. For a moment, she was certain that she had to be dead… but a sharp pain in her side, followed by the near-blinding light of the sun as her eyes snapped open quickly convinced her otherwise. Elena slowly sat up, feeling vaguely dizzy, and very much in pain. Her head throbbed, and when she raised a hand to her scalp, it came back coated in blood. Shakily, she staggered to her feet, wincing as what could only be several broken ribs sharply protested the movement. Her entire body felt bruised, though judging by the wreckage that surrounded her, she'd been almost unimaginably lucky.

Where once she had been in an corridor enclosed by cold metal walls, she was now very nearly out in the open. The floor was tilted at an angle, and the deck above had been ripped away completely. It took her a moment to remember what had happened. The memories came back one by one. She recalled shooting the man… the explosion… being thrown off her feet.

Then she recalled something else.

"Reno…" she gasped. She had no idea what had happened to him. Still not entirely steady on her feet, she stumbled across the debris-strewn floor.

"R-Reno? Can you hear me?" she called, taking a few steps forward… and promptly tripping over a large object in her path. She fell, letting out a sharp, shrill scream as her already-traumatized ribs hit the floor hard. She lay there for a moment, dazed by the pain, vision dimming as she came dangerously close to passing out again. She fought it, taking a few slow breaths. She could _not_ afford to lose consciousness right now. Eventually, her head stopped spinning and her vision cleared, though each time she inhaled, she felt as though a dozen knives were piercing her chest. Cautiously, she stood, hoisting herself to her feet, using an overturned crate for leverage. She pointedly ignored the urge to cough in the dust-filled air, as she was certain it would be pure agony if she did.

Her gazed traveled to whatever it was she'd fallen over, eyes locking on the face of the dead man. The one who'd attacked Reno. Vindictively, she gave the corpse a sharp kick in the head, not caring that the sudden movement jarred her injured ribs yet again. The pain just served to vindicate her fury even more.

"Asshole," she spat. But if he was here, then Reno had to be close by, too. She clambered over the wreckage, eyes scanning every inch of it. As she moved slowly down what was left of the passageway, a soft sound met her ears. It was barely audible, and she paused, straining to hear it. After a moment, she began to think that she'd simply imagined it, but then, suddenly it came again. It was muffled… a whimper. She hurried in the direction she thought it had come from.

"Reno?" she called, hopefully, silently begging every deity she could think of that he was still alive, "Reno... Answer me! Please..." She was getting closer now. Elena shifted a large metal panel to one side, clenching her teeth against the pain, revealing the object of her search. Reno was curled in the fetal position, eyes squeezed tight shut, his face pale, his entire body shaking.

"Reno!" she lowered herself to her knees next to him, pressing two fingers against the artery in his neck. His heart was racing, and his breathing was quick and shallow. His skin was clammy and damp with cold sweat.

"Oh, god… Reno..." she whispered, brushing his hair gently away from his face. Reno's eyes opened and slowly focused on her.

" 'Lena…" he rasped, "It… h-hurts…"

* * *

The call had come in less than five minutes ago. Junon had received an emergency signal from the Torrent… the airship that had been carrying not only Hojo and several of his pet projects and staff, but also two Turks. It was the latter that Tseng was currently most concerned about, though had anyone he and Rude met in the hallway asked, he would have said otherwise. He'd tried several times, unsuccessfully, to contact them.

It was supposed to have been routine. It was supposed to have been merely a formality, taking along two Turks as part of security… a favor he'd called in, in truth. The airship was a floating fortress, after all. It had no need for extra security.

He blamed himself. There was no legitimate reason for them to even be there. He'd only wanted to teach them a lesson – and, he admitted, perhaps get in on the game just a little. There were few things less appealing than time in Hojo's company. It has seemed the perfect response to the night before. It had all been meant in the spirit of fun and camaraderie, but now things had taken a decidedly more dire turn.

He and Rude boarded the helicopter that waited for them on the rooftop of the Shinra Building.

* * *

Elena gingerly coaxed him out of his curled position, laying him out on his back on the floor. Running her hands over his limbs, his torso, she pressed lightly, carefully... looking for any sign of physical injury. But he wasn't injured, as far as she could tell. It was the syringe, then. Whatever had been in it was making him sicker and sicker by the minute. Possibly… probably, she amended, her throat tightening at the thought… even killing him.

He was beginning to have difficultly breathing now and Elena simply didn't know what to do for him. It tore her apart her to see him like this, even more so because she was helpless to do anything. She didn't even have a way to ease his pain. She had finally resorted to lifting him onto her lap and rubbing gentle circles on his back, offering whatever comfort she could. But she knew that if she didn't do something soon, there very well might be no hope for him at all.

"I-it'll be alright Reno…" she said, though her voice was far from convincing, "I'll go get help. Just… hang on, okay?"

"N-no…" Reno managed, through clenched teeth, "Don't… please don't leave me, 'Lena. Please… Don't leave me… Don't leave me alone…"

Her stomach twisted as she read the meaning behind his plea, and she felt ill. He was giving up. He didn't want her to leave, because he was afraid he'd be dead by the time she got back… and he didn't want to die alone. She swallowed harshly and blinked back the tears that had welled up. Oh god... she was going to watch him die.

"So… the two of you _did_ survive after all," a voice stated in a rather bored tone. Elena turned, utterly relieved that someone – anyone – had found them. Hojo and two of his staff stood at the far end of the destroyed hallway.

"Oh, thank Holy," Elena sighed, "Reno needs help!"

The three of them came closer, and Hojo joined her at Reno's side.

"Well, well… How interesting," he commented, "I take it that this is our thief's doing?"

"H-how did you know?"

"We had just determined what had been taken when the explosion occurred. And this is quite obviously the effects of project 1071," Hojo replied.

"Is there a cure? An antidote? Something?" Elena pleaded.

"Certainly," said Hojo, and Elena was briefly awash in relief, "However, like most of the cargo, it was destroyed. Nearly all of my specimens… gone…"

Her heart sank. That was it then… There really was nothing they could do for him. So upset was she, that she didn't notice Hojo's movements until it was nearly too late. The scientist's hand had crept into Reno's jacket, pulling the Turk's sidearm from it's holster. Hojo emotionlessly leveled the gun at the suffering Turk. Elena's eyes widened as realization dawned. She shoved Reno off of her lap with one hand, and with the other, seized hold of Hojo's arm forcing it upwards just as he pulled the trigger. The bullet sailed high, off course, striking something metal in the distance. In a matter of seconds, she was on her feet despite the pain she herself was in. Moments later, she'd disarmed him and taken the gun for herself.

"What the hell do you thing you're doing!" she shrieked.

"Hmph… it would be far kinder to end this for him now," Hojo said coldly, "And far safer for us."

"What do you mean?" she asked, eying him suspiciously. The two members of Hojo's staff had hung back, unsure of what to do, and as Elena glanced back at them, she realized that they seemed extremely concerned about something.

"This is only stage one," Hojo replied, "The pain will continue to increase, but eventually, it will subside entirely. Then, once he enters stage two, he will gain strength very quickly, seemingly returning to normal."

Reno was going to be alright? She hardly dared to hope that she had heard correctly.

"Don't look so relieved. I said 'seemingly'," Hojo continued, "Once stage three begins, he will become violent. Very violent… He will attempt to kill anyone he comes across. Myself… my staff… even you. He will lose himself completely and no amount of pleading will dissuade him. And then, when the effects of stage three have worn off, he will slip into a coma. Approximately 12 to 24 hours later, he will die. If we were in my lab, I could administer an antidote, however…"

He shrugged, gesturing to the wreckage around them. Given the situation, there wasn't much chance of getting Reno the help he needed before the drug in his system took full effect.

Reno gave a low, pained moan.

" 'Lena…" he gasped, and Elena turned her attention to her colleague, soothing him. It was getting worse, just as Hojo had said it would. Judging by the look on his face, the pain must have been excruciating.

"Why do you continue to hesitate?" Hojo asked, shaking his head, "In such a situation, it is best to euthanize the specimen."

"Reno is _not_ one of your specimens, and no one is going to _euthanize_ him!" Elena said firmly, stroking the redhead's sweat-damp hair with her free hand, while her other held tight to the gun.

"Fine… stay with him, then, if you're such a sentimental fool. But mark my words, in the end you'll have to finish him off before he comes after you," Hojo said, turning on his heel and striding away, "As interesting as observing this would be, I think I shall err on the side of safety and put some distance between myself and your friend there. When help arrives, I'll let them know where to find your bodies."

Elena glared at him as he and his assistants left them. Reno shifted slightly, looking up at her.

"It… It doesn't hurt… as much now," he said, panting softly. Elena's attention immediately shifted back to the other Turk.

"Reno? Are you… are you alright?" she asked, before mentally kicking herself. 'Well, that was a stupid question. Of course he's not alright,' she thought angrily.

"Tch… As 'alright' as anyone who's going to go completely insane and attack anything that moves can be, I suppose," Reno said weakly, some semblance of his usual twisted humor surfacing.

"Don't say that," Elena said.

" 'Lena, listen to me…" Reno said, "Hojo's a freak, but I doubt he'd make shit up about one of his own inventions. If things get bad… I want you to protect yourself by any means necessary."

"Reno…"

"That's an order, Elena. I may not be at a hundred percent, but I'm still in charge here," he said, sternly, "Handcuff me… Knock me out… Shoot me if you have to. Just don't let me hurt you. I'm fucking serious. Do _not_ let me hurt you. Got that?"

Elena couldn't respond. She looked down at the gun in her hand, and nodded silently.

"Get your handcuffs out," Reno demanded.

"W-what?"

"Take mine, too. Chain me to something sturdy, so I can't get loose," he clarified, nodding to the gun "Long as I can't reach ya, you won't have to resort to that, right?"

Elena looked around and spotted the flight of stairs that would have led up to the upper deck, had it still been there. There was a heavy metal handrail welded to the support beam on the wall. That would certainly be sturdy enough.

"Come on…" she said, wrapping an arm around Reno's waist and helping him to his feet. Her injuries screamed in protest, but she was getting rather good at ignoring them. The two Turks slowly made their way to the stairs, and Elena handcuffed Reno to the railing. The redhead settled himself on the bottom stair.

"Make 'em tight," he instructed, and Elena hesitantly forced the cuff around his wrist as tight as she dared.

"You look like hell," he commented, smirking as she took a seat next to him.

"You don't look so hot yourself," she countered.

"Please… I always look hot," Reno grinned, "Just ask anyone in the secretarial pool."

"You are such a pig," Elena shot back, grateful that he was trying to lighten the mood a bit. Reno smiled widely, with pride.

"Prude…"

"Jerk."

"Big-mouth…"

"Creep."

"Virgin."

"Ugh… Pervert," Elena said rolling her eyes, before adding, "… and I am not."

"Oh really," Reno replied, suggestively, "Do tell..."

"Dream on, Reno," she sighed, shaking her head, but she couldn't quite suppress the snort of laughter that escaped.

"Gonna deny a man his last request?"

The small smile faded from Elena's face.

"That's not funny," she said softly. Reno nudged her with his shoulder.

"Who said it was a joke?"

"Can't you ever be serious?" she asked, glaring at him.

"On occasion… but I generally try to avoid it," he grinned in reply, ignoring her glare. Suddenly, he closed his eyes, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Reno?" Elena queried, concern quickly replacing her annoyance at his flippant attitude.

"S'ok… Just got kinda dizzy there for a second," Reno replied. But that didn't alleviate her growing worry. In the back of her mind, she knew… just knew that this was the beginnings of stage three, and Hojo's words came back to haunt her. Finish him off. It was best to euthanize the specimen.

No… She wasn't going to do that to Reno. She _couldn't_ do that to Reno. As long as he was chained up, everything would be fine. They would wait for help to arrive. They would get him back to Hojo's lab in Midgar, and Hojo would give him the antidote… or by god, she'd tear the little fucker's his head off herself. Everything would be _fine_.

Reno leaned his head against the railing, closing his eyes.

"H-hey… Reno?" she said, her hand moving to rest on his shoulder. As soon as she touched him, he lunged, head-butting her as he strained against the two sets of handcuffs that held him bound to the staircase. Elena was sent tumbling backward, and landed sprawled on the floor just inches outside his reach, gasping in pain as, for the second time that day, her broken ribs made contact with the floor. She turned and met his gaze, and a cry caught in her throat.

His eyes were wild… there was nothing of the Reno she knew in them. No laughter, no gentleness, no recognition of her at all. He glared at her, pulling so hard at the handcuffs that they dug into his wrists, tearing the skin and coating his hands in his own blood. There was a painfully loud snap as the chain of one pair snapped under the strain, freeing his right hand. His range suddenly increased, he clawed at her, and Elena scrambled back several more feet, snatching the gun from where it had landed as she went. Her retreat only seemed to anger him more, and he pulled harder and harder at the remaining pair of handcuffs, heedless of the injuries he was inflicting on himself. The only thing on his mind seemed to be getting hold of Elena.

* * *

Tseng scanned the area from high above. The base in Junon hadn't been able to determine the exact coordinates where the airship had gone down, but they had narrowed it down to a fairly small area. Luckily, something that big ought to be fairly easy to spot.

"There," he said at last. Curls of black smoke rose from the plains. He could just make out the shape of the downed aircraft. Rude turned the helicopter towards the crash site. Farther out, he spotted the silhouettes of incoming helicopters from Junon.

"Get there first," he instructed Rude.

* * *

"Reno, calm down," Elena pleaded, one held open in front of her in a placating gesture, the other aiming Reno's gun at the ground, "It's me… It's 'Lena. Oh… Please, Reno. I know you're in there somewhere…"

Reno screamed in frustration as he fought wildly against his remaining bonds. She held the gun like a lifeline… If he managed to get loose, it would be the only thing that stood between her and Reno tearing her limb from limb. But could she really do it? Could she really kill someone she had come to respect and care about… even if it was to save herself? She desperately hoped that she wouldn't have to find out.

But it seemed that hope alone wasn't enough.

There was a loud ping as the handcuffs' chain gave way, and now Reno was free. He growled animalistically and flung himself at her. Elena back-pedalled at the last second, narrowly eluding him.

"Reno! Stop!" she cried desperately. The other Turk paused momentarily, a flicker of recognition flashing across his face.

" 'Lena?" he said, shaking his head violently, as if to clear it.

"Yeah… yeah, Reno. It's me. It's 'Lena!" she cried, hopefully.

Reno squeezed his eyes shut, fighting valiantly against what Hojo's drug was telling him to do.

" 'Lena… shoot me…" he managed before it overtook him again, and he resumed his attack. Elena scurried back farther, but Reno was much too fast. He was suddenly on top of her, straddling her waist, pinning her with his hands around her throat. She couldn't call out for help… couldn't breath. Reno was choking her… cutting off her airway completely. Her vision was growing fuzzy at the edges. The gun was clenched in her hand.

She pressed the barrel against Reno's belly.

'I'm so sorry, Reno,' she thought, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

As bad as things had looked from the air, they were much worse on the ground. The airship itself was hardly recognizable. The survivors had gathered near what remained of the cockpit, and the dead – the ones that weren't buried in the wreckage, that is – lay uncovered in the shadow of a twisted chunk of the ship's keel.

Reinforcements from Junon were already treating the injured as Tseng and Rude dispassionately, outwardly, at least, surveyed the damage. Tseng realized, with a growing sense of dread, that neither of his Turks were among those he could see, as he scanned the bodies – both living and otherwise – for a familiar flash of red. One thing about Reno... he stood out in a crowd. And if he could spot Reno, Elena was sure to be nearby.

The only familiar face he saw, however, was Hojo's… and he was approaching quickly.

"You certainly took your time getting here. At this rate there will hardly be anything left to salvage," he snapped. Tseng clamped down on the strong the urge to punch him. Rude wisely stayed out of it.

"We…"

Suddenly, before he could finish his reply, a gunshot rang out from somewhere among the wreckage.

"Ah… I guess she decided to take my advice after all," Hojo commented.

"What are you talking about?" Tseng asked narrowing his eyes.

"I told her she'd have to put him down. The drug he was given is very potent. You can't fight it," the scientist responded, "But not to worry… He seemed rather unremarkable. I'm sure you can easily replace him."

"Reno…" Tseng whispered, opting to ignore Hojo's casual dismissal of Reno's life for the time being, and took off at a sprint in the direction of the gunshot, Rude not far behind.

"Elena! Reno!" he called out, not sure where they were exactly.

"Sir! We're here!" came Elena's voice. The anguish in it was unmistakeable. Tseng raced toward the sound, and stopped short at the sight that greeted him.

Reno was slumped over, his breathing ragged, a pool of blood rapidly growing beneath him. Elena was sobbing quietly, one hand covering her eyes, the other limp at her side, a gun resting on her palm.

"Rude, get him back to the helicopter," Tseng ordered, snapping into professional mode, "Don't wait for us… get him back to Midgar. Now!"

Rude didn't need to be told twice, and Elena watched in utter despair as Reno's limp form was carted off by her fellow-Turk.

"I killed him…" she whispered, "I killed him..."

"Hush, Elena," Tseng said calmly, "He's not dead yet… They'll do everything they can to save him."

"He told me to," she said, taking a deep breath, and wiping her sleeve across her face, only just managing to get a tenuous grip on her composure, "He ordered me not to let him hurt me, whatever it took."

"That's enough Elena," Tseng replied, "You can fill me in on what happened later. Right now, you need medical attention, as do quite a few other people."

Her upper body was drenched in blood, and for a moment, he regretted not taking her to Midgar right alongside Reno.

"How badly are you hurt?" he asked, kneeling beside her, and pulling aside her jacket, "There's a lot of blood here."

"It... it's not all mine," she said miserably, "Most of it's Reno's... He was on top of me when I..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it. Tseng helped her to her feet, and Elena let him lead her off in the same direction Rude had taken Reno. She suddenly felt numb, and she was grateful for that, because at the moment, she didn't think she could deal any longer with what she'd been forced to do… not without completely humiliating herself, at any rate.

* * *

The room smelled sterile, like antiseptic. Her first thought was that she was somehow back in Hojo's lab in the Shinra Building. Had she ended up one of his specimens after all? She remembered... he'd wanted her for a project. She didn't want to be a specimen. Reno had stopped him from touching her before. Reno wouldn't have let him turn her into an experiment... so what was she doing in Hojo's lab? Her mind was foggy... sluggish. She couldn't think. Couldn't even make her eyes open.

She wasn't in a lab... she was in a bed. She could feel crisp, clean sheets covering her. Hojo _had_ wanted a breeding specimen. The thought nauseated her. Or maybe that was from the dizziness she felt as she tried to sit up. Something tenderly pushed her back down against the pillows, and she thought she heard someone speaking, but she couldn't make out the words.

"N-not..." she murmured, "Not a... a specimen..."

Fingers brushed against her forehead, smoothing back her hair. It felt good. She didn't fight it as it lulled her back to sleep.

* * *

The next time she woke, things were clearer. The room still smelled of antiseptic... too clean. Too sterile. She knew that smell. She was in a hospital. Elena opened her eyes.

The room was dimly lit and entirely too white. She blinked, raising a hand to her head and tried to draw in a deep, calming breath as she willed herself to wake up fully. Breathing hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to taper off. Her chest felt strangely constricted, and she touched a hand to her side. That hurt, too. But moreover, she could feel bandages beneath the thin hospital gown she was wearing.

Well, of course she was in a hospital... where else would Tseng have taken her?

Tseng. Her eyes shot open, as her memory seemed to reboot itself. The airship. The explosion. And... Reno.

How long had she been out? And where was Tseng now? Had he been shooed out by the doctors and nurses, told to leave her be and let her rest? She didn't think so. If Tseng had wanted to stay, nothing short of physical force could have moved him… and she had her doubts that even physical force would be sufficient.

Had he been needed elsewhere? That was perhaps more likely, but... Rude could have handled anything truly urgent. She remembered once... nearly three months ago... Rude had been injured. Tseng had stayed with him until he woke. Reno had told her later that he always did that if it was at all possible. Why, then had he left her here alone? Was it because of what she'd done? Was he with Reno instead? Or was Reno...

She stared up at the ceiling, and tried to force herself to think it.

"Typical… I step out for two minutes and you go and wake up while I'm gone," a familiar voice said from the doorway, "We really have to do something about your impatience, Elena."

She lifted her head slightly, and there was Tseng, striding calmly into the room.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Sore, sir," she said. It was the first thing that had popped into her still-not-fully-alert mind, and it was certainly accurate. The corners of Tseng's mouth twitched into a smile.

"Understandable."

"S-sir?" she began, desperately wanting to know the answers the the questions plaguing her.

"Hmm?"

"What about… What about Reno? Is he... okay?" she asked, swallowing the lump in her throat. It wasn't quite the question she'd meant to ask, but the answer would be the same, regardless.

"I don't think "okay" is the term I would use… but he's very much alive," Tseng replied, and Elena closed her eyes for a moment, in sheer relief. "Nine hours of surgery later, that is," the Turk leader added, "At the moment, he's in the ICU. If you're feeling up to it later, I'll try to convince them to let you visit him for a little while."

He paused for a moment, hesitating.

"I should warn you… It isn't a pleasant sight. And they're keeping him sedated until the drug is completely out of his system. Hojo filled me in on the effects of his little experiment. Apparently, the antidote would cause unbearable pain if he were awake. One of Hojo's favorite projects, I'm sure…" he said, sounding disgusted.

"H-how badly did I hurt him, sir?" she asked.

"Elena, this is neither the time nor the place for such discussions."

"Please… I want to know. I-I think I _need_ to know, sir..."

Tseng sighed.

"You only just missed his heart," he said at last, "The bullet pierced his stomach, collapsed a lung, bounced around some, and finally came to rest in his liver. All in all, he was lucky, if you're inclined to think of it as such. Half an inch to the left or right, and it probably would have been immediately fatal."

Elena paled. She really had nearly killed him.

"This was _not_ your fault, Elena," Tseng quietly assured her, upon seeing her expression, "I don't blame you for what happened, and I know Reno won't, either."

* * *

Elena was released the following day, with strict orders to take it easy until the doctors cleared her to return to active duty. Reno, however, remained in the ICU for more than a week, before finally being transferred to a recovery room for less critical patients. As much as Elena wanted to visit, if only to assure herself that he was alive and on the mend, she couldn't bring herself to face him. No matter what Tseng said, she couldn't help but blame herself, and feared that Reno would, too.

After several days of avoiding the inevitable, Rude told her that Reno had been asking about her, and she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. As she stepped silently into his room, she realized that she had no idea what to say. It was, therefore, almost as much a relief as it was a disappointment when she found him asleep.

She crept up to him, and settled herself nervously in the chair beside his bed. Elena couldn't get over how wrong it seemed to see the usually-hyperactive Reno lying there so still and quiet. The sight of him brought her guilt to the forefront of her mind, and she very nearly took the coward's way out and ran from the room.

"You gonna sit there starin' at me all day or you gonna say somethin'?" a voice interrupted her thoughts, and Elena jumped, nearly falling out of the chair.

"You're awake!" she blurted out.

"Heh… Nothin' gets by you, does it, 'Lena…" he replied, opening his eyes and grinning weakly, "What the hell took you so long? You shoot me, and then don't even bother to visit? You have any idea how fucking boring it is around here? It's fucking torture… Have you _seen_ the nurses on this floor? All guys! 'Cept for Hilda… and I'm not that desperate. Yet."

"I wasn't sure you'd want to see me…" Elena said, staring down at the floor.

"… Where the hell'd you get an idea like that?" Reno asked, bewildered. Elena didn't answer.

"Oh, I get it…" Reno said, catching on, and rolling his eyes, "You've been beating yourself up for the last… what? Week and a half? Two weeks?"

He switched to a falsetto voice, mimicking her, "Oh no, I almost killed Reno… He must hate me… Oh, how could I do something like that to him? Oh god, why didn't I sleep with him when I had the chance."

Her head shot up, and she stared him in the face, and despite the fact that he was right… she had been beating herself up – and doing a damn good job of it, too… she started to laugh.

"Oh sure… laugh at me," he said in a mock-hurt tone, "That'll make me feel better." He watched her, amused, until she composed herself.

"So, I guess this means you're going to be fine," she commented. Leave it to Reno to make _her_ feel better when _he_ was the one in the hospital.

"Much, I'm sure, to everyone's dismay, yes," Reno replied.

"I'll try to break it to the secretarial staff gently."

"Hey 'Lena," he said, tone turning serious, "Look… I'm sorry."

"W-what?" She very nearly proclaimed that she was the one who owed him an apology… but something about the way Reno was looking at her made her hold her tongue.

"I'm sorry you had to do what you did," he replied, "But in kind of a fucked up way, I'm glad you did it."

"Reno... exactly how much pain medication do they have you on?" she asked. He was _glad_ she shot him?

"Heh... not nearly enough, believe me," he sniggered, "But if you hadn't taken me down when you did... well, let's face it. You probably wouldn't be here right now. And that'd suck. A lot. So yeah, on the whole, I definitely prefer bein' shot over losin' you."

She leaned forward and lightly stroked his hair.

"Yeah, well... I still hope I never have to do anything like that again," she said seriously, before adding "They told me that I shouldn't stay long, because you're supposed to be resting."

Reno snorted in annoyance. "Figures…" he muttered, "Personally, I think they enjoy watchin' me go stir crazy…"

"I-is there anything I can do before I leave?"

"Hmm? Yeah, actually, now that you mention it…" he said, grinning and beckoning her to come closer so that he could whisper something to her. Elena leaned down.

"Go find me a hot nurse…"

-fin-


	10. Ghost Stories

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 10: Ghost Stories**

 **by Desha**

"… and when he woke up, he found himself in a bathtub filled with ice! And his…"

"Yeah, we know, Reno… His kidney was gone," Elena interjected before the redhead could finish. Rude snickered at the expression on his partner's face, as Reno glared at the rookie in the darkness of the Turks' private lounge. Rude had been indulging Reno's mediocre storytelling every year for nearly as long as he'd known the man. It was less troublesome than listening to him complain that Rude 'wasn't in the Halloween spirit'. He'd neglected to mention that to Elena, however, and it seemed she was a bit more willing to call him out on it. The redhead let the flashlight he was holding under his chin drop to his lap.

"Geez, 'Lena… spoil the ending, why don't ya?" he muttered, looking somewhat dejected.

"Ugh, seriously? We _know_ the ending! _Everyone_ knows the ending. That story has been around since before you were born." Elena retorted.

"So? It's a classic," Reno replied, "Come on, Rude... back me up here."

"… Sorry. Gotta go with the rookie this time. It's lame, Reno," Rude said, adding his two cents on the matter, as Elena flashed the Turks' second-in-command an I-told-you-so grin, "Besides... you tell it every year." Reno folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine… I s'pose you two think you can do better?" he snapped. But neither of them had the opportunity to answer the challenge. Without warning, the room was illuminated by the harsh glare of overhead florescent lighting, and all three Turks jumped in surprise, turning toward the door.

" _Gaahh_! Little warning next time, man!" Reno yelled, squinting in the unexpected brightness.

"Dare I even ask?" Tseng said as his gaze fell upon his subordinates, all seated in a circle on the floor of the lounge.

"Tomorrow's Halloween," Rude said simply.

"Ah. The annual retelling of the tale of the stolen kidney, then," Tseng snickered, rolling his eyes, and strolling into the room. He took a seat on the arm of the overstuffed sofa that sat against one wall.

"It's a _classic_!" Reno insisted, irritably.

"It's an urban legend that's been around for decades. And not a very convincing one, at that... Frankly, if _I_ were going to steal a kidney, I certainly wouldn't leave a witness," Tseng replied, "If you're going to make us listen to your so-called ghost stories every Halloween, you might at least try telling one that we haven't all heard a dozen times for a change. In fact, I'd be willing to bet you don't even _know_ any decent ghost stories…"

"Yeah? You challengin' me, Boss?" Reno asked with a smirk.

"What if I am?" Tseng ventured, cocking an eyebrow at the redhead. It was a slow day... and it _was_ almost Halloween, after all. He wasn't above having a little holiday fun.

"You're on, boss-man," declared Reno, "You and me… one story each. Elena and Rude pick the winner."

"Mmm… And what's the prize?" Tseng asked, smiling slightly.

"… Good question," Reno replied, thinking for a moment, "Ok… if I win, you take my place next week on President Shinra's security detail in Junon…"

Reno had been dreading that assignment from the moment it had been handed to him. Not that it was anything difficult, but the President's speeches were notoriously long-winded. And boring. And Reno would have to stand through the whole damned thing…

"Done. And if my story is superior to yours?"

"Name it," said Reno.

"No alcohol, no cigarettes, and no sex for one full week," Tseng said, smirking at the expression that came over Reno's face. Were it not for his friend's already-alabaster skin, he would have sworn the man had just gone a shade or two paler… which, of course, was the entire point.

"I'd back down, if I were you," Rude said, nudging Reno with his elbow, "I'm not sure you'd survive if you lose."

"What's the matter, Reno? Not up to the challenge?" Tseng goaded him. Reno scowled at him.

"You think you're gonna scare me off that easy? You're on. Not like you're gonna win anyway…"

"We'll see," Tseng replied, as he twisted around and flicked off the lights.

* * *

Tseng graciously allowed Reno the privilege of going first. Elena and Rude sat across from the two of them, much more eager to hear whatever demented tale Reno's mind might concoct, now that his favorite vices were on the line.

"Alright… Fuck the classics," Reno began, "This one's a true story. It happened when I was just a kid…"

 _You_ _ **all**_ _know I come from the Sector 2 slums. I could tell ya any number of stories 'bout that place. It's where the lowest of the gutter trash end up when they get run out of the more respectable sectors. You got your decent people, of course, but a lot of scum besides. I was probably somewhere around twelve or thirteen when it all happened._

 _One day, dead of winter, kids just started disappearin' all over the sector. No one knew what happened to em'. It wasn't strange for a kid or two ta go missin' every once in a while down there… but this was different. Whole bunch of 'em all a once, and no one saw what happened to any of 'em. 'Course the first thing people thought was that it was some pervert, grabbing up kids and cartin' 'em off somewhere to do fuck knows what to 'em. So parents started watchin' their kids like hawks…_

 _That didn't stop it, though… Kids kept right on disappearin'. Lot of kids like me down there... no parents, no family, out on their own... no one givin' a rat's ass if they come home or not. Those were the ones that went missing after people started to take notice. It went on like that for more'n a month, and then… it just stopped. Just like that. And no one knew why. None of the kids ever came back, but no more went missin' either, and eventually people stopped worryin' about it._

"Wait a minute…" Elena groaned, rolling her eyes as she cut him off, "That's how that terrible movie about the disfigured lunatic living in the sewers starts out… You know, the one that came out on DVD _last week_? What was it called...? Oh! Cut 'em To Ribbons!"

"… It is not!" Reno protested. Mentally, he was panicking… he'd never have pegged Elena as a fellow aficionado of low-budget slasher flicks. What were the odds that she would've picked up same movie he had over the weekend? Elena snatched the flashlight from the redhead's hand, and passed it over to Tseng.

"It's your turn, sir…" she said, ignoring Reno.

"Hey! I wasn't even done yet!"

"… I don't think it's much of a contest at this point," Rude noted.

"Oh yeah?" said Reno, "We'll just see. He's still got to come up with something scary..."

Tseng smiled a thin smile, and began to speak in a low voice.

"My story is a little different. I don't spend my off-duty hours engrossed in the subtle nuances of B-grade horror movies."

"And just what's wrong with enjoying bad horror movies?" Reno asked testily. It was actually his favorite genre... the worse the movie, the more he loved it.

He noticed that Elena, too, looked a little perturbed by Tseng's comment, and made a mental note to invite her over for a marathon one of these days. Rude wouldn't touch 'Zombutterflies' or 'It Came from the Septic Tank... Again!' with a ten foot pole – though Ifrit forbid you should ever say anything disparaging about his precious 'Shadow & Sword' obsession...

"I never said there was anything wrong with it. It's simply not something I personally enjoy," the Turk leader replied, "May I continue?"

Reno gave a noncommittal grunt and waved him on.

"Everything I am about to tell you is the truth… and if any of you doubt it when I'm through, you're welcome to look up the incident report for yourselves. You'll find it in the Turks Archives, in my own handwriting."

 _Have you ever wondered why no one… not even members of the Turks… is permitted on the 14th floor? Oh, we tell the employees that it's a private area, only accessible by the highest level security clearance. Most people think it's some sort of lounge for Shinra executives. But that's not the real story. The fact is that the 14th floor has been sealed for the last twelve years._

 _Obviously, this all happened before any of you were even being considered for promotion to the Turks. I myself had only been one for a few short years. The 14th floor_ _ **used**_ _to be part of Shinra's archives. It's a literal maze of floor to ceiling shelves, drawers, and filing cabinets that once contained vast amounts of company data awaiting entry into the computer databases, unused equipment, unclaimed personal property… thousands upon thousands of items and files, all waiting to be sorted into their proper places at some point. In fact, it was so maze-like back then, that's what quite a few people called it… The Maze._

 _Walking onto the 14th floor was akin to venturing into the unknown. It was almost disturbingly easy to simply vanish into the Maze… and even easier to get lost. The people who worked on the floor knew it all like the back of their hand, of course, but anyone else wouldn't have a chance._

"Yeah, yeah… so when's this get scary?" Reno muttered. Elena elbowed him.

"Just wait," Tseng replied.

 _As it happened, the 14th floor had it's own ongoing drama amongst the employees. A love triangle, you might say. A shy, and somewhat disturbed young man named Haru Ishaboda was at the heart of it. As near as I was able to piece together after the fact, Mr. Ishaboda was… enamored… with one of his female coworkers. A woman by the name of Andromeda Marcus. She, however, was apparently involved with another young man named Noah Richardson._

 _One night, quite late… several hours after I'd gone home for the day, actually… I received a call from Veld…_

"Veld was head of the Turks before Tseng," Reno interjected, noting Elena's somewhat confused look.

"Ah, yes, that's right… You wouldn't know anything of Veld, would you," Tseng replied, "I took over for him a year or two before you were tapped for the recruitment program."

 _In any case, I received a call from Veld. There had been a murder on the 14th floor. Noah Richardson was dead, and the killer was still hiding somewhere in the Maze. The floor had been sealed off, but the security guards on the night watch didn't dare go in after him… and when I got there, I could understand why._

 _Even in my short time as a Turk, I'd seen things… horrible things… that would make most people turn away in revulsion. But the sight that greeted me turned my stomach. My partner at the time, Artemis, was as hardened as they came, but even he was shocked._

 _The man had been stripped, disemboweled, and castrated… His heart had been cut out, and…_

Tseng paused, and shook his head.

"On second thought, I really don't care to go any farther into the specifics. Let's just say it was the singularly most disturbing and horrific thing I had ever seen… _have_ ever seen… and leave it at that."

Reno and Elena exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Coming from someone as unflappable Tseng… that was something. He cleared his throat and continued.

 _Our initial plan was to wait for backup. More Turks had been called in and would be arriving shortly, and the killer had literally hundreds of places from which he could ambush us. And if he was one of the employees who worked on the floor – as we suspected he was, given that 14 was virtually ignored by anyone who didn't work there – he would have the added benefit of knowing his way around._

 _But then we heard it… a shrill, desperate cry for help. It sounded like a woman's voice, and suddenly our pursuit of a deranged killer had become a hostage situation. Artemis and I made the decision to go in after the killer. I'd only ever had cause to visit the 14th floor once prior to that night… and I hadn't ventured far into it. Artemis had only ever gone a bit farther. We were lost before we even realized it._

 _By then, we could hear muffled cries coming from deeper inside. We followed it as best we could, but by the time we found the source it was too late. It was almost as if he knew we were coming. Miss Marcus was on the floor, bleeding badly from hundreds of cuts all over her body. She looked me in the eye as her life faded away. Ishaboda was standing over her with a knife. His eyes were glazed over like a madman… And he was laughing._

 _Even as we took aim at him and ordered him to drop his weapon and surrender, he was laughing. And he kept laughing as he stabbed himself in the heart. He laughed until his dying breath a few moments later._

"Ok, so the guy went nuts over a girl," said Reno, "Big deal. Kinda more fucked up than ya usually hear about… but that shit happens all the time."

"I'm not finished yet," Tseng replied, "I still haven't told you why the floor remains sealed, even now."

 _You see, afterward, the scene was cleaned up immediately. No one was told anything about what had happened that night… the mysterious disappearances of Richardson, Marcus, and Ishaboda were explained away with some story, and the rest of the employees of the Maze went about their daily routine, none the wiser…_

 _But things were never the same on the 14th floor. It began with minor incidents… a worker tripping over something that wasn't there… files falling from the shelves for no apparent reason…_

 _Soon, however, it progressed to far more sinister occurrences. One young woman was nearly crushed when one of the shelving units toppled over. And if you ever saw one of those things, it would be fairly obvious that they_ _ **don't**_ _just fall over. Other people claimed that when they were working late they could hear crying… sometimes even screaming coming from somewhere deep inside the Maze, but when they followed the sound they could never find it's source. One man heard someone laughing behind him, and was so disturbed by the sound of it… even more so when he discovered that no one was there… that he applied for a transfer to another department._

 _It wasn't long before no one was willing to work on the 14th floor, and so the files and equipment were carted off to other parts of the building, and the floor was sealed… permanently._

"Only the President, the Vice President, and myself have access… and quite frankly, I have no intention of ever using it." he finished. Reno rolled his eyes.

"Right… You're telling us the 14th floor is haunted?" he said, smirking, "Please."

"Believe what you will," Tseng shrugged, "The incident is, as I mentioned earlier, recorded in the archives of Turks case files. Case #1027-9, if you'd care to read it for yourself."

"Oh, come on…" Reno snorted. He wasn't buying this bullshit. The Shinra Building was haunted. Sure...

"Read the case file if you don't believe me," said Tseng, shrugging indifferently, "It's all there in black and white."

"… Tseng wins," Rude intoned. Elena was nodding in agreement. The leader of the Turks chuckled.

"If I recall correctly, the deal was no alcohol, no cigarettes, and no sex for one week, yes?" Tseng added, taunting the younger man with his loss.

"H-hey! Wait a minute!" Reno tried to interject… but it was too late, and he knew it. Resigned to his fate, he sighed and buried his face in his hands. "I fucking hate you all."

* * *

The next morning was a Friday. No work the day after meant that Reno could have enjoyed a long night of drunken Halloween fun… were it not for losing his little bet with Tseng the prior evening. An entire week of sobriety, nicotine withdrawal, and celibacy loomed before him. Any one of them individually he could easily tolerate... but all three at once? The next seven days were _really_ gonna suck.

What really irked him, though was that the only reason Tseng's story had been even remotely scary was because he claimed it was all true. Reno knew better. Ghost were a load of superstitious bullshit, and even if there really _had_ been a murder on the 14th floor years back, he doubted that it was as dramatic as Tseng had claimed. Of course, Elena had bought into it, hook, line, and sinker. And Rude, that traitor... he'd gone along with the rookie just so he could watch him suffer, Reno was sure of it.

'Well,' Reno thought, 'If Tseng's gonna ruin my Halloween _and_ my entire week with that lame-ass story of his, the least I can do is prove that it's a total fake.'

And with that thought in mind, he set off toward the Turks case file archives.

Unfortunately when he got there, he suddenly realized that he'd completely forgotten the case number. The archives were huge, containing files that went back for more than 20 years. The Turks had always kept excessively detailed records. There were files on every single incident the Turks had ever handled… no matter how trivial. With a groan, Reno realized that it could take days to find the file without its reference number. He could always ask Tseng for it… but then he would have to admit what he was up to. No way would Tseng want to see Reno prove that he'd made the whole thing up… He'd probably find some menial little task to keep him busy for the rest of the day just to keep him out of the archives.

So that just left him with a manual search. Current cases were all neatly organized in the company's computer database. Well... most of them. There was always a backlog waiting to be entered. But older cases? Something from twelve years ago? The computer records didn't go back that far. Not for the Turks archives, at any rate. Generally once a case was closed by the Turks, it was quietly swept under the rug and never mentioned again. Shinra had never seen the need to digitally archive the massive number of physical case files the Turks had generated over the years.

"Well… Guess I've got some reading to do," Reno sighed, "Let's see… Twelve years ago, he said…"

Luckily, the archives _were_ organized enough that one could find something if one knew generally when it had occurred. Reno headed towards the filing cabinets towards the middle of the room, reading the dates on the fronts of the drawers. He finally found the year he was looking for, groaning aloud upon discovering that said year took up three full cabinets and part of a fourth, each as tall as he was…

As he was reaching for the first drawer, he heard the door open behind him.

"Shit!" he hissed, ducking out of sight. There was a reason he never came in here. Every time he had ever come across Reno in the archive room, Tseng had been reminded how far behind Reno perpetually was on digitally filing his case reports. Which inevitably resulted in the Turk leader ordering him to get on it immediately. Reno was definitely not in the mood for paperwork today.

But the footsteps that followed the opening of the door were most certainly not Tseng's… They were much lighter, and more delicate. More female. He grinned...

'Least I'll get _one_ good Halloween scare in today,' he thought to himself, and as the footsteps reached the row of cabinets he was crouched behind, he leapt out, shrieking like a madman.

" _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_!" a female voice squealed, and the figure before him back-pedaled several feet before stumbling and falling flat on her backside with a soft thud… at which point, Reno burst out laughing.

"God _DAMMIT_ , Reno!" a very peeved Elena shouted from the floor, "You scared the hell out of me!"

Reno cackled and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her back to her feet.

"Sorry," he said, though he didn't sound the least bit remorseful.

"What are you doing back here, anyway?" she asked, brushing dust from the floor off of her pants.

"I could ask you the same question…"

"W-well, I… Um…"

"Ha! You didn't believe Tseng's story either! Admit it. You were going to look it up."

"… Yeah," she replied, glancing down at the ground, as if she had no right at all to question the validity of anything Tseng said.

"Great… finding the file will go a lot faster if there's two of us looking… I'll take the first cabinet, you take the last, and we'll meet in the middle."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Or we could just open the drawer with the files 1020-0 to 1030-9…" she replied, pointing to the marked drawer.

"… Or we could do that."

"You forgot the case number, didn't you?"

Reno shrugged and opened the drawer. "Remembering menial shit like that is what rookies are for…" he drawled, "So… uh… what was that number again?"

Elena sighed and leafed through the tabbed files until she found the one she was looking for, and pulled it out, handing it to Reno.

"Awesome," he smirked, and flipped it open.

* * *

"I still don't buy it," said Reno.

"But… but it was all there, just like Tseng said…" Elena replied. Their little trip to the archives hadn't worked out quite as Reno had planned. Instead of debunking Tseng's "ghost story", the two Turks had found the file, just as he'd said they would, with an account of the events of that night exactly as Tseng had retold them... along with some very unsettling photos of the crime scene that made Elena glad she'd skipped lunch.

"I'll bet he planted the file," Reno grumbled, "I'll bet he had the whole thing set up from the beginning. He knew I'd go looking for it after I lost the bet. Hell, he was probably setting me up right from the start."

It was starting to get late. Normally, Reno would have been heading home soon for a beer or two, followed by some Halloween mischief, followed by another beer or two. But now, not only was he stuck honoring his bet, he was annoyed as well. There was no way he was actually going to believe the 14th floor was haunted.

"Why would he do that?" Elena said rolling her eyes as the pair made their way back to the Turks' lounge.

"Maybe because he's a sadistic bastard who wants to watch me suffer horrendously for the next week?" Reno offered, only half-teasingly.

"Or maybe it really did happen, and maybe the 14th floor really was sealed off because it's haunted..."

"Oh, please," said Reno, "Don't tell me you're gonna start buyin' into this…"

"W-well…"

"Well... there's only one way to settle this," Reno proclaimed, "We go up to the 14th floor and spend the night."

" _W-WHAT_?!" Elena squeaked, stopping in her tracks.

"Even if the part about the murders is true, there's no such thing as ghosts. What's the matter 'Lena? Chicken?" he replied, smirking.

"N-no… of course not," she replied, less than convincingly.

"So let's go," said Reno.

"What? Now?"

"Heh… no time like the present. We're officially off duty for the weekend in forty minutes," said Reno, "Besides… it's Halloween. Even if I can't drink, smoke, or fuck, I can damn well enjoy watching you freak out."

Elena glared at him.

"Come on, 'Lena…" he goaded, "You know you're curious. And it's not like you're gonna be up there alone. I'm goin', too."

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?" she quipped. Though it wasn't as if she had big plans for tonight. All she ever did on Halloween was hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, or go to the occasional party. A little Halloween adventure was actually kind of tempting. Besides… if she backed out, Reno would never let her forget it. "Alright. Let's do it," she said at last.

"Really?" Reno replied, looking somewhat surprised. He grinned, "Sweet."

"Um… But Reno… how are we going to get onto the 14th floor? It's sealed."

"Just leave that to me. Meet me in the lounge in an hour," he said, and disappeared down the hall, leaving Elena behind to wonder how he was planning to get into an area that only three people in the world had access to…

* * *

Elena tapped her foot impatiently as she checked her watch yet again. He was late. He'd said an hour. It going on two, now. What the hell was taking him so long?

Maybe _Reno_ had been the one to chicken out. She giggled quietly at the thought of teasing him about how she'd been the one who was brave enough to show up… how she'd waited for him, totally committed to going through with their little plan… how he'd been too scared.

Her amusement was short-lived, however, as another thought occurred to her. This could just as easily be a Halloween prank at her expense. Reno might never have had any intention of showing up. Hell, he was probably laughing his ass off somewhere, or worse, watching her to see just how long she'd stand around waiting here for him. Just as she was about to start looking around for hidden cameras, the door opened.

"Yo, 'Lena! Ready to go?" Reno called, peeking into the room.

"Where were you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Heh… sorry 'bout that. Took a little longer than I thought it would," he replied.

"What did?" She was curious now… Had he really managed to get them access to the 14th floor?

"Had a little chat with Rufus. It took some convincing… and a few other things… but he finally gave me his access code for the floor.

"A few other things?" Elena queried. Now she was _really_ curious.

"Uh… I'd rather not get into it. Let's just say that it didn't involve sexual favors, this time. Gotta honor my bet, after all..." Reno replied, "So you comin' or not?"

She was going to question him further on the details… but Reno was already back out the door and moving swiftly down the hallway. Elena scurried after him, following him to the elevator.

"What do you mean… it didn't involve sexual favors _this time_?" she blurted out as she caught up to him.

"Loooong story," Reno said, "And it ends with me in bed with Rufus' girlfriend at the time's mother. Her very... uh, heh... _domineering_... mother. By the way... if ya ever get the urge to set me up with one of your friends, I'm _really_ not so into whips. Or hot wax."

He shuddered at the memory, and hit the button for the 14th floor. The panel prompted him for a restricted access code, which he punched in.

"But why…"

"You seriously don't want to know," he said, cutting her off before she could weasel any other details out of him. As the elevator descended, the two Turks fell silent. Night had fallen, and by now most employees had gone home. Of course, the Shinra Building was never truly empty, but the closer they got to the deserted floor, the more the tension grew. Finally, the car stopped and the doors slid open.

"Ladies first," he said with a half-smile, inviting Elena to take the first step out onto the deserted floor.

"Yeah. I don't think so," Elena said quickly. Reno shrugged and stepped out himself. Elena hesitantly followed him. Reno flicked on the flashlight he'd brought and shown its beam out into the looming darkness.

"Ah, this isn't so bad," said Reno, swinging the light around to get a better look at their surroundings, "So let's see…"

He turned back towards the elevator, scanning the light over the wall.. About twenty feet away, he found a light switch and flipped it on. Above the two Turks, rows of florescent lights buzzed to life in pairs. Elena jumped slightly as one bulb shattered under the sudden surge of power showering the floor with bits of glass.

One thing was certain. No one had been here in years. The air was stale and somewhat musty, and everything seemed unnaturally still. Beyond that, however, Elena had to admit, there wasn't anything all that frightening about the place now that it was properly lit.

"So… now what?" she asked, glancing over at Reno.

"I guess we should do a little exploring," he replied, heading toward the only opening in the wall of shelving units that separated the elevators from the rest of the floor. As they passed into the main part of the space, Elena began to see why the place was once known as the Maze.

Even though the shelves were now empty, they were an imposing presence. Paths created by bookcases and cabinets snaked off in all directions, and the ones that didn't actually reach all the way to the ceiling were so tall that even Reno couldn't peer over them. The two Turks rounded a corner and found a small grouping of desks nestled into a corner.

"Man, would I hate to work here," Reno muttered. Elena agreed. Not only could she not see anything beyond her immediate surroundings, she couldn't even see the elevator anymore. What was more, they hadn't even gone that far yet, and she was beginning to feel disoriented.

"Heh… lost already?" Reno taunted.

"Of course not," she replied, flushing slightly.

"Good. 'Cause my sense of direction sucks," he said. For a moment, Elena felt a small twinge of panic, but one look at Reno's face and she could tell he was just teasing her.

"Well, then you better not wander off… because no way am I gonna come looking for your sorry ass," she retorted, and with that, she set off deeper into the Maze. Reno snickered and followed.

Though she had started off confidently enough, it wasn't long before Elena wasn't quite so sure of herself. The more turns she took, the more turned around she felt. She thought she knew the way back… but she was no longer as certain of it as she'd been a little while ago.

* * *

"Oh, that's real nice..." Elena said sarcastically, looking over Reno's shoulder. He'd made a rather crude drawing of a very well-endowed woman in the dust on one of the desks.

"You an art critic now, 'Lena?" he asked with a grin. She ignored him. "Well... we've been up here almost two hours now. You seen any ghosts?"

"Not a one," she replied. Reno leaned against the desk and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, staring at it longingly.

"Don't s'pose you'd keep your mouth shut and let me cheat?" he commented. In response, Elena plucked the pack out of his hand. "Yeah, that's what I figured," Reno sighed.

"There's no smoking allowed in the building, anyway," Elena pointed out.

"Not like anyone would notice up here," he smirked, "Ah, man, this week is gonna kill me."

"And these won't?"

"Oh, goddammit... don't _you_ start that crap, too," he said in a warning tone.

"What do you mean, 'too'?" she asked, shoving the pack into her own pocket.

"Tch... Rude's been tryin' ta get me to quit," he replied, "Been on my case about it for weeks now."

"Well... it's not a _terrible_ idea, you know," she commented. That particular habit of Reno's was by far her least favorite.

Reno groaned. "Great... so now you're joinin' the bandwagon."

"I'm just saying... It's not good for you, and you'd be better off if you gave it up."

Before Reno could fire off a retort, something clattered loudly to the floor elsewhere in the Maze, the sound echoing in the still air. Both Turks jumped.

"W-what was that?" Elena whispered.

"Dunno," Reno whispered back, straining to hear any other sounds, "Probably nothing."

"… Then why are you whispering?"

Reno glared at her, and motioned for her to follow him as he set out in the general direction the sound had come from.

* * *

"Has Elena left for the weekend?" Tseng asked. He'd been working late. It appeared that Rude had been as well.

"Don't think so," he replied, motioning to the coats that still hung on the hooks near the door. Four in total… which meant that Reno was still hanging around the building somewhere, as well. Knowing him, he was probably off playing Halloween pranks on the night shift.

"Hmm… That's odd. Usually when she stays late, she's not that difficult to find. I was going to ask her if she'd care for some coffee, since I was heading for the cafeteria anyway."

Rude shrugged.

"I don't suppose you've seen Reno recently, either?"

"Nope."

Tseng sighed. "What do you suppose they're planning now?"

* * *

Reno stood with his back against one of the larger filing cabinets, ears straining to catch the slightest sound. Elena, too, was on high alert… but all was silent in the Maze. Had they just imagined it? The two Turks had been waiting nearly five minutes and hadn't heard any further noises.

Reno had just opened is mouth to voice his thoughts to Elena, when a shrill, but muffled melody filled the air. He bit back a cry of surprise and jumped back, looking around for the source, his hand instinctively going for his weapon. Elena, likewise, had followed suit, her gun in her hand, backing away from the sound. Unfortunately for her, the path behind her wasn't exactly clear. With a surprised shriek, she toppled over an errant rolling chair, landing in a heap on the ground.

"Ah, _fucking_ hell… You've gotta be kidding me," Reno muttered as he very quickly realized that the sound was far from unfamiliar. Feeling utterly foolish, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his PHS, tapping the screen as he did so. The sound stopped.

"Yeah, boss? You need somethin'?" he said into the handset.

'Reno? Where are you?' Tseng's voice, tiny over the small device, inquired.

"Just havin' a little fun," Reno replied.

'Whatever it is you and Elena are up to, just know that I'm ready for it,' the Turk leader intoned.

"Heh… Little paranoid, eh, Tseng?"

'Reno…'

"Just FYI, me n' 'Lena are doing something much more interesting than plotting against you, boss-man," Reno said, smirking, then ended the call and turned to Elena, "That ought to worry him a little… uh… You planning on staying down there all night?"

"N-no," she replied, re-holstering her weapon and picking herself up from the floor. She kicked the offending office furniture viciously. Her heart was still pounding from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

"Geez, 'Lena… it was just the phone. Don't act so weak," Reno said with a roll of his eyes, tucking the PHS back into his pocket.

"Yeah… well… It scared you, too," she countered.

"True. But I didn't trip over a chair, scream like a little girl, and fall flat on my ass," Reno snickered. Elena punched him in the arm.

"Ow!"

* * *

"It's been hours, and nothing," Tseng said, more to himself than to Rude, "What could they be…"

As if on cue, his PHS rang, shaking him from his thoughts. He pulled it from his jacket pocket and glanced at the screen, humming in curiosity when he saw the number.

"Tseng here," he said. Rude glanced over at him, curious who would be calling on the Turks so late. 'Rufus,' Tseng mouthed in reply interpreting the other man's gaze. Rude raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir… Yes... Oh, really?... I see," Tseng said into the phone… his voice sounded almost amused. "Yes, sir, Rude and I will be waiting."

"What's up?" Rude asked. Requests from Rufus Shinra were always interesting, to say the least.

"I'll tell you on the way," he replied, cryptically.

* * *

"Ha… Midnight, and still no ghost," said Reno, looking smug, "I knew it was all bullshit."

Elena stifled a yawn.

"So can we go home already?"

"Giving up so soon?"

"Reno… this is boring," she replied. And it was true… The initial novelty of being someplace that they weren't supposed to be had long since worn off, and even their earlier scare, which had at least netted them a hearty laugh, was becoming a distant memory. The truth was that this was just a vacant floor. Aside from the somewhat disturbingly claustrophobic sensation of being isolated within the winding paths formed by the shelves and cases, it just… wasn't scary anymore.

"… Yeah, I know," he finally relented, "Guess tonight was kind of a bust, huh?"

Overhead, one of the florescent tubes flickered and then went out with a soft clink.

"Hell, maybe we ought to go before we're stuck wandering around in the dark trying to find the damn elevator until morning," he chuckled, "Wanna hit someplace up for a super late dinner and head home?"

Elena nodded.

"So… I hate to say it, but, uh… Any idea which way is outta here?" he asked.

"Real funny, Reno," she replied.

"Actually, I was bein' serious for once…" he said, laughing lightly, "I have no idea which direction we came from at this point."

Elena rolled her eyes. Of course, she supposed that it really shouldn't surprise her. Reno, after all, had once managed to get them lost in a forest during their mandated 'punishment' on a small island north of Midgar… and that time he'd had a map and compass, for crying out loud!

She turned 180 degrees and started off down the corridor… only to stop after a few dozen steps. This didn't seem quite right.

"Um…"

She turned back and took the path in opposite direction. Next to her, she heard Reno snickering.

"Ok, fine!" she shouted, "So I don't know where we are, either!"

"Not a problem," said Reno, "Just need a better vantage point…"

He turned to one of the studier-looking shelving units and began to climb the empty shelves. Though they stretched from floor to ceiling, they were open on both sides. It took some peering this way and that once he was high enough, trying to see around the other units, but eventually he spotted what he was looking for.

"Ha… That-a-way," he said triumphantly, pointing towards the opening to the hallway that led back to the elevator. Unfortunately, as he did so, he felt the shelves beginning to tip.

"Of course…" he groaned, knowing exactly what was coming next, " 'Lena! Heads up!"

"Reno!" Elena shouted in alarm as she dove out of the way. The shelves came down with a series of crashes, sending up a cloud of dust as they hit the floor. The redhead, not having time to remove himself from harm's way, did his best to shield himself. Not that it was going to do him much good… if he ended up under this thing, it was gonna do some damage.

Thankfully, luck seemed to have decided to cut him a break just this once. Reno slammed into the floor hard, landing flat on his back and cracking his head against the hard tile. The shelves, however, landed on top of a nearby desk, leaving him some space underneath.

"Reno?! A-are you okay?" Elena asked, coughing in the dust cloud.

"Ow." He rubbed the lump that was forming on the back of his head.

"Reno?"

"Why is it whenever you're around someone or something nearly kills me?" he replied, sounding somewhat strained.

"Are you hurt?" Elena asked.

"Nah… I'm fine."

Elena quickly climbed to her feet, and brushed herself off… but as she moved to help her fellow Turk, the entire 14th floor was suddenly plunged into darkness.

"Oh, wonderful…" Reno commented from the floor.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, concern mounting. She couldn't see a thing. There was no light at all.

"Tch… no one's turned the lights on up here in almost 10 years. Probably tripped a breaker or something," he said, "Dammit!"

"Now what?"

"Lost my flashlight," he replied, patting his pockets. He heard Elena moving toward him in the darkness.

"Ahhh!" she suddenly cried out, and Reno heard a loud thud about a few feet away from him.

" 'Lena?!"

"S-sorry… I tripped."

Some shuffling as she got to her feet, and then…

"Ow! Watch where you're stepping!" he shouted, pulling his hand back from underneath her foot.

"Sorry!"

She moved closer to him… and subsequently kicked him in the thigh.

"Ow! Dammit, Elena!" he growled, finally managing to haul himself out from under the shelves and clambering to his feet.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry…" she muttered.

Reno felt her fingers latch onto his arm, tight.

"Damn, 'Lena… let go. Ya don't have to cut off the circulation."

"Huh? Let go of what?"

"My arm," he replied, suddenly realizing that Elena's voice had come from the opposite side as the fingers that were locked around his wrist. He instinctively jerked away, free hand flipping his mag-rod out. Electricity crackled from its tip as he swung at whatever the hell it was that had hold of him. In the miniscule light that resulted, he could have sworn he saw a pair of glittering red eyes staring at him, but they seemed to vanish the moment he spotted them, and the grip on his wrist was quickly relinquished.

"Reno! What the hell are you doing?" Elena shouted.

"Fuck… There _is_ someone else up here!" he ground out. He'd dismissed the sound they'd heard earlier… especially after Tseng had given them both that little scare by deciding to call them at the worst possible moment. He figured it was just something they'd knocked loose on their way in and left it at that. Now he was pretty sure that wasn't the case.

Reno didn't like this. He couldn't see an inch in front of his face. He had only a vague idea of which way was out. And now, on top of all that, he had to deal with a potential threat.

"Let's get the hell out of here," he said in hushed tones to Elena. Trying to stand their ground and fight under these conditions was insanity.

"Right behind you," Elena replied. Reno started to move in what he hoped was the direction of the elevator. Elena stayed close. From a distance, the pair suddenly heard what sounded like muffled crying. It was faint at first, but gradually became louder and more distinct… and then, a scream. A scream like nothing either of them had ever heard. Reno felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as a chill ran down his spine.

"Reno… What the hell was _that_?"

"Keep moving," he hissed. He was sweating, now, and didn't even know why. He'd been in situations much worse than this before, but something about this just felt so very wrong. All he knew for sure was that he and Elena needed to get out of there. Now.

It was just about that time that he heard the footsteps.

Reno stopped in mid-stride, listening. It wasn't hard to pick out two sets of footsteps behind him. One was Elena, obviously. Which meant the other was…

"Oof!"

Elena, who had been hurrying to keep up with Reno's longer stride slammed into him from behind. Reacting quickly, Reno spun, grabbed her by the arm, and felt his way to the nearest corner, pulling her along with him. Thankfully, Elena seemed to understand, and kept silent. The two Turks stayed there, hardly daring to breath, as the footsteps carried on past them.

"Now what?" Elena whispered, once she was certain their mystery guest was out of earshot.

Frankly, Reno wasn't sure. They couldn't see, they couldn't be sure where the person who'd been following them had gone, and they had only a vague idea of which direction they needed to be moving in.

Reno opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance as laughter filled the air. It began as a deep, throaty chuckle, but soon escalated into coldly gleeful hysterics. It seemed to be coming from all around them, growing louder and louder until the entire 14th floor seemed to vibrate with it. The shelves rattled, and odds and ends toppled to the floor.

"Run!"

The Turks bolted, hoping that they weren't far from the elevator doors. Elena could feel something clawing at her jacket. Suddenly, a narrow slit of light appeared out of the darkness, slowly widening.

"The elevator!" Elena gasped, half out of breath. She and Reno sprinted the last few yards, and practically threw themselves through the doors, nearly trampling the car's occupants to the ground. As the doors slid closed, Elena could swear she saw glowing red eyes watching them from the darkness beyond…

The elevator began to descend, and she was suddenly being lifted bodily to her feet.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes… I think so," she replied, though she was still out of breath, "Oh! Sir, it's you!"

Tseng… and when she glanced in the other direction, she realized that Rude was there as well. Tseng nodded curtly, and glanced over at Reno, frowning.

"What in Leviathan's name were you two thinking? Didn't I _tell_ you that the 14th floor was sealed off for a reason?"

"What… the hell… was that?" Reno panted. By now, he was using Rude to pull himself off the floor.

" _That_ was the reason," Tseng said simply. Finally, the elevator reached its destination, and the Turks disembarked.

"This is some kind of fucked up Halloween trick, right?" Reno asserted, still not willing to admit that just maybe there really were such things as ghosts. He narrowed his eyes at the Turk leader, "How'd you know we were up there, any way?"

"Reno, not everyone is as obsessed with Halloween mischief as you are. As for your whereabouts… It was Rufus," Tseng replied, "I'm afraid he ratted you out, and told me about the 'favor' you did for him. Speaking of which, you and I are going to have a little chat Monday morning about the appropriate use of company video equipment…"

Elena glanced suspiciously at Reno.

"Just what _was_ the favor, anyway," she asked.

"Trust me. You're better off not knowing," Tseng replied. Reno simply grinned, but it quickly faded.

"So… wait. If this wasn't something you two came up with, then what…"

"Maybe next time, when I tell you that my ghost story really happened, you'll believe me," the Turk leader intoned.

* * *

It took a several more minutes, but eventually, Tseng and Rude convinced their overly-curious compatriots to head home for the night. Tseng was certain that the evening's events would have some very interesting effects on their dreams that night.

The elevator doors had barely closed behind Reno and Elena when the second car began to descend… from the 14th floor. Tseng turned toward the doors and Rude strode over as well. The doors silently slid open.

"I trust you enjoyed yourself, sir?" Tseng asked.

"Hmm… well, aside from very nearly being on the receiving end of that blasted weapon of Reno's… I think it went quite well," Rufus said, smirking slightly. He handed Tseng a pair of night-vision goggles. "Return these to the weapons department for me, will you?"

"Certainly," Tseng replied.

"Oh... and tell Reno that should he ever so much as _think_ about tampering with my private washroom again, I'm ordering him to do reconnaissance on 14... alone."

-fin-


	11. Everybunny Dies

**Taking Care of Reno: Chapter 11: Everybunny Dies**

 **by Desha**

The day had started out so well… it really had. Which made it that much harder to figure out where it had all gone so terribly, horribly wrong.

Scratch that. She could pinpoint exactly _where_ it had gone wrong. What she didn't quite understand was how one person could manage to turn such a simple task into such a disaster. It had seemed so easy this morning.

Do something nice for Reno.

And now… well, now he would never, ever forgive her when he found out what she'd done.

* * *

 _Eight hours earlier…_

"Good morning, sir!" Elena called out cheerfully, a smile beaming on her face. It was Monday, and she'd had an absolutely wonderful weekend.

Friday night, she'd finally found the courage to ask Tseng to see a movie with her, and he'd accepted. Saturday, she'd spent half the day in sheer bliss at the new salon and spa that had opened a few blocks from her apartment complex. Sunday, she'd enjoyed a pleasant jog and then had time to take care of a few household chores and do a little light reading before joining Rude for the new episode of Shadow & Sword.

And to cap things off, her near perfect weekend had ended with one of the best night's sleep she'd had in ages.

The only thing she'd found lacking was the absence of any sort of plot or prank courtesy of her red-headed compatriot… an absence made keener by the sheer length time of nothing notable having happened to her at Reno's hands. It had been weeks!

As much as she'd once thought finally seeing an end to their competition would be a godsend… a part of her was a little wounded. Sure it had been humiliating and childish… but it was also some of the most fun she'd ever had. And now, it was almost as if Reno suddenly just didn't care enough to bother anymore.

The more rational part of her mind told her that was a good thing. The increasingly intricate pranks had caused no end of trouble in both her personal and professional life. They undermined her dignity and endangered her job; they had annoyed Tseng to the point that for a time, she was convinced that he was regretting her promotion. Hell, the aftermath of their endeavors had once nearly gotten Reno killed... twice if you counted what had happened to them on Halloween.

Elena should have been absolutely ecstatic that Reno seemed to have decided to move on to some other form of entertainment. Instead, she just felt abandoned.

Part of that came from the simple fact that, beyond their good-natured feud, Elena really didn't spend much time with Reno, outside of actually working with him. Sure… there were the occasional after-hours drinks with the whole team, and once in awhile, Tseng hosted a movie night they all inevitably turned up for… but she seldom saw Reno one-on-one.

That wasn't the case with Rude and Tseng. She had a standing invitation with Rude every Sunday evening to watch the week's episode of Shadow & Sword. Apparently, he'd been trying for years to get Reno and Tseng into the show, but they'd never shown even a passing interest. When he'd learned Elena was die-hard a fan, too, he'd offered his hospitality (and, as an added incentive, his surprisingly good cooking) almost immediately.

And Tseng… well, they didn't exactly have regular plans, but she still saw far more of him than she did Reno off duty.

And that, she had to admit, actually hurt a bit. For awhile, Elena had thought she and Reno were becoming friends. But it had been weeks since Reno's last gag, and the lack of his presence in her daily non-work routine was becoming rather pronounced. It hadn't occurred to her before now but maybe that silly little rivalry was all they ever really had… and now, Reno seemed to have grown bored of it. Or just bored of her.

Still, her weekend had been a particularly pleasant one on the whole, and it was hard not to be downright chipper this morning. Tseng looked up from pouring a cup of coffee and nodded in greeting.

"You're certainly in a good mood, Elena," he replied, "Any particular reason?"

"Not real-"

Her reply was abruptly cut short as the door to the Turks' main office slammed open with a decidedly angry bang. Tseng sighed.

"And, apparently, on the opposite end of the spectrum…" he deadpanned, "Good morning, Reno."

"Yeah… well, it's morning, anyway," the redhead groused, throwing himself into the chair behind his desk and pecking out his network log-in with angry pokes at his keyboard. Tseng glanced at Elena and raised an eyebrow.

"I swear, I had nothing to do with it, sir," she said hurriedly, before Tseng got the wrong idea and accused her of, as he had taken to putting it, albeit only half-seriously, 'engaging in ridiculous antics unbecoming of a Turk'. That wasn't to say that she didn't have a – surprise – planned for Reno, despite his recent disinterest. She just hadn't yet set things in motion. Whatever had rendered their usually jovial teammate so sour this morning, Elena could honestly say it wasn't her doing.

Tseng turned to Reno.

"Fine… Since you obviously want someone to ask, " he said, "What's the matter?"

Reno snorted and folded his arms over his chest, giving Elena the distinct impression of a pouting toddler who hadn't gotten his way.

"I had a lousy weekend, " he replied, "My asshole landlord made me give away Snuffy."

"Who… or what… is a 'Snuffy'," Tseng asked, confusion, and possibly regret at even asking, evident in his voice.

"His rat," Elena said with a shudder, thinking back to the visit awhile back she'd made to Reno's apartment. She'd met the little rodent when it had gotten a little too friendly for her comfort. She shuddered a second time, remembering the icky sensation of having its nose sniffing through her hair as she stood stock still until Reno had finally deigned to take pity on her and moved him away.

"Ferret!" Reno snapped back at her.

"Since when do you have a ferret?" Tseng queried, pinching the bridge of his nose in a gesture that clearly said, 'They really don't pay me enough for this.'

"Well, I _don't_ anymore," Reno corrected, looking decidedly put out, "Had to give him to some kid down the block…"

"Where did you even get…" Tseng began, before thinking better of delving too deeply into this conversation, "On second though, never mind. Reno, I'm sorry about your pet, but is it really necessary to take it out on the rest of us?"

Reno muttered something under his breath, and went back to glaring at his email. Elena couldn't help but feel a little bad for him. Sure, Snuffy was a creepy little rat-thing, with beady eyes and sharp teeth and tiny, needle-like claws – and from what Reno had told her, he seemed to have been something of an accidental acquisition – but Reno had seemed rather fond of the little vermin when he'd introduced them. If you could call laughing maniacally while the rodent had climbed up her sleeve, perched itself on her shoulder, and started nosing and pawing at her hair an "introduction".

Her less than pleasant reminiscence was interrupted, however, as the door opened one final time, admitting the fourth and final member of the team. Rude strode in calmly, nodding to Elena and Tseng, before pausing in front of Reno.

"… What's with you?" he asked, blunt and to the point as always, immediately noting his partner's uncharacteristically black mood.

"He had to give away his rat," Elena supplied.

"He's. A. FERRET!" Reno spat back at her, in a tone of such vehemence, it actually made her cringe.

"… Snuffy?" Rude said with a frown, and Elena couldn't help but think the normally unreadable Turk sounded a little sad at the prospect.

"Yeah…" Reno, who apparently had just been craving a little sympathy, sighed, "New building rule… No 'exotic' pets allowed."

"I don't mean to sound uncaring," Tseng interrupted, "But we _do_ have actual work to do today."

"Sure… I'm in mourning, and all you care about is work, work, work," Reno replied, sounding a little more like his old self now that someone had finally answered his cry for attention.

"For Holy's sake, Reno," said an increasingly exasperated-sounding Tseng, "It's not as if it died. I realize you're upset about having to give him away, but I'm sure… Snuffy… will be very happy in his new home."

"Sure, Reno," Elena piped up, "A kid will have more time for him anyway, right? He won't have to worry leaving him behind for a mission, or not being able to take care of him because of an injury… It's probably for the best."

Reno suddenly leveled an angry glare at her.

"For the best?" he fumed, "Oh, that's real nice, Elena. What, so now I just shouldn't have a pet because of what I do?"

That definitely hadn't come out quite how she'd intended it. She'd been trying to make him feel better, not worse. Just once, it would be nice _not_ to say the absolute wrong thing. Unfortunately, tact wasn't always her strong suit. She decided to cut her losses and hastily retreated to her own desk without saying anything farther.

* * *

Two hours later, after Reno and Rude had been sent down to meet with a potentially double-crossing informant in Wall Market, Tseng had delegated a number of the Turks' backlog of incident reports to her. As she worked her way through the pile, Elena still couldn't shake the nagging feeling of guilt she had over opening her big mouth and firmly inserting her foot.

'Maybe I should postpone what I've got planned for Reno,' she mused. As anxious as she was to see what sort of effect ghost peppers had on Reno and his legendary appetite, today didn't really seem like appropriate timing.

She sighed and filled in yet another digital form from the information on the hard copy, struggling to read Reno's notes. Frankly, she was convinced that her being stuck with Reno's backlog so often had less to do with her being the rookie, and more to do with her being the only person in Midgar who could actually decipher the man's handwriting. Elena was willing to bet that even Reno couldn't read half of what he wrote down.

'Maybe I should just apologize,' she told herself. After all, on further reflection, her comment _had_ come across as a little cold… and Reno had definitely taken it a lot more personally than she'd intended.

'Or I could offer to take him out to lunch… Reno never turns down free food, and he's always happier after he's been fed.'

She worried that might be awkward, though, especially since she been harboring more and more doubts lately about the current status of their friendship… ever since the unexpected cease-fire had entered its third week.

'Or… _maybe_ I could do something nice to cheer him up!' she thought. That was an idea. Do something to both snap him out of his foul mood AND say she was sorry for being so flippant about the loss of his pet. Maybe something personal… something that showed him that she really considered him a friend beyond the boundaries of their little prank war.

 _Mr. Foo-Foo._

The thought came to her in a flash of brilliance. Of course! What was more personal to Reno than his beloved childhood toy? The thing was filthy and ragged and positively falling apart. She could clean it up for him; fix the little stuffed rabbit's drooping ear, and the mismatched buttons that had been sewn haphazardly on to replace its long-missing eyes.

It was absolutely perfect!

But… how to do it? _Getting_ the toy wasn't the problem. With a little effort, she could break into Reno's apartment at lunch, take Mr. Foo-Foo, and be back before anyone was the wiser… but then what? It would be impossible to fix it AND handle her afternoon assignment. She'd be backing Tseng up on a security inspection of the Sector 5 reactor. And Reno would surely notice Mr. Foo-Foo's absence if she didn't return him before he got home tonight.

"Reno'd know how to pull it off," she quietly muttered to herself, "Ugh… if he were really that desperate for a day off, he'd have just called in sick first thing in the morning." It was a little late for that, though… unless…

* * *

Elena steadied herself. If Tseng suspected anything was amiss, this would never work… and she'd probably be formally reprimanded. She hesitantly knocked on the door that separated Tseng's workspace from the rest of their shared office.

"Come in," he called out. This was it. No turning back now. Elena pushed open the door and leaned heavily on the doorframe in her best display of weakness and fatigue.

"S-sir?" she said, ensuring that her voice sounded appropriately tired and strained. Tseng looked up from his laptop, and began to respond, but stopped short when he saw her.

"Elena?" he questioned, "Are you feeling alright?"

"I… er… n-no, sir, I-I'm really not," she replied. Tseng stood, and rounded his desk, approaching her. Elena could feel the sweat beading on her forehead. She hadn't expected him to want a closer look at her. He'd be furious if he realized that she was faking. Even Reno didn't have the balls to attempt to lie to Tseng's face like that.

Much to her relief, her nervousness actually seemed to work in her favor. There was no suspicion, no scrutiny… not even a cataloging of her symptoms. Instead, Tseng calmly guided her back out the door.

"Then go home. Get some rest," he said simply, "Would you like me to drive you?"

Normally, she'd have jumped at an offer like that. But tempting as it was, the longer she lingered, the more likely Tseng was to catch on. And besides which, she was under a time limit. She needed to get to Reno's place, get Mr. Foo-Foo, and get back to her own apartment so she could work in safety.

"N-no, sir," Elena replied, "I can manage. Thank you, sir."

Tseng nodded, "If you're sure…"

"I'm sure," she said, gathering her things from her desk, "I-I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

* * *

She didn't dare drop the act until she was out of the building, in her car, and six blocks away. She'd even headed off in the direction of her own apartment and then circled back towards Reno's, just in case. It never hurt to be a little paranoid… Tseng may have seemed to have taken her at her word, but why take the chance?

Elena switched lanes and passed a slow-moving sedan. All she had to do now was break into Reno's apartment, steal his most treasured possession, fix it up, and return it before he got off work.

Easy. Nothing to it at all.

* * *

Traffic had not been in her favor. It had taken nearly forty-five minutes to make a trip that should have taken less than twenty. Elena checked her watch. 1:17 pm. She had just under four hours before Reno would be leaving work. Just under four hours to get Mr. Foo-Foo, finish his makeover, and get him back home.

The elevator opened on Reno's floor, and she slipped casually into the hallway. An older woman boarded the elevator as she stepped off, but paid her no mind. Elena went straight to Reno's door, pulling a lock pick from her breast pocket. She checked that no one was coming, and then crouched down and got to work.

It wasn't especially difficult to pick a lock; she'd done it dozens of times. But she was nowhere near as fast at it as Reno or Rude, and being out in the open, in a well-trafficked residential hallway was making her a little nervous. She'd have a hell of a time explaining herself if anyone saw her.

Thankfully, after a few tense moments, a dropped pick, and a self-deprecating curse, a soft click announced her success. She let out the breath she'd been holding and turned the knob, letting herself into Reno's domicile.

Elena looked around, and nearly decided that she was in the wrong place. On her handful of previous visits, the place had been an utter pigsty. Reno had a tolerance for disorder that could only be described as inconceivable. Today, though… the place was practically pristine, by Reno's standards. He certainly wasn't going to win any housekeeping awards, but the floors were clear of the usual clutter and even appeared to have been vacuumed, the kitchen looked, if not spotless, at least sanitary… and, perhaps most shocking of all, when she ventured into his bedroom, she found that the bed was even made.

Elena shook her head. The mystery of Reno's sudden penchant for not living like an animal would have to wait for another time. She had a mission to complete… and her objective was in sight. Mr. Foo-Foo sat unperturbed on the bed, propped up against one of the pillows. With a laugh of triumph, she snatched the bunny and bid a hasty retreat back to her car.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

"Told you he'd hit at least six feet," Reno crowed, a smug grin firmly in place as he gave his electro mag-rod a quick twirl. Rude shrugged, unimpressed, and pushed open the door to the Turks' main office.

"I see your mood has finally improved," Tseng commented. He was seated on the sofa by the window, a mug of Wutaiian tea in one hand, and an open file folder in the other.

"Nothin' like a little shock therapy to cheer a guy up," Reno grinned, "Hey, where'd ya hide 'Lena? Rude's got it on video. I gotta show her… the look on the guy's face was priceless!"

"You were only supposed to scare him, Reno," Tseng said, his tone disapproving, "I thought I was clear about that…"

"Ah, relax… I didn't do any damage," Reno replied, "He was more surprised than hurt. Funny as all hell, though. Seriously, where's 'Lena?"

He looked around as if expecting her to appear at the mention of her name.

"Home," Tseng replied, "She wasn't feeling well."

The grin fell from Reno's face.

"She's sick?" He certainly hadn't expected that.

"Yes," Tseng confirmed, "So I sent her home."

"Well… that sucks," said Reno, "Now who am I supposed to show this to? Rude's already seen it and you have no sense of humor."

Tseng rolled his eyes.

"Just because it's not as twisted as yours doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he said, good-naturedly.

Reno eyed him suspiciously for a moment.

"Yeah?" he prodded, "Huh… ya know she seemed just fine this morning. Seems awfully convenient that she's suddenly 'home sick'… Our little Elena hasn't drafted you into her next prank, has she boss?"

His tone was teasing, but Reno had long considered the possibility. Tseng had a bit of a soft spot for the rookie Turk. If anyone could talk him into finally taking sides, it was Elena. Not that he'd ever really let it concern him. Rude would always have his back if he needed a hand. That more than evened things out, in Reno's opinion. Tseng's tolerance for idiocy had its limits. Rude, on the other hand, was willing to keep going until someone cried uncle.

Tseng shook his head.

"I assure you… I have not decided to forgo whatever dignity I may still have left to join in your ill-conceived antics," he said, taking a sip of tea, "Elena was ill. I sent her home. There's really nothing more to it."

He paused a moment before adding, "Besides which… I had hoped the two of you had finally lost interest in tormenting one another. It's been unusually quiet for weeks now."

"Heh… Calm before the storm, boss. Calm before the storm."

Tseng very nearly groaned out loud. Rude patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.

"… So. She's really sick, huh?" Reno continued, a bit more subdued than before. Tseng nodded.

"Well… that sucks," he reiterated. He returned to his desk, tossing his mag-rod down beside a half-eaten bag of gummy worms and a spare ammo clip, a sullen look settling over his features. He'd kind of been looking forward to showing Elena that video. She always got the most indignant expression on her face when he did something inherently twisted like that. He loved teasing her about it. Now he was being denied his fun.

"If you're going to brood," Tseng commented, as he dumped a stack of papers in front of him, "at least make yourself useful while you're doing it. Elena left before she had a chance to finish your backlog."

"Ugh… paperwork," he scoffed, "Hey, Rude… you wanna-"

"No."

"Some friend you are."

"He couldn't help you even if he wanted to," Tseng interjected, "He's taking over Elena's afternoon assignment and coming with me to Sector 5. Speaking of which… we should be going."

"… Have fun," Rude said, and Reno could have sworn he was actually smirking as the pair walked out the door, leaving him to the bane of his existence.

Reno sighed and picked up the first form, cringing at the sight of his own handwriting. How the hell was Elena able read this? _He_ couldn't even read half of it.

'I 'spose I really oughtta thank her for sparin' me this shit one of these days,' he mused to himself.

Coffee. That's what he needed. No one should have to deal with paperwork without coffee. And maybe a ham sandwich. And some of those little pink cookies 'Lena kept in her desk drawer and thought he didn't know about…

* * *

Elena let herself into her apartment just before 2 pm. She had three hours… well, really more like two and a half, seeing as she still had to return the bunny before Reno got home… to make over the toy.

"Well, Mr. Foo-Foo… first thing's first. Let's get you cleaned up," she said, grabbing her laundry supplies from the closet, and high-tailing it down to the complex's communal laundry room.

When she got there, she found it surprisingly crowded, considering it was the middle of the afternoon. Two elderly women she recognized in passing hovered beside a bank of washing machines that spun their loads loudly in the narrow room. At the far end, a skinny teenage boy had commandeered two more machines and a dryer, and sat on a nearby bench looking bored. A mother and four young children occupied the side of the room opposite the old women; the two eldest boys were engaged in a mock battle, fighting one another with a broom, and what looked like an old soup ladle. Their mother ignored them for the most part, her attention occupied by her two smaller children and the load of laundry she was tiredly transferring to a dryer.

Elena hurried to claim one of the only two empty washers in the room, at the far end near the teen. She popped Mr. Foo-Foo in, along with a generous helping of detergent, and started the wash cycle.

A short while later, she checked her watch again. 2:30 pm. 'Plenty of time,' she thought.

Her stomach chose that moment to growl at her loudly, reminding her that she'd skipped breakfast this morning, having been planning on sampling a new Mideel-style restaurant at lunch time. Her unexpected clandestine operation, however, had resulted in her skipping lunch as well.

'Well… it's not like you can do much of anything else right now…' a little voice told her as the wash cycle finished and she moved Mr. Foo-Foo into an empty dryer. It couldn't hurt to raid the vending machines really quickly…

* * *

"Hey, Rude," Reno prodded. After Rude had strolled back into the office around three-thirty with Tseng, it had taken Reno all of five minutes to talk Rude into helping him out with the pile of paperwork. Tseng, on the other hand, had made a hasty retreat into his own office.

"…" Sunglass-hidden eyes glanced up at him,

"You doin' anything tonight?" he asked. He'd gotten it into his head that maybe someone ought to check up on Elena. Make sure she was coming back to work tomorrow. Because if she wasn't, he was going to be doing this Ifrit-forsaken data entry all day tomorrow as well.

And alright… he also kind of hated thinking about her all alone and sick.

"… Kinda," Rude replied. Reno gave a short laugh. 'Kinda.' He had a pretty good idea what that meant. It was that bartender down below in Sector 7 again. The guy was crushing… hard. Reno shook his head. Aside from her being a suspected sympathizer, or possibly even a member, of an anti-Shinra group that had recently popped up on the Turk's radar, she was also a real nasty piece of work in Reno's opinion.

Though, to be fair, that was his opinion of anyone who physically threw him out of a bar and into the gutter, and told him not to come back. Hell, he wasn't even the one who'd started the bar fight. He'd damn well finished it, though. Next thing he knew, he was flying head over heals through the door. Who'da guessed the chick was so strong?

"Yeah, ok… Nevermind, then," Reno said, giving Rude a knowing look.

"…"

"Still dunno what you see in her," he added, before smiling lewdly, "… You know… besides the obvious. Doesn't really make up for the personality issues, though."

"…"

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that," he said in an affronted tone, "Ya know I'm just teasin' ya."

"…"

"Whatever. Have fun," he said with a lecherous grin. It seemed Reno was on his own to visit Elena. Behind his sunglasses, Rude just rolled his eyes. Reno stood up and headed for the door.

"I'm grabbin' another coffee. You want anything?"

"… Apple juice?"

"Tch… seriously? What are we? Five?" Reno teased.

"You offered," Rude shrugged.

* * *

Four minutes. It couldn't possibly have been more than four minutes. Things had been perfectly fine four minutes ago.

Elena had left the laundry room. She had walked unhurriedly down the hallway and around the corner. She'd paused in front of the vending machines, and dithered over whether she wanted something salty or sweet before finally settling on sweet. She made her purchase and taken a bite, savoring the creamy chocolate before turning and calmly meandering back the way she'd come.

Four minutes. It couldn't possibly have been more than that.

What she returned to was pandemonium. She'd heard it, and smelled it, well before she saw it. At first, Elena had just thought the two little boys had gotten even more rowdy… but then she heard the alarm go off and caught the scent of smoke in the air.

"What in the world… ?" she gasped, as her leisurely pace quickly become a sprint. By the time she reached the laundry room, smoke was billowing through the doorway and the other residents were rushing to make a hasty exit. This couldn't possibly be good…

Elena pushed her way past the fleeing apartment dwellers, coughing harshly as the acrid smoke that was rapidly filling the room hit her. She waved a hand in front of her face in a futile effort to clear the air, a feeling of dread setting in.

'Forget smoke inhalation… if anything happens to Mr. Foo-Foo, _Reno_ is gonna kill me!' she thought, plunging deeper into the room. The farther she went, the thicker the smoke got. Come to think of it, it seemed to be much thicker the closer she got to her dryer.

"Oh, dear sweet Holy… no…" she moaned, feeling her blood run cold. She switched direction and seized the extinguisher by the door, before turning back and racing toward the dryer… only to find herself flat on her face a moment later when her feet tangled on something stretched across the aisle. The extinguisher flew out of her hands and skittered across the floor.

She spared the briefest of glances down as she clambered back to her feet. It was a broom.

"Stupid kids!" she muttered, reclaiming the fire extinguisher, and barreling toward her goal. Flames were licking the edges of the dryer's door. Without thinking, Elena grabbed the handle and bit back a shriek of pain as the hot metal burned her fingers, but she wrenched it open anyway. She aimed the extinguisher into the open dryer and pulled the trigger.

The next thing she knew, she was engulfed in a cloud of yellowish-gray chemicals as the fire suppressant filled the inside of the dryer, and then, having no more room, rebounded back on her. She backed away instinctively, but still ended up coughing and sputtering and spitting out chalky, bitter-tasting powder.

When the air finally cleared enough that she dared open her eyes, she looked, with an icy dread, at the sight that lay before her.

"I'm so dead," she squeaked.

Elena reached for the charred, smoking remains of Mr. Foo-Foo, hesitantly pulling his mangled body from the dryer. One ear was burned down to a stump, and he was missing an arm. The bunny's torso was blackened and split open, and some of the stuffing was still smoldering. His fur, which had already been badly matted to begin with, was not not only burnt, but also caked in fire retardant chemicals, and the button eyes had melted and fused to his head in a grotesque parody of a child's toy.

"So… so… so… dead," she intoned.

And then the sprinklers finally went off.

* * *

Her shoes squished loudly as Elena slogged back into her apartment. The fire department had only let people back inside moments ago, after more than an hour spent determining that the fire was, in fact, out. Cradled in her arms was what was left of Mr. Foo-Foo. She felt chilled, and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was still soaking wet and filthy.

Elena let herself drop gracelessly into one of her kitchen chairs, and laid the charred and sopping lump of fabric and fluff on the table.

"What have I done?" she moaned, and buried her face in her hands. She could feel the tears pricking at corners of her eyes, and vehemently willed them away, only to be hit by a fresh wave of despair a moment later, as she imagined what would happen when Reno found out.

He would be devastated. Elena chewed her lower lip in worry. She knew what that toy had represented to him – the only tangible reminder he had of his mother. And she had just destroyed it.

Destroyed it? Hell, she'd practically cremated it. He'd never forgive her. Never.

'How am I even going to tell him?' she wondered. And she knew she _had_ to tell him. Sure… she could cover it up; get rid of the evidence and claim ignorance of the whole thing. She was home sick, recovering from a sudden illness, completely unaware of anything that may or may not have involved as certain stuffed bunny. It was tempting.

It was also completely unrealistic. The fact was, despite her success with convincing Tseng to send her home, in general, Elena was a terrible liar… and on top of that, the guilt alone would drive her to confess the moment Reno brought the subject up. The worst part was that no matter how much remorse she felt, Reno was just going to be so deeply hurt. And she wasn't sure there was anything she could ever do to make it up to him.

And to think… this whole mess happened all because she'd wanted to show Reno that he was more to her than just a rival to play outlandish pranks on for a little fun. He was a friend. A good friend.

Or at least he had been. She was fairly certain that any affinity Reno might have had for her had just, quite literally, gone up in flames. He would despise her after this.

Elena's chest constricted painfully at that thought. She'd made a lot of mistakes in her short time as a rookie Turk, but this was by far the cruelest, most heartless thing that had ever resulted from one of her screw-ups.

"I'm a horrible person…" she finally said with a sob, as the dam holding back her tears slowly began to crack. Her only consolation was that at least she wouldn't have to face Reno until tomorrow. She was pretty sure that if she had to do it now, she would utterly break.

Elena was abruptly jarred from her rapid downward spiral by a knock at the door. She sighed and numbly made her way over, too lost in her present crisis to even bother wondering who it could be.

Twisting the doorknob, she pulled it open and looked up at her visitor…

Elena's eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat, as she realized who she was looking at… and she did the only thing she could think of. She slammed the door in Reno's face and backed away in horror.

* * *

To say that her reaction had caught him off guard was an understatement, would be an understatement in and of itself. Reno stood at Elena's door for a moment, trying to sort out what had just happened… not to mention what he'd just seen. Elena had gone white as a ghost as soon as she'd laid eyes on him.

" 'Lena?' he called out, trying the door and finding it locked, "Hey! Are you alright? 'Lena, let me in!"

He received no reply, but he could clearly hear her moving around inside the apartment. And a moment later, a shout, followed by thud, followed by what sounded like panicked cursing.

" 'Lena?!" he called again, decidedly alarmed now, "Ah, the hell with this…"

He'd deal with the property damage later. Right now, he just wanted to make sure she was alright. The door yielded easily to a little brute force, and Reno was in.

He found her sprawled on the floor, one leg entwined with the legs of the chair she'd apparently fallen over, looking for all the world like a condemned prisoner on the way to her own execution. Reno was somewhat taken aback by the terrified, yet resigned, expression Elena wore as he moved toward her.

" 'Lena?" he questioned. He leaned down, untangled her, and righted the chair, before lifting her bodily from the floor and placing her in it.

* * *

Elena swore angrily as she lay in a heap on the ground.

'Stupid!' she chastised herself, futily glaring at the chair she'd almost managed to break her neck falling over. She was not the least bit surprised to hear the sound of splintering wood a moment later. An apartment door wouldn't hold off a determined Turk for any significant amount of time. She looked up to find Reno heading toward her, and her heart twisted at the expression of concern he wore. That concern would soon turn to betrayal… or hurt… or fury… or all of the above. Her lower lip trembled as she accepted the inevitable.

" 'Lena?" Reno's voice was questioning and cautious. Elena bit back a sob. He was the _only_ person who ever called her 'Lena. She had absolutely hated it at first, because it sounded so juvenile – and she was pretty sure he'd started doing it just to irritate her – but over time it had grown on her. She wondered if he'd still call her that, or if she'd just be 'Elena' again after he found out. For that matter, she wondered if they'd even be on speaking terms.

Elena heard, more than saw, the chair being set back on its legs, and seconds later, a pair of strong hands lifted her off the floor and set her carefully on the abused piece of furniture.

Reno's hands gripped her gently, but firmly, by the shoulders, forcing her eyes back up to meet his gaze.

"What the hell is going on, 'Lena?" he asked in a worried tone, "What happened to you?"

His eyes took in her bedraggled appearance, and Elena realized that she must look rather bizarre sitting there in the middle of her kitchen, still soggy and covered in fire suppressant and soot. She opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out.

"Come on, 'Lena… What's wrong?" he prodded, lifting a hand to tuck a few strands of hair back behind her ear, "You know you can tell me…"

That was enough to finally do her in. Between the soft touch as his fingers grazed her cheek, the concern in his voice, and the insistent demand to know what had reduced her to such a state, Elena couldn't hold back any longer.

"Reno, I'm so sorry! I-it was an accident! I s-swear I d-didn't do it on purpose!" she stammered between sobs. The dam broke altogether then, the tears it had been holding back making their way down her cheeks freely, leaving streaks in the grime.

Reno pulled her against his chest in an awkward embrace, as she sobbed into the lapel of his suit jacket.

* * *

'What the hell…' had been his first thought when Elena has started apologizing as if her life depended on it. And the the tears had started, and he _really_ began to worry.

Reno did the only thing he really could do… he held her and let her cry, tensing when she had buried her face against his chest. He had never been good at this sort of thing… in fact, as a general rule, he tried to avoid it at all costs… and he was sure that Elena could feel the stiff apprehension in his posture.

He hated seeing women cry… mostly because he inevitably felt entirely useless through the entire ordeal, but also because it tended to dredge up unpleasant memories. But what else could he do? This was 'Lena… he couldn't just leave her to her misery and hope it all sorted itself out, now could he?

Gradually, the sobs that wracked her body began to diminish, as Elena slowly regained her composure. When he'd judged that enough time had passed in silence, Reno finally moved back a step, holding her at arms length so he could look her over.

"Feel better?" he asked softly. Elena sniffled but didn't answer, refusing to meet his gaze, "Hey, come on," he said, tilting her chin up and making her look at him.

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad," he insisted, "So what's wrong? … And what on earth are you covered in?"

He rubbed some of the damp, powdery substance between his fingers. Whatever it was, it was everywhere; clumped in Elena's hair, coating her exposed skin, caked onto her wet clothes… He frowned at the gritty texture and chemical smell it gave off. He decided that he didn't care what it was at the moment… it definitely wasn't something a person should have all over them for any length of time.

"Ok… here's the plan," he said, guiding her towards the bathroom, "First, you're gonna go wash this crap off, and then you're gonna tell me what kind of trouble you've managed to get yourself into. In excruciating detail."

"Y-yes, sir," Elena whispered. He watched silently as she disappeared into her bedroom, and moments later, heard the tap turn on in the attached bathroom.

'Yes, sir?' he thought, 'Since when does she call me "sir"?'

Sure, Elena could be a stickler for regulations, and he was technically her superior… but it wasn't as if they were on the clock at the moment. Hell, the only person on the team who ever _really_ merited a 'sir' was Tseng. Reno, personally, couldn't care less, and Elena had been calling him by name since shortly after she'd been promoted. Why the formality now?

Reno wondered if he should contact Tseng. The Turk leader would certainly want to be kept in the loop if one of his own was in trouble. Then again, he had no idea if this was a personal issue or a professional one. And if it was personal, he didn't want to make things worse by violating her privacy and involving the boss if it wasn't strictly necessary.

He sighed and brushed some of the powdery substance off his jacket. No… it would be better to wait until he had more information to work with before he got anyone else involved.

* * *

Elena stood under the spray of hot water, watching the fire suppressant swirl down the drain. Turning up the temperature as hot as she could stand it, she mechanically washed it out of her hair and scrubbed it from her skin.

'You are such a coward,' she told herself, 'Couldn't even get the words out…'

She'd started to confess… she'd gotten as far as a pathetic attempt at an apology before her guilt and shame had gotten the better of her.

'A weak, pathetic coward,' her inner monologue continued. And the worst part was that Reno had been doing his best to comfort her… which only made her feel more ashamed of what she'd done, and more unable to admit to it.

She longed to stay under the spray of the faucet. Maybe if she took long enough, Reno would just give up and leave. She snorted derisively as soon as she thought it.

'Not likely,' she told herself, 'Probably'd barge right in to make sure I'm still alive. It's not like Reno's known for being shy.'

Elena sighed and turned off the water. She reached for the towel she'd left on the hook and dried herself off before wrapping it around her body and heading to her closet for some clean clothes.

'Can't put it off any longer,' she finally thought, 'Time to face the music.'

* * *

Meanwhile, Reno had been snooping, hoping for some clue as to what was going on with his fellow Turk. So far, all he'd uncovered was a lump of soggy, burnt fabric sitting on Elena's kitchen table. Now, he sat at the table, poking at the strange mass.

Reno picked it up, grimacing at the feel of it. It was heavy with water – at least he hoped it was only water – and coated in the same chemical powder Elena had been. The fabric was badly charred and beginning to fall apart, and some sort of stuffing was escaping from the seams that were giving way. It looked like some sort of toy. He turned it over, looking at the thing's face… and froze.

"No…" he whispered, "It can't be…"

What was left of the toy's face was a distorted mosaic of melted buttons and scorched fluff, but he knew it too well not to recognize it.

Reno's stomach dropped, and he felt as if he'd just taken a physical blow. All these years… Mr. Foo-Foo had somehow survived the worst the slums had to offer, Turk missions, and mandatory camping trips from hell. One day alone with Elena, and there was hardly anything left of him.

The sense of loss was profound. Mr. Foo-Foo had been a reminder… a sort of totem to memories Reno had been afraid would slip away without him. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. Mr. Foo-Foo was the only thing he had left of her… his mother. The _only_ thing. He'd never even had so much as a photo of her. Just Mr. Foo-Foo.

"How could she… ?" he whispered in disbelief. Elena knew. He'd told her the whole story. She knew why he kept it. She knew why he… cherished it. And she'd destroyed it.

A cold fury settled over him, fighting with the hurt he felt. Had this been part of her next prank? Had Elena taken the toy as bait or blackmail? He set the remains of the toy bunny down on the table and clenched his fists. If that were the case, she was going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do… and if he wasn't satisfied with her explanation, well, frankly, he wasn't sure what he was going to do… but Elena certainly wasn't going to like it.

Reno heard the water shut off in the bathroom. He stood and walked across the apartment, his calm outward demeanor hiding the rage he currently felt, stopping just outside the door to Elena's bedroom and crossing his arms over his chest. He glared at the closed door, and he waited.

* * *

Dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, Elena slowly reached for the door knob. There was no use putting it off… her time was up. Steeling herself, she turned the knob and opened the door… and came face to face with Reno. Elena froze, her whole body going numb, when she saw the look on his face. He knew…

Gone was the look of concern and compassion, replaced by an icy glare that seemed to pierce her to the core.

"Start. Talkin'," he ground out, never taking his eyes off of her.

And the next thing she knew, she was babbling, trying to explain, apologize, and beg for mercy all at the same time.

"I-I'm so sorry, Reno! You were upset this morning, and then I had to go and open my big mouth and you were mad at me, and then Tseng and reports, and I thought maybe I could do something nice for you, and I-I told Tseng I was sick and got Mr. F-foo-Foo and wanted to wash him first, but then the dryer… t-the s-smoke and flames and I had to put it out and the sprinklers, and oh, god, Reno, I'm so sorry!"

She was _not_ going to start crying like an overgrown child again. She was not. She was going to get through this if it – or Reno – killed her. At last, she dropped her gaze to the floor in an effort to maintain at least some semblance of self-control.

"I'm sorry… Please… please don't hate me…" she pleaded miserably, her voice sounding small and weak even to her own ears.

* * *

Reno watched as Elena seemed to close in on herself, and he couldn't help it… as angry as he was over the loss of his most valued possession, seeing 'Lena in such a state of abject shame and remorse somehow pushed that all aside.

He sighed. The woman had a remarkable aptitude for doling out punishment on herself when her confidence was shaken… and in this instance, her confidence was non-existent.

Reno shook his head and covered the distance between them in a few short steps. Elena actually flinched when he reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, and the implications of that reaction concerned him greatly.

He hadn't completely followed her rambling, near-frantic explanation of the events leading up to Mr. Foo-Foo's untimely demise… but he gathered that she'd been _trying_ to make up for their conversation that morning and something had gone horribly wrong. He also realized that she truly believed that she'd done something unforgivable.

Sure, he was pissed… but in the end, it was only a toy – much as he might normally claim otherwise. There were more important things. And it looked like he desperately needed to make that clear.

"Elena…" he said, careful to keep any lingering animosity out of his voice, "Look at me."

Elena hesitated a moment, looking for all the world as though she feared the worst.

"I don't hate you, 'Lena," Reno said firmly when she finally met his eye.

"You-you're not mad?" she managed, swallowing harshly against her own disbelief.

"Oh… I'm furious," Reno replied, and Elena winced, "But I don't hate you. Come on, 'Lena. You _gotta_ know me better than that by now…"

He put an arm around her and ushered her over to the sofa.

"And quit flinchin' like I'm gonna tear you limb from limb," he added, noting the way she'd suddenly tensed her entire body the moment he touched her, "Ya can't seriously think I'd ever hurt ya..."

"S-sorry," she whispered. He gently pushed her down onto the cushions and sat down beside her.

"I know you're sorry," he said, "You've said so at least four times in the last two minutes by my count… not to mention that little freakout you had when I showed up at your door. I get the point."

Elena was silent.

"Seriously, 'Lena… talk to me, ok? And don't you dare start cryin' again. One emotional breakdown is all I can take."

"Sorry," she replied, and then shook her head as if realizing that her vocabulary seemed to have shrunk to a single word.

"Well, this conversation is certainly going well…" Reno said, trying to lighten the mood a bit, "What exactly do I have to do to convince you I'm not planning to kill you?"

"I can't believe you're even still speaking to me," Elena finally replied, "I thought for sure you'd… you'd be…"

"What? That'd I'd disavow ya or something?" Reno supplied, "Fuck, 'Lena, what kind of a bastard do you think I am? I mean, I'm not exactly thrilled here, and I'm still more than slightly ticked at you… but I'll get over it."

"You will?"

Reno looked at her strangely. He'd always known that Elena could get a little down on herself, but this was taking things too far.

"Of course I will. Mr. Foo-Foo was important to me, but for fuck's sake… it was just a toy. I'm not gonna end a friendship over a damn toy."

"Lately I-I was starting to wonder if we even _were_ still friends," she admitted after a moment, daring to look up at him again. Reno was taken aback.

"Why would you even think something like that, 'Lena?" he asked, thoroughly perplexed, as he searched his memory for anything he might have said or done recently to cause so much doubt in her mind. When it became obvious that no answer was forthcoming, he felt a flash of annoyance.

"Oh, hell no…" he said, a bit more harshly than he'd intended, "You don't get to say somethin' like that and then not tell me what the hell is going on in that apparently completely outta-touch-with-reality head of yours!"

He regretted his tone the moment the words left his mouth, but the fact was that he was being pulled in so many emotional directions at the moment that Elena's perpetual guilt trip was starting to aggravate him, "You're gonna explain that. Right now."

* * *

Elena took a deep, shuddering breath. It never failed… things would start to seem like they were going her way, and then she'd say or do something to screw it up. Every time.

"I… just thought- It just seemed like you've been… I don't know… tired of having me around lately," she said lamely. God, she sounded so inadequate… but she pushed on anyway. "I mean… the only thing we ever do together is try to one-up each other with stupid jokes. And you haven't even done that in… in weeks. I was starting to think you'd just gotten bored with me. And since I wasn't entertaining anymore…"

She trailed off, not quite sure how to finish that thought without causing herself more humiliation than she already felt.

"So, let me get this straight," Reno said after several tense moments of complete silence, "You somehow got it in your head that we weren't friends… because I stopped tormenting you."

His voice was incredulous.

" 'Lena, that may be the most idiotic thing you've ever said to me."

Elena had no idea what to say to that, torn between feeling decidedly insulted and oddly relieved at being called an idiot. Thankfully, Reno saved her the trouble of answering by all but flinging his arms around her and squeezing her so tight she could hardly breathe. She closed her eyes and leaned into the embrace, feeling her fear and doubt ebb away.

She wasn't sure how long they sat like that. Suddenly, Reno snickered.

"Ya know… if you'd just waited until tomorrow, you'd have found out exactly how 'bored' I am with makin' you look stupid…"

"W-what?" she stammered, lifting her head off his chest.

"Yeah… took me weeks to set it up. That's why you've had it so easy lately…"

* * *

The next morning, Elena walked into the office, yawning and rubbing somewhat bloodshot eyes. Reno had stayed late into the night, and they'd had a very long, very serious talk that had left her feeling a thousand times better.

"Elena?" Tseng queried, eying her with apprehension, "If you're still feeling ill, there was no need to come in this morning. We can manage without you for one more day…"

"Oh… Thank you, sir… but I'm actually feeling much better today, " she replied.

'Oh, no…' she thought, 'I completely forgot that I was supposed to have been sick yesterday!'

And then an even worse thought occurred to her.

'What if Reno tells him?!' By all rights, he really should. Technically speaking, he was even obligated to do so, as second in command.

"No offense, but you don't look it," Tseng replied, "Actually, you suddenly look quite pale."

"Er… I…"

She had no doubt she looked pale. She was about to be caught in her lie, and Tseng was _not_ going to be pleased. Just when she thought she was doomed, however, fate seemed to cut her a break for once.

"Yo, 'Lena… you don't look so good," a voice piped up from the doorway. She looked over to see Reno and Rude. 'When did they get here?' she wondered. She hadn't even noticed.

"… You alright?" Rude asked, looking her over. Elena shrank under the added scrutiny.

"Uh… Y-yeah. I'm fine"

"I dunno," Reno opined, and circled her, shooting her a somewhat sadistic grin when he reached a point where only she could see it, "Awfully quick recovery, if you ask me…"

Elena's eyes widened slightly. He _was_ going to rat her out! Though, in the grand scheme of things, she had to admit… she deserved it. Reno let her suffer a few more moments before turning to Rude.

"Whaddaya think, partner?" he asked, "She look healthy to you? I mean, if this is her idea of 'fine', she musta had one foot in the grave yesterday…"

Rude shrugged, but the troubled expression remained. Tseng cleared his throat.

"Reno, stop being an ass," he said, "Elena… go home."

"I-I… but sir, I'm…"

Tseng held up a hand to silence her.

"No. Go home. That's an order."

"Really… I'm fine!" she said, somewhat mortified. What the hell was Reno playing at? Was he going to tell him, or was he just putting in some extra effort to make her squirm?

"Want me to take her home, boss?" Reno offered casually, as if the idea had only just occurred to him.

"Hmph… Why do I get the feeling you're only offering in order to get out of our meeting with Scarlet that's due to start in twenty minutes?"

"Me?" Reno gasped, "Play on your feelings of concern for 'Lena just to get out of a meeting? Tseng… I'm shocked you'd even _think_ such a thing. _Shocked!_ "

Rude snorted. "… Laying it on a little thick there, Reno," he commented.

"Yes… how could I ever doubt your sincerity?" came Tseng's unusually sarcastic retort, "Fine… take her home, make sure she's comfortable and then come straight back. One Turk short today we can handle… two would be a problem. So don't take the scenic route."

"Yeah sure, boss… no problem," Reno replied, grabbing Elena by the arm and propelling her out the door ahead of him before Tseng could change his mind. He said nothing further until they were alone in an elevator descending to the parking deck.

"I ever tell you you're a crap liar?" he said, grinning.

"Y-You're not going to tell him I was faking yesterday?" Elena said, somewhat disbelieving of her luck.

"Nah…"

"But… why?"

"Tch… What Tseng doesn't know won't hurt him," Reno replied, "Plus, if I tell him that, I gotta explain how I found out in the first place, and then he's gonna want to hear the whole sordid story, and that's just way more trouble than it's worth… _aaaaaaaand_ maybe I don't wanna see Tseng pissed off at you. Even if you do kinda deserve it."

"Thanks, Reno," she said with sincerity.

"Oh… don't thank me yet. See, I've thought of a way you can make things up to me after yesterday's Mr. Foo-Foo fiasco, " Reno replied, his grin widening.

"H-how?" she asked nervously.

"Well… I dropped by to see the kid down the street this morning, to see about getting Snuffy back. Kid's mom practically begged me to take him before I even asked."

"But I thought you weren't allowed to keep him at your place," Elena replied. She didn't like where this was going.

"Oh… I'm not," said Reno, "But _your_ building has no such rule."

"What?!" she shrieked, "You can't be serious!"

Reno smirked.

"I'm dead serious," he replied, "You're gonna take Snuffy. You're gonna feed him, and play with him, and let him run around your apartment to his little heart's content."

Elena was about to protest. The idea of actually living with some creepy little ferret-rat was less than appealing, even if she did owe Reno a huge debt.

"And I'm gonna come visit him whenever I feel like it," he added, before she could say anything. Elena's protest died on her lips.

Visit Snuffy? So… that meant he'd be visiting her, too, right? And not just to set her up for the next punchline. He'd just be there as… a friend.

Somehow, having Snuffy move in with her suddenly didn't seem so bad.

"Well… I guess we can work something out," Elena said, smiling slightly. No… not so bad at all.

-fin-


	12. The Houseguest

**Taking Care of Reno - Chapter 12: The Houseguest**

 _ **by Desha**_

"Please? It's just two days…"

"… No," Rude reiterated for the third time. Reno frowned. This wasn't going quite as planned.

"Seriously? Come on… I'll even bring the booze. And not the cheap shit."

"… Reno, you know I'd do just about anything for you, right?" the taller man replied.

"So you'll let me stay at your place this weekend?" the redhead asked yet again, hopeful that he had finally worn Rude down.

"Except that."

"Ah, come on!" Reno cried in frustration. He'd been so sure he could count on his partner.

"… You _do_ remember the last time I let you couch surf, don't you?" Rude asked, one eyebrow rising sharply behind dark lenses.

"Well… yeah," Reno said, grudgingly admitting the other man's point, "Uh… most of it, anyway. But this time'll be different. I swear, I'll leave the explosives at the office."

"… No."

"Geez… ya make one miscalculation on fuse length, and they never let you forget it."

"…"

"And besides, your eyebrows grew back… eventually."

"… No."

Reno sighed in defeat. Rude wasn't going to budge. The man was a rock. Once he made up his mind, there was no changing it. Fortunately, Reno had a Plan B… and it chose that very moment to walk into the Turks' private lounge.

"Boss! Gotta favor to ask ya…" Reno began, grinning at Tseng.

"… Run," Rude commented from across the room. Reno shot him a sharp look.

"What… _sort_ … of favor?" Tseng asked, his expression guarded as he reached for the freshly brewed pot of coffee on the side table.

"I kinda need a place to crash this weekend. See my…"

"You must be joking," Tseng said, quickly interrupting his second in command.

"It's _one_ weekend, Tseng," Reno replied, "Please?"

"After the last time?" Tseng said, somewhat incredulously, "I'm sorry, Reno… but I will not be responsible for your untimely death, maiming, or, if history only _repeats_ itself, defenestration."

"But…"

"No, Reno. Absolutely not. Why can't you just get a hotel room?"

"Because everything is booked solid this weekend!" Reno lamented, "It's some… I dunno… geek convention or something."

"… Swordie-con is not a 'geek convention'," Rude corrected quietly, sounding somewhat put out. Shadow & Sword was epic… not _geeky_.

"You're going to it, aren't you?" Reno deadpanned. Rude didn't answer.

"So stay here," Tseng suggested, "That's the whole purpose of having sleeping quarters on our floor, you know."

Reno looked affronted, as if Tseng had made the worst possible suggestion imaginable. "Ugh… No drinking, no smoking, and the very real possibility of running into Hojo prowling the halls for 'specimens'? Yeah… no thanks. I'd rather sleep in a gutter."

"Well, then… I hope it's a very comfortable gutter. Because you're _not_ staying with me," Tseng said in a tone that brokered no argument.

"So much for Plan B," Reno muttered. He dropped himself into a nearby chair in a huff. That only left him with…

"Plan C!" Reno cried, leaping to his feet as a familiar blonde-haired figure appeared in the doorway, "Er… I mean… 'Lena! I need a favor!"

"I… um… a-a favor?" Elena stammered, not expecting to be ambushed by her energetic compatriot the moment she returned from lunch.

"Run," Tseng and Rude said in unison. Elena blinked, not sure what to make of the situation. Reno glared at the two men.

"Ah, don't listen to them, 'Lena," he quickly responded before they could do anything else to sabotage him, "It's a really tiny favor… no big deal. I just need a place to stay this weekend, that's all…"

"Stay? You mean you want to stay at my apartment? With me?" Elena said, a little confused.

"Yeah… See, my place kinda failed it's mako concentration inspection, and they're kickin' everyone out for two days to decontaminate. So I just need a couch to sleep on 'til Monday. Like I said… no big deal."

"Don't do it," Rude interjected, shaking his head as if to dispel some terrible memory. Elena faltered, uncertain of what she should say. Even Tseng seemed to be giving her a look that was telling her to turn Reno down.

'Time to bring out the big guns,' Reno thought to himself. He dropped to his knees in front of her, looking up at her imploringly.

" _Please_ , 'Lena," he said, giving her his best look of abject desperation, "I don't have anywhere else to go!"

"W-well…" she said, casting a dubious glance at the other two Turks, "I mean, if it's just for the weekend…"

'Gotcha!' Reno thought, triumphantly.

"Just for the weekend," he confirmed, "Forty-eight little hours…"

"Oh… um… Well… O-ok, Reno. I… guess it'd be alright if you stayed at my place," she said with a friendly smile. Reno grinned and jumped to his feet in one fluid movement.

"Sweet! I knew I could count on you, 'Lena," he said, slinging an arm around her shoulders, "… unlike _some_ friends, who shall remain nameless. So great, I'll be there around seven!"

With that, he whipped out the door before she could think better of her generosity and rescind the offer, disappearing down the hallway.

"… Been nice knowing you," Rude commented.

"W-what?" Elena asked, "But… It's just Reno."

Tseng set down his coffee. "If you're still sane come Monday," he said ominously, "you'll understand. By the way… I recommend locking up any weapons for the duration."

"Sir?" she queried, blanching.

"So that you won't be tempted to use them. I could hardly blame you, frankly… but realistically, I'd prefer to have Reno back at work on Monday without any extra holes or missing limbs," he replied.

"You guys are just messing with me… right?" she said a little nervously. Really… this was Reno they were talking about. Slightly goofy, occasionally hyperactive Reno. Sure, he could could be a little obnoxious at times, and seriously… the man had no shame, and would do just about anything for a laugh… but in Elena's experience, he was generally a decent guy. As long as this wasn't some precursor to another of his pranks, she really couldn't see the harm in offering him a spot on her couch for the weekend. Why on earth were Tseng and Rude acting as if she'd just invited some sort of ultimate evil down upon herself?

The two men looked at one another knowingly, but said nothing.

'What have I gotten myself into?' she wondered, suddenly very worried.

* * *

When Elena arrived home just after six-thirty, she was exhausted. Her afternoon had been hellish. She and Tseng had been caught in the middle of a shootout between a gang from the Sector 2 slums and an antique dealer from the Sector 4 plate who was moonlighting selling stolen ShinRa weapons in Wall Market.

The two Turks had been tasked with the recovery of ShinRa property, and had been planning on interrogating the dealer to find out who his source was, as well… but the gang had turned up unexpectedly. Tseng and Elena made it out in one piece; the dealer wasn't so fortunate.

To top things off, the gang had firebombed the place when they were through. That left the Turks with no recovered weapons and no one to interrogate. Just a rather substantial failure that would have to be explained at length to Scarlet… who would not be pleased about her lost weaponry.

But that was a problem for Monday. Right now, the entire weekend lay before her, and all Elena wanted was a nice, quiet evening alone. Of course, it was right about then that she remembered that she had agreed to let Reno stay with her.

"What was I thinking?" she said aloud. She sighed and turned to the little cage that sat unassumingly on one of her bookshelves. A pair of beady black eyes watched her intently as she approached.

"Well, at least _you'll_ be happy to see Reno, won't you Snuffy," she cooed at the little ferret, who by then was standing on his hind legs in anticipation of being released. Elena opened the cage and scratched him behind his ears before lifting him out and setting him on the floor.

She had to admit… the little rodent had grown on her in the few weeks since he had taken up residence in her apartment. She was much more comfortable around him now, and had, somewhat unbelievably in her opinion, come to understand how Reno had become so attached the the curious creature. Much like Reno himself, Snuffy was hard not to like once you gave him a chance.

"I guess I better get ready for our houseguest, huh, Snuffy?" she said, heading to the linen closet and pulling out pillows and a blanket. She set them down at one end of the couch. Snuffy scrambled to perch on the back of a nearby armchair. Another trip to the closet, and she pulled out some extra towels, which she left in the bathroom.

That done, she made her way to the kitchen. Reno hadn't said whether he was planning to join her for dinner or not… but knowing him, even if he'd eaten beforehand, he'd never turn down seconds.

Elena really didn't feel much like cooking tonight. 'Thank goodness for leftovers,' she mused as she raided the fridge, retrieving a plastic container of pasta salad, along with some grilled chicken, half of a cantaloupe, and some green beans that would just need a minute or two in the microwave. As she was spooning the pasta salad onto her plate, there was a knock at the door.

'That'll be Reno,' she thought to herself, and hurried to open it.

"Hey, 'Lena," Reno greeted her, smiling widely as he stepped into the apartment, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder, and a large paper sack tucked under his arm, "Thanks again for lettin' me stay."

"Sure," she replied, "It's no problem."

"Hope you're ready for a wild weekend," he added with a grin.

"W-wild?" she echoed.

"Sure! Ya don't think I'd show up empty-handed, do ya?" he said pressing the second bag into her arms, "Hey, is that food?"

Reno had tossed his duffle down by the door and beelined for the kitchen before Elena could make any further inquiries into what he was planning. The bag clinked softly as she shifted its weight.

"Alright, Snuffy! Now it's a party," he said, scooping the ferret off the floor. Snuffy scrabbled up the sleeve of Reno's jacket and sat contentedly on his shoulder as Reno began feeding him bites of chicken with one hand, and dishing out a giant helping of pasta salad for himself with the other.

With a sense of trepidation, Elena peeked into the bag Reno had thrust upon her. She wasn't exactly shocked at what she found.

"Reno… why did you bring half a liquor store with you?"

"Because every time I've been over here, the place has been completely dry," he responded, "Besides… you _desperately_ need to cut loose once in awhile. 'Specially after the day I heard you and Tseng had. And what better time than now? You got me all to yourself for the whole weekend… might as well make the most of it, right?"

"Um…"

'So much for a nice, quiet evening,' she thought.

"Come on… bring that over here. I got something that'll go great with this stuff," he urged.

"Reno… I really kind of just wanted to relax. I'm exhausted," Elena protested. Reno shrugged.

"You wanna relax? Fine… Come have a drink with me and relax. Unwind. _Chill_."

"Well… I supposed one drink couldn't hurt…"

* * *

Her head. Was going. To explode.

Elena groaned loudly and squinted against the harsh sunlight that was streaming through her bedroom window. Lying on her stomach and half hanging over the edge of the bed, she groped around blindly until she finally managed to latch onto a pillow. She quickly buried her face in it to block out the light.

What the hell had happened last night? She didn't even remember going to bed. For that matter, she didn't remember much of anything after the point at which she'd lost track of how many times Reno had refilled her glass. Just vague snatches of memory. Loud music. Laughter. Feathers.

Wait… Feathers? Why the hell did she remember feathers? The pounding in her head was making it entirely too difficult to think clearly… and so, frankly, was the sudden churning of her stomach. She groaned again and dragged herself off the bed, staggering as quickly as she could to the bathroom.

After nearly ten minutes, her stomach seemed to have expelled everything it was physically capable of giving up. She wiped her mouth shakily with the back of her hand and flushed the toilet, wincing at the much-louder-than-she-remembered whoosh or water. When had it gotten so ear-splittingly loud? Or had she just never been _this_ hungover in her entire life?

Elena gripped the edge of the sink, and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh, god," she muttered, "I look like the living dead…"

In some corner of her mind, she wondered if Reno had fared better than she had. One thing she _was_ certain of was that he'd been drinking just as heavily as she had been… probably more. If she was in this bad of shape this morning, surely Reno wasn't at his best, either. The guy might have the tolerance of a fully-grown Behemoth, but he wasn't completely immune.

She rifled through the medicine cabinet and found a bottle of aspirin. She quickly downed two of the tablets… then thought better of it and swallowed two more… before making her way to the living room to see if her weekend roommate was still alive or if he'd finally succumbed to alcohol poisoning.

"Mornin' 'Lena!" Reno called out as Elena finally shoved the bedroom door open. She winced painfully at the sheer volume of his voice, and glared at him.

"How are you not at all hungover?" she asked, noting that the man in her kitchen seemed perfectly alert and well-rested. She pointedly ignored the fact that he was clad only in a pair of red boxer shorts that appeared to be covered in tiny pictures of moogles.

"Tch… what? After _that_ little party? I was barely even gettin' started when you decided to call it a night… You're kind of a lightweight, 'Lena," he said, smiling teasingly, "You want some eggs?"

At the mention of food, her stomach suddenly rebelled again, and Elena darted back into the bathroom.

"I guess that's a no," Reno called after her.

* * *

When she finally returned, Reno was waiting for her, armed with a cup of coffee.

"Here," he said, pressing the mug into her hands, "Drink."

Elena did so, deeply, only to nearly spit it back out as the harsh burn of what she was fairly certain was a generous dose of whiskey hit the back of her throat. She spent the next few moments coughing violently.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" she sputtered once she'd recovered a bit.

"Oh lighten up," he said, smirking, "It'll take the edge off."

"Or finish off my liver for good," she muttered, but took another, much smaller, sip anyway.

"Heh… I really gotta get you drunk more often, 'Lena. You're a riot when you're hammered," Reno replied, looking bemused. Elena tensed, then slowly looked up from her coffee.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, "What did I do?"

"Wow… Complete blank? You really _are_ a lightweight," he laughed, and Elena had the feeling that she wasn't going to like this.

"Relax…" he said upon seeing her expression, "I didn't let you do anything I wouldn't have done myself."

Elena paled slightly. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she squeaked. Reno laughed again, but then thought about it.

"You've got a point there," he grinned, "But don't worry. I stopped you before you could go streaking in the parking lot. Can't say the same for myself, though…"

"What?!"

"Hey, you dared me. I couldn't back out after that. It was a matter of honor!"

"Please tell me no one saw you…" Elena groaned. Reno just shrugged.

"Is there anything else I should know about?" By this point, she was dreading the answer, but figured it was better to know than not.

"Well… we did get get a few noise complaints 'cause of the music," Reno replied, "And then the cops showed up…"

"Cops? Someone called the police because we were so loud?" she said, cringing.

"Uh, heh… not exactly. They called 'em because we were throwing water balloons off the balcony at people in the parking lot. Gotta hand it to ya… for someone who was completely plastered, you had damn good aim. Pegged the cop right in the face from a good fifty feet."

"Reno?" she asked, interrupting his narrative.

"Yeah?"

"How is it I'm not in jail?"

"Please… ya ever hear of a Turk gettin' arrested?" Reno said with a derisive snort, " 'Course I think maybe you were pushin' it when ya disarmed the guy, handcuffed him, and told his partner to, and I quote, 'book 'im Danno'."

"Oh god…"

"Seriously… it was fucking epic," Reno continued, unphased by Elena's growing levels of mortification, "So, yeah… after the cops left you decided to challenge me to a pillow fight to the death…"

"Please stop…"

Reno ignored her.

"By the way, you're going to need some new pillows. And a new vacuum. It kind of caught fire when you were trying to clean up the feathers. Ya know, you're the only person I've ever met who tries clean up her own drunken mess while she's still drunk…"

"Please tell me nothing else caught fire," Elena pleaded. Reno thought a moment.

"Eh… I mighta singed the curtains a little when I chucked the flaming vacuum of doom out the window, but other than that… Oh, right. You're also gonna need a new window. Kinda didn't bother to open it first."

Elena hesitantly glanced across the room, which up until then she'd largely ignored. Sure enough, jagged shards of glass clung to the edges of the window frame around a vacuum cleaner-sized hole.

"… Is that it?" she asked, hopefully.

"Pretty much," Reno replied.

"What do you mean, 'Pretty much'?" she asked with growing terror.

"You… may or may not have drunk-called Tseng while I was streaking," Reno replied, grinning maniacally.

"I WHAT?!" she cried, horrified.

"Hey, hey… don't freak out," Reno said. Elena glared at him. He was enjoying this way too much, "I'm _pretty_ sure he didn't actually pick up."

"Oh, thank Holy," Elena sighed, relief flooding her body.

" 'Course you may or may not have left a voicemail," he added. Elena froze, the half-full mug of coffee dropping from her hands and shattering on the floor. Reno jumped back before the hot liquid could splash on his bare feet.

"What… what did I _say_ in this voicemail?" she asked, her voice faltering.

"Dunno… I was tryin' to find my pants at the time, so I wasn't really listening," he shrugged, "And then you passed out, so I put ya to bed and hung out with Snuffy."

She was never going to live this down.

"So…" Reno asked, "Whatdya wanna do today?"

* * *

The remainder of the day was something of a blur for Elena. The first thing she did was dispose of every last drop of the remaining alcohol as Reno looked on in despair and disbelief.

Once her headache had finally abated, Saturday was spent cleaning the debris from their "party" the night before. She was fairly sure she'd gone several shades of red when she'd finally had to ask one of her neighbors if she could borrow their vacuum cleaner. By the time she'd returned with it, Reno had helpfully cleaned up the worst of the broken glass. She'd gone to bed feeling even more exhausted than she'd been after work on Friday.

Sunday, she had made plans with Rude to attend Swordie-con… and so it was with no small amount of trepidation that she left Reno, who refused to "spend all day at a geek convention", alone in her apartment, and drove to the convention center in Sector 6.

"… So. Reno," Rude said simply as Elena walked up to meet him at the entrance.

"Don't ask," she replied firmly.

"… Told ya," he shrugged. Thankfully, he didn't press her for details, and didn't bring up her houseguest again for the rest of the day. Sometimes, Elena was extremely grateful for Rude's sense of tact.

By the time they'd joined a huge swarm of their fellow Swordies for the sneak peek screening of Shadow & Sword's season eleven premiere, she had almost put Friday night and the ensuing aftermath out of her mind.

* * *

Elena didn't make it home until around 10 pm. Swordie-con had been hard to leave, she was having so much fun.

She was a little surprised to walk into a dark, almost silent apartment. She had expected to find Reno wide awake at such a relatively early hour. Instead, she found him sound asleep and snoring softly on the couch. Snuffy was curled up contentedly on his chest.

Elena shrugged and crossed the apartment to her bedroom as quietly as she could.

"So how was Geek-con?" Reno's voice suddenly called out, just as she reached her bedroom door. Elena jumped a little, startled.

"Oh! Sorry… I was trying not to wake you!" she quickly apologized.

"Heh… Good luck. I'm a light sleeper," Reno replied, sitting up, "Usually doesn't take much."

Elena turned on a table lamp so she could see him better.

"Oh… Well… It was good!" she said, only too happy to gush about her day, "Yarin Fellmore was on one of the panels. He plays Lysander Honeycutt… He's my favorite character, you know. I totally got his autograph! Oh, and then… they screened the first five minutes of next season's premiere! It was fantastic! I can hardly wait for it to start…"

Reno laughed.

"Ya know… I thought Rude had it bad for this show. But you may actually be worse," he snickered, though his tone was light-hearted, "Oh… by the way, I called in a favor and got the window fixed while you were gone."

"Y-you did?" she said, a little shocked. Reno hadn't seemed at all concerned about the damage he'd caused earlier. And how he got anyone to come out on a Sunday was beyond her.

"Yeah… Figured it'd be kinda shitty of me to stick ya with the bill for the damage after you were nice enough _not_ to kick me out," he replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "Or, ya know… try 'n shoot me. I know I get a little carried away sometimes."

"Thanks, Reno," Elena said, "That was really nice of you."

"Nah… no problem. Hell, you deserve it just for makin' it this long. Rude didn't speak to me for a week after the last time I stayed with him. And Tseng actually threw me out. I mean _physically_ threw me out. The window. Didn't offer to pay for that one," he chuckled, his grin widening, almost as if he were proud of the fact. Elena's jaw dropped.

"What did you _do_ to them?" she gasped, having to choke back a laugh.

"Long story… I'll tell ya some other time. We both gotta be at work at seven tomorrow," he replied, "I will say, though… I'm glad Tseng's place is on the ground floor. He definitely wasn't holdin' back when he threw me."

"You are _so_ going to tell me that story tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, waving her off, " 'Night 'Lena."

"Good night, Reno," she said softly, clicking off the lamp.

* * *

"… You're still alive," Rude stated as Reno and Elena arrived at the office the next morning. Elena wasn't entirely sure which of them he was referring to.

"Very funny," Reno replied, "I'll have you know we had a terrific weekend… Heh… what 'Lena remembers of it, anyway."

"I don't know if 'terrific' is quite the word I'd use," Elena commented.

"She might even let me stay with her again," Reno continued, ignoring the interjection. Rude raised both eyebrows, glancing at Elena in surprise. She sighed.

"It wasn't _so_ awful," she responded to Rude's unspoken question, "So, yeah, I guess. Maybe. You know, if there wasn't anywhere else he could stay." Rude shook his head, at a loss for words.

"Ha! See?" Reno crowed, triumphantly, " _Some_ people appreciate my company."

Tseng chose that particular moment to poke his head out of his own office.

"I thought I heard you dulcet tones, Reno," he commented dryly.

"… Elena's actually willing to let him stay with her again," Rude spoke up, the sheer disbelief evident in his voice.

"I don't believe it," Tseng replied.

"I said 'maybe'," Elena clarified, " _Maybe_. Honestly, though, we got along okay after awhile. I don't know why you two were so averse to it."

"Hmph… Reno must have been on his best behavior for you, then," Tseng commented, before allowing himself a subtle smirk, "Speaking of which, Elena… If you have a moment, I'd like to speak to you about a voicemail I received Friday night…"

Elena went very still and very pale. Between her hangover and the cleanup effort, she'd completely forgotten about that. She slowly turned to look at the redhead, who had wisely moved back a few steps and positioned himself safely out of her immediate range, behind Rude.

"On second thought… Never again, Reno…" she said, " _Never_ again."

-fin-


	13. Up in Smoke

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 13: Up in Smoke**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _In the process of rewriting the earlier chapters of this story, I realized that Rude doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves as a character. I think it's about time that changed._

 _Also... according to their E3 announcement, Square Enix is finally remaking FF7 for PS4!_ _*dies* I am so very happy right now..._

* * *

Tseng watched as the redhead seated across from him picked halfheartedly at his lunch. Something was definitely wrong. It just wasn't like Reno to not eat. Any other time, the deceptively skinny Turk would have finished his own meal and then immediately gone after anything the others hadn't yet eaten... and on occasion, he wasn't above stealing it right off the end of the fork, if he thought he could actually get away with it. Elena had fallen victim to such tactics more than once.

Where on earth he managed to put it all, the Turk leader had no idea. The man was a bottomless pit. Reno always chalked his appetite up to an abnormally high metabolism... and given his normal energy level, Tseng had never had any particular reason to doubt the claim.

Elena, likewise, was eying the Turks' second-in-command with a expression of curiosity. Reno hadn't been himself all day, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. He'd barely said two words to her all morning. No teasing insults, no thinly veiled innuendos, no obnoxious observations about her skill, her character, or her taste in entertainment... nothing. He hadn't even made the very obvious joke he normally would have jumped at when she'd blatantly stated that she'd spent her entire weekend on her hands and knees in a not so subtle effort to draw him out of whatever strange mood that had claimed him, as she detailed the very thorough spring cleaning of her apartment.

She glanced questioningly across the cafeteria table at Tseng, who simply shrugged and shook his head, for once just as at a loss as the rookie. Reno sighed and shoved his plate away.

"That's it... Enough. What's going on?" Tseng finally said.

"Nothin'," Reno replied.

"Obviously it's something... the only time I've ever seen you intentionally forgo eating was when you had that flu and couldn't keep anything down for more than five minutes. And even then, you still made the attempt a few times before you finally conceded defeat," he pointed out, "So I'll ask you again. What is going on?"

"Fine. I lost a bet, alright?" Reno grumbled, irritably, stabbing his fork deep into the pile of mashed potatoes on his largely untouched plate. Tseng was about to prod the younger man for more information when Rude calmly joined them at the lunch table, taking the empty seat next to the Turk commander and directly across from his unhappy partner. Reno narrowed his eyes at him, silently stood and stormed off in a huff. All eyes immediately turned to the bald man.

"Rude? Is... Is Reno _mad_ at you?" Elena asked, in a tone of abject disbelief. Rude was, in no uncertain terms, Reno's best friend. On top of that, Reno never seemed to stay angry at _anyone_ he actually liked for very long.

"... Yeah," the stoic Turk replied, as he settled into his own meal. It was hard to tell with Rude, but Elena couldn't help but think he seemed rather subdued.

"Reno's mad... at... _you_?" Tseng echoed in much the same disbelieving tone. He'd known both men for quite some time, and he could count on one hand the number of few times they'd been on less than friendly terms for more than a five minute stretch. It was practically unheard of. Rude grimaced.

"Yeah, he's mad," he confirmed again.

"And just when did this happen?" the Turk leader asked, offhandedly, biting into a bread roll. He couldn't think of anything thus far today that might have set Reno off, but then he'd been in and out of meetings all morning as plans for moving a substantial number of weapons and other equipment from Junon to Midgar were being finalized. There had been two, albeit relatively minor, attacks on the city's mako reactors by an anti-Shinra group in the last month, and security was being increased accordingly in case things escalated.

"... Friday night," Rude sighed. Tseng very nearly choked.

"Friday?!" he cried, coughing, his eyes watering slightly as he tried to force down the bite of food that had almost done him in. All weekend? This had been going on all weekend?

"What happened?" Elena asked, eyes going wide as she leaned forward in her seat , "Why didn't you say something yesterday?" She'd _thought_ Rude had seemed a little less animated than usual during Shadow  & Sword on Sunday night... but she'd had no idea he was upset about anything.

"... Didn't wanna ruin the show for you." He speared a chunk of carrot, and popped it in his mouth.

"Oh, Rude... Don't be _ridiculous_. You could have told me something was wrong. You absolutely _should_ have told me," Elena said.

"Or me," Tseng added, "I realize I've been busy this morning, but I'm never _that_ busy." Rude looked away from the pair, clearing his throat, and Elena was sure he was blushing slightly under the sudden outpouring of sympathy.

If Rude had a weakness, Tseng mused, it was his tendency to keep his troubles to himself. Reno was really the one exception... Rude told _him_ nearly everything, and as much as the redhead had a habit of feigning disinterest in certain topics, he seemed to have rather remarkable recall about things his friend mentioned to him, even in passing. Reno might give the appearance of pointedly ignoring a conversation, but he seldom actually tuned out completely... particularly not when it was Rude who was doing the talking.

"Reno said he lost a bet..." Tseng prodded, when it became obvious that no further information was forthcoming from his subordinate.

"Sorta..." Rude answered, pausing a moment to collect his thoughts, "I bet him that couldn't get a date with the new bartender at the Phoenix Nest."

"And... I take it he couldn't?" Tseng surmised, not seeing how that would cause a rift between the two friends.

"It was kind of a cheat. She's a neighbor of mine, and she's seeing someone. Pretty sure she and her girlfriend are getting serious," Rude admitted, the ghost of a smirk turning up the corners of his mouth, "Wasn't gonna happen, even for Reno. Didn't tell him that, though."

Elena couldn't quite suppress a soft giggle. Served Reno right. "But that still doesn't explain why Reno's upset with you... So he got shot down. I'd think he would've just laughed it off and ordered another drink. Or just hit on someone else..." Tseng nodded, concurring with Elena's assessment.

"Wasn't losing that pissed him off. It was having to honor the bet," Rude said, frowning.

"And the bet was?" Tseng asked.

"That he give up smoking," Rude replied. The Turk leader groaned internally. Reno without his tobacco fix was not the most pleasant of company. He'd learned that the hard way, having made a similar bet once with the redhead, and inadvertently set himself up for a week of dealing with grouchy, whiny, irritable aggravation incarnate. He'd vowed never to make that mistake again, and thought that surely after suffering through it as well, that neither Rude nor Elena would repeat his error.

"For how long?" he asked, resigned to his fate and silently praying it wasn't the whole week.

"Permanently."

"W-what?" Elena stammered, not sure she'd heard that right.

"Been on him for months about it. The bet was that if he couldn't get a date with her, he had to quit smoking. For good. If he could, I'd stop badgering him," Rude replied. Tseng visibly cringed. Well, that certainly explained why Rude had become the target of Reno's ire.

"And may I ask why you decided to again unleash the unholy hellspawn that is Reno in nicotine withdrawal upon us?"

"..." Rude looked down at his plate, "... I can't stand it anymore."

"I never knew it bothered you," Tseng replied, genuinely surprised.

"Didn't used to."

"So what changed?" probed Elena. And that question was enough to jog Tseng's memory. He knew _exactly_ what had changed.

"This is about your father," Tseng stated knowingly, finally putting two and two together. Rude's silence was all the answer he needed. Elena looked over at him, confused.

"Rude's father died last year... it was some months before your promotion, so I'm not surprised you were unaware."

"He smoked. A lot. And he got sick," Rude elaborated.

"Oh... Rude, I'm so sorry," Elena said. She suddenly reached the same realization Tseng had moments ago... that when Rude had said he couldn't stand it anymore, it wasn't the smoking he was referring to. It was watching another person he cared about doing the same thing to himself that had claimed his father.

"I'd rather have Reno hate me for awhile than see him go through that."

Elena reached across the table and patted Rude's hand comfortingly.

"Well, if we're going to be breaking Reno's habit, I suppose we'd better come up with some sort of plan," Tseng commented, causing Rude to look up in surprise. The corners of the Wutaiian's mouth twitched into a smile, "You don't seriously believe we'd leave you to deal with him on your own, do you?"

* * *

Reno audibly growled at the screen in front of him. He couldn't concentrate for shit and it was all Rude's fault. He was _supposed_ to be pulling up information for Tseng on some upstart little terrorist group calling themselves Avalanche, but his attention kept wandering, and all he _could_ focus on was the fact that he couldn't do the one thing, besides throwing himself off the roof, that would end this misery.

'Fucking asshole,' he mentally cursed his partner, glaring at the presently empty desk across the room for lack of a more substantial target. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. Staring at the monitor was giving him a headache. Or maybe that was due to his not having had a cigarette in two and a half days... either way, he felt like hell, and goddammit, _it was all Rude's fault_!

Why was his smoking _any_ of that bastard's business, anyway? Couldn't he just leave him the fuck alone about it? Son of a bitch, butting into his personal life... Reno ground his teeth in irritation and turned back to the task at hand, only to find that he just couldn't bear to sit still any longer. Before he knew it, he was on his feet, pacing the room like a caged animal. Just for good measure, he kicked Rude's desk as he passed by it.

All. His. Goddamn. Fault.

Finally, he planted himself back in his chair, glaring bitterly at the screen, whose contents, unsurprisingly, hadn't changed in the last five minutes. How was he supposed to get any work done like this?! He was up again seconds later, feeling uncomfortably closed in and anxious on his own in the Turk's main office. With a snarl, he picked up the nearest object and flung it as hard as he could at the door...

… which chose that moment to open. Elena yelped, very shocked and slightly terrified, as a stapler embedded itself in the wall next to the door, much too close to her head for comfort.

"Oh, shit! 'Lena!" Reno exclaimed, his frustration momentarily forgotten as he realized what he'd almost done, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah?" she said, not entirely convinced of it herself, eying both the stapler, _and_ the Turk who'd thrown it, rather uncertainly.

"Sorry 'bout that..."

"So... quitting's not going so well, I guess..." she commented, edging past the redhead to get to her own desk.

"Ya heard, huh?" he muttered, turning away from her and dropping himself onto the couch by the window. Figured that son of a bitch would be talking up his little victory.

"About the bet and the bartender?" she said, smirking, unable to resist a little teasing, "Oh, yeah... I heard _all_ about that..."

Reno glared at her. "Yeah, well... How the fuck was I supposed to know she was into chicks? I swear, if it weren't for the fact that it was her first night workin' there, I'd almost think that motherfucking bastard set me up..."

It took absolutely everything she had to keep a straight face when Reno said that. Thankfully, if she'd let slip any outward sign of just how right he was, Reno was too distracted to notice.

"Well, just so you know... Tseng has decided that from now on there's no smoking allowed for any Turk while on duty. Ya know... just in case you were thinking of cheating," she said, grinning. Reno's eyes widened.

"He... what?!" Oh, that bastard, Rude... he had to have talked Tseng into it. Just wait 'til he got back from lunch. His partner was _really_ gonna get a piece of his mind the next time he saw him... The next person through the door, however, was not Rude.

"Reno, I'm sure Elena has already mentioned it by now, but," Tseng began, before doing a double-take as he caught sight of the stapler that was anchored quite firmly in the drywall next to the door. He raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at Reno, "Really?"

"Blame Rude," he groused. Tseng shook his head.

"Elena, file a maintenance request, please," he said, "As I was saying, I'm sure she already mentioned it, but from now on, there will be no smoking on the clock."

Reno muttered something under his breath that neither Tseng nor Elena was able to catch... though the Turk leader was certain it wasn't flattering, and probably rather obscene.

"What was that?" he asked, fixing the redhead with a very unamused look.

"I said... 'Yes, sir'," he replied, through gritted teeth.

"You're also on desk duty for the remainder of the week."

"I... wait, what? What the fuck, Tseng?!" Reno stood and stalked towards him. "This is such bullshit! You seriously want me to sit around on my ass all day for the next week? Fuck that. Fuck you!"

Elena's jaw dropped. She'd never heard anyone talk to Tseng like that... not and remain standing, at any rate. And coming from Reno, it was almost surreal. Reno tended to show a somewhat _odd_ sort of respect for the Turk commander, but it was a sincere respect none the less, and she'd never once seen it waiver until now.

Reno was, literally, inches from Tseng's face. The Wutaiian Turk hadn't moved a muscle.

"Are you finished?" he asked calmly, as if this sort of interaction happened between the two of them every day. The lack of response seemed to snap Reno back to some semblance of normalcy.

"Yes..." he said, backing down, and looking decidedly embarrassed, "Sir."

"And _that_ is why you're on desk duty."

* * *

The plan certainly seemed simple enough, Rude thought to himself as the train descended towards the Sector 5 station. A new rule to ensure Reno didn't try and cheat during the day – after hours, of course, they'd just have to rely on the Turk's own sense of honor not to welch on his bet... tying him to his desk until the worst of the withdrawal symptoms had abated and he was a functional human being again... and finally, keeping him separated from Rude, upon whom most of his anger and frustration seemed to be focused for the time being.

Even though he knew Reno didn't really mean any of it, it still hurt that his closest friend wouldn't even speak to him, particularly when he only had the man's best interests at heart. He regarded Reno as a brother. A deeply annoying, troublesome brother that half the time he wanted to smack upside the head, sure... but he wouldn't hesitate for a moment if Reno needed him, and knew that – from firsthand experience – neither would Reno. They'd been inseparable almost from the moment they met as recruits. Reno understood him in a way that few others could... perhaps because they were just as alike as they were different.

At first glance, he mused, they really were polar opposites. Reno was always talking, laughing, poking fun; Rude was quiet, patient... controlled in both word and manner. Reno thrived as the center of attention, and in being able to take part in and direct the activity around him... Rude preferred the periphery, where he could listen and observe. Reno constantly spoke his mind... whether you asked his opinion or not. Rude kept his own counsel until it was requested, and even then, chose his words carefully.

No, he thought, they really couldn't seem more different if they tried. It was what others often _didn't_ see that really tied them together. They were both fiercely loyal, for one. They had both been, largely, alone in life up until becoming Turks. Reno had no family at all... Rude had only had his father, from the time his mother had died in his teenage years – and whom he'd seen less and less of later in life, as he'd never been very accepting of his son's chosen profession. And they both found it difficult to trust. In fact, there were only two people in the world Rude could honestly say he trusted implicitly – and one more that he was fairly confident would get there eventually. Reno was at the top of that list, and always would be.

The train ground to a stop at the station in the Sector 5 slums, and Rude was forced to abandon his musings. He had an informant to locate and intelligence to gather.

* * *

The following morning, Elena was standing outside the door to the Turks main office, hesitating. She shifted the box she was holding from one arm to the other, debating what the least potentially dangerous method of opening said door might be.

"I hid the staplers last night... I think it's safe to enter," a voice said softly, directly next to her ear, and Elena jumped in surprise before spinning to face its owner. It never ceased to amaze her how easily Tseng could sneak up on her. One of these days she was going to figure out how he did it...

"Y-yes, sir," she stammered. Tseng smiled slightly as he straightened, having been leaning over her when he'd addressed her.

"I wonder what sort of Reno we have to contend with today?" he mused. The redhead hadn't come in yet before Tseng had been called in to speak with Heidegger, so he'd missed his arrival. And the last time Reno had gone more than a few days without cigarettes, he'd gone from furious, to restless and anxious, to depressed, to near-catatonically drowsy, and back again.

"Anything would be better than yesterday's, I think, sir," she replied, "Sir... wouldn't it be better to just let him stay home for awhile?"

Tseng snorted a laugh. "I doubt it. In fact, I think that might actually be a bit cruel. At least here we can try and keep him occupied. He'd be climbing the walls at home. You've seen what he's like recovering from an injury. I suspect this wouldn't be much different."

Elena considered that. He _did_ have a point.

"Guess there's nothing else for it then." She sighed, tucked the box under her left arm, and pushed open the door. When she was not immediately assaulted by office supplies, she stepped fully into the room. Reno was poking tiredly at the keyboard in front of him with one hand, his chin propped up on the other, eyes half closed.

"Morning, Reno!" she called out, cheerfully. Reno flinched.

"Can ya dial it down, 'Lena? I'm runnin' on _maybe_ two hours sleep, I've already got a splitting headache, and you're just way too fucking happy in the morning," he whined.

"Oh... sure, Reno," she said in a softer voice, trying not to take that too personally. She held out the box, "Umm... Maybe this'll make you feel better..."

Reno looked up from the screen, spotting the offering.

"Oh god, yes..." He was on his feet and at her side in the time it took her to blink, snatching the box like a desperate man and lifting the lid. "Ahh, yeah... 'Lena, I take it back. And I think I may be in love with you right now..." He deliberated on his first choice for a moment, before selecting one of the twelve colorfully frosted rings and devouring it.

"Reno and sugar..." Tseng sighed, "What have you wrought upon us now, Elena?"

* * *

Whatever improvement Elena's donuts had made to Reno's temperament that morning had long worn away by the time the lunch hour rolled around. The infusion of a dozen pastries-worth of sugar – and she was pretty sure he wouldn't have shared, even if they'd asked, so he'd been left, unchecked, to eat them all – had actually returned him to his old self for a little while.

But when it had finally burned off, he'd started becoming snappish and short-tempered. At the moment, he was in the Shinra cafeteria, once again picking at the food on his plate, his appetite seeming to have deserted him, and glaring coldly at the empty seat across from him that normally would have been occupied by his partner.

"You're not really still angry with Rude, are you?" Elena asked, broaching the silence at the table.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Reno muttered, "Fucker couldn't just leave well enough alone. I don't go around tellin' him he's gotta give up that stupid show of his just 'cause I don't like it..."

"That's hardly the same thing, Reno..." Tseng commented.

"Yeah? You ever seen him when he misses an episode?" the redhead said, smirking nastily, "You'd think the damn world was ending just 'cause he doesn't know if poor Iliana survived for another week... Fuck, when they finally _do_ kill her off, he's gonna completely lose it."

Elena snickered. "For someone who claims to hate the show so much, you seem to know an awful lot about it..."

"Yeah... and _that's_ Rude's fault, too. Where is that asshole, anyway? I haven't seen him since yesterday. Coward's been hiding from me..."

"You won't be seeing much of him until you're a little less... antagonistic. I gave him an assignment that should keep him busy most of the week," Tseng replied. Reno glared at him.

"Ya know, I don't exactly appreciate bein' treated like a child..."

"And as soon as you stop acting like one, you won't be." The Turk leader smiled calmly, and Elena smothered a laugh behind her hand.

"Ha. Ha," Reno said, dryly, "You're hilarious, boss."

"Indeed I am," he agreed, perfectly straight-faced, "Reno, I'm well aware that you can't help the way you're acting... but in a few more days, when the worst of this is over and you're back to your old obnoxious-in-a-less-petulant-way self again, I have a feeling you're going to be kicking yourself for the way you've been treating Rude."

"Yeah, Reno... he's just looking out for you, you know."

"Ugh... please. Don't know when the hell he got to be such a fucking health nut, anyway..." Reno muttered.

"Now I know you're not _that_ dense, Reno..." Tseng deadpanned.

"Whatever," Reno replied dismissively, climbing to his feet, "I'm not hungry. Ya need me, I'll be staring blankly at my computer for the next four hours."

* * *

Reno didn't head back to the Turks' office. He made it as far as the elevator before coming to a decision. Fuck Rude, and fuck the bet. Rude could kiss his ass. He hit the button for the rooftop helipad.

The doors slid open, and he stepped out into daylight, a chilly spring wind hitting him in the face. He grinned as he spotted his target, striding towards one of the two helicopters that sat fueled and ready beneath a thick tarp. One was the executive vehicle, at the beck and call of President Shinra. The other was reserved for the Turks. It was the latter he was interested in. Reno climbed into the familiar cockpit, reaching under the dash, long fingers closing around a small item concealed there. He withdrew the pack of cigarettes, and flipped open the top, pulling one out and tucking the rest of the pack into his jacket pocket.

Stepping out of the helicopter, he made his way to the rail that guarded the edge of the rooftop and leaned against it, placing the cigarette between his lips and fishing his lighter out of his pocket.

'Heh... you lose, pal,' he thought to himself, and he struggled to get the lighter to light in the strong wind blowing across the rooftop. He'd just have to be little more subtle about when and where he lit up from now on. Long as Rude didn't catch him, no harm, no foul, right? Besides... What the big guy didn't know wouldn't kill him...

Reno froze, just as he finally managed to get a flame.

"Aw, fuck me..." he swore, and flipped the lid of the lighter closed, extinguishing it. Tseng was wrong. He really _was_ that dense.

How the hell could he not have picked up on the timing? Rude couldn't have cared less about Reno's smoking until just a few weeks after 'Lena had been promoted. Which was just a few months after his dad's funeral – a funeral at which Rude had been a bit of a wreck and had leaned heavily on his friend for support for days afterward. He groaned, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"You're a fucking moron, Reno," he sighed, as he tossed the cigarette over the railing... then scowled and tossed the rest of the pack for good measure before turning and storming back to the elevator. On the way down, he pulled out his PHS and dialed Rude's number. It went straight to voice mail. Apparently, whatever Tseng had sent him to do required a blackout.

"Goddammit, Rude," he almost yelled into the phone after the software started recording, "I'm not a fucking mind-reader, you dick... Next time you're havin' a crisis about my mortality, let me fucking know, will ya? Also... I'm an asshole."

* * *

Wednesday came and went without Reno hearing a word from Rude, and by mid Thursday morning, he was twitchy and high-strung, and feeling decidedly trapped in the Turks' offices. Part of that was due to being on the latter end of gradually diminishing nicotine cravings. Part of it was not knowing where his partner was, and not liking that fact one little bit.

He was drumming his fingers loudly on the top of his desk. He jumped when someone suddenly grabbed his hand and pressed it flat against the desktop, effectively stopping all movement.

"I don't suppose you'd be able to relax, even if I ordered you to..." Tseng lamented. The man was a bundle of nervous energy today – which, admittedly, was actually a step up from grouchy and irritable with a tendency to throw things, or half-asleep and staring into space – and it only seemed to be getting more pronounced. Reno looked at him, somewhat miserably.

"Doubt it..." he replied, "I was on edge all night, and sitting around worryin' about Rude is just making things worse."

"W-wait..." Elena piped up from across the room, "Now you're _worried_ about Rude? I thought you were still pissed off at him."

"Tch... Seriously? Try an' keep up, 'Lena," he said with a teasing grin, rolling his eyes.

"Reno, _no one_ can keep up with your constantly shifting moods this week," she replied, "And what are you worried for? He checked in less than an hour ago."

"Yeah... with Tseng," he said, huffily, "Not with me..." Not that there was any difference. He was alive, and not in any trouble. It ultimately didn't matter who received the message, so long as it was received. Reno just... really wanted to talk to him.

"Alright... Gym. Now," Tseng said, motioning for Reno to follow him, "Relaxed... exhausted... it's all the same to me, as long as it calms you down."

* * *

It was nearly three in the afternoon when Rude stepped out of the elevator and into the Turks headquarters for the first time in three days. His foray into the slums had proven fruitful, but he was glad to be back. He hesitated outside the door to the Turks office. He'd gotten the impression from Reno's voicemail that the redhead had finally come around... but per regulations he had not been able to contact him directly while in a communications blackout. He'd prefer to hear it from Reno in person before getting too confident that all was forgiven.

But there wasn't much he could do standing in the hallway. At last, he pushed open the door, expecting to find Reno at the very least, seeing as Tseng had forced him into a week of desk duty, if not the entire team. Instead, the only greeting he received came from Elena.

"Hey, Rude! Welcome back!" she called out. He nodded, glancing as casually as he could towards Reno's empty desk.

"I miss much?" he asked.

"Just Reno's parade of personalities..." she replied, "I think he's finally starting to come out of it, though. He hasn't viciously snapped at anyone even once today."

"Where is he?"

"Well... He was kind of wound up this morning. And he was worrying about you being gone, so that didn't exactly help. Tseng dragged him off to the gym to try and wear him out a little."

"And I would have succeeded, too, if he'd been paying a bit more attention to what he was doing," came a voice from the doorway. Elena and Rude turned, and were a little shocked to see a somewhat disheveled and sweaty Tseng, still clad in workout clothes.

"Sir?" Elena questioned.

"I would have simply called up, but I left my PHS behind," he explained, "Reno's downstairs in Medical. I was _hoping_ you were back by now, Rude. I think he'd prefer your company to mine at the moment."

"... What happened?" Rude asked, his calm tone belying his sudden anxiousness. Tseng shook his head.

"He advanced when he should have dodged," the Turk leader replied, lightly, "It's nothing serious. Unless of course you ask Reno himself, in which case I'm sure he's going to be crippled for life."

Rude snorted derisively... but was out the door moments later.

* * *

"W-whoa, wait... Seriously? What the hell are you planning to do with that? Keep that away from me..."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Reno... we go through this every time you're in here. Now, be a good boy and hold still," a soft, lilting, and somewhat bemused, female voice chastised.

"Ow!"

"There now... that wasn't so awful, was it?"

"Fucking sadist."

Rude smirked as a tiny, gray-haired woman emerged from behind the privacy screen. It was a far cry from a fully-functional hospital, but the Shinra Building's medical suite had one thing that every other facility on the Plate lacked. Dr. Justinia Ward. Originally hailing from Mideel – and never having completely lost the accent in spite of her many years in Midgar – she had been a fixture there longer than anyone could remember.

She barely came to Rude's chest in height, and had an almost grandmotherly quality to her... if your grandmother happened to be a spry old woman who didn't take any lip. The woman had to have been in her 70s by now, but you certainly wouldn't have known it to see her in action. Being that she spent a pretty significant percentage of her time patching up the Turks' more minor injuries, she had to keep on her toes.

She was the only person aside from Tseng who could put Reno in his place with nothing more than a stern look... and quite possibly the only doctor in existence that Reno could grudgingly be forced to admit that he didn't entirely hate. In fact, Rude was certain that Reno was secretly quite fond of her.

"Watch that mouth of yours, young man, or no treat for yeh," she called back. The proclamation was met with an annoyed groan, but no further comment. Rude's grin widened. She was also the only person, aside, perhaps, from the president and Rufus Shinra, that could get away with threatening a Turk.

"Well, well... I hear you're the one responsible for that little troublemaker's present condition. Hmph... blood pressure through the roof, sleep deprived, wound tighter 'n long-tailed a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The poor thing..." she said, padding over to Rude, arms crossed over her chest, and he shrank back slightly, half expecting to get the sharp side of her tongue. She suddenly beamed at him, "Good on yeh. He'll be better off in the long run. You can have him back now... I'm all finished."

She patted him on the arm and walked to her desk near the back of the suite.

"Hey," Reno's voice pulled his gaze back around, and Rude found his partner peering around the screen at him.

"... Hey."

"So... I'm a total asshole."

"Yep."

"Yeah... ya didn't have to agree so quick, ya know," Reno said, somewhat sheepishly. A line of neat stitches ran parallel to his left eyebrow, and he looked paler than usual... though that probably had nothing to do with the injury.

"..."

Reno ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back out of his eyes. "Next time, just assume I'm an oblivious moron that needs shit explained like I'm five, okay? Save us both some trouble."

"... Yeah, okay," Rude replied, relieved to have things back to normal between the two of them, "You ready to get out of here?"

"Hell, no..." Reno replied, turning to glare at the elderly woman who was crossing the room towards the two men, "Doc still owes me a sucker. And not one of those crappy yellow ones, if she knows what's good for her."

"Mmmhmm... and what did I _just_ say 'bout watching your mouth," Dr. Ward asked, narrowing her eyes at the redhead. Rude snickered at the slightly devastated look that came over Reno's face as his mouth dropped open wordlessly. Dr. Ward smugly held a red sucker out to him, which Reno grabbed possessively before she could change her mind. "I'm only cutting yeh some slack this once because you've had a rough week, mind. Now get on outta here. Go on... Shoo."

"Don't need ta tell me twice," Reno replied, halfway out the door before she could finish the sentence, the candy already in his mouth.

"He's a sweet boy, really," Dr. Ward said quietly to Rude as he turned to follow, "Glad he's got someone looking out for him."

Rude nodded his thanks, and left, mentally picturing what Reno's reaction to being called a "sweet boy" would be, and shaking his head as he caught up to him.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said firmly. Reno just shrugged and stepped into the elevator.

"So... Phoenix Nest tonight. You're buyin'."

"Why am I buying?"

Reno rolled up the loose sleeve of his workout top and smirked. "Because if you're expectin' me to stick with this no smoking shit, I'm gonna be spending all my money on these fucking nicotine patches for the foreseeable future, that's why."

Rude was only too happy to agree.

~fin~


	14. Trouble in Paradise

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 14: Trouble in Paradise**

 **by Desha**

"I... I... said I was sorry!" Elena called after the quickly retreating figure of her colleague as he exited the elevator ahead of her. She hastened her steps to catch up to him, nearly having to jog to match his stride. "Reno? Reno, wait!"

Reno pushed open the door to the Turks office and made a beeline toward the Turk commander.

"I'm done, Tseng," he said, somewhat breathlessly, "For the love of all things holy, no more... I can't take it. At this rate 'Lena is gonna fucking kill us both, and take out half of Midgar in the process!"

The aforementioned rookie Turk slunk into view just beyond the doorway, looking dejected. She paused before entering, still somewhat furious with herself for making such an idiotic mistake. Tseng glanced from one to the other, taking in the scene before him.

"What happened?" he asked, concerned. Two weeks ago, Reno had practically begged to be the one to help Elena with her pilot's certification. Tseng suspected it was mostly because it got him out of several meetings and kept him away from the ever growing pile of paperwork he kept putting off. It seemed, however, that the rookie was proving more of a challenge than his young lieutenant had anticipated. There had been any number of... mishaps.

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened..." Reno began, looking slightly paler than usual. Elena visibly cringed. "Simple takeoff and landing. That's all I was havin' her work on, and what's she do? Throttles up, pitches us forward... straight into the goddamn communications antenna. Which is completely wrecked, by the way, so... ya know... you'll be hearin' from Heideggar at some point today about that."

With great effort, Tseng managed to suppress a groan. That was all he needed. Elena's cheeks reddened and she shuffled nervously from one foot to the other behind Reno.

"Oh, but that's not all," he added with a slightly incredulous laugh, "Helicopter took a pretty bad hit, too. Sheered off half a rotor blade, and I'm fairly sure the chuck that flew off is embedded in someone's apartment somewhere over in Sector 3. We barely made it back down in one piece... and we weren't even a hundred feet off the helipad! Seriously, boss... she's a menace!"

"Who's a menace?" a voice queried from the doorway. Rude strolled in, coffee in hand.

" 'Lena, that's who..." Reno replied, "I mean it, boss... I'm done. This is the fifth time in two weeks she's almost killed me up there. I'd kinda like to live to see my next birthday..."

"Hey..." Elena said, indignantly. It was one thing to point out how badly she'd screwed up – and she had to admit... she'd screwed up pretty epically this time – but _that_ was being just a little overly dramatic. It wasn't as if she'd done it intentionally. She just... needed more practice, that's all. But before she could inform her less-than-enthusiastic teacher of that, Tseng held up a hand, silencing them both.

"Fine... No one is forcing this on you, Reno. You volunteered, remember? I'm perfectly happy to take over Elena's flying lessons myself."

"Oh, thank god..." Reno sighed, flopping onto the couch in relief. "Hope your insurance is paid up, boss. You're takin' your life in your own hands going up with _her_ at the stick."

Elena glared at the redhead, but bit her tongue.

"But further lessons will have to wait," Tseng continued, ignoring Reno's commentary, "I need the two of you in Costa del Sol, immediately, if not sooner."

Reno perked up. "Costa del Sol, huh? Sweet..."

"It's not a vacation, Reno," Tseng said, seriously, "A Shinra junior executive has gone missing. Zedge Wymer. He works under Reeve Tuesti in Urban Planning... apparently he had a hand in designing the city's mako reactors, which, understandably, makes his disappearance fairly concerning."

"Are we thinkin' he _meant_ to disappear?" Reno asked, slipping into professional mode with practiced ease, the incident with the helicopter set aside for the moment. Elena, too, snapped to attention. Other than a handful of assignments to various guard details, she'd never been given a mission outside of Midgar before, let alone one that sounded so urgent... and more often than not, she was paired with Tseng, not Reno.

"Unknown. Reeve doesn't think so, for what it's worth. For now, assume he was taken against his will... but be open to other possibilities. Regardless, he is to be found. If he's still alive, he's to be brought back to Midgar by any means necessary. If not... attempt recovery. But if it comes down to a choice between one of you, or the body, the body isn't a priority."

"Yeah... duly noted. I take it you want us to keep things low key while we're there?"

"If at all possible, yes. If this is indeed a kidnapping, there's little sense in tipping off the kidnappers. And if not... Frankly, I'd rather not have to justify any significant public disturbances to Heidegger right not. It's never pleasant, and he's in a particularly bad mood this week, dealing with the weapons transfer from Junon. As I'm sure you've already surmised, that's why you're taking Elena," Tseng replied, "A couple on vacation would hardly draw attention in Costa del Sol."

"C-couple?" Elena said, blinking in surprise. She and Reno were going to be a couple? Well, that was certainly new.

"Aww... our little 'Lena's first undercover mission," Reno snickered, putting his arm around her shoulders, "Hey Rude! Take a picture for the scrapbook!"

Rude rolled his eyes, but obligingly pulled out his PHS, snapping a photo to humor his friend. Elena shoved Reno's arm aside, and glared at Rude.

"Don't encourage him," she said flatly.

"Enough joking around, Reno. I want you two en route within the hour," Tseng chastised, handing his second-in-command a folder containing the missing man's vital statistics and details of his stay in the resort town, before allowing himself a small smile, "And try not to traumatize Elena _too_ badly."

"Geez... take all the fun out of it why don't ya..." Reno quipped.

* * *

"Tch... travellin' with the cargo. Typical," a very unamused Reno drawled from one side of the cramped space. He and Elena had boarded a supply ship in Junon less than an hour ago. Being that their transport generally didn't carry passengers, the accommodations were a bit lackluster. The two Turks had simply been shoehorned into the cargo hold. " 'Course we coulda _flown_ to Costa del Sol... if _someone_ hadn't crashed the helicopter."

Elena looked up from where she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading through the file Tseng had given them. "Well, maybe if you were a better teacher, I wouldn't have crashed it," she said stubbornly. It wasn't really a fair criticism – Reno had actually been fairly patient with her up until she'd almost splattered them across Midgar – but frankly, she _knew_ she screwed up and she was tired of him harping on about it. He'd complained while they were leaving Midgar via train. He'd complained through the entire drive to Junon... and now he was apparently planning on complaining the entire trip on the boat, as well, and she wasn't having any more of it.

"I happen to be a great teacher, when the student actually listens to me. _You_ just keep tryin' to get ahead of yourself, and then ya panic when it doesn't do what ya want it to. And don't think Tseng's gonna go any easier on ya, rookie," he retorted, before smirking, "... Wanna know what he did to me the first time he took _me_ up for a lesson?"

"What?" she asked, genuinely curious. Reno's grin widened.

"Twelve hundred feet up, bastard shuts off the autopilot, hands control over to me, and leans back in his seat, hands behind his head... tells me it's all mine," he replied, "I had all of ten hours of flight time logged... all in the planet's shittiest simulator program and none of it solo... and suddenly I gotta deal with the very real possibility that I'm about to screw up and do something that gets me killed while Tseng just checks the fuck out."

"W-what happened?" Elena was staring at him somewhat wide-eyed.

"I froze up, that's what. For about fifteen seconds, I forgot everything I knew about flyin'."

"So what'd you do?"

"Very quickly came to the realization that if I fucked up, I wasn't the only one goin' down. Once it dawned on me that Tseng wasn't completely suicidal and was probably gonna stop me from doin' anything too stupid, I was more or less alright. But man... those fifteen seconds damn near gave me a heart attack."

"That's horrible!" she said, slightly aghast that Tseng would do something like that. It seemed almost sadistic.

"Yeah... well... to be fair, I was kind of a know-it-all little shit as a rookie." Reno leaned back against a large crate and let himself slide to the floor. "That particular lesson was more about trainin' me out of that mindset than it was teachin' me how to pilot a helicopter. Had a lot of those lessons, come to think of it. Thankfully, most of 'em were on the ground."

"Too bad none of them ever stuck," Elena teased. Reno snorted a laugh.

"You think I'm bad now? You'd've really _hated_ me back then." He smiled knowingly and laced his hands behind his head, reclining against the crates. "I don't even try 'n deny it anymore... I was a nightmare for Tseng when I was first promoted. I'm _kinda_ amazed he never just tossed me off the edge of the Plate. Had to've considered it a few times."

"He probably still does," she commented. Reno cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Two witty, sarcastic comments in a row, 'Lena? I must finally be startin' to rub off on ya," he said, looking somewhat pleased, "Anyway... we've got like five more hours to kill. Might as well start going over what we're gonna do when we get there."

"Erm... right. Rude has us booked at the same resort Wymer was staying at. Do we start with the staff?" To be honest, Elena was a lot more interested in hearing more about what made Reno such a "nightmare" when he was first starting out... but she shoved her curiosity aside for the moment. They did have a mission to prep for, after all.

Reno shook his head. "Don't wanna draw too much attention right out of the gate. Assuming he's still there at all, we might lose him for good if he, or whoever grabbed him, hears someone's looking for him. So we start by actin' like any other couple on vacation. Check out the area first... hell, maybe we'll even get lucky and find something that points us right to him. If not, _then_ we'll worry 'bout questioning witnesses."

Elena nodded. She'd never actually seen this side of Reno before. Usually, he went for the direct approach. Cautious and patient was more Rude's style. But then she'd never worked undercover before, either. The normal rules didn't necessarily apply, and she knew Reno was exceptionally good at adapting to the situation at hand.

"That bein' said... people are 'sposed to think we're a couple. That means you're gonna have to act the part," he added, "You up for that?"

"Absolutely!" she said, confidently. Reno gave her a smug look.

"Yeah? 'Kay then, from here on out, you're madly in love with me. Stand up..." he ordered, climbing to his feet. Elena quickly followed suit, not entirely sure where this was going. Reno closed the distance between them and before she even realized what he intended, she was in his arms, his soft lips pressing insistently against her own. Her eyes widened in shock, and she pushed him back.

"What the hell, Reno?!" she yelled. The redhead held up his hands in surrender as he took in her defensive posture. He really didn't feel like having to disarm her – or dodge an incoming punch – at the moment.

"Just provin' a point," he said, all business for once. His demeanor was so completely professional, Elena almost didn't recognize him for a moment. "You _can't_ react like that in front of people, no matter what I do. So... I'll ask ya again. You up for playing this part? 'Cause if not, I 'd rather know now."

"Y-yeah. Of course," she said... though with much less certainty than before. Reno's serious tone had thrown her off a bit.

"Heh... Relax, 'Lena," Reno said, his usual teasing nature returning, "It's not like I'm gonna be all over ya the whole time. You'll do fine. Just don't get over confident and forget your cover like ya did just now."

* * *

The supply ship arrived at port late due to a strong storm at sea. By the time it docked, the moon shown brightly in the sky and Elena was feeling decidedly queasy from the incessant rolling of the vessel over the waves. She'd never really been prone to motion sickness... but things hadn't stopped rocking for hours and her tolerance was nearing its end. Even Reno had been looking less than comfortable towards the end of the voyage. When she and Reno finally set foot on dry land again, she groaned in sheer relief. Reno eyed her for a moment.

"So... You hung– "

"I swear to Ifrit, Reno... If you say anything about eating right now, I'm going to kill you," she quickly cut him off. Elena had gotten to know Reno's warped sense of humor a little too well to let him finish that sentence.

Reno sniggered and adjusted the bag that hung from his shoulder. "Spoilsport. Fine, be that way. Let's get checked in. I think we could both use some sleep at this point. Huh... Wonder if we could get a waterbed...?"

Elena punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! Kidding! Just kidding..."

The hotel was a short walk up the beach, and between the fresh air and lack of constant back and forth movement, Elena was feeling considerably better by the time they arrived. Reno snaked an arm around her waist as they strolled into the lobby, and Elena had to purposefully remind herself to behave as if that were perfectly normal. Luckily, there weren't many people to witness her first attempt at acting... the lobby was empty save for the night clerk and two of the cleaning staff. Reno grinned at the clerk as they walked up to the counter.

"Good evening, sir. Checking in?"

"Yep," Reno replied, "Reservation's under Shairn."

"Oh yes... Mr. Shairn. A reservation for two, for the week," the clerk confirmed with the computer, and reached for a key from the board behind him, "Suite five, with a lovely view of the beach. If you'll wait a moment, I'll have someone show you to your room."

* * *

"Shairn?" Elena asked, curiously, once they were safely alone in their suite. Reno shook his head and chuckled.

"Rude's idea of a joke," he explained, kicking his shoes off and into a corner, "It's an anagram of Shinra. It's also a very obscure word for cow shit. Asshole thinks its funny. He's got a whole list of aliases like that, too... and some are actually _worse_." He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I don't think Tseng is wise to it yet, so... uh... don't mention it to him, okay? It's funny as hell when _he_ ends up with one of 'em."

Elena giggled as she pulled her favorite pale blue pajamas out of her bag and disappeared into the bathroom to change. She hadn't realized just how completely exhausted she was until now. She barely had the energy to brush her teeth and wash her face. At this point, all she really cared about was climbing into the nice soft bed and getting a decent night's sleep.

As she emerged from the bathroom, she found Reno stripped down to his boxers and grinning up at her like the Cheshire cat from the edge of the bed.

"You're not gonna believe this..."

"What?" she asked, suspiciously. Nothing good ever came from seeing Reno with that expression on his face.

He flopped onto his back, setting off a series of ripples across the mattress as it undulated his body up and down. "We really do get a waterbed! How fucking awesome is that?!"

Elena groaned and started giving serious consideration to sleeping on the floor.

"Reno, _please_ promise me that you're not going to spend all night recreating the trip from Junon for me... I-I don't think my stomach can take round two this soon."

"Would I do that?" he asked innocently as he stretched out on the bed, making himself comfortable on the far side.

"Yes." Of course he would... Reno would never pass up an opportunity like that. She glanced around the room. The was a perfectly comfortable-looking loveseat against the far wall. It might be a little cramped, but she could manage.

"Aw, don't be like that, 'Lena," Reno sighed, following her gaze, "I'll be good. Promise."

"Yeah? Well... I just hope you don't toss and turn in your sleep," she replied, as she shut off the lights and somewhat hesitantly climbed under the covers on the side opposite him.

Reno's voice reached her in the darkness. "Heh... Believe it or not, I hardly move a muscle when I'm asleep. It's kinda weird, actually. 'Sides... it's not like it's the first time you've spent the night with me. I seem to remember wakin' up next to you in a sleazy motel not so long ago. Sorta remember, anyway."

Elena groaned. "Don't remind me... I was seriously wondering for a solid ten minutes whether or not I'd ever be able to show my face in the office again. But we were both drugged that time. You could have been kicking me all night for all I know."

"We spent an entire week sleepin' less than two feet away from each other in a tent," he pointed out, "Only one who kept getting' woken up was me... mostly 'cause ya wouldn't shut up..."

"We were physically exhausted every night _and_ wrapped up in sleeping bags... you probably couldn't have moved if you'd wanted to... And what do you mean I wouldn't shut up?!"

"Exactly what I said... and apparently not much has changed," Reno replied in a smug tone, "Whatever. I'm too tired to debate this. If I start kickin' ya, you've got my permission to kick me back as hard as ya want. You stay on your side, I'll stay on mine, and we'll both promise not to rock the boat," he yawned, before adding teasingly, "Ya know... unless ya _want_ to come sleep on my side..."

"Yeah... in your wet dreams, Reno," Elena responded, rolling her eyes, and curling up against her pillow.

* * *

Elena woke to the sounds of surf on the beach and the calls of tropical birds. Sunlight had stirred her from sleep, but she was far too comfortable to so much as open her eyes just yet. Reno had kept his word... she hadn't felt so much as a ripple all night. She sighed contentedly and snuggled against her soft, warm pillow... and suddenly realized that, in addition to being soft and warm, her pillow also appeared to have a steady, even heartbeat and was breathing softly.

Her entire body went rigid and her eyes snapped open.

"Mornin' 'Lena..." Reno's voice drawled. She could practically _hear_ the smirk she was certain he was wearing as she realized that she was laying with her head pillowed on his bare chest, her arms wrapped around his torso. Elena bolted upright, sending off a series of waves across the bed. Judging by the look on Reno's face, he was desperately trying not to laugh. She opened her mouth to reply, but had no words.

"Sleep well?" Reno asked with feigned innocence, and this time she definitely heard a barely repressed snicker. She leaned back, nearly falling over on the wobbly surface of the waterbed, and struggling to right herself again.

"Sooooo... _what_ were you sayin' last night about wet dreams?"

"Oh, just shut up, Reno..." she said at last, setting off peals of laughter from her bedmate. She glared at him, waiting for him to sober a bit, before continuing, "How long have you been awake, anyway? You couldn't have just... nudged me back over?"

"And miss out on this? No way," he replied, between giggles, "I've been waitin' two hours for you to wake up just so I could do that..."

"Ugh... Reno, you're completely demented." Two hours, just laying there, waiting for her to realize what she was doing. Seriously... who _did_ that?

"Hey, I _stayed_ on my side of the bed, just like I said I would. You're the one who couldn't keep her hands to herself... so I figure I'm well within my rights to mock you for it," Reno said, grinning maniacally. Elena pushed herself away from him and awkwardly made her way across the bed – she'd be damned if she was going to give him the satisfaction of laughing at her as she climbed over him to get up just because it was the shorter of the two routes.

Reno watched her, bemused, as she finally managed to get her feet back on solid ground. "Ya know, 'Lena... If you're tryin' ta steal my reputation as Shinra's resident pervert, I'm gonna have to fight ya for it. Been workin' on that for years and I'm not just givin' it up. Guess I should give ya props for takin' our cover story so seriously, though..." he commented light-heartedly, which earned him a slightly murderous look from his fellow Turk. Reno sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah... I know. _Shut up, Reno._ "

"Are you finished, yet?"

"For now," he grinned, "Look, get dressed, alright? Much as I'd love to stay here and let you grope me some more, we've got a junior executive to find."

"I was _not_ groping you," Elena hissed vehemently. She grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

They strolled near the water's edge, unhurriedly making their way north up the shore. Reno was dressed in cut-offs and a well-worn band t-shirt for some group Elena had never heard of called Petrified Zolom. She was wearing a pale green two-piece bathing suit, with a flower print sarong tied about her waist and a sheer white top. All in all, they looked no different from any of the other beach-goers out that morning.

"Where are we going?" she asked, as Reno escorted her along the beach, his arm holding her casually against his side, hand resting lightly on her hip. It really was a strange thing to get used to, having Reno acting so overly-friendly without it being either a tease to get on her nerves or an attempt to embarrass her. He managed it like it was nothing at all... though to be fair, he probably hadn't thought twice about it. Invading someone's personal space never seemed to concern him too much.

She wasn't really expecting him to answer her... there were tons of people on the beach already this morning, and any one of them could overhear their conversation if they weren't careful. Reno suddenly leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek before whispering so softly she almost didn't catch it, "Wymer's room." She was quite proud of the fact that her only reaction was a slightly surprised blink... well, that, and feeling decidedly weirded out at being kissed again.

Wymer's room was a small bungalow at the far end of the resort. The crowds were sparser here, and the two Turks used that to their advantage, slipping unseen into the shadow of the covered deck that surrounded the little building.

"Lose the shirt." Reno ordered.

"W-what?" The redhead smirked and gestured to her top.

"Time to put that bikini you're wearin' under it to good use. You're on sentry duty. Ditch the shirt and lay out in one of those deck chairs. Look like you're enjoyin' yourself. Wymer's still registered at the resort... so if anyone asks, he invited you to hang out here. I'm gonna go take a look inside."

Elena nodded and pulled the loose-fitting coverup over her head, then settled into one of the lounge chairs, leaning back against the woven surface. She set her beach bag within easy reach... if she needed it, her gun was right next to the bottle of sunscreen. Elena tipped her sunglasses down over her eyes, and dutifully began scanning the beach for anyone who might be paying too much attention to Wymer's lodgings.

Reno, meanwhile, made short work of the locked door and slid silently into the bungalow.

Nothing immediately struck him as out of the ordinary. No signs of a struggle, no indications the room had been searched previously. Wymer's clothes were unpacked into the closet and a chest of drawers on one wall. Reno rifled through the drawers and came up empty, then turned to the closet. Aside from a somewhat disturbing abundance of garish, tropical-themed shirts, there was nothing untoward there, either.

There was, however, a small safe in the closet. The LCD display panel on the front read "Locked". He grimaced... electronic locks were always a bitch to circumvent. He was much better with the mechanical ones. It looked like the same model he'd found in their own suite... which meant it had a five digit combination, chosen by the user. Maybe he wouldn't have to circumvent it at all. Reno started trying numbers from Wymer's file.

Wymer's date of birth was no good. Neither was his employee ID number. Also a no on his Shinra Building security code and his office number. Wife's date of birth? No. Anniversary? No. Office extension? No. He was quickly running out of numbers. Finally, in a moment of sheer frustration, he punched in 1-2-3-4-5. The display switched to "Open" with a soft electronic ping.

"Oh, goddammit... You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered. The stupidity of some people never ceased to amaze him. He wrenched open the little door and helped himself to the contents of the safe.

A pretty substantial stack of cash, Wymer's company-issue PHS, a return ticket to Junon via Del Sol Cruises, and the man's wedding ring were among the relatively innocuous items inside. Of primary interest to Reno, however, was a bundle of receipts. He flipped through the pile. Apparently, Wymer had a taste for expensive food and even more expensive liquor. A rough count of eight days worth of restaurant and bar checks, and various other purchases, gave Reno a total of nearly 400,000 gil.

"Awfully pricey for someone who's supposedly vacationing alone," Reno murmured to himself. The last receipt in the pile was dated four days ago... the day before he'd disappeared. It was for a sailing trip to Playa Roja Island the morning after.

"Guess I know where we're headin' next..." He tucked the receipt into a pocket and returned the other items to the safe, re-locking it. Time to collect Elena and get out of there.

"Look, I said I'm not interested! I'm already here with someone," Elena's voice, muffled through the door, called out.

"Crap..." She'd been noticed. Not a problem in and of itself, but if she was making sure Reno could hear the conversation, obviously she was having some trouble getting rid of them without drawing attention. He pressed himself against the wall next to the window and peered out through a crack in the blinds.

There were two of them... over-muscled idiots, by the look of them, but persistent. One of the men had Elena by the wrist and was trying to coax her out of the chair. He was half-tempted to let them find out first-hand just what happened to morons who were stupid enough to harass the rookie Turk. It was a lesson they wouldn't soon forget. On the other hand, a blond chick in a bikini kicking the asses of two very large men wasn't exactly subtle... even if it would have been extremely entertaining.

Reno slipped out the back door and walked around the deck to where he'd left Elena.

"Ya mind takin' your hands off my girl?" he drawled, glaring at the two men. They turned to face him.

"Get a load of this guy, Race" one of them snickered, "Thinks he's gonna come to the rescue..."

The other one, who still had a hold of Elena's arm, looked down at her. "This skinny twerp is your boyfriend? Gimme a break. Hey, Rocca... snap that little twig in half and we can show Gorgeous here what a real man is..." He pulled Elena bodily out of the chair, and held her with her back against his chest, "Just watch this, babe..."

Reno subtly gestured for Elena to stay where she was. "Now _that_ is no way to treat a lady... I said, hands off." He'd been hoping they'd just fuck off without a fight... but knew better than to count on it. Sure enough, the closer of the two took a swing at him... which, to be fair, had it actually connected, probably would've hurt like hell. But big almost always meant slow... and Reno was anything but slow himself. He dodged left, and punched the guy in the throat. Idiot Number One went down like a sack of bricks, gasping and gagging.

"Last chance..." he said, pointedly, to the one who was holding Elena.

"You little shit!" he growled, and shoved Elena to one side before charging straight at him. Reno smirked. This was way too easy. He grabbed a handful of sand and sent it flying straight into man's face, then ducked out of the way just in time for his blinded opponent's momentum to carry him head first into the palm tree behind the Turk. Idiot Number Two collided with a loud _crack_ – Reno wasn't sure if it had come from the man's skull or the tree trunk – and dropped to the ground, moaning and clutching his head.

"Heh... Didn't even break a sweat," he said, strolling back towards Elena, "You alright?" A crowd had started to gather. He pulled her into his arms. "Act upset," he murmured. Elena obligingly nestled herself against his chest and even managed to work up a few tears, as Reno guided her past the onlookers.

* * *

Safely back in their suite, two the Turks could finally drop the act.

"So seriously... you alright?" Reno asked.

"Of course I am," Elena replied, a little defensively, from her position by the sliding glass doors that looked out over the beach, "I could've handled them, you know. I just didn't want to do something that might give us away."

Reno leaned back in the love seat, and waved a hand dismissively. "Figured as much," he replied, "Just checkin'. I actually thought about just lettin' you beat the crap outta them."

"You... did?" She was a little surprised by that.

"Tch... Come on, 'Lena. I give ya a lot of shit for bein' the rookie, but I know you're no pushover. You'd've wiped the floor with those two asshats, with or without my help."

"Well... Yeah. I would have. Just so long as you know that," she said, grateful for the rare compliment, "So did you find anything in Wymer's room?"

"As a matter of fact," Reno said, grinning, "I did. Guy was spendin' gil like there's no tomorrow. _Way_ too much for it to have been just on himself, too. Mostly cash, and there was more cash in his room. Wymer didn't want Shinra, or anyone else, trackin' his spending. Also found his wedding ring tucked away in the room safe... Now, I don't know about you, but that practically screams 'I'm plannin' on fuckin' someone who's not my wife' to me. And then there's this," He pulled the receipt out of his pocket. "Looks like our missing junior executive took a little day trip and never came back. Again... paid cash, so it didn't show up when Rude checked his credit cards."

Elena took the receipt from Reno. "Playa Roja Island? Where's that?"

"Southeast, I think. Thought about goin' last time I was here on an actual vacation. Hooked up with a cute blond from Mideel who wanted to check it out, but we kinda got distracted with other... activities." He smiled lecherously at the memory, leaving Elena with little doubt as to what those 'activities' may have been. "It's 'sposed to be real secluded 'cause you can only get out there by private sailboat. Which I guess means we're goin' sailing..."

Reno leafed through the stack of brochures the resort had helpfully left in on the small table next to the loveseat until he found one for Playa Roja. He tossed it over to Elena, "Here... you get us a boat. I'll get us some lunch. I'm starved."

* * *

"Are... we sure this thing's safe?" Elena asked, eying the tiny vessel uncertainly. There was hardly anything to it. Two narrow pontoons with a length of thick netting stretched between them, and a tall mast for the sail.

"Absolutely!" The owner of the tour service said, clapping her on the back, and nearly knocking her off the dock in his enthusiasm. "I'll have you two out to Playa Roja in no time."

"What's up, 'Lena?" Reno asked as the man headed back toward the little boathouse to take care of a few last minute preparations. Something was off with the rookie. She actually looked... nervous. And he had no idea why.

"Umm... Now might not be the best time to mention this, but... I don't swim so well."

Reno blinked. "What are you talkin' about? I've _seen_ you swim. It's part of our standard workout routine."

"I didn't say I _can't_ swim... I'm just not a very _strong_ swimmer. I'm okay in a pool, where I can touch the bottom, but..." She glanced out at the wide expanse of ocean and shuddered.

"Well, lucky we're gettin' on a boat and not swimmin' to Playa Roja, then," he replied... which didn't seem to ease her concern at all. Reno draped an arm over her shoulders and grinned, "Want me to tie ya to the mast so ya can't fall in?" Elena looked slightly horrified at that suggestion.

"Everything okay?" the man from the tour service asked as he returned, life jackets in hand.

"Ah, she just gets a little nervous around water is all," Reno said smoothly, "She'll be fine." Elena forced a smile and nodded.

"Well, alright, then." He handed the vests to the two Turks, "Put these on, and hop aboard!"

"You'll be fine," Reno repeated softly, for her ears only, snapping the closures of his life vest into place, "Just don't fall off the boat. Simple as that."

"Really not helping, Reno," she whispered back, and stepped aboard the little sailboat. They cast off, and moments later were flying over the waves at a speed Elena'd had no idea a wind-driven craft was even capable of. If she hadn't been surrounded on all sides by sapphire blue, watery death, she might have even enjoyed it. They turned slightly, angling towards a distance speck of land, and as they did so, the boat began to tilt, one pontoon rising out of the water. Elena gripped the little railing that ran along its length with one hand, her knuckles turning white, dead certain they were about to capsize... but as they began to straighten out, it lowered itself back the the ocean's surface, leveling out. Elena let out the breath she'd been holding, and suddenly realized that while her life had been preparing to flash before her eyes, Reno had found her free hand and taken hold of it.

Elena looked back at him, and he shrugged lazily. She relaxed a little, feeling better knowing that Reno had a hold of her.

All in all, it was a short trip. Barely ten minutes had passed since they'd left the mainland, and now their pace had slowed, and they were gliding through the shallows that surrounded the island.

"If you look down," the captain of the little craft said, "You'll see why we have to bring people out on these little boats instead of the big ferry that goes to some of the larger islands."

Elena shifted her gaze down into the water. Beneath the surface... just _barely_ beneath the surface, she was surprised to note... were huge coral reefs.

"Those reefs are less than three feet down in some places. Gotta have a boat with a real shallow draft to get over them," he continued, "These little cats ride barely four inches below the surface... rudders only go down about two feet and can flip up if they hit something harder than water. Lets us skim right over the coral."

They drew nearer to shore, and the boat slid right up onto the beach. A handful of similar crafts were likewise beached along the shore, and a few men and woman, probably the owners of the boats, milled around talking. One group was playing cards. "Here ya go... Welcome to Playa Roja!" the captain said with a wide smile, accepting the life jackets back from the two Turks, "When you're ready to head back just pop back down here... I'll be waiting!"

"See ya then," Reno said with wave, as he started up the beach, Elena in tow.

"Told ya you'd be fine," he said, when they were out of earshot, not waiting for a response before adding, "Now... where to start..."

Grateful that apparently no merciless teasing about her white-knuckled boat ride was forthcoming, Elena dug the brochure for the island out of her bag. "There's a lighthouse on the east side of the island. And the Red Beach is on the north. And then there's all the cheesy, touristy stuff... Lover's Cove, the wishing rock, the singing caves, the Lovers' Graves, Dead Man's Drop, the tidal pools..."

"Huh... What's closest?" he asked.

"Um... Looks like the singing caves," said Elena, studying the little map on the back of the brochure.

"Good a place as any, I guess. Lead the way."

Elena started up the path that had plainly been intentionally cut and continuously maintained. A wooden sign at a crossroads directed visitors toward several of the locations named on the map. The two Turks followed the arrow that pointed out the singing caves. The island itself was beautiful. It was cool and quiet under the palm and citrus trees, and the breeze from the ocean brought with it the faint smell of salt spray even as they lost sight of the beach.

"Lot nicer than the last island I was stuck on with you," Reno commented, smirking. Elena laughed.

"Especially since you're not lugging fifty pounds of camping supplies, you mean?"

"That certainly doesn't hurt," he agreed, "That must be it up ahead."

The trail lead down to another beach. To one side was a tall limestone cliff, mottled with water-carved caves that looked like long vertical slits in the rock. As the wind blew in from the ocean, a soft, musical moaning could be heard from the openings in the cliff face. Any footprints that might have been left in the sand had long since been washed away by the tides... in fact it was unlikely they'd find much of anything on the beach itself. Reno headed straight for the caves instead, Elena a step behind him.

"So? Which one feels lucky?" he asked. Elena debated a moment, then started toward the one that seemed the easiest to reach. Scrabbling a short way up the rocky base, she poked her head into the opening.

"It really opens up in here..." she called back to Reno, "I think it goes back a ways." Before Reno could tell her to stop, she was squeezing herself through the narrow gap.

"Fuck! 'Lena, hold up!" he said, eyes widening, but she'd already disappeared. What the hell was she thinking just charging in there like that? They had no idea what might be back there, and he had no way to cover her. Reno hurried to follow her through. It was a tight squeeze, even for him, but thankfully a short one. Elena was right... the cave opened up after about four feet into a huge chamber. Light filtered down from similar openings to the outside higher up the wall. Reno pushed his way into the chamber, eyes scanning for his errant partner, finally locating her near the far wall crouching by a rock formation. Thankfully, she was alone.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?! You _know_ better than to just go running into unsecured areas! For fuck's sake, 'Lena, what the hell –"

Elena held up a waterlogged wallet. "Guess who's..."

"... Don't run off like that again," Reno snapped, taking the wallet and flipping it open. Sure enough, the ID inside belonged to their search objective. No credit cards, no cash. He doubted it had been quite so empty when Wymer had left the mainland. That didn't bode well. He glanced around the cave. There really wasn't much to it – just an open void in the rock. No additional passages leading farther back... no openings to the opposite side of the cliff. Just rock, rock, and more rock. In other words, a dead end.

"Well, at least we know he was here," he sighed, before rounding on Elena, "As for you..."

"I know! I-I know..." Elena replied, sheepishly, "That was a really dumb thing to do. It won't happen again."

Reno narrowed his eyes at her. "It had better not. If I have to go back to Midgar and explain to Tseng how I managed to get you killed, I'm gonna be beyond pissed at you."

"I... wait... what?"

The corners or Reno's mouth curved upwards into a smirk. "Takin' care of rookies is my responsibility as second, remember? You die, Tseng's blamin' me for it."

Elena rolled her eyes. Sometimes Reno really was the most self-centered person she knew. But before she could tell him so, he continued. "And don't think for a minute I wouldn't blame myself, too. Come on... we still got a lot of ground to cover." He tucked the discarded wallet into Elena's bag and strode back towards the opening they'd entered from, squeezing himself into the narrow space a second time. Sometimes, he really was the most self-centered person she knew. And other times...

Elena hurried to follow him.

"Alright... pop quiz, rookie. What do we know?" he asked as they emerged onto the empty beach.

"He almost certainly wasn't here alone."

"And we know that because... ?"

"His wallet was cleaned out. Someone did that. Plus like you said... the guy was probably cheating on his wife." She held up the brochure. "All the advertising for Playa Roja is geared toward couples."

"Anything else?"

"He had to have left the island. The boats obviously stay until their passengers come back to the beach. If he'd just vanished, whoever brought him would have noticed."

"That it?"

Elena thought for a moment, but she couldn't come up with much of anything else from the scant information they'd found. She nodded.

"Eh... B-plus. Might be willing to up that to an A-minus if you can tell me why he might still be here," Reno teased.

"I... um..."

"Come on... it's a really obvious answer. I'll even give ya a hint. How many boats were down on the beach when we got here?"

"I... didn't count," Elena admitted, suddenly wishing she'd been more observant.

"There were nine, not counting the one we came on. Don't supposed you noticed how many people there were?" Elena shook her head.

"Aw, 'Lena... ya _gotta_ start payin' more attention. Seven. Again, not counting us or our tour guide. Which means either it's not unusual for those guys to just fuck off somewhere while they wait, in which case it'd be awfully easy to make a passenger or two vanish with no one noticing, or some people sail out here on their own, in which case they wouldn't be missed right away if they didn't come back."

"So you think he's dead, then."

"I think it's more likely than not. The guy's been livin' the high life for more than a week. Goes missin' four days ago, wallet's here and cleaned out of everything valuable, and he hasn't been back to his room in all that time? Nah... he never left this island. I'd bet on it. Question is, where's the body?" Reno folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. "Didn't you say something about a grave earlier?"

"Umm..." Elena pulled the brochure out again, scanning it, "Oh... Yeah, the Lovers' Graves. They're not actual graves though. It says it just a memorial garden."

"Might still be worth checkin' out," said Reno, "Best place to hide somethin' is usually in plain sight. Ya wanna hide a body, why not put it in a grave?"

* * *

"Well... That's creepy as fuck."

The Lovers' Graves stood before them, a large patch of land sheltered by tall palms and hibiscus. At the center stood an imposing marble statue that Reno supposed was the titular "lovers" the garden memorialized... it depicted a man and a woman, arm in arm, leaping from a cliff into the sea below. All around the statue were little towers of stacked flat stones that seemed to have been placed without any sort of rhyme or reason.

Elena was reading the plaque mounted at the base of the statue. "Ok, I'll bite. What's with the rocks?" Reno asked.

"They're memorials to the Lovers left by visitors to the island. You're supposed to collect the rocks at Lovers' Cove, and then bring them here, and you'll be with the person you love forever."

"Tch... I think I'll take my chances without the help of some idiots that were so 'in love' they jumped off a fuckin' cliff, thanks. Not really the kind of relationship I'm lookin' for." Reno commented as he looked around.

"The only kind of relationship you're interested in is one that's over the next morning," she needled him. Elena just couldn't help herself. She'd been dying to say it for months, and the words were on their way out before her internal filter ever had a chance to engage. She immediately cringed, desperately hoping that wasn't crossing a line. Reno rarely seemed to take insult to much of anything, but that really had been a whole other level of personally judgmental.

"And what's wrong with that?" he said, grinning almost as if he were impressed she'd had the nerve to call him out on it, "Least I'm upfront about it. I've never strung anyone along, and I do _try_ not to be a total jerk..."

"You do know that word around the company is you've supposedly slept with every woman in Shinra, don't you? And possibly some of the prettier guys, depending on who you ask," she countered... after breathing a little sigh of relief at not getting herself into trouble with her comment. She studied a few of the stone piles. Most seemed to be made up of five flat rocks, stacked from largest to smallest.

"Hey, now... I do have _some_ standards. I'll have you know that I have _never_ slept with Scarlet." Reno replied, an expression of indignation and mock-horror on his face for a moment before the grin returned.

Elena rolled her eyes, and laughed softly. She wasn't sure she'd ever be completely used to just how open Reno could be about some things, but it certainly bothered her far less now than it did when she was first promoted.

"Eh... Truth is I'm not nearly as big a man-whore as most people seem to think I am. Not sayin' I don't get around, but... yeah... the rumors are a little exaggerated."

Reno turned his attention back to the garden. Something towards the back had caught his eye and he wove his way past the little towers to get a closer look. The earth there had been disturbed... recently, too. It had been fairly well camouflaged, but the tell-tale signs of digging were there. A stack of rocks sat on top of the spot.

"Hey 'Lena... Might wanna take a look at this."

Back to business. Elena hurried to where Reno was now crouching, careful not to disturb any of the stone piles on her way. "Is... that what I think it is?"

"Only one way to find out," Reno replied with a shrug. He moved the rocks aside, save for a long flat piece of stone that he used to dig into the soft dirt. He didn't have to dig far; he was barely a foot down when he hit something. Frowning, he set the stone aside, and used his hands instead, moving aside more and more earth until the object came into view.

"Yep... that's a shallow grave alright." A human hand was now plainly visible in the hole he'd created. "Gimme a hand, will ya, 'Lena? Uh... no pun intended."

Between the two of them, they quickly cleared the loose soil away from enough of the body that they could see its face.

"Wymer," Reno grimly confirmed. Elena swallowed harshly. Somehow a four day old corpse was far worse than the more recently deceased bodies she'd dealt with – and in some cases had been responsible for – up until now. The skin had taken on a grayish tinge, and the eyes stared lifelessly ahead, the pupils having gone a murky white. Reno reached down and turned the dead man's head to one side, revealing the obvious cause of death. The left side of his skull was caved in, the wound swarming with writhing maggots.

Elena took an involuntary step back, feeling dizzy and more than a little nauseated, gritting her teeth and willing herself not to be sick. She was a Turk, dammit! This shouldn't phase her...

"Well, now the only question is who put him..." Reno started, slowly turning back to look at her as he spoke, cutting himself off when he caught sight of her, "Ah, hell..."

The redhead rose smoothly from his crouched position and seized her by the shoulders, steering her towards one of the stone benches that lined the periphery of the memorial garden. "Sit," he ordered, and she unquestioningly did as she was told. "Head between your knees," he said, sitting down beside her and putting light pressure between her shoulders to nudge her into the position, "Breathe."

"I... I'm... f-fine... I just..."

"Don't talk. Breathe," Reno said, firmly, and Elena felt his hand gently rubbing up and down her spine in time with the breaths she found herself taking, "That's it..." She relaxed a little as the dizziness began to subside and her stomach gradually settled. Elena stayed like that for a few more minutes, until she was sure she had control of herself again, before slowly sitting up. Reno's hand dropped away.

"Sorry... Probably shoulda warned you that wasn't gonna be pretty."

Elena couldn't quite meet his eye. "I knew it would be bad... I just..." She looked back down at the ground. She'd never thought she'd _ever_ react like that to any of the darker parts of her job. The fact that she had left her feeling inadequate and utterly ashamed.

"Don't let it get to ya... Least you didn't puke," Reno replied. Elena snorted derisively. She was pretty sure the only reason she hadn't was because of him.

"What kind of Turk gets sick over seeing a corpse?" she said, her tone self-deprecating, as she shook her head in disbelief at her own weakness.

Reno suddenly laughed. "A corpse that's probably been in the ground the better part of four days? Uh... me, for one." Elena looked up at him, staring at him incredulously. He shrugged. "First time I had to help dig someone up, you better believe I lost my lunch. Tseng's shoes were never quite the same after that... You get used to it eventually."

Elena was speechless for a moment, before finally managing, "You... puked on _Tseng_?"

"Yeah... and please don't ever remind him of that. Remember me sayin' how I was amazed he never threw me off the Plate as a rookie? I think that may have been one of the times he came close to actually doin' it..." Reno said, looking a little embarrassed, "Stay here... I'll finish up."

Reno was acutely aware of Elena's eyes on him as he settled into the grim task of exhuming the rest of Wymer's body, and going over it for anything that might tell them where to start looking for his killer. He knew he really wasn't doing her any favors letting her sit this one out – she'd have to get over the initial squeamishness at some point – but he just didn't have the heart to force it on her this time around. He remembered that feeling a little too well. 'Next time', he promised himself.

Unfortunately, he came up empty. Wymer's pockets had been turned out, anything useful long gone. There was nothing buried with him... not even whatever had been used to kill him. He scowled in frustration and stood up, brushing the worst of the grime his hands had accumulated off on his shorts. Tseng would be disappointed if all they came back with was a body. Reno wasn't particularly happy about it himself. Finally he came to a decision.

"Hey, 'Lena," he called, "I'm gonna cover him back up and then we're headin' back to the mainland."

"We're not taking him with us?" Elena asked, "Tseng said we should recover the body if we could..."

"We know where he is, and unless the zombie apocalypse hits in the next few days, I really don't think he's gonna walk out on us..." replied Reno, turning to her with a smirk, "We can't exactly haul him back on the boat we came in on, anyway. Kinda hard to maintain a cover story when you're draggin' along a dead guy, and Tseng's gonna want to know who did this, so we're not done here. Don't worry... Wymer'll be just as dead when we come back for him..."

Reno turned back to the open grave and began undoing the past twenty minutes of work. Moments after he started, Elena joined him. He glanced up at her, questioningly.

"I have to get used to it some time, right?" she said shakily. Reno nodded. 'Good for you...' he thought, impressed. They worked in silence for a time, returning the grave site to its original condition. By the time they were done, both Turks were tired, sweaty, and filthy.

"The first thing I'm doing when I get back to our room is taking the longest bath in history..." Elena looked down at the dirt encrusted on her skin and clothes and sighed.

"Yeah? Well, in that case, I get to go first. All I want is five minutes under a very hot shower," said Reno as they made their way up the trail.

The return trip was uneventful. As promised, their captain was waiting for them on the beach, amusing himself with a friendly game of poker against some of the other tour boat owners. Several of the others had already left. Boarding the boat, Elena found she was too distracted with thoughts of finding Wymer's murderer to be concerned about a watery death this time around. Where would they even start? They had nothing left to go on.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the mainland. Bidding their tour boat captain goodbye, they made their way back to their suite.

"Oh, thank god... I can't wait to get clean again," Elena sighed as she walked through the door, only to have Reno push past her casting her a smug look.

"Gonna have to... I already called first dibs," Reno replied, stripping his shirt over his head as he walked and tossing it on the floor on his way toward the bathroom. The rest of his clothes quickly followed, leaving a trail leading to the shower.

"How about a little common decency, at least?" she called after him, groaning as she caught sight of a little more than she really wanted to.

"Don't have any!" he responded cheerfully, closing the door behind him. Elena rolled her eyes, and picked up the trail of discarded clothes, tossing them into a pile next to Reno's bag. She heard water running, and sat down on the loveseat to wait for her turn. Apparently Reno had been serious when he'd said all he wanted was five minutes... it couldn't have been much longer than that before the taps shut off again. He emerged a minute or two later, damp hair lying loose down his back, and, much to her relief, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"All yours."

* * *

Elena sighed contentedly as she stepped out of the bathroom more than forty minutes later. There really was nothing better than a nice long soak in a warm bath. She would have stayed in even longer if she hadn't suddenly realized how hungry she was. And if she was that hungry, Reno had to be starving by now, given his usual penchant for eating everything in sight. Neither of them had eaten anything since before they're left for Playa Roja.

To her surprise, she found him dressed, but curled up and dozing on the bed. Elena reached out, intending to lightly shake him by the shoulder. Reno jerked awake the moment she touched him, his entire body tensing and almost immediately untensing as he realized who'd woken him. It was so sudden, Elena jumped a little herself. She knew he was a light sleeper, but... wow.

"Fuck, 'Lena... I was startin' to wonder if you'd drowned or somethin'..." he teased, stretching and sitting up.

"Tired?" she asked. She was kind of beat herself, but not to the point she was falling asleep quite yet.

"Nah... just starved. Easier to ignore it if ya let yourself nod off for awhile," the redhead answered. She tried not to think too hard about the implications of that... and failed spectacularly as she started wondering how many times he'd had to have gone to sleep hungry in the slums as a child for it to be second nature now. "Didn't think you actually meant it when you said you were takin' the longest bath in history," he added, chuckling.

"Sorry..." That had actually been incredibly inconsiderate of her. A part of her wondered why Reno hadn't just headed out in search of food on his own.

Reno shrugged. "No big deal. But seriously, I really am dyin' of hunger here. Dinner?"

* * *

"Are you planning on eating any actual food? Or just the bread?" Elena asked. Reno had already devoured the equivalent of about half a loaf while waiting for their orders. He made a point to swallow before answering.

"Believe me, 'Lena... I'm gonna eat the food, too," he said with a laugh, reaching for his drink. She'd been a little surprised by his choice. The restaurant had a fully stocked bar, but there wasn't a drop of alcohol in what Reno had ordered. She must have been looking at him funny, because a moment later he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

"I've just never seen you... not drink... given the opportunity." Even she had opted to go with a Cosmo Candle tonight, and normally she avoided cocktails, since she never knew how strong they'd end up being.

"Oh, that..." he offhandedly replied, dropping his voice so as not to be overheard, "I don't drink on missions. Ya know... unless there's a legit reason for it."

Elena's jaw dropped. "R-really?" Now, there was something she would never have expected to hear from Reno. She glanced guiltily at her Cosmo Candle, wondering if it had been unprofessional that she'd ordered it. He snickered, apparently following her train of thought.

"Personal rule... Don't deny yourself on my account." He stuffed another slice of bread, slathered in butter, into his mouth, and Elena honestly wondered if he'd simply swallowed it whole, because moments later he was talking again. "But you get yourself wasted, I'm writin' you up," he teased, "We're still technically on duty, after all."

At that moment, their server arrived with their food, setting the plates in front of them with a flourish. Reno dove in immediately. He was nearly halfway through the crab and pasta dish before picking up the conversation again.

"Soon as we're done here, we're headin' back to Wymer's bungalow," Reno said in a low voice between bites.

"You think you missed something?"

"Not really... but it never hurts to double check. And we kinda don't have any other leads at the moment."

* * *

The night was absolutely beautiful. The gentle sounds of a steel drum band echoed up the coast from a show that was going on near the shore to the south. The heat and humidity of the day had been usurped by a cool off-shore breeze, and the sky was clear and dotted with thousands of stars, the moon a narrow sliver among them. It was the perfect night for a romantic walk on the beach... or, in the case of two very determined Turks, for a clandestine visit to a murder victim's hotel room.

As they approached, Elena could see something wasn't right. Apparently Reno had noticed, as well, because she heard him swear under his breath, and a moment later, his mag-rod was in his hand, held low and ready to strike if necessary. Elena followed suit, drawing her gun, but keeping it to her side, out of sight should anyone happen to see them from a distance.

"Looks like someone beat us to it," he commented softly. The door to the little building stood ajar, and a faint light could be seen through the narrow opening. A faint light that seemed to be moving around the room. "Take the front. I'll take the back. Wait for me, and watch yourself."

Reno split away from her, and she lost sight of him as he rounded the bungalow. Meanwhile, Elena carefully approached the front door. She pressed her back to the wall and cautiously peered around the edge of the doorframe. She could just make out the silhouette of a single person in the room... at least she thought it was a single person. Much of her view was limited by her position, as she stood, tense, waiting for Reno to make the first move.

Unfortunately, that move never came. Instead, Elena heard sharp cry, that sounded suspiciously like Reno's voice, followed by a thud. Her stomach twisted in concern and her pulse quickened. That couldn't be good...

"Oh, what now..." a woman's voice, obviously aggravated, muttered from inside. No one answered her... she seemed to be talking to herself. If she was alone, Elena could take her safely without worrying about being ambushed... and if Reno was in trouble, having some leverage could only be a good thing. She took a deep breath and kicked the door open.

"Hold it!" she intoned, gun aimed at the head of the woman who now stood directly across from her. She was tall and slender, with an air of the exotic about her... Long black hair fell to her waist, and her pale blue eyes were narrowed coldly at the Turk currently holding a gun on her.

"And just who are you?" she said in a dangerous voice, raising her hands.

"Step away from the door," Elena replied. The woman smiled nastily, and complied... and the moment she did, the door at the back of the bungalow opened. Elena's eyes widened.

"Well, now... what have we here?" Reno hung limply in the grasp of two men, out cold. Even in the dim light, she recognized them. They were the ones she and Reno had dealt with the last time they were here.

"Drop the gun," the woman said smoothly, "Or Race here is going to snap your friend's neck."

One of the pair smiled maliciously and wrapped an arm around Reno's neck, tightening his grip until the Turk made a quiet choking sound. Elena hesitated... she was hardly defenseless unarmed, but she _was_ outnumbered. Her gun evened the odds considerably. On the other hand, it took less than a second to break someone's neck, and by the look in the man's eye, he was pretty eager to do it. She could take him out first, but that meant taking her eyes, and her aim, off the woman, who may or may not be armed herself. She sighed realizing that there was really only one thing she could do without putting them both at risk.

Elena took her finger off the trigger and slowly set her weapon on the floor.

"Smart girl," the woman said, "Now... kick it over here." Elena glared at her, but did as she was told. "Rocca, tie her up."

The second man advanced on her, sneering. "Looks like I'm gonna get some payback." He grabbed her by the arm and practically threw her across the room into a chair. Moments later, her wrists were bound tightly behind her back with thin wire that bit into her flesh when she tried to move.

"Who are you two?" the woman asked, as Elena found herself staring down the barrel of her own gun. She kept her lips firmly pressed together, not about to give this person any information she didn't already have.

"Nothing to say?" she smiled a cold smile, and gestured to the man holding Reno, "Put him on the bed. Tie him down."

Race cackled and dumped Reno onto the mattress. Apparently, the redhead had been searched before they're dragged him in, because a moment later, Reno's wrists were bound to the headboard with what Elena was pretty sure were his own handcuffs. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"How kinky... Did he have any other toys on him?"

"Just this," Race replied, holding out Reno's electro mag-rod. He pressed the trigger in the handle, and the tip crackled with electricity. The woman handed Elena's captor the gun.

"Keep an eye on her. I don't think she's quite as delicate as she looks." She moved over towards Race. "Let's see if we can wake him up..."

"Don't be nice about it, either. Little fucker needs to be taught a lesson," Rocca jeered from behind Elena. Race smirked, and touched the mag-rod against Reno's belly, and glanced back at Elena. He grinned cruelly and let loose a jolt of electricity. Reno's entire body spasmed, and Elena saw his eyes snap open.

"Stop!" Elena cried, watching in horror. Race kept it on him, until Reno finally cried out. He lay there for a moment, breathing heavily, before pulling himself up to as close to a sitting position as he could get.

"Oh, great... you two again," Reno growled, looking decidedly pissed off. His eyes scanned the room, resting on Elena just long enough to assure himself that she wasn't hurt, before turning to the other woman. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I've been asking your pretty little girlfriend here the same question," she replied, "But she's very rude, and won't tell me. I was hoping you'd be a little more forthcoming."

"Yeah? You first," he shot back, earning him another long jolt from the mag-rod. This time, he kept silent for the duration.

"A tough guy, huh? Well, fine. Since my associates and I are going to kill you both anyway, I supposed there's no harm in introductions." She walked over to the bed, and patted Reno's cheek. "This lovely gentleman with the penchant for inflicting pain is Race. And that nice man looking after your lady friend over there is Rocca. And I go by Amara. We're what you might call... entrepreneurs. And what shall I call you?"

"I'd prefer you didn't," Reno deadpanned. Amara nodded to Race, and Reno found himself writhing again as the current from his mag-rod shot through him. When it finally ended, he turned a somewhat weakened glare on her. "Ya know, that's really not very pleasant."

"Really? You rather looked like you were enjoying it..." Amara taunted him, "Would it be safe to say that you're friends of Mr. Wymer? Poor Zedge... such trusting man."

"With shit taste in dates, apparently." The shock came almost immediately, and Reno grunted, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing just how much it hurt. He looked over at Race when he finally let up, out of breath again. "You're havin' way too much fun with that thing, pal..."

"A pity, really... You'd think someone as wealthy as Zedge would have been a little more careful around strangers. Anyone who can afford to catch _my_ attention can surely afford someone to tell him not to do foolish things. Or... is _that_ your job? If so, I'm sorry to say, you're rather terrible at it. We were just going to ransom the poor dear back to his family... Sadly, Rocca got a little too enthusiastic trying to... hmm... extract the details from him. I don't supposed anyone would pay for you two?"

"Would ya believe me if I said yes?"

"Not likely," Amara cooed, stroking a hand down his side. "Too bad. You're very pretty, and I _am_ fond of redheads. It seems almost a shame to be rid of you. Ah, well... before I have Race finish you off, let's see if there's anything useful you can tell me. We'll start with something easy... Do you work for Zedge Wymer, or did someone learn he was missing before we thought they would and hire you to find him?"

Even if Reno had intended to answer the question, Race didn't give him the opportunity, delivering another painful shock to his midsection. Apparently, he'd figured out the voltage controls... because this one was far stronger than the previous ones had been. A cry tore from Reno's throat before he could stop it.

"Now that's more like it..." Amara said, bouncing on her heels gleefully. Reno groaned, dazed from the intensified pain and twitching violently for several seconds. "Oh, my... Forget the questions... Do it again!" Race was only too eager to match her enthusiasm. The Turk's back arched, his muscles seizing up as the mag-rod was applied again, and this time... he screamed.

"Stop it! You'll kill him!" Elena shouted, watching Reno writhe in agony. Amara gestured for Race to stop, and Reno fell back to the bed with a soft whimper, movements no longer under his control for the moment. The sight left Elena feeling ill, as the woman laughed.

"That's the point, sweety! But I _might_ be willing to make things quick for him. See... we know Zedge had quite a bit of gil with him. And we know its in that safe over there. That's what we came back for when you so rudely interrupted us... so maybe you save us a little time and hassle and tell us the combination, hmm? Make things a little easier for me, and I'll make things a little easier for him. And for you. Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy to see how much I can make him suffer before his heart gives out. And you... well, Race and Rocca are going to have plenty of fun with _you_ before they dispose of you."

"I... I don't know the combination. But he does," Elena admitted. Even if she had, she wouldn't have given it to her, knowing that all it would accomplish was a swift death. If they let Amara draw things out, they might at least stand a chance. Ultimately the choice was up to Reno, though. He was the only one of them that had opened the safe.

"Oh, really?" She turned back to Reno, gently pushing his sweat-damp hair back away from his face, and forcing him to look her in the eye, "What will it be, then? Give me the combination, and I'll put a bullet through your head and hers right now. Don't, and we'll see how long you two last. I give you an hour at most. But her? Those two can stretch out their fun all night long if the girl's pretty enough. And she's a pretty little thing."

"Go fuck yourself," Reno spat out.

"I was hoping you'd say that..." Amara held out her hand for the mag-rod, and Race obediently handed it over. "You two... take the girl and do whatever you want with her. This one is all mine..."

Rocca, who had been largely silent up until then, laughed and hoisted Elena over his shoulder. She winced as the wire binding her wrists dug into her skin.

"Reno!" she shouted, her voice tinged with fear... more for him than for herself... as they carried her out the door. He was on his own now... completely on his own. These two were morons; she'd get away eventually. But Reno... he'd separated their assailants and bought her time to save herself... but he was already hurt, rapidly being worn down, and any further shocks like that last one could easily kill him. Worse still, he couldn't move. She, at least, could run if she had to.

"Reno? Is that your name?" Amara purred, tapping the mag-rod against her thigh, "I like that. Reno. Well, Reno, where should I begin?" She placed the tip of the weapon against his ankle. "Maybe just start at the bottom and work my way up?" She dragged it slowly along his leg, stopping when she reached his groin. "Or maybe somewhere more sensitive..."

"Ya know... I've been in that safe. Know what's in there?" Reno asked. If he was going to get out of this, he was going to need a few minutes... preferably a few minutes where he had full control over his body.

"Feeling talkative all of a sudden, are we?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Not a lot of point in holding back now..."

"Alright... tell me, Reno... what's in the safe?" Oh, good... if she was interested in what he had to say, maybe he actually had a shot at this. He didn't particularly feel like dying just yet.

"Oh, let's see... 'bout four hundred thousand gil worth of receipts. I'm guessin' a lot of that was spent on you. Ticket back to the eastern continent... company cell phone... wedding ring. _Cheap_ wedding ring. Know what's _not_ in there?"

Amara narrowed her eyes at him, and turned to look back at the safe thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Reno began to work part of the headboard loose from its base.

"Piles of cash... that's what's not in there." Reno smirked. It wasn't a total lie... there was cash, but not nearly what he suspected the woman was hoping for. "See... Wymer wasn't really all that well off. What he spent on you? Pretty sure he embezzled that." That was kind of a shot in the dark. Really, Reno had no idea where the money had come from. Not that it mattered. The important thing was keeping Amara from noticing what his hands were up to. He was almost there.

"You're lying," she said, her back still to him. She didn't sound so sure, though.

"Think so? Face it, you got played," he said, "What'd he tell ya he did for a living? Architect? Engineer? Scientist? I can tell ya what he really was... He was an underling working on urban development. One of about a fifty in the department. Hell, _I_ make more in a year than he did. Considerably more." The bar his handcuffs were linked around finally popped loose.

"Only reason they sent us after him at all was because he was privy to some sensitive information about company tech. Shinra is kinda protective of their secrets." Amara's hand clenched angrily around the handle of his mag-rod, as Reno slipped his cuffs out from behind the bar and pushed it back into place.

"Who. Are. You?" she ground out, spinning to face him.

"Me?" he asked, innocently, "Oh... I'm a Turk."

Amara swung the mag-rod down, furious, but Reno was free now. He rolled to one side to avoid the blow, then kicked out at her wrist. The weapon clattered to the floor, and he dove for it. So did Amara. Reno got there first, recovering his mag-rod, and rolling into a defensive stance. The woman froze... even with his hands still chained together, she was unarmed and outmatched, and Reno was pretty sure she knew she'd lost. She might be able to dish it out, but he didn't think she was quite so willing to take it. Amara lifted her hands in defeat.

"Guess I don't get to have my fun after all. So now I suppose the question is... are you going to deal with making sure I don't get away? Or are you going to go save your little cohort? Because I can tell you... Race and Rocca probably aren't treating her very nicely right now..."

"Yeah... those two are real jerks," a voice called out. Reno nearly laughed in relief at the sound of it. Amara's eyes went wide.

"How could _you_ possibly have..."

"Heh... 'Lena's tougher than she looks, lady. You really don't wanna get on her bad side," Reno replied, smoothly cutting her off, "Hey, rookie... do me a favor and find the key to these damn things..." He held up the handcuffs that still bound him.

"Way ahead of you... I took it off the stupid one before I came back for you," she said.

"There was a smart one?"

"The smart one surrendered. The stupid one's dead," she answered. Reno chuckled. Elena unlocked him, then used the cuffs to restrain Amara. Reno sagged against the wall. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he was beginning to feel every one of those shocks. Everything hurt, and a few of his muscles were still twitching every once in awhile.

"You okay?" he asked, once Elena was finished with their prisoner.

"Are _you_?"

"I'll live. Probably," he replied. Aside from feeling like he'd been trampled by wild chocobos, he was only too well-versed in the dangers associated with multiple sustained shocks from his weapon of choice. The general recommendation was at least twenty four hours of cardiac monitoring and bed rest after an incident. Normally, he'd argue against it – and almost certainly lose, if said argument happened to be with Tseng – but the way he felt at the moment, twenty four hours in bed didn't sound half bad.

* * *

Eight hours ago, twenty four hours in bed had sounded great. Now, however, Reno was damn near ready to tear the stupid electrodes off his chest and storm out.

He'd managed to stay upright long enough last night to get in touch with both the local authorities to deal with the two remaining murderers, and Tseng to report on successfully locating Wymer... or what was left of him, anyway. Shortly after Costa del Sol's police force had hauled Amara off, though, his strength had finally given out and he'd collapsed, exhausted. To say Elena had looked terrified went he went down was putting it mildly. She'd spent the ten or twelve minutes it had taken to summon medical help obsessively checking his pulse every ten seconds, in spite of him still being conscious and very obviously not dead.

To make matters worse, she'd made a call informing Tseng of his condition as they were carting him off to the clinic... since he'd conveniently forgotten to mention the bit about being tortured with electric shock when _he'd_ spoken to the Turk leader. He was gonna get reamed for that when he got back to Midgar, he was sure. Tseng had, in no uncertain terms, made it clear that he was to do whatever the doctors in Costa del Sol told him to do... _or else_.

Reno didn't really care to find out what "or else" entailed... so here he was, flat on his back, hooked up to a heart monitor, whose beeping was rapidly getting on his last nerve. The door creaked softly. And, right on cue, there was Elena. For the seventh time since they're bought him in.

"Don't you sleep?" he sighed. He certainly didn't, apparently. It was impossible with her poking her head into the room to check on him constantly. The rookie jumped slightly, apparently not having realized he was awake.

"Sorry... I was trying really hard not to wake you..." she said.

"Seven isn't your lucky number, apparently, 'Lena..." he replied, groaning as he sat up. His abused body protested sharply. After laying in bed, hardly moving at all for most of the night, not only was he sore as hell from all the involuntary muscle contractions inflicted on him by Amara's lapdog, he was also as stiff as he'd ever been. And then, of course, there were the burn marks from where the mag-rod had been applied; they seemed to rub uncomfortably against the fabric of his hospital gown with each breath he took.

"What are you talking about?"

"That's how many times you've been in here by my count. 'Course I guess it's possible I missed one or two... I was pretty out of it for awhile around midnight after they dosed me with pain killers. That was kinda nice, actually..."

"I... woke you up before, too?" she asked, mortified.

"Only about once an hour..." He rolled his shoulders trying, and failing, to work out some of the stiffness and tension. What he really needed was to get up and stretch properly... unfortunately, he was under strict orders to stay right where he was, and since there was that whole "or else" thing to consider, he didn't have much of a choice.

"I'm so sorry... I didn't realize I was being that much of a pest. I've just been so worried. I mean, they want to watch you for an entire day before they'll sign off on you being alright..." she said in a rush, "Do... do you want me to leave?"

"Nah... you can stay. Kinda wanted to hear about what went down after those two fuckwits hauled you off, anyway."

"There's not really that much to tell. They carried me down the beach a ways, making comments and innuendos that put yours to shame the whole time," she said, allowing herself a slight grin as she settled into the chair by his bed. Reno looked affronted.

"What do you mean 'put mine to shame'?" he gasped, feigning shock and outrage. Elena giggled.

" _You're_ just perverted in a flirty, mostly harmless kind of way. Those guys were... vulgar. And definitely not harmless."

Reno bit back a growl, wishing he'd been there himself.

"Anyway... they decided to untie me before they started their... fun. It was pretty much all downhill for them once I was loose. When Rocca came at me, I went straight for a girl's secret weapon."

"Groin shot?" Reno guessed, reflexively cringing at the thought.

"Yep," she said, proudly, "I got my gun back while he was busy trying not to black out, and when Race wouldn't back down, I took him out. Rocca didn't put up much of a fight after that. I left him tied up and then ran back to help you... but you already had things handled by then."

"Heh... yeah. 'Course if I hadn't fucked up and gotten myself ambushed in the first place, things wouldn't have had to be _handled_ at all." It was bad enough that his own carelessness had landed them in trouble. The fact that she'd had to fend for herself because of it made his mistake much, much worse. He was going to be kicking himself for that one for awhile.

"It all worked out, though," she said. She hadn't even thought of it that way, to be honest.

"Sure. It worked out... It also could have easily gone the other direction, all because I made a really fucking stupid mistake that I damn well know better than to make. I put myself in danger, and worse, I put you in danger. When Tseng gets a hold of me, he's gonna rip me a new one..."

"I don't really see the need. You seem to be doing just fine on your own. Saves me the effort."

"Sir!" Elena cried, smiling. Reno smirked. The man always had impeccable timing.

"Come to see if I'm being a good little Turk and staying in bed, or just here to make sure I didn't kill the rookie?" His tone was bordering on snarky, but he couldn't help but feel a little relieved to see Tseng... and, a moment later when the Turk leader stepped out of the doorway, Rude.

"Rude and I are here to recover the body and interrogate your prisoners for you," he replied, approaching the two Turks in measured steps, "Though I'll admit... I _was_ also wondering whether or not you were actually behaving yourself. Long distance threats can be so unreliable."

"Couldn't cause trouble if I wanted to... 'Lena won't let me out of her sight for more than an hour at a time. And she keeps checkin' my pulse, like somehow that damn monitor wouldn't notice if I suddenly keeled over... For some reason she thinks I haven't noticed her doin' it."

Elena quickly released her grip on Reno's wrist, and stuck her hands behind her back. Tseng smiled.

"You can relax, Elena. The monitoring is really just a minor precaution. If hasn't dropped dead yet, the odds of him doing so in the next sixteen hours are extremely slim. He _does_ need to rest, however," he said, giving Reno a pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah..." He glanced at Rude. "Bring me anything?"

"... Like what?"

"Ah, come on, man... I've been tortured enough for one day." Rude snorted a soft laugh, and tossed Reno a package of gummy worms, which he immediately tore into. "Hell, yeah... You rock."

Tseng reached out and carefully pushed aside the gown that covered Reno's torso, frowning at the series of burns that littered his chest and stomach. "That looks like it was... unpleasant," he commented.

"Well, yeah... That's one way to put it," Reno mumbled around a mouthful of candy, "Another would be to say that it felt like my body was tryin' to rip itself apart. Repeatedly."

"The one who did it is dead?" Tseng asked, shifting his gaze to the rookie. Elena nodded.

"Good," Rude stated emphatically.

Tseng pulled the garment back into place. "Agreed." He straightened and turned to Rude and Elena. "Elena, I'd like you to accompany Rude and help retrieve Wymer's remains. In the mean time, I'm going to check on our prisoners. Reno... sleep."

"Sure... stick me with the tough job," the redhead grinned, popping another gummy in his mouth.

* * *

As they left the clinic, Elena felt an impending sense of dread... the last time she'd had to deal with Wymer's body hadn't exactly been one of her finer moments. It was one thing to lose it in front of Reno... thinking about Rude seeing her like that left her feeling decidedly uncertain about this trip.

It suddenly occurred to her that she was a lot more comfortable being vulnerable around Reno than she was with Rude or Tseng – probably because he somehow made even her worst insecurities seem like they were no big deal... and he had a habit of making her laugh at the most inappropriate times. Usually when she most needed to.

She followed close behind Rude as he lead the way to the beach... straight to the helicopter with the unmistakable Shinra logo on the side.

"It's already fixed?!"

"Called in a favor," Rude replied, "Thought we might need it sooner rather than later."

"So that's how you guys got here so fast..."

Moments later, they were airborne.

* * *

Reno pulled hard against the ropes that held him to the chair... pulled so hard it hurt... but it was no good. He was trapped. Completely immobile. That, however, wasn't his primary concern at the moment.

"Poor little Turk..." Amara sneered, "How long do you think she'll last?"

"Don't..." Reno growled. The woman laughed and turned towards the her other prisoner. Elena's hands were cuffed to the headboard, just as his had been hours ago. Reno could see the fear in her eyes, even though the rookie was trying very hard not to let it show. He fought harder against his bonds... if he could just get to her...

Amara shoved the electro mag-rod under Elena's chin and forced her to look over at Reno. "Where to start, where to start..." she sang.

"R-reno... Help me..." she whispered. Their captor laughed coldly.

"Oh, he won't be coming to your rescue, my little Turk..." Amara jabbed the mag-rod into Elena's side and triggered a short burst of electricity. Elena yelped in pain, her body going rigid as the current briefly locked her muscles.

"Stop!" Reno shouted, "Get away from her!"

He felt cold. Powerless. Amara fingered the settings panel on the weapon... he had a feeling she wasn't turning it down. This time, it was no short burst. She held it to Elena's midsection and kept it there. Elena screamed... and kept screaming.

"Please... stop! What is it you want?!" Reno could feel the growing desperation in the pit of his stomach as the rookie's pain echoed in his ears. When she finally let up, he could swear that he still heard it.

"That was just... delightful!" Amara smiled vindictively and studied the mag-rod. "Let's see how she likes the _highest_ setting..."

"Fuck... No! Please, don't... Me! Do it to me!" Reno cried, in a last ditch effort to do something – anything – to save her. Amara just grinned, and placed the mag-rod directly over Elena's heart.

"No!" A moment later her scream made his blood run cold, and he closed his eyes, willing it to stop... and suddenly, it did. The crackle of electricity, however, did not. He dared to open his eyes again just as Amara pulled the weapon away.

"Oh... what a shame. I was hoping to have a little more fun..." Elena lay motionless, silent... lifeless.

"Please, no... 'Lena..." Reno whispered.

"It's all your fault, you know. That really was a _very_ stupid mistake..." Amara purred, close to his ear. And then she seized him by the throat.

* * *

Reno fought against the hands that were on him, holding him by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Reno! Reno, wake up!" The voice seemed distant, like he was hearing it from miles away. But he recognized it, and it was a voice he couldn't disobey. He woke violently, his heart racing, breaths coming in ragged gasps. It took him several moments to realize where he was, but he focused in on the familiar face in front of him almost immediately.

"Boss?" he panted. Tseng sighed in relief.

"You had me worried for a minute there. I've never known you to be so difficult to wake..."

Reno swallowed harshly, his mouth dry, and collapsed back against his pillow. He was drenched in sweat, and still physically shaking.

"Fuck me, that sucked..." he groaned, willing himself to calm down.

"Nightmares usually do," Tseng observed, "Especially when they involve reliving being tortured."

Reno let his eyes close, breathing deeply. A hand gently brushed back the hair that was plastered to his damp forehead. When it kept stroking his hair, he deigned to look up at the the owner.

"Not... _exactly_ reliving it."

"Elena?" Tseng ventured. Based on the conversation he'd walked in on a few hours ago, it wasn't hard to guess what was bothering the redhead most.

"Got it in one," he replied, the ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

"You're much too hard on yourself, sometimes, Reno."

"Yeah... well... I fucked up."

"Yes, you did. And you both survived to learn from the mistake. So learn from it, and stop tormenting yourself."

"Workin' on it," Reno said, smirking, "Rude and 'Lena back yet?"

"They are. Though I'm glad I decided against bringing them along to check on you. I don't think either of them would have enjoyed seeing that any more than I did."

* * *

"Don't 'spose we could stick around a few more days?" Reno asked trailing just behind Tseng as they made their way toward the helicopter waiting for them on the beach early the following morning. The clinic had released him with a clean bill of health, and now that he was free, Costa del Sol was looking very inviting.

"I truly wish I could say yes," Tseng replied, "I hate to begrudge you a little time off after all this..."

"But?"

"But the weapons transfer," he said. Several weeks of finalizing plans for increasing reactor security were culminating in two days time, and the Turks had been tasked with overseeing it. Things were going to get very busy for them very quickly. In fact, had the situation with Wymer not been dubbed so critical, Tseng would never have sent Reno and Elena out immediately to begin with. If Tseng _could_ have spared Reno at the moment, he gladly would have done so.

"Ah, hell... I forgot all about that," Reno sighed, "So no vacation, then, huh?"

"I'll make it up to you," the Turk leader promised, and he meant it. Even Reno, for all his dedication, could be pushed too hard... he didn't want that to happen.

"I'm holdin' ya to that, Tseng," Reno warned. He grinned, seeing the helicopter looming before them on the sand. "Well, at least I don't have to put up with another six fucking hour boat ride for the return trip."

The two Turks climbed aboard, and Reno hardly took notice when Tseng slid into the copilot's seat... that is, until Rude climbed in back and took the seat next to Reno.

"Wait... if you're back here then who's... Oh, god... No... Please not that..."

Elena turned to peek around the pilot's seat, a wide smile across her face. "Tseng's letting me fly us home!"

"Rude... ya mind takin' me back to the clinic?" Reno said calmly.

"... Why?"

" 'Cause if that's not a joke, I really _am_ gonna have a heart attack..."

~fin~


	15. Family Matters

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 15: Family Matters**

 **by Desha**

 _Author's note: Apparently I'm in a slightly more serious mood than usual. I promise I'll eventually get back to the lighter stuff. In the mean time, enjoy, and bonus points if you spot the completely irrelevant reference to chapter 10._

* * *

Elena slipped into the elevator, narrowly avoiding a collision with the woman and her little boy who were disembarking. She didn't bother to apologize for nearly trampling them, despite the mother's peeved scowl. Instead, she impatiently mashed the button for the fifth floor and wondered if it would have been faster to take the stairs. Of all the times for Reno to have shut off his PHS! A phone call would have made this a hundred times faster. Elena hugged her arms nervously, silently pleading for the elevator to hurry up as the doors slid closed. Her stomach was in knots as it was... every second spent waiting was just making it worse. She desperately hoped Reno had stayed in tonight, instead of being firmly entrenched in the nearest bar.

The elevator pinged at her destination and she stepped out on Reno's floor, walking swiftly towards his apartment.

"Please be home, please be home, please be home..." she whispered as she knocked on his door.

She and Reno, alongside Tseng and Rude, had spent the past two and a half weeks ensuring the security of a rather substantial transfer of weapons and other equipment from Junon. The ultimate goal was to better protect Midgar's mako reactors; there had been a number of minor, but troubling, security breaches over the past two months, and the executive board was growing concerned. Tseng seemed to share that concern, at least to some extent. For some time now, the Turks had been tracking the activities of an anti-mako group calling themselves Avalanche. There was no definitive proof that they'd been behind the breaches, but Tseng had expressed no small amount of apprehension that they were gearing up for something bigger than just spreading anti-Shinra propaganda around the slums, and the timing of the breaches was somewhat suspect.

Thus, the security upgrades. Some of what she'd seen was fairly impressive... like the massive robotic drone the weapons research department had affectionately nicknamed the Guard Scorpion. But the transfer itself had been arduous and stressful for all four of them. Particularly for Reno and herself, since they'd jumped right into it almost immediately following their return from their mission in Costa del Sol. By the time it was all over, Tseng had practically ordered them both to take a week off to recuperate.

She hadn't felt it was strictly necessary – not for her at any rate... it was Reno who'd had things rough in the resort town, after all. She'd just been there as part of his cover and for backup, and hadn't even done much in the grand scheme of things. But now, she was glad she hadn't argued about it with the Turk leader. After the phone call she'd received an hour ago, she was thanking her lucky stars that she wasn't expected at the office for days.

She knocked again, more forcefully this time. She could hear faint music from inside... he had to be there. He just had to be. Rude and Tseng were still in Junon tying up a few remaining loose ends. They wouldn't be back in Midgar for two more days, and there wasn't anyone else who could –

The door finally opened. Reno peered out at her, looking decidedly cross.

"Uh... hey, 'Lena" he said, hesitantly, "Look, don't mean to be rude here, but now's _really_ not a good time."

He was currently shirtless, dressed in only a pair of jeans.

"I-I'm so sorry to bother you, Reno. I tried to call first, but you didn't answer, and it really couldn't wait. I... I need to ask you to – " she began, only to be cut off mid-sentence by the previously unnoticed _second_ occupant of Reno's apartment.

"Mmm... Reno, what's taking so long?" A pair of toned, tanned arms wrapped themselves seductively around Reno's waist from behind him. One perfectly manicured hand gently stroked its way up his chest, while the other toyed with his belt buckle.

"O-oh..." Elena managed, jaw dropping slightly in realization. Her heart sank. Reno had been her only option. She had no idea what she was going to do now. She blinked rapidly, feeling tears of worry and frustration – not to mention embarrassment for... interrupting – threatening to fall. "I... um... I-I'll just go. Sorry..."

"Whoa, hey, 'Lena... Hold up," Reno called after her. She ignored him, having already turned and started back toward the elevator, only to suddenly be caught by the wrist and pulled back towards his apartment. The next thing she knew, he was guiding her inside and over to the couch, silently insisting she sit, and giving her little room to protest.

"Gimme a minute, 'kay, 'Lena? Just... stay right there," he murmured, as he turned back to his date.

The woman in Reno's living room was tall and fit, with platinum blond hair that came down to the middle of her back. She was wearing a strapless black dress that looked like it almost had to have been painted on, accentuating every curve of her body. She was utterly gorgeous... and she was presently glaring daggers at Elena.

"Sorry, Neela... family emergency. Gonna have to make it up to ya," he said with a sigh. The woman pouted and cuddled up to him, whispering something in his ear. Reno's eyes widened, but he glanced sideways at the rookie Turk on his couch and back, then shook his head with a groan. With a rather put upon look, the woman finally collected her things and let Reno escort her out the door. When she was gone, the redhead hit a button on the stereo, killing the music, and grabbed his shirt from off the back of a chair, pulling it over his head as he sat down next to Elena.

"R-reno? You... You didn't have to – " she began, somewhat in a state of shock that that had just happened.

"Don't," Reno cut her off, "'Cause if I didn't _have_ to do that, I may _have_ to kill you." He couldn't hold the annoyed expression long, however, before he flashed her a grin. "Seriously though, don't worry 'bout it, 'Lena. You show up at my door, almost in tears, and really think I'm _not_ gonna drop everything? Give me at least _some_ credit on my priorities."

Elena quite literally had no words to express just how grateful she was to Reno right at that moment.

"So tell me what's so important I just kicked out an – apparently very limber, judging by what she just offered to do to me if I told you to fuck off – weapons researcher..."

"I... got a call from my brother earlier," she started, wiping away an errant tear before it had a chance to fall, "He and my grandmother... There's some kind of trouble. I need to get to Veraheim, but it would take me days by land. I-I know it's not even remotely Turks business... and that company vehicles aren't supposed to be for personal use... _and_ this is supposed to be time off for you... and it's _completely_ against regulations, but... I was hoping you could take me? Tonight? Please, Reno? I'm _really_ worried about them. They're miles from anything out there, and Delion wouldn't have called if it was something he could handle himself. _Please_..."

It was asking a lot, she knew, and she was fully prepared to plead with him, bribe him, or do whatever else it might take to secure his help, including taking the blame if they got in trouble for it. Reno had the rank needed to authorize use of a company helicopter... but he still ultimately had to answer to Tseng. And if the Turk leader asked him to justify it, 'taking Elena to her grandmother's house' probably wasn't most justifiable of reasons. She wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he took some convincing... or even refused outright.

Reno rolled his eyes. "'Lena... you don't have to beg. 'Course I'll take ya. The hell with regulations. Tseng can chew me about about 'em... again... when we get back," he replied. Elena felt dizzy with relief. Reno was on his feet in an instant. He disappeared into his bedroom, and reappeared seconds later with a standard issue travel pack slung over one shoulder and his mag-rod in hand. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who kept a bag packed in case of emergency. The next thing she knew, he was pulling on a pair of shoes and heading for the door. "So... which way to Veraheim?"

* * *

The Shinra helicopter cut its way through the thick clouds that hung low over the Nibel mountains. Veraheim, as Reno soon discovered, was a tiny mining town tucked away on the northern side of the range. So tiny, its population was only in the double digits, and many of the homesteads were miles apart. The town center, if you could call it that, really only consisted of a general store, a post office, and bar that doubled as the town meeting hall, medical clinic, inn, and whatever else the few residents happened to have need of at any given time.

This was where Elena's father had been born and raised... before he'd come to Midgar to work on the Plate and its reactors, and raise a family of his own. It was where her grandmother still lived, along with the eldest of her two brothers, who had gone to stay there for a summer when he was seventeen and never looked back.

"That's Veraheim down there," Elena said over her headset.

"Not much to it, is there?" Reno commented. He could just make out the outlines of the handful of buildings through the cloud layer in the early morning light. They'd made pretty good time... it had taken nearly eight hours and they'd been on mostly fumes by the time they'd briefly set down in Rocket Town to refuel, but all things considered, that wasn't half-bad for flying to someplace he'd never heard of, out in the middle of fuck knows where, in the dark.

"No, there really isn't," Elena agreed, "My grandmother lives farther east. There's even less out there..." She had never cared much for Veraheim. Oh, it was beautiful enough and fun to explore, especially this time of year, when the mountain streams warmed enough that you could wade in them without worrying about frostbite and the summer berries ripened in the patchy forest that dotted the slopes below the treeline. But it had always felt so lonely and isolated to her. She'd never understood the appeal it held for Delion and her grandmother. Reno swung east as directed, and soon she spotted the homestead.

"That's it... Right there," she said. Rough-hewn wood timbers made up the walls of a two-story lodge that backed right up to the side of the mountain. The structure was well below the treeline, and tall mountain pines surrounded it on the exposed sides.

"Gonna need a better place to set down. Too many trees here," said Reno, "I could probably do it if I _really_ had to, but it'd be damned tight. I'd rather not risk it."

"There's an open field by the lake," Elena replied, pointing to the northeast, "I think it should be big enough... It's a little bit of a hike back, though."

Reno debated a moment. He wasn't exactly in the mood for a hike after flying all night. On the other hand, setting down here wasn't going to be a picnic, either, assuming he could do it at all... and Rude would almost certainly kick his ass if he fucked up the helicopter so soon after his partner had gotten the damage Elena'd caused repaired. "Guess we're walkin' then," he said, taking them towards the lake.

They set down in a wide clearing by the water, the downdraft from the rotors flattening the down the long grass in a wide circle. Reno killed the engine and the noise of their transport gradually whined into silence. He pulled off his headset and set it aside, and hopped out of the seat, sliding open the side door and making the short jump to the ground. Elena was right behind him.

Reno moaned in relief as he was finally able to stretch out after so long sitting still. " _That_ was one long fuckin' trip," he muttered, "Any particular reason your family lives in the middle of the ass-end of nowhere?"

"If there is, I've never figured it out," she replied honestly, "It's really just Nana and Delion, though. Dad left for Midgar when he was my age and stayed there until the day he died... and my mom lived her whole life in the city. Belane... um... that's my other brother... never really liked it out here for more than the occasional visit, and neither did I."

The two Turks grabbed their packs and started along a narrow rocky path that led away from the lake, back in the general direction of the homestead.

"So if he's not here, where's your other brother?" Reno asked, out of curiosity.

"Wutai, last I heard from him," she replied, "He's an archaeologist for the biological research department... well... sort of. He kind of works on kind of a contract basis, so he's not officially a Shinra employee. He's always running from one place to the next, so I never know where he is for sure, or where he's going."

"Doesn't sound like ya see each other much."

"We don't... Del almost never travels, and Bel travels constantly."

Reno stopped dead in his tracks. "Del and Bel?" he smirked, "Please, _please_ for the love of god,tell me they call you El..."

"Umm..." Elena blushed. Why her parents had thought _that_ was a good idea, she would never know... and she had long ago vowed that if she ever had kids of her own, she would never do such a thing to them. But they were family nicknames, and they'd been calling one another by them for so long, it was second nature at this point. She had resigned herself to the fact that she would forever be 'El' to her two elder siblings. Reno was snickering loudly at her side, apparently considering the possibilities. But she'd be damned if anyone else was going to start calling her that again... she'd had enough of that in grade school. "Don't you dare..." she said, her tone bordering on threatening.

"Heh... Don't worry. It's cute and all, but you're stuck with 'Lena. I'm sorta attached to it at this point," Reno assured her, before grinning widely. "Still gonna laugh my ass off about this, though... _and_ I'm telling Rude."

The trail narrowed as it cut along the wall of a small ravine, forcing the two of them to move single file. Reno took the lead, following the the ledge carefully. As he rounded a curve, without warning, a shot rang out and part of a large boulder ahead of him exploded in a shower of stone shards. He swore and flattened himself against the wall of the ravine, stopping Elena from coming any farther down the path and shielding her as best he could, given their position. There was _no_ cover at all. A second shot embedded itself in the dirt at his feet.

"Fuck... Go back!" he ordered Elena.

"Yeah, you _better_ go back, you bastards!" an angry voice shouted at them from somewhere among the trees ahead of them.

Elena knew that voice. "Del?!" she called back, "Del, is that you? Don't shoot! It's me! Elena!"

"... El?" A tall, bearded man stepped into view, rifle aimed squarely at Reno's chest as he did so. He looked to be perhaps slightly older than the Turk, with hair exactly the same shade of blond as his Elena's. He had the look and build of someone who'd spent a lifetime in the mountains. "Alright, Red..." he said suspiciously, "You keep your hands where I can see 'em and step forward. Let me see my sister."

Reno cast a glance back at Elena and when she nodded, he slowly raised his hands and did as requested. Elena hurried to move into view.

"El! It _is_ you!" her brother laughed, lowering the rifle, and beckoning them forward.

Reno let his hands drop, and followed the ledge the rest of the way around, moments later finding himself standing before the man who'd just nearly put a bullet in him. Elena launched herself at her brother, hugging him tight around the middle.

"Nice welcome," Reno commented, dryly, "People around here always so friendly?"

"Yeah... Sorry about that. I thought you must be the bastards that have been harassing us. Especially after we heard the copter circling earlier."

"Reno, this is my brother, Delion. Del, this is Reno. He's a friend. We work together," Elena said, quickly making the necessary introductions.

"Friend, huh? Well, any friend of El's is a friend of mine," he said, offering Reno his hand. Reno shook it, having to put some effort into not visibly grimacing as the man came close to crushing his own in his enthusiasm. "Could use a few more friends, to be honest. This whole situation is getting out of hand."

"Del, what's going on? You were so vague when you called."

Delion sighed, "Let's head back to the house first... It's not real safe out here right now."

The party of three continued on for several more minutes, Reno growing increasingly wary as the trees became more dense. He was certain that someone was watching them... and being one to trust his instincts in such matters, he kept his electro mag-rod close at hand until the flora thinned and the house loomed before them. Del led them up the steps to the wide front porch and ushered them inside.

"I don't believe it..." a boisterous, female voice called out the moment they stepped through, "Elena... Oh, my goodness, look at you!" An old woman all but bounded out of the kitchen with an energy Reno would hardly have thought possible of someone her age, and pulled Elena into tight embrace.

"Nana!" Elena cried, "It's so good to see you..."

"And you, too, sweat pea!" Reno snorted softly in laughter at that. So many new nicknames for the rookie... he wasn't sure what to do with them all.

"How's city life treating you, Elena?" she continued, "And your promotion? How's that working out?" But before Elena could answer, her grandmother's eyes zeroed in on Reno, who'd been hanging back near the door somewhat awkwardly throughout the family reunion.

"And who's this?" she asked, smiling from ear to ear as she advanced on the redhead.

"Oh! Nana, this is Reno," Elena replied.

"Reno, eh?" she purred, patting him on the cheek, "About time Elena found herself a nice young man..."

"Nana, he's not..."

"Oh, now hush, dear and let me take a good look at him. Aren't you a handsome thing..." she said, raising a finger to her lips as she turned away from Elena, and giving him a conspiratorial wink. Reno immediately grinned. Now _this_ was a woman after his own heart. "Those gorgeous eyes... and that hair! Oh, I always _did_ like redheads. They're so... _feisty_! Pity I'm not a few years younger. I'd give my granddaughter here a run for her money with you! Or hell, I still _might_... if you think you can handle the both of us."

"Nana!" Elena squeaked, turning red, but her grandmother was making a point of looking her new co-conspirator up and down with a disturbingly predatory expression and happily ignored her.

"Ah relax, 'Lena," Reno drawled, "There's plenty of me to go around... I'm sure we can work somethin' out."

Elena's grandmother laughed at the twin expressions of horror on both of her grandchildren's faces, and clapped Reno on the back. "Ha! I like _you_! Not often you find someone who'll jump right in with an old lady's teasing." She looked him over again, appraisingly, and smiled. "Josephine Brewer, at your service... Jo if you prefer. But for a sweatheart like you... Nana's perfectly fine by me, honey."

Reno wasn't entirely certain how to respond to that declaration, as Delion shook his head. "Before she decides to just be done with it and make your friend here an honorary Brewer... maybe I ought to explain exactly why it is I called you in the first place."

"And while he's doing that, I'll see to breakfast," Josephine added, prodding Reno in the stomach, "You're nothing but skin and bones. Don't they feed you poor things in Midgar?"

"Not nearly enough," he replied, teasingly. A sense of humor _and_ she was going to feed him? Oh yes, he could definitely get to like this woman.

Reno and Elena followed Del into the living room, and he began pacing. "I guess I should just start at the beginning," he said after a moment, "About a month ago, I started finding my traps and snares either tripped with nothing in 'em, or just plain wrecked." Reno raised an eyebrow, wondering if _this_ was the really the reason they'd flown eight hours to get here. Del seemed to notice Reno's expression and added, "It might not seem like a big deal, coming from Midgar, but you have to realize... we don't get a lot of food trucked in out here. The general store sells some non-perishables... flour, salt, that sort of thing... but people rely on trapping and hunting for fresh meat. Around here, if someone's messing with your traps, that's a pretty loud message to be sending."

"Point taken," Reno acknowledged, leaning back on the couch.

"At first, I just figured it was the Calloway boys. Got into a bit of a disagreement with them not long before it started. But they denied it... and after awhile, things started getting a lot more serious. Definitely not things they'd do."

"What do you mean by _more serious_?" Elena asked, concerned.

"Fires, for one. We're in the coming to the end of the dry season, and the forest is like kindling right now, so everyone's being extra careful about what and where they're burning. Six brush fires in two weeks, though... all on our property... that's no accident. Some were damned close to the homestead, too. Luckily, we saw them before they could spread too far. Then a week ago, the main support line on on the bridge over the west valley was cut halfway through. I was on it when it finally started to give way. It held long enough for me to get to safety, but that wasn't a fun couple of minutes." Del scowled and planted himself in a chair. "Aside from the bridge, there hasn't been any serious damage, or even any injuries... yet. But it just seems to keep escalating." He paused, hesitating.

"Something else happened, didn't it?" Reno prodded. Del sighed.

"Two days ago someone tried their luck at breaking into the house in the middle of the night. And yesterday morning, someone in the woods took a shot at Nana while she was out in the garden." Elena couldn't help but gasp. Del nodded gravely and turned his gaze on her. "That's when I finally decided enough was enough and called you. I don't know what this is about, but it seems to be directed squarely at us. No one else I've spoken to has had anything like this happening to them. And you know Nana... stubborn as a mother nibelwolf and twice as territorial. She's not going to let anyone run her out of her home, even temporarily. It was all I could do just to convince her to at least stay indoors until I figured out what to do about all this."

"Well, that explains why ya greeted us at gunpoint..." Reno commented, more than a little miffed that someone would go after an old woman in so cowardly a fashion. That was low.

"Yeah, well... When El said she'd be here as soon as she could, I didn't think she meant she'd be strolling in the front door by dawn the next morning. Hope I didn't scare you too bad."

Reno smirked and raised an eyebrow. "She _did_ tell ya what we do for a living, didn't she?" Del inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"But _why_ would anyone want to target you and Nana?" Elena asked, shaking her head.

"I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure that out... and I've come up with exactly nothing," Del said.

"Well, you can sit there and keep trying to figure it out if you want to, Delion," Josephine called out from the kitchen doorway, "But these two must be starving after coming all the way from Midgar, and breakfast is ready."

* * *

Elena had been shocked at the sheer amount of food her grandmother had prepared. It was as if she intended to feed a small army, not a group of four. But then, Reno could happily _eat_ enough for a small army. And Josephine had kept plying him with food, telling him he was much too thin and needed to eat more.

Eventually, though, even _he_ had to start refusing additional helpings... Elena had nearly lost it when Reno had emphatically stated that he couldn't eat another bite and actually meant it. She had truly begun to believe it wasn't possible.

"My god..." Reno moaned softly as he dropped onto the couch. Josephine had shooed them both out of the kitchen so she and Del could take care of the dishes. "For a minute there, I thought she was going to start force-feeding me... I stay here much longer, she might actually manage to fatten me up some..."

"I... umm... that kind of reminds me..." Elena began. Reno raised his head from its resting spot on the arm of the couch, "I know I only asked you to _bring_ me here. You're supposed to be on vacation, and I go and drag you away from it... and totally wreck your evening while I'm at it... and I haven't even thanked you for going out of your way like that. If you want to go back to Midgar... I... well, I mean you never agreed to stick around, and I really can't ask that of you."

"So don't ask. Just assume I'm stayin'... 'cause I am," he replied, letting his head drop back to its previous position, "And you're welcome. But seriously, 'Lena... Between bein' up all night and bein' literally stuffed full of everything from pancakes to... _whatever_ the hell that awesome shit with all the cinnamon on it was... I'm about to pass out. If ya need me, I'll be in a food coma."

He raised his head one more time. "Don't need me," he quickly added.

Elena snickered. "Wait until Tseng and Rude find out your stomach has finally met its match..." She reached for the quilt that was draped over the back of the couch, and spread it over the sleepy redhead. And no wonder he was tired, too... she'd at least dozed a good bit during their flight in. Reno had been up the whole time... and the entire day before. In fact, probably hadn't slept since the night before last, and knowing his usual off-duty habits, quite possibly not then, either.

"Mmhmm... They'll never believe ya, and I'm gonna deny the hell out of it. Got a reputation to maintain," he said, curling up on his side under the blanket and letting his eyes drift shut.

Elena gently tucked the quilt around him, earning a contented sigh from the redhead, and let him be, making her way back into the kitchen.

"Congratulations, Nana," she said, smiling, "You're the only person I know of who's ever forced Reno to concede defeat at a meal."

"That boy can eat, I'll give him that," Josephine said with a soft laugh.

"Well, while he's sleeping it off, I'm going to go take a look around outside."

"I'll go with you," Del said, "There's a few things I want to show you... and it's probably best not to head out alone anyway."

"You two be careful," Josephine cautioned them.

* * *

Reno woke with a start and shuddered. He wasn't having nightmares _every_ time he drifted off anymore, as he had been for nearly a week after returning from Costa del Sol... but damned if the ones he did have weren't still disturbing as fuck. The one he'd just come out of was no exception. At least he'd gotten to the point that he eventually recognized them for what they were and could wake himself up before things got too... unpleasant. Even so, they still left him feeling raw and anxious for some time after he woke.

He sat up and stretched, pushing aside the quilt. Early afternoon sunlight was streaming in through the windows. Apparently he'd been out for awhile.

"Finally awake, eh?" Josephine made her way down the staircase, a large box tucked under one arm. She set it on sideboard at the foot of the stairs and made her way over to Reno. "Poor thing, you must have been up all night getting here... I'd have put the both of you straight to bed if I'd been thinking a little more clearly earlier. Don't say anything to Delion – that boy frets about me enough as it is – but this whole business has me a lot more flustered than I care to admit."

"Heh... Not a word," Reno promised, "And don't worry about it... I've got no complaints against eatin' 'til I drop. So what's in the box?"

"Figured I'd better grab some candles. There's a storm due later and we almost always lose power. Hope those two get back before it hits."

Reno froze, feeling his heart skip a beat.

"Back?"

"Elena and Delion took off... hmm... few hours ago, I suppose. Wanted to take a look around and see what they could see."

Elena had gone off without him? _Hours_ ago? What the hell had she been thinking? He pulled out his PHS, intent on laying into her for doing something so incredibly stupid and demanding she get her sorry ass back to the house. Immediately. One thing was certain... he wasn't going to be shaking off that dream anytime soon _now_.

"Oh, you won't get a hold of anyone on that," Josephine said, "No signal out here. Only way to call out is the landline in town at Gilly's."

"You've gotta be kidding..." Reno groaned. He was going to have to go look for her... which ought to be interesting, given that he had exactly zero idea which direction she might have taken off in. He'd finally done it. He'd lost the rookie. On a fucking mountain, no less. He was torn between being supremely ticked off and worried half to death, and he jumped when Josephine placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Now, don't worry about those two. They'll watch out for each other," she said, smiling warmly, "You're a protective one, aren't you? Got a bit of a soft spot for my granddaughter?"

"I take my job seriously," Reno stated, getting to his feet, "And part of my job is to stop your granddaughter from doing idiotic things like runnin' off into a forest full of people that may be tryin' to kill her."

"Now, you sit down and relax," Josephine chuckled, and gripped him by the shoulders, pushing him back down onto the couch. He stared up at her, mouth agape, not quite sure what surprised him more... that he'd just been manhandled into compliance by an octogenarian, or that he'd been so caught off guard by it that he'd allowed it to happen. "Take my word for it. Delion knows these woods like the back of his hand. There is _no one_ better to look out for his sister on this terrain... and that includes you, honey."

Reno dropped his gaze to the floor. No one better... including him. The notion of being less than ideal for that particular job struck a little too close to home in his present state of mind.

"Well, now... that certainly seems to have hit a nerve." Josephine sat herself down next to the redhead, and the next thing Reno knew, she had an arm hooked around him and was pulling him down sideways to lay with his head on her lap.

"H-hey!" he cried, having little time to put up much of a fight, even if it had occurred to him to do so, "What the hell?!"

"Something's obviously bothering you... so why don't you just tell Nana what it is?"

Cool fingertips glided across his temple and along his cheek. Reno held his tongue. He should be out looking for Elena, not having an impromptu therapy session with her overly-affectionate grandmother. Oh, but the way her fingers were carding his hair _did_ feel nice...

With an irritated growl, he tried to sit up, only to find himself held firmly in place by the hand he hadn't even noticed on his shoulder.

"Oh, no you don't," she murmured, "I raised four boys of my own, and two more I brought in from the cold... _and_ that grandson of mine since he was a teenager. If you think you can get away from me, you've got another thing coming. I'm a stubborn old bat."

"And _I'm_ not in the mood to sit around wasting time..." Reno snapped, as he made a second attempt at extricating himself from the woman's grasp... before realizing that, unless he was willing to physically fight off a sweet old lady who had to be pushing eighty-five – and who had a surprisingly strong grip, all things considered – he was stuck. She was determined to keep him there.

Reno sighed in defeat. "Tch... And I thought being cornered by Rude was annoying..." he muttered. Rude, at least, let him remain upright when he decided Reno had too much on his mind and needed to talk to someone.

"Well?" Josephine prodded, "I'm waiting..."

"Fine," the redhead grumbled, "You wanna know what's bothering me? I screwed up. That's what."

"And I take it this mountain of a screw up had something to do with Elena?"

"... It could have gotten her killed," he admitted. It could have gotten _him_ killed, too, for that matter.

"Obviously it didn't."

"It _could_ have," he stressed, angrily. It wasn't even so much the mistake itself that bothered him. The best, most experienced of Turks still made mistakes... not even Tseng was immune. It was how completely moronic and avoidable it had been. All he'd have had to do to prevent it was scout the area before approaching that door. If he'd just taken thirty seconds to do that, he never would have been ambushed, never would have been immobilized, never would have been tortured... never would have put Elena in danger. But he'd rushed... and saving himself less than a minute had come dangerously close to costing him both their lives.

"But it didn't," she reiterated, as her hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck, fingers tenderly kneading away at the tension in his muscles, "And I'd wager that you're not going to be making that same mistake again."

Reno didn't answer, but silently acknowledged the point.

"Now tell me something..." she continued, "What does Elena gain from you behaving like her over-protective brother every time she steps foot outside?"

"A longer lifespan?" he replied, _almost_ meekly. Whatever the hell she was doing to his neck, it was making it very hard for him to stay annoyed with the 'stubborn old bat'... and even less inclined to want to get up.

"Hmm... I don't know about that. You keep someone in a bubble, and they get dull to the world around them. They forget to watch their own backside, because they're so accustomed to someone else doing it for them."

He tensed, forced to admit to himself that he had never considered that.

"It's fine to want to protect someone who clearly means a lot to you... From what she's told me in her letters, you Turks _do_ seem a close-knit bunch. I'm extremely pleased to know my little Elena has people watching over her like she was one of their own kin. But let her make a few mistakes of her own once in awhile. Otherwise, she won't have anything to learn from," Josephine said. She laughed softly, "Only small, unlikely-to-be-fatal ones, though, if you please."

"And for Ifrit's sake," she added, "Stop beating yourself up over something that's over and done with. That doesn't help her, either... or you, for that matter."

Reno snorted softly. "You sound an awful lot like my boss," he muttered as he suddenly realized that at some point during her lecture, she'd gone from simply massaging his neck to flat out stroking him from his head to his lower back, as if he were some sort of oversized cat. Worse still, he'd instinctively curled himself up to give her a better angle to do so.

He felt ridiculous.

And oddly content. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was what having a grandmother was like. He'd never met his own, assuming she'd even been alive by the time he came along.

"Hmph... Smart man, then. You should listen to him."

By the time the front door opened several minutes later, Reno had nearly allowed himself to be lulled back to sleep.

"Um... Nana?" Elena's voice spoke, jarring him back to reality, "Why are you... _petting_... Reno?"

No longer restrained, the redhead sat up, suddenly very much awake. " 'Lena... Uh..." This was absolutely _not_ something he wanted to explain, least of all to the rookie herself. Josephine was snickering softly.

"Well, you see, I just couldn't resist that pretty red hair of his," she offered, gently fondling his ponytail, "He's such a sweet young man, humoring an old lady... Just what I need around here."

She was covering for him? Reno breathed out and relaxed, eternally grateful. _That_ could have been more than a little embarrassing. It also occurred to him that Josephine was much more devious than he ever would have thought... that lie had been pitch perfect and delivered without the slightest hesitation. Even Tseng might have bought it.

Elena shot him an apologetic smile as Del rolled his eyes.

"I _told_ you she'd be trying to adopt the poor guy by the time we got back..." Del commented, "Never should've left him alone with her."

"And on that note," Reno said, quickly changing the subject, "Find anything interesting?" He bit down on the all-encompassing desire to shake some sense into Elena for leaving without him in the first place. Josephine had been right about at least one thing... he couldn't let himself fall into the habit sheltering her more than she needed to be.

"Sprung traps and a few broken branches," Del replied, "No tracks to follow, at least none that I could see... I'm not the greatest tracker, though, if I'm being honest. Could maybe coax old Aven out tomorrow. He's been tracking in these mountains for decades. He might have better luck."

"We _did_ find these just past the edge of the forest," Elena added, handing Reno three spent casings from a rifle, "Del's sure there not from any of his guns."

"Wrong caliber," Del nodded, "Don't have anything that'd take something that big. I can't think of anyone else offhand who does, either."

"Wutai-made. Don't recognize the mark, though," Reno mused, brushing some dirt away from the etched symbol on the end of one casing, "Tseng'd know... but apparently there's no wireless service out here, so sending him a photo isn't really an option."

"They didn't get them locally, if they came from Wutai, then," Josephine spoke up, "General store doesn't stock anything but the basics, and no one would waste the money importing anything like when something closer to home would do. Half the people around here just load their own, anyway."

Reno stared at the three casings with a frown. They reminded him of something... but he couldn't quite dig up the memory.

"What is it?" Elena asked, noting just how deep in thought he seemed to be. Reno sighed.

"Maybe nothin'," he replied, "Just can't help thinkin' I'm missing something here." It was going to bug the hell out of him, he just knew it. He turned to Josephine. "You said you can call out from in town?"

"Sure can. But it's close to an hour both ways on foot," she said.

"Longer with the west bridge out. You'd have to go around the south end of the valley. If you're thinking about making that trip, I'd hold off. We could see the storm front moving in on the way back," said Del, "I'd guess we've got maybe another hour... hour and a half at best... before it's right on top of us. Looks nasty, too. You _might_ make it there before it starts, if you're quick, but you'd never make it back."

"Reno?" Elena questioned. He shook his head.

"Wanted a word with Tseng about these," he replied, lightly tossing the casings in the palm of his hand and debating with himself on whether it was important enough to risk it. He hesitated... It was certainly a pain in the ass when he couldn't remember something – and he had the nagging suspicion that whatever he was forgetting was relevant – but it wasn't worth potentially getting caught in a raging downpour on the side of a mountain with nowhere to take shelter. He supposed the helicopter was an option... but clear areas to land seemed to be a bit lacking. He might end up having to hike in as they'd had to do from the lake... and then hiking back... which left him with pretty much the same problem he'd have if he just made the whole trip on foot. "I guess it'll have to wait," he said at last, pocketing the shells for the time being.

"Oh, good," Elena sighed, relieved, "For a minute there, I was worried we were actually going to try."

"Wasn't plannin' on takin' you with me, 'Lena," Reno noted, smirking when he caught sight of the insulted and somewhat hurt expression on her face, "Hey, no offense... but I _do_ move faster on my own, ya know. Besides which, least one of us should be keepin' an eye on things here."

"Well since you've decided _not_ to do something as unbelievably daft as going out in bad weather," Josephine interjected, "you can give Delion a hand getting things squared away before said bad weather gets here. Del, chickens in the coop, extra wood in the bin, and make sure those damn shutters upstairs stay closed for once. Elena, you come help me with a little lunch."

* * *

"A _little_ lunch?" Reno asked, incredulously, eying the spread on the kitchen table. It was easily as much food as, if not more than, what they'd been served for breakfast.

"I think Nana's determined that you leave here at least fifty pounds heavier," Elena said, smothering a laugh, "She's got it in her head that you desperately need to be fed properly."

"Yeah... Tseng tried that with me once. It doesn't stick," Reno replied.

"What do you mean 'Tseng tried that with you'?" Elena asked.

The redhead shrugged. "I'm naturally skinny. Always have been. First medical workup I had after I was promoted, they told Tseng I was underweight. Apparently, some chart says I'm 'sposed to be somethin' like twenty pounds heavier for my height," he said, rolling his eyes at the memory, "He decided to fix that personally... pretty much like this."

"So I guess you didn't gain much," she mused, as she set another dish on the table, which already nearly didn't have room for the place settings.

"Actually, I lost two pounds."

" _What_?!" Elena's eyes widened, as she looked from Reno, to the table, and back again, "How is _that_ even possible?"

Reno was sniggering unabashedly at her expression. "Ah come on, 'Lena... you gotta remember the first couple months after you made probationary status. Workout hell, followed by mission briefings, followed by more workout hell, 'cause you're not actually bein' _sent_ on the missions yet, followed by Tseng kickin' your ass in the practice room... lather, rinse, repeat? Even eating twice what I was used to, I was burnin' it off just as fast."

"Yeah... I remember that. Except in my case, it was _you_ kicking my ass, not Tseng. And I didn't lose anything!"

"Huh... Guess I must've been kinda lazy, then, not workin' ya as hard as Tseng woulda," Reno teased, ignoring Elena's glare. He knew perfectly well that he hadn't cut her any slack. "'Course, eventually, that all kinda calmed down... Got into the normal routine and everything. Never gained much past the two pounds I lost, though. Tseng eventually gave up on shoveling food down my throat and told the doc to shut the hell up about my weight. Thank fuck, too... it was takin' all the fun outta eatin'."

"So basically, you're a total freak of nature, that can eat as much as you want of whatever you want and still look like... this," she groused, gesturing to Reno's slender figure.

"Pretty much," he cheerfully confirmed.

"I hate you, Reno. I hate you _so_ much..."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," said Reno, grinning manically, "Especially right around New Year's when half the company's suddenly on a diet. Ya know... 'bout the time they always start that all ya can eat dessert bar in the cafeteria. Man... some of the looks I get at lunch time..."

Elena's opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly realized what he was implying.

"You evil bastard."

"Heh... yeah, took for-fucking-ever to work that deal out... and I _kinda_ had to whore myself out to get final approval – think I may have mentioned that to ya once, actually – but it was so worth it..." he said, proudly. As Elena was trying her best to figure out when on earth Reno had ever mentioned anything about trading sexual favors for a dessert bar... and frankly she couldn't fathom not remembering something that bizarre, even where Reno was concerned... Josephine and Del made their way into the kitchen.

"Looks like we got everything battened down just in time," Josephine said nodding toward the window, where the first rain drops were spattering the glass. Reno suddenly found himself being physically steered toward a seat at the table. "Now there was no need to wait on our account... you two should've dug right in. Especially, you!"

Reno glanced over at Elena, who was practically shaking with amusement over her grandmother's single-minded quest to stuff her guest to bursting, and readied himself for round two, determined not to be defeated this time.

* * *

The driving rain filled the house with a droning patter broken only by the frequent crashes of thunder that rattled the windows in their frames. Josephine had made herself comfortable in front of the fireplace and its fire with a lap-full of knitting, and Del had opted to make himself useful by disassembling and cleaning two of his rifles on the kitchen table.

Trapped inside by the weather, there was little the two Turks could do to make any progress on unraveling the mystery behind who was harassing the family and why. Elena watched the rain falling in sheets through the window. From time to time, she glanced over at Reno, who had retreated to the couch, and was again staring at the spent casings she and Del had brought back.

"Oh, fuck..." she heard him whisper and looked back again.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Reno looked up at her.

"Close the curtains, and get the hell away from that window... Do it slowly. House might be bein' watched," he replied, evenly.

"In this?" Elena dubiously responded, but she did as she was told, tugging the heavy curtains shut as casually as possible and moving toward where Reno was now sitting upright on the couch, no longer relaxed. "Now are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"You said you found these right at the edge of the forest?" he asked, ignoring her query. Elena nodded. "Were they scattered, like they'd been fired and then ejected?"

"No..." Elena replied, her brow furrowing, "They were lined up next to each other on a stump."

"Let me guess," he deadpanned, "Standin' on end, with one upside down, right?" Elena's eyes went wide and she nodded hesitantly, as she realized that, while she and Del had discussed it at length, she'd completely forgotten to say anything about it to Reno. Reno squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, in much the same way Tseng had a habit of doing when he was particularly frustrated with the redhead. "And in your infinite wisdom, ya didn't think to mention that little detail to me..." he prodded, his tone growing increasingly annoyed.

"I-I messed up... didn't I..." she squeaked. She felt chilled as she wondered just to what extent.

"Yep."

"How bad?" she asked, cringing.

Reno smirked. "Let's just say you're lucky we're not here in any kind of official capacity... 'cause I _really_ wouldn't wanna be in your shoes if you had to say that to Tseng."

"Oh, stop stringing the poor girl along and say whatever it is you mean to say," Josephine's voice chastised from her seat by the fire.

"Ever heard of the the Zenshou traders?" Elena shook her head. It sounded vaguely Wutaiian, but beyond that, she knew nothing about them.

"Yeah, I actually don't know a whole hell of a lot about 'em myself aside from what Tseng's told me. Been drivin' myself nuts tryin' to remember why three empty shells seemed so goddamn familiar... Finally did. It's their fucking calling card... I saw it 'bout a year ago when me 'n Rude got sent in to investigate some thefts from the Junon weapons depot."

"But that doesn't make any sense," said Elena, "What would they be doing here?"

"Anything valuable around this place? Family heirlooms? Somethin' from the mines? Fuck... I dunno. Ya got a secret weapons bunker ya didn't tell me about? They're mostly just black market scum operatin' outta Wutai. Deal exclusively in the hard to find shit. Tseng told me they don't really get violent unless they don't get paid... or ya got somethin' they want. If that's the case, you either give it to 'em, or you get the fuck outta town and hope like hell they don't find ya, 'cause if they want it bad enough, they're relentless."

"Oh, dear..." Both Turks turned as one to look over at Josephine.

"Nana?" Elena ventured, "What is it... ?"

"Your brother was here not more than two months ago. He'd just come from Wutai... left a couple weeks later."

"Belane? Bel was here?" she said, shocked. Her grandmother nodded.

"He bring anything... unusual... with him?" Reno asked.

"Not that he ever showed us. But he did ask if he could leave something in the attic. Said he didn't want to travel with it all the way to the Great Glacier on account of it being very old and delicate."

"More like he didn't want to get caught with something these 'traders' were after..." Elena said in disgust. He almost certainly had to have taken it from his most recent dig site in Wutai.

She hadn't been entirely honest with Reno when she'd told him what her brother did for a living. Oh, he was an archaeologist, alright. Trained, accredited, and everything. He was also a thief. His 'contract work' for Shinra mainly involved selling the company anything he came across that happened to be on their unofficial list of desirable artifacts... mostly relating to a race called the Ancients, but really anything he dug up was fair game. He had similar 'contracts' with other parties, as well.

It seemed pretty obvious to her that he'd taken something – and then had hidden it here and run off, apparently not especially concerned about the danger he might be placing his own family in – and Elena was furious. She turned on her heel and marched toward the stairs.

Reno was in front of her, blocking her path, before she'd even realized he'd gotten up.

"Where ya goin', 'Lena?" he asked, voice almost taunting.

"To find whatever that asshole of a brother of mine left here," she stated, angrily pushing past him. Reno sighed, and grabbed her around the waist from behind, physically lifting her off the floor and carrying her back to the couch as she protested... loudly. He set her down and spun her around to face him.

"Okay... Lemme rephrase that. Where ya going, without a weapon, and without askin' me to back you up, knowin' that someone might be watchin' us, and could even be in the house for all we fucking know?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest and fixing her with an irritated glare. Elena's eyes went immediately to the small table next to the window she'd previously be staring out of... on top of which was her sidearm. She paled.

"Yeah. Look, I know we're not on the clock right now, but I don't think Tseng'd be any less pissed at me if I brought ya home anything less than alive, so... think ya might wanna grab that before _we_ head upstairs?" Reno withdrew his mag-rod from its holster at his waist, extending it to its full length with a flick of his wrist. Josephine gave him an approving grin as a very flustered rookie retrieved her weapon.

The pair of them started up the staircase, Reno taking the lead. Cautiously, they did a quick sweep of the second floor, and, finding nothing, moved on. Elena pulled down hard on the cord that hung from the ceiling in the hall, revealing the attic stairs. She climbed, weapon drawn, with Reno close behind, tugging the string above her to turn on the light.

The attic was surprisingly orderly. Reno had expected it to be crammed full of unneeded things... like pretty much every other attic he'd ever been in. Apparently, Elena's penchant for neatness was hereditary... Boxes were carefully stacked and labeled by year and contents. Unused furniture was arranged by size and pushed against the far wall. More frequently needed items, like boxes of candles, identical to the one Josephine had carried downstairs earlier, were placed on a set of shelves near the entrance. On the plus side, it was easy enough to see that they were alone.

"Shit... and I thought _you_ were a neat freak," he commented. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Reno, the way you live makes a hyperactive two year old look like a neat freak."

"Not true. I clean. I just do it kinda... sporadically. Not my fault you have a habit of showin' up at my place on the off weeks," he replied, walking to the far end of the attic.

Now that she thought about it, his apartment really _hadn't_ been bad at all when she'd turned up begging him for a ride. She'd been a little too concerned with other matters to pay it any mind.

"I'll start at this end, you start down there. Shouldn't be too hard to find somethin' out of place up here." Elena nodded, and began her search.

As it turned out, however, Reno was wrong. By the time the pair met in the middle, neither had come across anything that looked like something black market thugs would have any interest in.

"Guess I stand corrected," he muttered.

"Maybe he decided to take it with him after all..."

"Yeah, maybe," Reno answered, though he sounded less than convinced, "You keep lookin' up here. I'm gonna find out what room your brother stayed in, and take a look in there."

The redhead headed down the attic stairs to the landing, leaving the rookie to her task. As he made his way down the main stairs to the ground floor, though, the sight that greeted him caused him to freeze in his tracks. Delion lay facedown on the floor, hopefully, Reno mused, just unconscious. Josephine, however, was very much awake. As were the two Wutaiian men who flanked her on either side, one holding a gun to her head, the other glaring up at the Turk.

Heavily armed, and they had a hostage. Elena was still in the attic, and would take time to reach him if he risked calling for her. Even with the advantage of having the high ground, Reno didn't like his odds.

"Crap..."

"You know why we're here?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, I know why you're fuckin' here," Reno sighed, "Whatever it is you're lookin' for, we haven't found it yet."

"Then I suggest you look harder. In the mean time, she'll be coming with us. You have until dawn."

Reno growled in his throat as the pair roughly forced Josephine to her feet. Something told him that if they took her, he was probably never going to see her alive again... and he wasn't about to let that happen.

"Leave her here," he said, "I'll go with ya in her place."

The one holding the gun on Josephine glanced at his partner. "And why should we agree to that? Trading a docile old woman for someone obviously much more dangerous..."

"I'm a lot less likely to fall and break a hip," he said, smirking slightly at the dirty look Josephine cast him, "Hostages aren't much good to ya if they don't survive. And ya can move faster with me than her."

"Leave your weapons where you are. Come down the stairs," the man's partner intoned dangerously, "Try anything and we shoot her now."

Reno set his mag-rod on the railing and raised his hands as he did as instructed. The one who'd spoken grabbed him the moment he was in range, slamming him down on the floor and pressing a knee into his back to keep him there. He heard Josephine cry out his name in alarm, but he didn't resist as the Wutaiian thoroughly searched him. He grunted as his arms were wrenched behind his back.

"Easy," he growled, "I'm not puttin' up a fight here... long as you let the nice lady stay behind, I'll behave myself."

His captor said nothing as he looped a length of rope tight around Reno's wrists, binding him securely, and then hauled him to his feet. He nodded to his partner, who released Josephine.

"You have until dawn," the first man repeated, addressing the old woman this time, "Find our merchandise and hand it over, and you can have him back safe and sound. Otherwise... you get him back with bullet in his head."

"Oh... Reno, honey..." Josephine whispered, horrified.

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Just tell 'Lena to find the damn thing before these guys get too impatient," he said to her before they pulled him towards the door.

"And for fuck's sake, tell her _not_ to do anything stupid... like comin' after me!" he yelled as they dragged him out into the storm and vanished into the night

When they were gone, Josephine hurried to check on Delion first – who, aside from being unconscious, seemed to be fine – before rushing up the stairs, calling for her granddaughter.

* * *

Elena swatted her hair out of her face, frustrated. She'd gone over the whole attic three times now, and come up empty. There was just nothing that looked like it might contain an ancient Wutaiian artifact of some kind... or even like it just didn't belong in her grandmother's attic. Maybe Reno was having better luck. As she started towards the hatch that would take her back to the second floor, though, she heard a commotion downstairs.

"Elena!" Josephine's voice called out. Elena couldn't ever remember hearing her grandmother sound so frightened. She practically threw herself through the opening, taking the narrow stairs leading down two at a time.

"Nana?! What's wrong?" she asked, nearly running into the woman as she reached the landing.

"They've taken Reno," Josephine said, her voice wavering.

"W-what? Who?!"

"While you and Reno were up here scrounging around in the attic, two men came in through the kitchen. They must've caught Del by surprise, because he's out cold. They nabbed me before I could call for help, and demanded I give them their merchandise," she explained, "When I told them I didn't know where it was, they got real quiet... and then they just... waited. When Reno came down, they told him we had until dawn to hand it over."

"But I don't understand... What happened to Reno?"

"They were planning on taking me with them as a hostage. Reno volunteered himself instead, and they just took him! Said if we didn't have whatever they're looking for by dawn, they'd... oh..." she shook her head, distressed, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "They'll kill him."

"No... Reno... What were you thinking?" she groaned, biting down on the panic that was making her stomach twist uncomfortably. She was no closer to finding Bel's stolen relic than she had been when they'd first started looking. And now Reno was _counting_ on her to find it. On her own, without his help.

"He was protecting me," Josephine lamented, "Oh, Elena... if anything happens to that boy, I'll never forgive myself. He should have just let them have me. He didn't have to go and take my place like that..."

"Nana, don't worry... I'm going to go get him back," Elena replied. What else could she do? If she didn't find what they wanted, Reno was as good as dead. If she tried to mount a rescue, he might at least have a chance.

"You most certainly are not!" Josephine nearly shouted.

"Nana..."

"Now you listen, young lady," she said sternly, "The last thing Reno said before they dragged him off was to tell you to keep looking. And not to do anything as foolish as going after him on your own. Apparently, he knows you all too well... he was very specific on that point."

Elena hesitated. A part of her felt like she was abandoning him by not trying to get him back. On the other hand, the storm was still raging and following Reno and his captors' trail would be next to impossible. For all she knew, Reno had his own escape plan, and her turning up... on the off chance she managed to find him... could ruin it. She chewed at her lower lip, not liking what she knew she had to do.

"Then... I guess I keep looking," she said in resignation.

Josephine pulled her into a tight embrace. " _We_ keep looking," she corrected her.

"There's nothing in the attic," Elena said, doing her best to push her concern for the absent redhead aside for the moment so she could concentrate on the task at hand, "Reno was coming to ask you where Bel stayed when he was here. Maybe he hid it in his room instead."

"Well... he stayed in your father's old room," Josephine replied, gesturing down the hall. Elena hurried along the corridor. Just as she pushed open the door, there was a deafening crash of thunder. The lights overhead flickered and went out.

"Oh, for Ifrit's sake!" her grandmother cried, "Every damn time we get a storm... Wait here, sweat pea... I'll get the candles." Elena could hear her footsteps on the stairs, and waited impatiently for what seemed like ages. At last Josephine returned, a lighted candle in hand with several more cradled against her chest.

"Your brother's coming around," she said, "But I don't think he'll be of much help for awhile."

Elena took a candle from her and lit it from the small flame of its twin. "Then it's up to us."

The two women began tearing the room apart from top to bottom, pulling out drawers, shifting furniture, shaking out the linen in the closet. Elena even pulled down a heavy mirror from the wall to make sure nothing had been hidden behind the frame. They checked everywhere they could think of, spending more than an hour searching every nook and cranny by candlelight. Their efforts, however, went unrewarded.

Elena did her best to ignore the growing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. Now was not the time to panic.

"It's not here..." she sighed in frustration, dropping heavily onto the bed... only to immediately stand up again as she came down painfully on something hard. "What the... ?" Most of the covers had already been pulled back and tossed aside. She stripped away what remained, exposing the bare mattress. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but as Elena looked closer, she could see that a seam had been cut and resewn, somewhat haphazardly, by hand.

"Nana... get a knife... scissors... anything!" She silently pleaded for this to be it. Josephine wordlessly withdrew from the bedroom, and returned moments later with a folding knife, handing it over. Elena sliced through the newer stitches, and slide a hand into the hole. Her fingers closed around smooth, polished wood.

She pulled the object loose from its hiding place, drawing out a short, ornately carved box, its lacquer chipped and faded with age. A pair of interwoven dragons decorated the hinged lid, in a uniquely Wutaiian motif. She carefully lifted the delicate-looking latch that held the box closed and raised the lid.

The inside of the box was lined with pale blue silk, and pillowed in the center was a translucent orb, deep crimson in color with a faint glow emanating from deep within. Summon materia... Well, that certainly fit the Trader's criteria of rare and hard to find.

Summons were dangerous under the best of circumstances... and devastating in the wrong hands. And she was expected to just hand it over to a pair of black market profiteers in exchange for Reno's life? Who knew where it would end up... or with whom. The responsible thing to do would be to destroy it. Now. But... Reno...

And it went without saying that Reno wouldn't be the only casualty. They knew her family had it. Surely the Zenshou Traders consisted of more than just the two that had turned up here. If they were really as relentless as Reno had said they were, Nana and Delion would likely never be safe if they didn't get what they wanted. Belane, as well, though at the moment, she was having a very hard time being particularly concerned for her wayward brother.

"Is that what it looks like?" Josephine asked, somewhat awed.

"Yeah, Nana... it is." She snapped the lid shut and stood up. The responsible thing would definitely be to destroy it... but she wasn't feeling especially responsible right now. Right now, all she wanted was to get Reno out of their clutches, and keep the rest of her family safe.

* * *

Dawn seemed as though it would never break. The storm had ceased the worst of its fury sometime in the early morning hours, leaving nothing more than a chilled drizzle in its place as the sky finally began to lighten. Elena sent her grandmother to bed hours ago, and tucked a blanket around Del where he lay, nursing a pounding headache but mostly unhurt, on the couch. She herself had been pacing anxiously throughout the night, her gaze drifting between the clock on the mantle, and the old Wutaiian box that rested innocuously on the table.

As the gray morning dawned, Josephine made her way down the stairs. She didn't look like she'd slept any more than Elena had. Del, too, had been roused from his slumber and was pushing himself upright on the couch. The rookie Turk pulled aside the curtains and peered out toward the forest. She could see someone moving in the shadows of the trees.

"Both of you stay here," she said, scooping up the box.

"I'm going with you," Delion said, getting to his feet.

"No, you're not. This is going to be a simple trade. The box for Reno... I don't want to give them any reason to think we're double-crossing them." Del frowned, obviously none too pleased, but nodded.

Swallowing nervously, Elena stepped out the front door, shivering in cold mist that had settled. As soon as she did, one of their two visitors from last night stepped into the clearing around the homestead.

"Put any weapons you're carrying on the steps, and walk forward to that stump with the box," he called out to her. Elena hesitated only a moment before unholstering her gun, and setting it down. She also put down the folding knife she was still carrying, just in case... it wasn't much of a weapon, on the whole, but she really didn't want to run the risk of pissing these guys off while they still had Reno. That done, she slowly walked to the large stump in the middle of the yard.

"Open it... let's see it," the Wutaiian called. He hadn't yet moved from his position at the treeline. Worse, his partner was nowhere in sight. Elena grudgingly opened the lid of the box, tilting it slightly to display the contents. "Good. Now set it down, and take ten steps back."

That would put her roughly center between her weapon and the box, and completely exposed. She didn't like the idea of making herself even more of a target than she already was... but realized that that was probably the point. The man's partner was likely watching... likely had a gun aimed at her.

"Where's Reno?" she called back.

"Safe enough. And he'll stay that way, as long as you do as you're told."

She set the box down, and glaring at the man, slowly backed up the requested ten paces. As soon as she stopped, he started forward, claiming the box for himself.

"Your friend is seventy yards up the main trail, on the high ground by the three large boulders. Bring a shovel. He's still alive... but we thought we'd save you the trouble of burying him just in case you didn't find our merchandise on time." Elena paled. They'd buried him alive?!

"Pleasure doing business with you," the trader added, before melting back into the trees. The moment he was gone, Elena ran for the house, collecting her sidearm and knife and shouting for Del and Josephine.

* * *

Seventy yards up the trail placed them directly before a trio of boulders and a disturbed patch of earth. Elena and Del dug in immediately as Josephine looked on anxiously, shoveling aside large piles of dirt and rock. Elena felt a familiar queasiness come over her as she thought back to the last time she'd had to dig someone up... unbidden, images of finding Reno in the same condition as they'd discovered Zedge Wymer in Costa del Sol popped into her head, and she shuddered.

Finally, almost three feet down, the shovels struck something hard. They dug faster, clearing away the earth from the top of the object. A heavy wooden trunk began to take shape in the expanding hole. Del began to dig an incline down on one side of the trunk... they'd never be able to lift it straight up, but they could drag it up a makeshift ramp.

"Reno?!" Elena tried, not knowing if he was conscious or not... or, much as she hated to consider it, alive or not. To her express relief, she heard a muffled groan of acknowledgment.

"Oh, thank heavens," Josephine sighed, "Hurry and get him out of there!"

Pulling the trunk out of its subterranean confines, Elena broke of the lock with a few well-placed blows from her shovel, and forced open the lid.

Reno's tall frame was curled up in what had to have been an extremely uncomfortable position in the tiny space. He'd been bound tightly and gagged. He was drenched from the night's rain and shivering, and there was a ragged cut along his jawline that was still bleeding sluggishly, but other than that... and the fact that he looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep... he seemed to be no worse for wear.

Del was quick to lift him out of his cramped prison setting him down on the ground. Elena fumbled with the folding knife for a moment, and cut through his bonds and the gag.

"Fucking took ya long enough," he said once he was free, grinning weakly through chattering teeth. Elena threw her arms around him, hugging him tight against her. "Gah... 'Lena... Appreciate the warmth and all, but... kinda hard ta breathe..." he managed as he suddenly found himself in the woman's death grip. She really _was_ clamped around him like a vice, and he wasn't sure if it was the strength-sapping cold and lack of sleep that made him wonder if the rookie was secretly possessed of inhuman strength, or if she was simply capable of squeezing him to death out of pure enthusiasm.

"Elena, don't crush the poor thing," Josephine chided, "Let the boy go so we can get him home and warmed up."

Less that ten minutes later, Reno found himself being stripped of his wet clothes and redressed in warm flannel that he suspected belonged to Delion. Whatever energy he'd still had when they'd found him had been spent on the walk back to the homestead. He hardly even noticed the sting of antiseptic as Josephine cleaned and dressed the cut on his face, and the raw rope burns on his wrists.

Wrapped in a heavy quilt, and parked on the living room couch – which had been shoved several feet closer to the fire burning in the hearth – he was now laying flat on his back with his head, for the second time in as many days, pillowed on Josephine's lap. She was firmly kneading the back of his neck again, and he had to admit... he was _really_ beginning to like that. So much so that after awhile, he'd completely lost track of just how long he'd been there.

"How is he?" The rookie's voice filtered through to his half-awake mind, but he didn't bother stirring. The immediate danger had passed, and given that he'd just spent the better part of eight hours in a very cold, wet hole in the ground, he'd decided he deserved a break... and if Elena's grandmother wanted to spoil him a bit, he was damn well going to let her. All he particularly cared about at the moment was that he was safe and warm and being looked after.

"Out like a light, I think," she responded, "Hasn't moved a muscle in ages." He decided against correcting her. He was much too comfortable. And warm. And _comfortable_. And screw it.. Let 'em think he was asleep. He didn't want to move.

"I just thought you should know... Del's in the kitchen. He claims he's going to make us breakfast."

"Oh, my... that boy can hardly be trusted to boil water, let alone cook a meal," Josephine groused, though she kept her voice low to avoid disturbing her charge. "Elena, be a dear and switch places with me. I need to see to my kitchen while I've still got a kitchen left to see to."

Reno felt himself being gently lifted from his cozy position, and almost deigned to open his eyes... but moments later, he was carefully resettled and it seemed like far too much of an effort. The hand at the back of his neck was gone, however, and he found himself decidedly annoyed by the sudden lack of attention. He listened as Josephine's footsteps faded into the next room, disappointed at the loss.

Before he could rouse himself enough to make his disapproval known, though, he heard a quiet sigh from above him.

"I can never thank you enough for what you did," Elena said softly, and for a moment, Reno assumed she'd realized that he wasn't quite as unconscious as Josephine had believed him to be. Elena was well aware of how easy he was to wake. "I'd never admit it if I thought you could hear me, but I was so scared out there... The whole time we were trying to get you out of that hole, all I could think about was Wymer and how I didn't want to see you like that..."

He felt her shudder. So she thought he was asleep after all; and apparently had decided that, since he wasn't awake to hear it, now was the perfect time to say whatever happened to come to mind. He appreciated the sentiment... but he definitely didn't need that particular thought bouncing around in his head.

She snickered suddenly and added, "I'd never actually tell you this, either, 'cause you'd just laugh at me... but you're really kind of adorable when you're asleep. You look about ten years younger. I bet you were a really cute kid."

Reno caught himself before he _did_ laugh. Even so, the corners of his mouth quirked upwards into a smirk, though she didn't seem to notice. Suddenly Elena's fingertips were lightly teasing his hair, indecisively at first, as though she thought she were taking some great liberty, before the hesitant touch became a gentle caress. He let her continue for awhile before he simply couldn't hold back.

"What's with you people all wantin' ta pet me?" he asked lazily. Elena yelped in surprise, and Reno frowned as her hand withdrew. He should've just kept his mouth shut for once instead of teasing her. He'd been enjoying that.

"Didn't say ya had to stop..." he prodded.

"R-reno?" the rookie began, ignoring the implied request.

"Hmmm?"

"Um... H-how long have you been awake?" the rookie asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"Wasn't ever asleep..." he said, grinning as he cracked one eye open to look up at her. She looked slightly horrified, and extremely embarrassed. "I _was_ a seriously cute kid, by the way," he added, grin widening. Elena groaned.

"Heh... startin' ta wish you'd left me in the hole yet?"

"Kinda," she replied with a half-hearted glare, before smiling, "Not really." Her fingers came to rest on his hair again, and she resumed her slow, gentle carding. "I... I really owe you, Reno. If they'd taken Nana instead..."

"Ah hell, 'Lena... don't go makin' a big deal out of it. I knew ya wouldn't just leave me there," he murmured, as he closed his eyes again, "'Sides... Got kind of a soft spot for nice old ladies that feed me..."

"Still... it's not as if they're your family..." she began.

"No... but they're _your_ family. And far as I'm concerned, you're part of mine... which isn't very big, and tends to get shot at a lot, so... ya know. Gotta look after you guys when I can..." Elena didn't say anything... in fact, she seemed to have frozen altogether, as the rhythmic stroking of his hair ceased. The longer it went on, the more concerned Reno became. Finally he dared to open his eyes again, groaning upon seeing her expression.

"'Lena, I swear... if you're gonna start cryin' every time I say somethin' even remotely sincere, I'm gonna stop doin' it. You get nothin' but jokes, Turks business, and the occasional comment about the weather from here on out. I mean it."

Elena had started snickering before he'd even finished. "Sorry. Can't make any promises." She paused a moment, considering something. "Nana will be happy you feel that way. I think she laid claim to you pretty much the moment you walked in the door."

"Well... she does have a habit of taking in strays..." Delion, who had apparently been run out of the kitchen entirely, commented from the door.

"Del! Don't call him that!" Elena admonished, frowning. Del raised his hands in surrender.

"Easy... I didn't mean it in a bad way," he replied. Seconds later, Elena was on her feet, arguing with her brother. Reno considered intervening and telling her that he didn't really mind being thought of as such... he'd always kind of considered himself a bit of a stray anyway... but this was far more entertaining. Instead, he sat back and watched as the rookie backed her older brother into the corner, berating him mercilessly on Reno's behalf until Josephine summoned them to eat.

* * *

"Now you two be careful getting yourselves back to Midgar," Josephine said.

"We will..." Reno replied, though his voice was somewhat muffled by virtue of the fact that he was currently locked firmly in the old woman's arms with his face pressed against her shoulder. Her grandmother seemed determined to keep them there as long as she possibly could. Elena had already gone through much the same ritual, herself.

"And make sure you're eating enough. You're still too skinny."

"Uh... sure..." he replied.

"And look after my little Elena."

Elena groaned. This was getting a little embarrassing. And poor Reno... he was kind of trapped at the moment.

"I will..."

"And yourself..."

"Yes, ma'am..."

"And don't you ma'am me, young man... You call me Nana," she insisted.

"Yes, Nana," he acquiesced. Josephine finally released him, and Elena giggled quietly to herself at the sight of the faint hint of pink coloring Reno's face.

"Take care, you two," Delion said, smiling warmly.

"Bye, Nana! Bye, Del!" Elena replied, as she and Reno started down the trail that would take them back to the helicopter.

"Is it me... or was I just forcibly adopted?" Reno joked as the homestead disappeared from view.

"I don't think its legally binding," Elena returned, "But just so you know... Nana always sends great Christmas and birthday gifts, so you might want to go with it."

Reno snorted in laughter, and the pair walked in silence for a little ways.

"So you don't think we should be worried?" Elena asked, turning the conversation to more serious matters.

"'Bout the materia?" Reno asked, and she nodded, "I'll let Tseng know about it... but I got a feeling I know who the buyer is."

"Who?"

"Us... well, Shinra, I mean. 'Course they never came right out and said it... but I got the pretty strong impression that's who they were talkin' about," he said, smirking. Elena stared at him, "What? Wasn't in that hole the _entire_ time, ya know... took 'em a while to actually dig it, and those guys liked to talk. Especially when they thought I wasn't listening."

"So... we let them take something we're just going to end up buying back?" Elena asked incredulously.

"Seems that way."

"That... That's so..."

"Yeah, I know. Annoying, isn't it?" Reno said with a grin, "You'd be surprised how often shit like that happens, though."

The helicopter was in sight now, and Elena found herself looking forward to being home again. She still had four more days off and after the last two, she finally felt like she needed them.

Elena climbed aboard while Reno checked for damage from the storm... or potentially from the two Zenshou traders that they now knew had been watching them since they first arrived. Finding none, he followed her into the aircraft, stopping short when he saw her.

"Oh, no you don't... Don't even think about it," the redhead said, narrowing his eyes.

"Come on, Reno... I need the practice!"

"Move."

"Please?"

"Move now."

Elena sighed and got up from the pilot's seat, switching to the co-pilot's chair on the other side, as Reno took her place.

"Can I at least take over from Junon to Midgar?" she ventured, hopefully, "I mean, we'll have to land and refuel anyway..."

"Nope... Not stoppin' in Junon," he replied.

"B-but... we can't make it all the way back to Midgar from here on just what we have in the tank..."

"'Course we can't. That's why we're stopping in Costa del Sol," he said, his grin widening, "And since we'll be there anyway, why not take the opportunity to enjoy the beach without someone tryin' to kill us?"

"I... but... can we just do that?"

"Why not? We're officially off duty for four more days. Worst case scenario, Tseng's kinda pissed at me for borrowing the copter without tellin' him... which he's probably gonna be anyway, so I might as well make the most of it."

He did have a point. And four days of sand and surf sounded a lot more enticing than her apartment. Not that it sounded like she had much choice in the matter. He hadn't _asked_ her if she wanted to stop in Costa del Sol. He'd basically said that was what he was planning to do.

Reno was already warming up the engine.

"Fine... but no day trips to Murder Island this time," she said, pulling on her headset.

"Heh... no argument here."

The helicopter rose steadily above the treeline, and headed east.

~fin~


	16. Hell Week

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 16: Hell Week**

 **by Desha**

 _Author's note: Back to somewhat lighter fare, this time. Elena's been on the job for awhile... Time to for an evaluation. And who better than Reno to do the evaluating? :)_

* * *

Elena dragged herself almost painfully back into the office. It was nearly 5pm on a Friday... literally minutes away from going home for the weekend, and was she ever ready for it. Most of her day had been spent buried deep in the underbelly of Midgar alongside Rude, shadowing a known anti-Shinra activist that was likely to have ties to the group known as Avalanche. It had been grueling, and – mainly because of her – they'd lost track of the man they were tailing somewhere between Sectors 5 and 6. The two had returned from the slums empty-handed, and though Rude hadn't gone so far as to lay the blame entirely at her feet, she could tell he was... not angry exactly, but definitely irritated with her.

She couldn't exactly blame him. She was certainly irritated with herself. It had been her first shadowing assignment that wasn't just a training exercise, and she'd screwed the whole thing up. Royally.

"Hey, 'Lena! How'd it go?" Reno said by way of a greeting. Elena groaned and let herself fall face first onto the couch by the window. He glanced over at Rude, who just shook his head. "That good, huh?"

"... Lost the target," he said with a shrug.

"Her fault?" Reno asked.

"Mostly."

The redhead cocked an eyebrow. That was a little harsh, coming from Rude... he wondered what the rookie had done. He'd have to get the full details later. Right now, however, he had a message to deliver. Reno prodded Elena in the side until she turned to face him.

"Heh... Ya know, I really hate to make your day worse than it already has been, but the boss wants to see ya, 'Lena. Heidegger's in there talkin' to him now, though, so you'll have to stick around a while. Also... Heidegger's talkin' to him, soooo... yeah. Have fun."

Elena groaned again, burying her face in the cushions. Reno gently patted her shoulder in solidarity, before turning to Rude.

"Clock says it's quittin' time, partner. Let's get the hell out of here before that door opens. See ya Monday, 'Lena. Unless of course ya wanna join us when Tseng's done. We'll be at the Phoenix Nest... if there's anything left of ya..." he said brightly. She wasn't sure if he was joking about that last bit or not.

Elena didn't even bother to look up. She simply gave him a half-hearted wave and listened as the two men's footsteps faded down the hallway.

Dear Holy, she had _really_ wanted to go home. Her stomach twisted nervously as she wondered what Tseng wanted to talk to her about. Whatever it was, apparently the Turk leader had deemed it important enough that it couldn't wait until Monday... which just made her worry more. Had she done something? _Not_ done something? Reno'd taken sole responsibility for them borrowing the helicopter a few weeks ago... and once Tseng got the whole story, he hadn't seemed especially bothered by it beyond advising them not to ever mention anything about it to Heidegger, so surely it wasn't that.

He couldn't possibly know about how badly she'd botched today's mission already... could he?

She sat up. Whatever it was, it probably wouldn't help her case much if he found her face down on the couch. She began mentally cataloging all of the things she could have possibly done wrong lately that would warrant a private conversation. One that wasn't to be put off until her next shift. Tseng's office door opened around the time she reached item twenty seven, and she instinctively leapt to her feet as Heidegger stormed out.

"I expect results, Tseng," he threw back over his shoulder. The large, unpleasant man glared at her as he approached. "Out of my way," he growled, shoving her backwards. Elena landed on the couch behind her with a soft 'Oof!', as Heidegger exited the Turks office.

She blinked in surprise and glanced back at Tseng, who looked... livid. In fact, she was certain she'd never seen him so visibly angry before. He said nothing, however... simply turned and walked back towards his desk. She debated whether she was expected to follow him or not. Reno _had_ said he wanted to speak to her... but she definitely didn't want to risk making him any more irate than he already was.

"Elena, join me, please," Tseng called out, solving the dilemma for her. She swallowed harshly and stood, hurrying to comply. She must have lingered on her feet moment too long, however.

"Sit down!" he snapped at her. Elena jumped, startled by her normally serene commander's tone, and nearly tripped over herself as she scrambled for the chair in front of his desk. Tseng dropped his gaze for a moment and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath.

"Forgive me," he sighed, "I'm not in the best of moods at the moment. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"That's alright, sir," she replied automatically. He smiled weakly.

"It isn't. But thank you, nonetheless."

"S-sir? What was that all about, anyway?" she ventured. That Tseng disliked Heidegger was hardly a secret... but the pompous executive rarely got under the man's skin to the extent he obviously had moments ago. Tseng shook his head.

"It concerns an old target of mine that has been in the wind for far too long. Largely because I've let her remain so... though Heidegger is unaware of that, so I would appreciate it if you kept it to yourself," the Wutaiian Turk replied, "We are, of course, keeping her under surveillance should it become necessary to finally bring her in, but... frankly, I'm hoping that can still be avoided."

"But... why?" Elena asked, astounded. She would never have thought Tseng would do something like that.

"Sentimentality, I suppose," he said, "I've known her since she was a child, and I am peripherally aware of what they intend to do with her. I don't wish to see her come to any further harm, particularly at the hands of Hojo... something I'm sure you can relate to."

Elena shuddered at the mention of the scientist's name... and the memory of how casually he was willing to throw away a life he deemed expendable.

"I was also less than pleased to see that oversized buffoon treat one of my Turks in the manner he did just now," he added, irritated tone emerging again for a brief moment, which coaxed a shy smile from the rookie, "My issues with certain executives, however, are not what I wished to discuss with you. It's come to my attention that you were promoted just over nine months ago."

Elena did a quick count in her head, realizing that he was right. "Yes, sir... I suppose I was," she replied, not certain what significance that held.

"Then, I fear I have bad news," he said, though he didn't seem especially perturbed by whatever it was. If anything, he looked vaguely amused.

"Bad news?" Elena asked anxiously. Tseng nodded.

"At nine months, a probationary level Turk is required to be evaluated. Shortcomings are determined so that additional training can be applied in the appropriate areas."

Elena sagged in relief. An evaluation? That was all? She could handle that.

"I wouldn't relax just yet, if I were you," Tseng chuckled, "This particular evaluation has also become something of a rite of passage, you might say. It has affectionately come to be known as 'Hell Week', and can be quite... unsettling."

"Unsettling... sir?" she said, hesitantly.

"For the duration of the week, from 7am Monday morning until 5pm Friday evening, evaluation of any given skill set may occur at any time in any location. You will not be given advance notice. You will not be told whether or not what is happening is part of the evaluation until the exercise is completed. It will not necessarily be confined to on-duty hours _or_ company property, though that is at the sole discretion of the examiner. Hmph... In the simplest terms, you will likely not see it coming, and you are not safe anywhere," he stated, matter-of-factly. Elena paled slightly as her previous relief evaporated.

"If it makes you feel any better, nothing in this evaluation is intended to injure you. Anger you... frighten you, perhaps... but not injure you. If you are ever truly in any danger, the exercise in progress will be suspended immediately."

"Y-yes, sir," she managed. She really didn't like the sound of this. Then another thought occurred to her. "Um... Sir?"

"Yes?"

"You said that it was at the discretion of the examiner whether or not something will happen when I'm off-duty..." she began.

"That's correct."

"So... who's the examiner?" Elena asked nervously. Tseng chuckled.

"The same person that's responsible for overseeing _all_ progress and training of probationary level Turks," he replied. Elena's eyes went wide.

"N-not... Reno?" she squeaked. Reno may have been friendly, funny, and occasionally even very sweet... but he was relentless when he was given an assignment. And this sounded disturbingly like an assignment he'd be very excited about, given that it essentially amounted to tormenting her for a week without having to face any repercussions from Tseng.

Tseng nodded in confirmation.

"And as I'm sure you know by now... despite his affectionate nature, he doesn't hold back in professional matters. You're also well acquainted with his... creativity... so I suggest you enjoy your weekend, if you can manage it. Your Hell Week begins on Monday, Elena."

* * *

Sunday evening found her at Rude's door, knocking tentatively. Aside from dreading tomorrow morning, she also wasn't quite sure she'd be welcome... even if it was Shadow & Sword night. She wasn't fully convinced that Rude had forgiven her yet for costing them their target on Friday.

The door opened, and she was greeted by the scent of something that smelled absolutely wonderful. The only thing better than finally having someone to obsess over her favorite show with was obsessing over it while enjoying Rude's cooking. She never would have suspected the quiet, taciturn man of being so skilled in the kitchen, but he put her own meager efforts to shame by comparison.

"Hey, Elena," he said, motioning her inside. She relaxed when she saw the table had been set for two, just as it was every Sunday night a new episode aired. Not only welcome... but expected. And apparently forgiven.

"Hi, Rude," she replied, smiling as she returned the greeting and let him usher her in. It was becoming something of a tradition... She'd show up an hour before Shadow & Sword began, and Rude would serve her delicious food while they discussed the previous episode and what they expected from the next. Then they'd settle in for the show, watching excitedly until the credits rolled, and happily go on about their favorite scenes, the shocking deaths, and the vicious political intrigue until they both realized that they had to be at work in the morning and parted ways.

Tonight, however, something was different. Rude always tried to have at least one new dish for her to taste... but tonight, the table was laden with the familiar. What was more, everything he'd prepared was something she was particularly fond of. He was serving her favorite... everything.

"Last meal for the condemned," he said, somewhat ominously. Elena groaned... the man was entirely too good at reading people. He'd known what she was going to ask before _she_ did.

"So I guess you heard about Hell Week, then," she said.

"Reno told me," he replied, "Already knew it had to be coming soon, though."

"So... how bad is it, really?" she asked, as she took her usual seat at the table. Rude smirked.

"Let's just say it's not something you'll ever forget," he replied, as he piled a broccoli and almond salad on her plate as a first course.

"I don't suppose you could give me a hint or two about what he's going to do to me?" she tried. She took a bite, and Rude shook his head.

"Sorry. Reno's the only one who knows what he's got planned. Only lets me in on it as needed. And even if he told me, I couldn't. Not allowed."

"Figures," Elena sighed.

"..."

"What?" she asked, getting the distinct impression that Rude had something else to add.

"Be careful."

Elena nearly inhaled the next mouthful. "Be careful?" she repeated, suddenly feeling very uneasy, "B-but... Tseng said that nothing Reno was going to do was going to hurt me..."

"... Hmph... Reno'd step off the edge of the Plate before he'd intentionally harm one of his own. But you could hurt him. He's gonna come at you when you least expect it, and you're probably gonna be armed. So just... be careful, okay?"

She'd been so busy thinking about what she was in for starting tomorrow that she'd never even thought of that. She frowned, and took another bite... it was really, _really_ good. But she was finding it much harder to enjoy it now.

* * *

Monday morning, and Elena was, uncharacteristically, running late. Her sleep the night before had been fitful at best, yet she'd still managed to snooze straight through her alarm. She'd pulled into her parking space two minutes after seven and made a run for the elevator hoping that no one had noticed her tardiness yet.

She was breathing heavily as she stepped into the elevator car and hit the button for the Turks' floor. Leaning back against the wall, she slowly caught her breathe as the floors ticked by. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she realized that the car hadn't stopped at its intended destination; instead it had continued on, passing the fiftieth floor... the sixtieth floor... the sixty-fifth... finally stopping at the sixty-ninth.

She sighed. Just what she needed... a broken elevator. She hit the button for her floor again, and waited. When nothing happened, she pressed it harder, as though that might somehow make all the difference.

Suddenly, the elevator car was plunged into darkness, and Elena let out a little shriek of surprise before the emergency lighting came on. She groaned out loud.

"Great... now I'm late _and_ stuck," she muttered, pulling out her PHS. Before she could dial a number, however, the car shifted, and she felt the panic-inducing sensation of rapid plunging descent in the pit of her stomach as she screamed.

The floor numbers on the screen above the door ticked by in a blur. Why weren't the emergency brakes working!? She was falling past the fortieth floor now and seemed to be picking up speed. It wasn't going to be long before she ran out of elevator shaft.

In a moment of clarity though her panic, Elena dove for the panel next to the door and wrenched it open, hissing as she tore a fingernail in the process, but ignoring it and yanking down hard on the manual brake lever inside. The screech of metal on metal set her teeth on edge, but to her great relief, her freefall began to slow and eventually stop altogether. Heart still pounding wildly, she looked up at the display, discovering that she was on the twenty-first floor.

Elena leaned back against the wall pulling her knees to her chest and trying to get her breathing under control. Then, as suddenly as they'd gone off, the lights in the elevator came back on, and to her horror, the car started to rise again.

This time, however, it stopped at her original destination. Shakily, she got to her feet, ready to throw herself through the doors the moment they opened. Her escape, however was blocked, by a grinning redhead.

"Mornin' 'Lena," Reno said cheerfully, "Welcome to Hell Week!"

* * *

Elena was still shaking slightly when she sat down at her desk. Reno had vanished moments after he'd escorted her to the door of the main office, probably to prepare for whatever cruel torture he had in store for her next. For several minutes, no one spoke.

"What the hell is dropping me fifty floors in an elevator supposed to test?!" she finally cried, breaking the silence in the room.

"Panic response," Rude said calmly, "You stop it before it hit single digits?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I ended up on twenty one."

"Not bad." She was pretty sure he sounded impressed.

"Not bad at all," Tseng agreed, "Reno stopped it on fourteen when I did it to him... Rude holds the record at thirty eight. It would have stopped automatically on three, by the way. It's the one exercise everyone gets at some point during Hell Week." He pressed a mug of tea into her hands. "I think you're safe for a little while. Common courtesy is to give a person some time to calm down between exercises."

"Lulls them into a false sense of security," Rude commented. Tseng raised an eyebrow but neither confirmed nor denied the claim.

"Sir? Everyone's done that?" she asked.

"Yes... everyone. Including me, if that's what you're asking."

"So... what floor did you stop it at?"

Rude suddenly snickered, and Tseng cast him a rather annoyed look. He sighed, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I... didn't. I hesitated too long and reached the failsafe," he answered, "Not one of my finer moments."

"R-really? You, sir?" she said in a tone of disbelief.

"No one is perfect," Tseng replied, smiling slightly, "Not even me, I'm afraid."

"I... um... don't suppose that's possibly going to be the worst of it...?" she said, sipping the warm tea gratefully. The Turk leader chuckled.

"I think you know Reno better than that." Tseng headed for his own desk, leaving Elena to settle down. She sighed, having expected as much, and studied her ragged fingernail. It had broken so far back on one side she wasn't sure she could do much with it until it grew out some.

"If I somehow survive this, Reno owes me a manicure..." she groused. Rude smirked.

* * *

It was Tuesday afternoon, and Elena was getting jumpy. Thus far, nothing further had happened to her, and the longer things were quiet, the more paranoid she became. And it didn't exactly help that Rude seemed to be encouraging her paranoia, making maddening little comments about his own Hell Week as fuel for her increasingly over-active imagination. She was beginning to wonder if Reno had actually set him that task, or if Rude was just a lot more sadistic than she'd ever realized... she knew his sense of humor was easily as warped as Reno's could be. Maybe moreso.

She'd finally asked permission to head for the gym instead of continuing to torment herself with entering incident reports – nearly all of which had been generated by Reno, that lazy son of a bitch – into the Turks database, hoping to relieve the stress with some physical activity. Tseng had gladly granted it.

'Maybe a little _too_ gladly,' she thought to herself, before shaking her head. She really _was_ starting to see ulterior motives in everything.

In the locker room, she changed into her swimming suit. Since Costa del Sol, and her somewhat less than enjoyable boat ride, she'd been working on becoming a stronger swimmer... though she wasn't sure she was really having much success.

Making her way to the pool, she lowered herself slowly into the shallow end She'd always been told that it was better to just get it over with quickly, but she had never liked the full-body shock of jumping into cold water. Instead, she waded from water that came just past her hips, until it was just above her shoulders. The pool itself was deeper still, reaching a depth of twelve feet at the far end beneath the trio of diving boards, but she didn't dare swim where she couldn't reach the bottom while she was alone.

She took a deep breath and began her first lap across the water, swimming with her best crawl stroke and trying to remember to keep her arms and legs more or less in sync. No matter how hard she concentrated on what she was doing, though, it always felt awkward to her... and she was concentrating very hard.

So hard, in fact, that she never even noticed a slim, streamlined figure gliding toward her under the water from the deep end.

When something clamped down around her left ankle, her first instinct was to surface... an instinct that was thwarted briefly as she was suddenly hauled backwards beneath the water. She felt herself dragged a fair distance before her travel finally ceased and the grip on her limb was released. Heart racing, she clawed her way toward the open air, trying to find her footing on the bottom of the pool. She realized a moment too late that the bottom was out of reach, as her head submerged just as she managed to take half a breath.

She'd been pulled into deeper water.

Panic took hold, then. Her lungs were burning as she flailed for the surface, head emerging for scant seconds as she tried to inhale, but mostly just got a mouthful of chlorinated water. She managed to come up again, coughing and sputtering and gasping... utterly terrified and desperate to get to someplace she could stand up. The trouble was... she'd lost all sense of direction and wasn't even sure which way she should be trying to go.

Meanwhile, her body seemed to have forgotten everything it knew about keeping her afloat, and she was tiring rapidly when the surface slipped away again. She made another panicked attempt upwards, but came up short, her hand breaking the surface, but her head unable to follow. Her lungs ached so badly that she instinctively exhaled, bubbles rising around her. She fought against the desire to breathe in while submerged, her entire body screaming for air. Her desperation was growing with every second, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do.

Suddenly, she felt herself seized around her torso by strong arms, and seconds later she broke through the surface of the pool, coughing violently and pulling in ragged, gasping breaths. Elena whimpered in distress and went limp as she realized that someone was supporting her.

"Easy, 'Lena... I gotcha..."

One arm unwound itself from around her, and it took her a moment to realize that she was being pulled toward the pool's edge. When she reached it, Elena clung tightly to the grate that ran the circumference of the pool, resting her head on the painted concrete ledge as she tried to catch her breath and convince herself she hadn't just nearly drowned. A hand was gently rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades.

She spent a minute or two motionless, save for breathing heavily, at the side of the pool before raising her head and turning to face her rescuer... and attempted murderer. Reno was watching her with an expression of concern.

"You okay?" he asked. She glared at him.

"You tried to drown me!" she shouted, though not with nearly as much force as she'd intended to. "No, I'm not 'okay', you jerk!"

Reno's face broke into a grin. "Yeah, you're fine." He hoisted himself up onto the edge of the pool and climbed out of the water with ease. He extended his hands to her, and when she took them, he pulled her out with little effort. Firmly back on solid ground again, Elena rounded on the Turks second in command.

"What was that test for?! To see how well I sink?!" she yelled, poking him in the chest.

"No... to see how well you _swim,_ " he replied, grin widening, "You weren't supposed to sink. Geez, 'Lena, I know you told me you a weak swimmer, but I didn't know you were _that_ bad _..."_

Elena's eyes narrowed angrily, and before Reno realized what she intended, she shoved him hard, sending him toppling back into the pool. He surfaced moments later, grin still firmly in place.

"Ya know... if ya need some mouth to mouth, I actually _am_ certified..." he teased.

"Asshole..." she muttered, storming off toward the locker rooms.

* * *

"Hey, 'Lena! Wait up!" Reno called after her as she headed toward the elevator. Elena ignored him, and continued to do so even as he caught up to her, sliding into the car just as the doors were closing.

"I'm not speaking to you," she ground out folding her arms stubbornly over her chest.

"Aside from _tellin_ ' me you're not speakin' to me, ya mean?" Reno laughed. She glared at him and said nothing. "Ah, come on, 'Lena... don't be like that. Hell Week's not 'sposed to be easy... or fun, for that matter, unless you're on my end of it. But tell ya what. Since I actually do feel kinda bad about the whole pool thing, let me take ya out for lunch."

"Right... like I'm going anywhere with _you_ this week."

"No Hell Week exercises, I swear," he replied, refraining from commenting on the fact that she'd just spoken to him again, "Just lunch. Consider it an intermission."

"Forget it," she said, emphatically and not holding back any of the fury that was rapidly building. Reno blinked in surprise, and Elena couldn't help but notice how wounded he looked.

"You really _are_ pissed at me, huh?"

"Yes. I am." Elena turned to face him, "You _know_ I don't swim that well. I told you that weeks ago! I mean... maybe it wasn't done in confidence or anything, but I didn't tell you just so you could use it against me! You could have killed me!"

The entire time she'd been yelling at him, she'd also been backing him up against the wall. Reno was effectively cornered now, and she was fuming.

"I..."

"Save it! You're such a bastard, Reno." The chime sounded at their destination, and the doors opened. Elena strode out quickly, expecting him to be following her, whether she liked it or not.

"I never woulda let anything happen to ya, 'Lena," he said softly, and maybe even a little sadly. She turned back, and saw that he hadn't moved. The elevator doors closed before she could respond.

She made her way into the Turks lounge, suddenly feeling a bit deflated. She was angry at Reno, sure... but she hadn't meant to hurt him. And she was pretty sure she had. Worse, she was also pretty sure she knew why. Rude really hadn't been exaggerating by much on Sunday when he'd calmly stated that Reno would sooner die than intentionally hurt any of them. His protective streak had been readily apparent on numerous occasions, and she got the impression that it was something he took very seriously. Elena frowned as it occurred to her that maybe Rude's admonishment to her to be careful ought to have extended beyond just what she could potentially do to Reno with a gun.

She sighed and pulled out her PHS, opening the messaging app.

 _'Still want to have lunch?'_ she texted him.

* * *

The workday was over, but her week of hell was not. Elena stepped out into the parking deck, checking her surroundings carefully. Only two days in, and she already found herself constantly looking over her shoulder. She was glad she'd taken Reno up on his offer for lunch. He'd been true to his word, putting Hell Week on hold for an hour and giving her some time to breathe... she'd kind of needed it.

But now, things were back on. She didn't know when the next exercise was coming... or where. It could be tomorrow morning, or it could be two days from now – she wouldn't put it past the redhead to let her stew. Elena froze as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She suddenly had the distinct impression she was being watched.

Or it could be right now...

She strained to catch any out of place sound, but the parking deck was silent. But, of course, Reno was very good at silent. Elena started toward her car, cutting through the center row, and ducking down below the roofs of the other vehicles. Moving as quietly as she could, she rolled underneath an SUV, coming out on the other side and staying low... hoping that she was out of sight. If Reno was stalking her, he'd be hard to lose, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

As she was sliding under a large truck staring up at the axles, the thought occurred to her that perhaps losing him wasn't the way to win this. She smirked to herself and settled into her less than ideal hiding place. Reno wouldn't have any trouble finding her... and now she was counting on that.

Elena quietly removed her handcuffs from her belt, checking the fit for what she planned, and waiting. She didn't have to wait long. Reno's feet appeared alongside the truck.

"Found ya, 'Lena... Come on out."

The rookie Turk kept perfectly silent, hardly daring to breathe, as she willed him to move to where she could reach him.

"Seriously? You're gonna make me come in after ya?" he said with a groan.

Yes... yes, she most certainly was. Elena readied her cuffs. Reno dropped to his knees, leaning on one arm as he peered beneath the truck, smirking at her.

"Time to give up. You lose, 'Len... Ahh!"

Reno cried out in surprise as one end of the handcuffs snapped around his wrist and Elena yanked his arm toward her, sending him sprawling onto the pavement. The other end of the cuffs, she locked around the truck's front axle before slipping out from the opposite side of the vehicle. She walked back around to Reno, and waved innocently.

"Very funny."

" _I_ thought so..." she replied. In a moment of inspiration, she grabbed the cuffs from Reno's belt as well, and snapped them around his free wrist before he could twist himself around to stop her. It took some effort, since by then, Reno was onto her... but ultimately she had better leverage than he did, and she managed to wrestle him into a position where she could attach the second pair to the truck's door handle. Which left him sitting awkwardly on the ground, one arm over his head, the other tucked behind him, under the truck.

"Oh, ha ha... That's cute. Lemme go, 'Lena," he said dryly. Elena grinned evilly, and started walking toward her car.

"H-hey!" Reno shouted after her, "'Lena!"

"Good night, Reno!" she called back.

"Ok, this isn't funny anymore! 'Lena, get back here!"

She could still faintly hear his protests as she climbed into her car, and shut the door. She pulled out her PHS and opened her contacts list, hitting the button to dial... she wasn't heartless, after all. Moments later someone picked up.

"Rude here."

"Hey, Rude," she replied, "Reno's gonna need you to bring a handcuff key down to the parking deck... Level C. Just follow the swearing."

"... Will do."

"No hurry, though," she added, glancing out the window at the trapped redhead, who looked like he was trying to glare a hole in the side of her car.

"... Starting to think you two have been spending too much time together."

She giggled somewhat devilishly. "Good night, Rude."

"'Night."

Elena tucked her phone back into her jacket pocket, and pulled out of her parking space, giving Reno one final wave as she left for the evening.

* * *

Wednesday... Just the word was enough to make her not want to open her eyes. She was barely halfway through with this nightmare. Elena groaned and rolled over in bed, snuggling up against the nearest pillow. Which she quickly realized was definitely not a pillow... though she had a pretty damn good idea what it _was_. Or rather who.

"Mornin', 'Lena," a familiar voice drawled. She sat up quickly, fully intending to give the obnoxious redhead a piece of her mind for pulling this shit on her again. Instead, she felt a sharp sting against her cheek and let herself fall back against the pillows, eyes automatically scanning her surroundings for threats.

"Ow! What the hell?!" She looked around her bedroom, and saw... well, she wasn't quite sure _what_ she saw. Thin wires had been run all around her room like some sort of metallic spiderweb. She rubbed at her cheek. It was no longer painful, but a ghost of the sensation seemed to linger. She sighed. "Reno?"

"Yeah?" he answered, looking far too pleased with himself for her taste.

"What is this?" she moaned in annoyance.

"Agility and coordination test," he replied, "All ya gotta do is find your way through _that_ while you get ready for work. Oh... and the wires are electrified. You touch one, you're gonna know it."

" _What_?!" she shouted, "Tseng said none of these tests were supposed to hurt me!"

"Yeah... Pretty sure he told ya they wouldn't _injure_ you. And this won't. It'll just sting a little. Don't touch the wires and you won't even have to worry about that." Reno was smiling from ear to ear by now.

"And this requires you being in my bed because..."

He laughed, and put his hands behind his head, making himself more comfortable. "Gotta observe from somewhere... plus, watching you freak out when you wake up next to me is funny as hell. I'm thinkin' about makin' it a regular thing."

"You're a sick, sick man, Reno..." she sighed, hoping he was only kidding, as she carefully sat up, avoiding the wire she'd hit the first time.

"By the way... like I said, this is a coordination _AND_ agility test. I'm timin' ya, so ya better move quick. And no fair skippin' anything you would normally do in the morning."

She scowled. "This is revenge for last night, isn't it?"

"'Course not. I've had this planned from the beginning," he replied, before grinning maliciously, "I moved it up to this _morning_ as revenge for last night. Clock's tickin', 'Lena..."

Resigned to her fate, she turned to the maze of wires. The first thing she needed to do was get to the bathroom so she could take a shower, brush her teeth, and take care of... other matters. She silently prayed that Reno hadn't extended his handiwork that far.

Cautiously, she stepped over the first line, and ducked under the second. This wasn't so bad... all she had to do was move slowly and...

"Ow!" she yelped as brushed against a wire she hadn't noticed. She instinctively jerked backwards, and the back of her neck came in contact with another. "Ahh! Goddammit, Reno!" Elena froze in place. She could hear him snickering quietly from the bed, but she didn't dare turn to look at him. It took her a solid five minutes, and a half dozen more swears, to navigate the web all the way to the bathroom door. She stepped through, and was relieved to find her path clear.

Elena hurried through her morning routine... though she did linger longer than strictly necessary under a steamy shower before toweling off. She just wanted this over and done with. It was right about then that she realized her mistake. She should have gone to the closet first and brought her clothes with her. Now she'd have to change in front of Reno – or risk backtracking to the bathroom for some privacy... not to mention the matter of getting _to_ the closet after just stepping out of the shower. She sighed and looked for her pajamas – it wasn't as if they were filthy... she could put them back on for a few minutes. It would be far easier than trying to do this in a towel.

It seemed, however, that Reno was a step ahead of her... they were nowhere in sight.

"Reno, you son of a bitch!" she shouted at the closed door. The only response she received was hysterical laughter from the other room. She groaned and cinched her towel tightly around her body, swearing vehemently under her breath as she yanked open the door and started across the room to the closet. Reno had taken over her entire bed by now, arms coiled around one of her pillows as he lay on his stomach, watching her closely, amusement evident on his face. She glared at him... and then shrieked as she grazed another live wire. Her destination almost in reach, she all but threw herself past the last few obstacles.

She pulled open the closet door, gathering her clothes, and then glanced back at Reno who was still watching her.

"Ugh... pervert..." she muttered. The redhead snickered loudly, but rolled over so he was facing away from her. She hurried to dress, and was nearly finished when Reno spoke again.

"Ya know, 'Lena... ya really need to get over that whole modesty issue you've got," he commented, "I've kinda given ya a pass seein' as you're the only girl on the team and that can be a little intimidatin' at first, but I can't do that forever..."

"Just because _you_ have absolutely no shame..." she started to say, as she was buttoning her shirt, before Reno interjected.

"And just what do I have to be ashamed of?" he asked, turning back towards her, smirking. Elena rolled her eyes. "No, really. Tell me. I mean, not to sound _completely_ self-absorbed, but I look pretty decent, I think. Why should I care if someone gets an eyeful? I mean, worst case scenario, they don't like what they see. That's more their problem than mine..."

Elena tucked in her shirt and pulled on her jacket. "Well... still... you don't have to shove it in people's faces." She pointedly ignored the way he cracked up at her poor choice of words. "I don't see Tseng or Rude getting drunk and streaking through my parking lot like _someone_ I know..."

"Okay, fine... so maybe I'm a _little_ more comfortable in my own skin than most people. But you're deluding yourself if ya think either of 'em would have a problem strippin' down if they had to."

Elena shook her head and started the last leg of her escape... making her way out of the bedroom. Thankfully, it was a short distance and she managed it without touching any more wires. She stepped out into her living room in triumph and gazed back at Reno.

"So did I pass?" she asked smugly. Aside from a few minor hiccups at the beginning, she thought she'd done pretty well.

"Eh... ya did alright," he responded. Elena glowered at him.

" _Alright_? That's it?!"

"Just sayin'... coulda been faster, coulda been fewer hits," he replied from the bed, shrugging.

"Yeah? If it's so easy, let's see _you_ do it," she challenged him. Reno snickered, and slid off the bed.

"Fine. I'll even take the same route you did," he replied. Then he paused a moment. "Since we're talkin' modesty anyway, ya want me to strip first and _really_ show ya how it's done?" he asked, grinning.

"Don't you dare. The last thing I need is to have you naked in my bedroom," Elena replied, groaning. He'd do it, too... She was sure he would.

"Heh... most women think that's a great place to have me naked," he lewdly retorted.

With that, he effortlessly ducked and stepped, turned and twisted through the tangle of wires, moving from the bed to the bathroom, to the closet, and finally joining Elena in the living room... all without so much as brushing against a single wire, and completing the entire course in about 30 seconds. Elena's jaw dropped.

"So what's for breakfast?" he asked, casually, as he strolled past her and over towards Snuffy's cage to say hello to his favorite ferret.

* * *

Elena made it into the office with time to spare. She'd left Reno at her kitchen table playing with Snuffy – and 'helpfully' finishing off the leftovers in her fridge – with the warning that she expected her bedroom to be back to normal by the time she got home that night.

The morning dragged by. Rude had gotten a good laugh when she'd told him how Reno had shown her up with his little electric web, though he hadn't seemed surprised. In retrospect, she wasn't sure why she had been, either. The redhead was easily the most agile of them all. She supposed she'd simply never realized just _how_ agile he was.

Aside from that little diversion, however, things were agonizingly slow... particularly without having Reno around to keep them all entertained, as was his wont. She'd hardly noticed until now, given that she seemed to be spending most of her time worrying about what was going to happen to her next, but save for the actual evaluation exercises, he had been almost entirely absent all week. She vaguely wondered where exactly he disappeared to when he _wasn't_ testing her. Was he watching her from somewhere waiting for the perfect moment to strike?

Tseng had tasked her with research today, and it occurred to her that nearly all of her recent assignments had kept her in the building, or at least nearby. She supposed that made sense, given that a controlled environment was probably preferred for Hell Week. Research, however, was boring. Frankly, she'd almost prefer the mind-numbing tediousness of data entry, but over the past two days, something unprecedented had happened.

The incident report backlog... was no longer backlogged. She'd finished it... at least until more reports got around to being filed. When she'd told Tseng earlier, he'd had such an expression of disbelief come across his face, she'd nearly started laughing.

"You look bored," the Turk leader commented, jarring her from her thoughts. She sat up straight, flushing slightly.

"I... um... n-no, sir, I was just..."

" _Very_ bored," he finished for her, with an understanding smile.

"I... Yes, sir," she admitted.

"Then I think some activity is in order," he replied, "I need a sparring partner, if you're up for it. Unless you prefer to wait here for whatever Reno has in store for you next..."

"I would _definitely_ rather to go with you," she stated, gratefully, standing up and following him to the elevator.

They had the practice room to themselves... not that many people other than their team used it at all to begin with. Building security personnel could be found there on occasion, but it was largely the unofficial domain of the the Turks. In the back of her mind, Elena wondered if she was being set up for her next evaluation... but aside from having her ass thoroughly handed to her by the Wutaiian Turk, nothing particularly noteworthy happened during the nearly two hours they were at it.

At last Tseng called an end to the practice, helping her up from where he'd just thrown her to the mat... again.

"You're improving," he commented.

"It doesn't feel like it," she replied, rubbing her shoulder, which was still aching from a badly executed rolling dodge. The Turk leader laughed softly.

"It will. Eventually," he assured her.

They parted ways, heading for their respective locker rooms. Elena stripped off her workout clothes and headed for a shower stall. Tseng had really made her work today... she was practically drenched in sweat by the time they'd finished. The hot water felt wonderful on her freshly abused muscles. Sighing in contentment, she shut off the tap, and reached for her towel, drying herself down and wrapping it around herself as she padded toward her locker and and clean clothes.

As she passed the end of the first row, however, something caught hold of her. Elena squealed as her towel was neatly yanked away from her, the force actually spinning her around to face her attacker.

" _RENO_!" she shrieked when she caught sight of him, covering herself as best she could. She could feel the blood rising to her face, and knew she had to have been turning several shades of red. Reno was leaning casually against the lockers, her towel hanging from his index finger, smiling calmly at her.

"Hey, 'Lena," he said, as though everything were perfectly normal. She snatched at the towel... but was foiled when he tossed it onto the top of the row of lockers, out of her reach. Meanwhile, he'd hardly taken his eyes off of her. Elena shifted, unsettled by his gaze. In all the months she'd known him, Reno had never... just stared at her like that. In fact, the times it had come up that she was unclothed in front of him, he'd always made it a point _not_ look... as recently as that very morning, in fact.

"W-why... ?" she started.

"Told ya earlier, 'Lena... this modesty issue of yours has got to go," he stated, though without his usual teasing tone. Her eyes narrowed.

"Ugh... what are you going to do to me, you perv?" she asked, glaring at him.

"Nothin' too terrible," Reno reassured her, "We're just gonna have a nice conversation, that's all."

"While I'm not wearing any clothes, I suppose," she all but growled.

"That's right. We're alone. Door's locked. No one's gonna walk in on ya," he said, in a maddeningly calm voice. He opened one of the lockers to his right, revealing her uniform. "I'm gonna ask you questions, you're gonna answer 'em. And for every answer I'm satisfied with, I'll give ya back a piece of clothing. Up to you whether or not ya want to put it on immediately or wait 'til the end. I'll let ya figure out yourself which option gives ya a better score."

There wasn't much to figure out. It was pretty obvious he wanted her to stay just the way she was until he finished with her. At the moment, she didn't care much if she lost points. She was getting dressed at the earliest opportunity. Reno could go find some other way to get himself off.

"Just so ya know... ya get Nice Me for this one," he added. Elena snorted derisively.

"Yeah? And just what's 'Nice Reno' like?" she asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know, given the man's tendency toward bad jokes. Reno chuckled softly.

"Exactly what he sounds like. I'm not gonna tease ya. I'm not gonna leer at ya. I'm not gonna touch ya. And I'm even gonna try very hard not to crack any inappropriate jokes... but Nice Me has his limits, so no promises on that last one," he replied. Elena blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected a serious answer. Bizarre as the situation was, Reno actually seemed to be trying to put her at ease.

"So... Question one. And keep in mind, that if I'm not convinced you're bein' honest, you don't get your clothes back. Do you find me attractive?" he asked. Any of her blush she might have lost since Reno had snatched her towel immediately came back full force. She'd been wrong... he wasn't putting her at ease. He was trying to get her to let her guard down so he could sneak in for the attack.

"W-what? _NO_!" she shouted. She should have known 'Nice Reno' was just as sex-obsessed as 'Normal Reno'.

"Ouch... That kinda hurts," the redhead responded, with a somewhat self-deprecating laugh, "Ya really totally hate lookin' at me? I'm not even a little pretty?"

Elena ground her teeth in anger, and wondered whether or not Reno would stop her if she tried to simply walk out of this evaluation. Possibly not, she realized, if he was really serious about not touching her. But it wouldn't exactly earn her a high score... and if Hell Week was meant to determine areas that required additional training, this might be the _one_ area she should be worried about scoring low.

"Maybe. A little," she ground out. Ok, maybe more than a little, but damned if she was going to tell _him_ that. "But you'd better not be getting any ideas! Just because you're not... completely awful... to look at doesn't mean I'm interested in... in... _doing_ anything with you!"

"I never asked if ya were. Not everything's about sex with me, 'Lena," he said, lightly chastising her. He shrugged. "But for the record, I happen to think _you're_ beautiful. Doesn't mean I'm comin' up with ways to get ya into bed with me every time I see ya."

The retort she'd had ready died on her lips. Reno tossed her a sock. She narrowed her eyes at him, and set it on the bench behind her. She was still planning on dressing as her clothing was returned, but it wasn't as if she could cover much with a damn sock.

"Hey, I never said what order you'd get 'em back in," he commented, "Question two... Are you uncomfortable with me watchin' you right now?"

"Yes," she hissed. At least _that_ was an easy one. Reno grinned and returned her other sock, which quickly joined its mate.

"Question three. Why?"

"W-what do you mean 'why'?" she stammered, eying him suspiciously. Was that some kind of a joke?

"Just what I asked. Why are you uncomfortable?" He shrugged, and folded his arms across his chest.

"Because... I... I'm standing here, completely naked, you creep!" she said incredulously.

"So?"

"So?! Isn't that enough of a reason?"

"Nope. But how 'bout I make this easier? I'll give ya some options and you can tell me which it is," Reno offered. Elena rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"'Kay, then... Do ya not feel safe around me? Not trust me?"

"O-of course I do..." she answered, a little shocked that was the first thing he'd come up with. Did he really doubt that, or had he just asked it to stretch things out longer? He smiled widely.

"Gotta problem with how ya look?"

"Well... No..." Of course there were minor things she'd change about herself if she could... but nothing she was truly displeased with.

"Worried about what _I_ think about how ya look?"

"... No." Never mind that Reno had already kind of told her point blank what he thought of her, physically. She blushed a little more, thinking about that. It had definitely caught her off guard to suddenly be told she was beautiful. Especially after the most she'd said about him was 'not completely awful'... she sort of wished she hadn't been quite so caustic.

"Think I'm gettin' off on this whole exercise?" he asked with a grin.

"Ugh. You _are_ the company pervert, after all," she commented, and he laughed, "But... no." Though she couldn't deny that the thought had crossed her mind at the beginning. She actually felt a little ashamed of that now.

"Huh... well, I'm outta ideas, then. Why _are_ you so uncomfortable?"

"I... guess I just don't like feeling so vulnerable..." she admitted at last.

"Don't know why that should bother ya. Thought you said ya trusted me," he said, goading her slightly, and handing over her bra and panties, "Two for one on this round."

Elena chewed her lower lip indecisively for a moment, and finally set her newest prize down next to the socks.

"Question... crap, what number were we on?" Reno asked.

"Four," she supplied, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Right... Question four. And that wasn't it, so you better not be expectin' anything for it," he stated. Elena couldn't hold back the tiny laugh that escaped her lips, "Let's see... If you could make me switch places with Tseng or Rude right now, who would you pick?"

She almost immediately said Tseng... until she really thought about it. She hated to admit it, but she still had little bit of a crush on the Turk leader, even though she got the feeling it was unrequited. Still... imagining him in Reno's place right now was downright mortifying. She wasn't really sure she'd be that much more comfortable with Rude, though. She rarely knew what the man was thinking unless he deigned to tell her, which he didn't always do... Reno was a lot easier to read. And if _he_ had something to say, he inevitably said it, which made it a lot easier to know where you stood with him.

"I guess... if it has to be one of them... Rude," she said at last. A moment later, she decided she might as well be honest and added, "I'd... kind of rather stick with you, though." This time, she got her pants back.

"Question five... why haven't ya put anything back on yet?"

"I'm going for a perfect score," she said, sarcasm plainly evident in her voice.

Reno snickered. "That didn't sound like a serious answer to me..." he shot back.

"Ugh... I've been standing here for like... ten minutes now, anyway. You've already seen pretty much everything I have to offer. What's the point?" she sighed.

"Good answer," he smirked, tossing her shirt over. He picked up her jacket, which was the final item on the pile. "Last question. How pissed off at me are you?"

"Not as pissed as I was when you grabbed my towel," Elena answered. The truth was she was finding it hard to be angry at him at all by now, even though she was pretty sure she should be furious. Reno tossed her the jacket.

"Heh... Fair enough," he said. Reno pushed off the wall and walked out of the locker room, leaving her to dress in peace. A few minutes later, Elena followed, planning to head back upstairs. She found Reno waiting for her by the elevator.

"So... I'm not _technically_ 'sposed to tell ya this, but that was the only other exercise on the schedule for today," he said.

"Then why are you telling me?" she asked, a little confused. He shifted awkwardly.

"'Cause I feel like an asshole for puttin' ya through that," he replied, "It's one of the three required areas to be evaluated during Hell Week and I get why we do it, but... ya know. Still feel like a jerk."

"It... really wasn't _that_ bad, I guess," she replied, "I mean you probably could've done a lot worse, right?"

Reno smirked as they stepped into the elevator, bound for the Turks' offices. "Oh, believe me... I definitely coulda. There's no set rules for that exercise like there are for the Elevator of Doom. Just general guidelines. Be glad I didn't take a page from Tseng's book on this one."

"Tseng? Why?" she asked, curious.

"My Hell Week, he did pretty much the same thing I did to you... caught me comin' outta the shower. 'Cept to get _my_ clothes back, I had to go find 'em. On the first floor concourse. While most of the building was either going to or coming from lunch. Son of a bitch actually _hid_ them all over the area. It took me something like half and hour to find 'em all..."

Elena just stared. And thanked her lucky stars that Reno had been merciful... she wasn't sure she'd have lived through something like that.

"Kinda backfired on him, though," Reno added.

"What do you mean, it backfired?" she wondered. The elevator reached its destination, and they stepped into the hallway.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly shy," he said, breaking into a sly grin, and starting toward the Turks lounge, "Tseng got to learn just to what extent that's true."

"Oh, god... what did you do?"

"Found my clothes... didn't bother puttin' 'em back on before I came back to the office," he shrugged, "Rude thought it was hilarious... Heidegger? Not so much. Tseng got chewed out pretty bad by him. While I watched. Still naked. And then later by Veld, 'cause Heidegger bitched to him, too. By all rights, Tseng really shoulda killed me about twenty times over by now for some of the shit I pulled as a rookie..."

"I think the count is significantly higher than twenty. Fortunately for you, Reno, I'm the forgiving sort," Tseng's voice interrupted from behind the two Turks. He turned to Elena, "You will never know how eternally grateful I am that you are _nothing_ like Reno when I first met him."

"Ah come on, boss... you know you'd be lost without me..."

"Hmm... Lost, perhaps, but far less jaded," Tseng replied, good-naturedly, "Thankfully, you ended up being worth the headache."

"Heh... yeah, well, before I accidentally remind you of something that changes your mind on that, I'm outta here. Torment 'n stuff to plan, ya know?" Reno replied, beaming as he took off back in the direction of the elevator, leaving Elena alone with the Turk leader. Tseng shook his head and laughed fondly.

"Irritating as he can be, I wouldn't trade him for anything," he commented when Reno was out of earshot.

"Um... Sir...?" she asked. Tseng pushed the lounge door open, waving her inside ahead of him.

"Let me guess... you're wondering if he was really that bad?" Tseng replied, smiling when Elena nodded, "Yes... he certainly was. And on occasion, still can be, when he puts his mind to it... though I find I'm not nearly as dismayed by it these days."

"Did he really..."

"Yes, he really walked into the office completely nude," Tseng replied with a groan, "Heidegger was not amused... frankly, neither was _I_ , once Heidegger got through with me. Even less so once Veld had his turn."

Elena giggled softly and sat down on the couch, glad that Reno had let her know she was safe for the remainder of the day. It felt good to be able to relax again.

* * *

By Thursday, her brief, blissful few hours of relaxation were over. She was back to jumping at shadows, and looking over her shoulder. The morning had passed uneventfully, but she knew something was coming soon. She just knew it.

Elena had just sat down to lunch when her PHS rang. She glanced at the screen, seeing that it was Tseng, and quickly answered.

"Yes, sir?"

"Elena, I need you on the first floor concourse. There's been an attack."

"On my way," she replied. She left her lunch behind and ran for the elevator, riding it down to floor one. The thought that this was part of Hell Week was the first thing that occurred to her, but when she reached her destination, it quickly became apparent that that was _not_ the case.

Building security had blocked the doors, and no one was being allowed in or out. Scorch marks radiated out from the information desk in the center of the concourse, and a young woman was being tended to by an older lady in a lab coat. She easily spotted Reno along side the injured woman, and a moment later, caught site of Tseng and Rude at the security station. Reno looked up, and waved her over as the woman was carried off on a stretcher by two security guards.

"She'll be alright," the older woman said to Reno, "More shaken than anythin', but she's got a burn or two I need to see ta. If you need me, yeh know where ta find me." With that, she hurried off after her patient.

"What happened?" Elena asked as soon as she had Reno's attention.

"Tch... Some asshat thought they'd leave a nice little present for the reception staff to find," he replied, "Poor kid got a nasty burn on her arm when it went off, but the doc says she'll be okay. Mostly just scared shitless. Can't exactly blame her..."

"Avalanche, you think?" she asked. The group hadn't been violent as of yet... at least not that they were aware of... but they _were_ considered a moderate to high threat.

"Doubt it," Reno said, "Rude's pretty sure that if they ever decide to target anything, it's gonna be the reactors. Tseng agrees, and they've got me pretty well convinced, too. This actually looks like it might be personal."

"What makes you think that?"

"Box was addressed to the kid they just carted off. Got left here right before her shift started, according to the guy she took over for, but no one saw by who. Kid told me her ex is kind of a nutjob. Tseng and Rude are checkin' surveillance footage now to see if the cameras caught anyone droppin' off the package, or if they can find someone matchin' the ex's description. Whole place is locked down, just in case whoever left it decided to stick around and watch the show."

Reno's PHS chimed, and less than a second later, so did hers.

"Looks like we got us a suspect," he said, smirking. A photo had been sent to both of their phones, showing a younger man placing a box on the reception desk. "Come on... let's go see if the lockdown caught him."

The two Turks split up, each taking one side of the concourse. Elena saw Rude slipping into the side stairwell, and Tseng heading up the central stairs to check the upper level. She scanned the crowd of faces as surreptitiously as she could. It wasn't until she was nearly to the main entrance that someone finally stood out.

She couldn't see his face because of his hooded sweatshirt, but his posture told her he desperately didn't want to be there. Elena glanced back, searching for Reno, and spotted him several yards away. She caught his eye and nodded toward the man. Reno moved toward her calmly, finally stopping beside her.

"That him?"

"I'm not sure... I can't see his face. But he seems a lot more nervous than the other people stuck in here right now," she replied.

"You stay here. Let Tseng know what's goin' on... I'll confirm the target."

Elena withdrew her PHS and dialed Tseng's number. After a brief report on the current situation, she hung up, and drew her weapon, but kept it out of sight. She didn't want to start a panic, especially with Reno in the middle of the crowd.

She watched anxiously as Reno moved into a position where he could ID the subject. Suddenly the man looked up, locking eyes with the redhead for a moment, and took off running. Elena heard Reno swear loudly as he ran after him. He would have caught him easily, too... had the man not taken a hostage.

He'd grabbed a little girl, no more than seven or eight years old – probably in the building to see where her mother worked – and held a knife to her throat as the mother in question screamed. Reno stopped dead, and barely glanced toward Elena giving her an almost imperceptible nod. Elena fired without hesitation.

Reno caught the girl as the target dropped to the floor, dead, turning her head away and clutching her to his chest before she had a chance to see anything she didn't need to see. The girl's mother was pushing her way through the crowd toward them both by the time Elena joined him. The girl was sobbing quietly against Reno's shoulder as he gently rubbed her back.

"Lisbeth!" the girl's mother cried, finally reaching them, and accepting the distraught child from the Turk. "Thank you..." she whispered to them both before carrying her daughter off, away from the grizzly scene.

"Come on... let's go deal with the asshole," he said, stalking towards the body. Tseng and Rude had arrived by then, and were organizing building security to deal with the crowd. Reno glared down at the man. "Serves him right, threatenin' a kid like that," he muttered, "Damn, 'Lena... Nice shot."

She'd put the bullet cleanly through her target's left eye, without so much as grazing the eye socket.

"Kind of off center," Elena said, frowning as she noted that the shot had drifted towards the outside corner of the eye. If there was one thing she prided herself in, it was her marksmanship. It was the one thing she rarely screwed up, and she was a picky when it came to her aim.

"Just take the fucking compliment," Reno chided her, snickering, "Fucking perfectionist. Good news, by the way. This kinda negates the need for today's Hell Week exercise."

* * *

'Friday at last!' Elena thought to herself, feeling slightly giddy at the prospect. Hell Week would officially be over at 5pm, and it was already after four.

Tseng had been called away earlier that afternoon, taking Rude with him, to see to some problem in the biologic research department, which left her to mind the office in the interim. While not technically a safe zone – there was no such thing during Hell Week – the Turks' main office was easy enough to defend. There was one entrance and few places to hide. All in all, she began to think, she was probably safer here than anywhere else.

And that was right about the time she heard the gunshots.

"Of course..." she groaned. She should have known it wouldn't last.

Elena drew her own weapon... This was _probably_ the start of her final exercise, but she wasn't stupid enough to walk out of this room not ready for a fight on the off chance it wasn't. Hell, even if it _was_ an exercise, Reno would probably dock points for doing something _that_ idiotic.

She pulled the door open, taking cover along the wall and peered out, scanning the hallway. There was nothing. Finger on the trigger, she advanced down the hall. She'd only gone a few yards when the lights went out. She flattened herself against the wall, waiting for the emergency lights to come on. When they didn't, she realized that she needed to move; she couldn't see what was coming, and she had no cover. Feeling her way along the wall until she reached a door... fairly certain it was the Turks archive room... Elena soundlessly pushed the door open, and backed inside, eyes open wide, trying futilely to make out any sort of shape in the darkness.

She tried the light switch, but wasn't surprised when nothing happened. It seemed that power had been cut to the entire floor. She huffed in frustration... what she needed was a damn flashlight. And she suddenly realized that she had one. Elena reached into her jacket, withdrawing her PHS, and flicked on the screen. It wasn't much, but it was better than the pitch black of what, indeed, was the archives room. She thumbed through the screens, finding the flashlight app, smiling as she could finally see what she was doing.

Her relief was short lived, however. A sharp blow from behind caught her off guard, forcing her to drop her weapon, and she heard it skitter across the floor as her attacker gave it a kick. She spun around, and in the harsh glow of her phone's flashlight caught a brief glimpse of a hooded figure before the phone was knocked from her grasp as well. It landed several feet away, the light still on, but not doing her much good beyond not leaving her completely blind. All she could really see was her attacker's silhouette.

Her first thought was that it had to be Reno. He was the right height and build. But as he advanced on her, she realized that he didn't move like Reno. At all. She'd sparred against him often enough to recognize his fighting style. If anything, he moved more like Rude, but it certainly wasn't him. Whoever it was, judging by his stance, he wasn't going to let her just walk out of this room.

Elena deflected the first punch, and countered with a kick to the ribs. Her opponent grunted loudly but didn't go down. She dodged what would have been a pretty vicious backhand, and punched him hard in the stomach, causing him to stagger backwards.

As she moved in to continue her attack, the man seemed to recover, and lashed out with a left hook. She only just managed to block in time, and aimed a punch at his throat, hoping to take him out quickly.

The man sidestepped at the last second. He caught her followup jab, and swept her legs from underneath her, sending her to the floor. A moment later he was straddling her, pinning her arms above her head. She smirked evilly...

"Big mistake, asshole," she said as she brought her knee up as hard as she could between his legs. He howled in pain, and quite literally collapsed on top of her. Elena shoved him off, and he curled up on his side, hands between his legs, moaning pitifully.

She hurried to her feet and grabbed her light... along with her gun, which she spotted a few feet away, and turned back to her assailant. Weapon aimed, she jerked back the hood, revealing a very familiar shock of red hair.

"R-reno?" she said, stunned. She'd been absolutely _positive_ it wasn't him.

"Oh god, just kill me, 'Lena..." he groaned, eyes shut tight. She snickered at his somewhat over-dramatic response. "It's not funny!" he snapped at her, glaring angrily, "That fucking hurt!"

"Serves you right, attacking a poor defenseless girl in the dark," she teased.

"Defenseless my ass..." he whined, "And you fight dirty..."

The lights came back on, and Elena flinched slightly in the sudden brightness. The door to the archives opened, admitting Tseng and Rude.

"I believe Elena managed a perfect score this round," Tseng said, gazing down at his lieutenant, who was still doubled over on the floor. Rude knelt down beside him, smirking.

"... Want some ice?" he asked, as he placed a hand on Reno's shoulder.

"Yes, please..." Reno answered weakly. Rude gently picked him up, bridal style.

"Come on, then... let's go get you some ice," he said, soothingly, as he carried him out of the room.

"I think he intended that to last a bit longer..." the Turk leader commented, "I warned him you weren't above doing that... Maybe next time he'll listen."

"Sir? Is... Is it really _that_ painful?" she asked, "I mean, I know it definitely hurts, but... Reno can be such a drama queen sometimes..."

"It _is_ that painful, and that was no vie for attention, believe me," Tseng answered, seriously.

"Oh..." she said softly. She couldn't deny that she still felt a little justified in doing it. Still... she didn't like seeing Reno in pain, even if he'd kind of asked for it in this particular instance.

"I'm fairly certain he'll survive it. His weekend plans, on the other hand, I suspect have little chance of pulling through..." he added, mirroring Rude's earlier smirk.

"Sir!" she exclaimed, eyes going wide. She would expect a comment like that from Reno... or even Rude. But from Tseng?

"It can occasionally be amusing... when it happens to someone else," he said simply. With that, he turned and walked out the door.

* * *

"All I wanted was some damn painkillers, not... Ow! For fuck's sake, look! Don't crush!"

Elena paused outside the door to the Turk's lounge, hesitantly debating whether or not she should actually go in. She'd been able to hear Reno all the way down the hall. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he didn't sound like he was enjoying it.

"Oh, quit yer fussin', I barely even touched yeh," a woman's voice chastised him, "Now hold still."

"Ahh, fuck, make her stop!"

"Afraid you're going ta be bruised for a fair stretch, but shouldn't be so painful by tomorrow. Just a bit sore," the voice said.

"I could have fucking _told_ you that. Now will you stop trying to kill me, and hand over the damn drugs?"

"You watch yer language, young man, or yeh get nothin'. And no treat, either! Now put yer pants back on, yeh big baby."

Reno went silent, though Elena was sure she could hear Rude snickering. She hesitated a few moments more before slowly pushing the door open a crack.

"There yeh are... take those, then," the woman said, "And no alcohol for at least eight hours _after_ yeh take 'em. I mean that, Reno. You wouldn't like the reaction and I'll be very angry if I have to ship yeh off to the emergency room because yeh ignored me. And you've seen me angry."

Elena peaked into the room. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"No," Reno stated emphatically.

"Ah, don't listen to him," the woman – who Elena could now see was the same older lady she'd seen taking care of the victim in the concourse yesterday – said pleasantly, "He's just a a bit out of sorts right now, that's all."

"... _Who_ in their right mind gave you a license to practice medicine?" Reno grumbled, as Elena slipped into the room. He was ignored by everyone present.

"Well, now... I don't believe I've had the pleasure," the woman said, smiling at her, "Dr. Justinia Ward. Resident medical staff, and part-time bane of Reno's existence." She stripped off a latex glove and extended her hand.

"Hmph... part-time? You cheatin' on me, Doc? Who'd you find to torture the rest of the time?" Reno commented. He was lying on his back on the couch, a bag of ice nestled on his lap.

"I'm Elena," she said, paying no mind to the redhead, and shaking hands with the doctor.

"The _other_ bane of my existence..."

"Oh, really? Now who's cheatin' on who?" Dr. Ward teasingly scolded him.

"Want me to dump her? I could always pawn her off on Rude..."

"... Leave me out of this," Rude said, leaning back casually against the wall.

Dr. Ward laughed lightly. "Well, much as I'd love ta stay 'n chat with yeh, I need to be getting' back to the medical suite." She turned to leave.

"Hold it!" Reno said firmly. When Dr. Ward turned back to face him, he held out his hand, expectantly.

"Yeh hardly deserve it," she said, pulling a green sucker from her coat pocket and handing it to the redhead.

"I don't deserve it?! I oughta get two, for lettin' ya molest me like that..." he replied, pulling off the wrapper and shoving the candy into his mouth.

"One per customer," stated Dr. Ward, smirking as she walked out the door, "Yeh want another one, let her knee yeh again."

"I hate that woman," Reno groused, glaring at the door.

"... No you don't," Rude chuckled, "And you know it."

"I-I guess you're alright, then?" Elena asked.

"Do I look alright?" he answered.

"He's fine. Just ticked off," Rude said, with a shrug, "Wanted me to get him something for the pain... so I got him Ward."

"Yeah... next time I ask ya to do that, just get me some fucking aspirin."

"Noted."

"I'm so sorry, Reno... I was really convinced it wasn't you," she said.

Reno sighed. "Yeah... well... Guess I can't really blame ya for that... That was kind of the point."

"Told ya you should have just stuck to your own style," Rude chided. Reno flipped him off.

"Run Dr. Ward off already, have we?" Tseng commented, edging into the room behind Elena. The redhead snorted.

"Yeah... after she had her way with me and drugged me," he muttered.

"Shouldn't that be the other way around?" Tseng replied, bemused by the not so subtle personality change his friend underwent any time he was injured.

"She wouldn't give him the painkillers until he let her her examine him," Rude supplied. Reno suddenly groaned in relief.

"Speakin' of which, they just fucking kicked in," he sighed, "Damn, that's better."

* * *

When Elena walked into the office early Monday morning, it was with a sense of being overjoyed at the prospect of not having to worry any longer about random attacks, bizarre tests, and near drownings. She was a little surprised to find that she was the first one in... She was early, but not _that_ early.

Seven o'clock came and went, and not even Tseng was in yet. At five after, she checked her phone for voicemail in case she'd somehow missed a call. At ten after, she peered out into the hallway, and listened for the chime of the elevator. At a quarter after, she wondered if she should try calling _them_. Just as she was pulling up her contact list, however, a the door opened a crack and a canister bounced metallically onto the floor, rolling into the room.

Almost immediately, it began spewing copious amounts of thick, choking white smoke. Elena staggered to the door, desperate for fresh air, and nearly threw herself into the hallway. Still half-blinded by the smoke, she didn't see the two figures waiting for her. She suddenly found her arms pinned tightly, as a bag was pulled over her head. She tried to kick out at her assailant but as soon as she did, a second pair of hands captured her ankles. She fought, but to no avail, as she was carried off.

But not very far... less than a minute later, her captors set her down in a chair, and the bag was whipped off her head. She sat, blinking in confusion, as she found herself practically nose to nose with Reno, who was crouching in front of her, in the Turks' lounge.

"Surprise!" he shouted, grinning madly. Her eyes widened.

"I-I thought Hell Week ended on Friday," she said nervously. She heard a deep chuckle behind her, and turned. Tseng and Rude were flanking her on either side.

"Oh, don't worry. It was," Tseng assured her, "But there's still the matter of your scores. And naturally, Reno refused to simply write them down and hand them to you. That would be far too... sane. So, here we are."

"Exactly!" Reno said, as he wheeled a dry-erase board into the center of the room, "Gotta make a presentation of something like this." He flipped the board over with a dramatic flourish, revealing

a list of the exercises Elena had gone through.

"So, let's see now..." Reno began, holding up a marker, "First up was the Elevator of Doom."

Tseng rolled his eyes. "You know perfectly well that's _not_ what it's called, Reno."

"Yeah, but I like it better than 'panic reaction delay exercise'. Deal with it, Boss," he replied. Tseng plucked the marker from the redhead's hand and crossed out "Elevator of Doom" on the board, writing in the proper name. Reno smirked and pulled a second marker from his pocket, wiping it away and restoring the original text.

Tseng sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother..."

"Anyway..." Reno continued, "Ya beat my old score... and definitely kicked Tseng's ass... but Rude still holds the record, right partner?"

Rude gave her a decidedly smug smile but said nothing.

"Still, ya did good, rookie. So full points," he said, writing in "10/10" in the space beside the exercise title. Elena couldn't help but grin happily.

"'Course next up, we've got swimming..." Elena's smile faded, and she cringed at that memory. "Unfortunately, that exercise had to be suspended on account of you... not actually doing any swimming. Now if we were testing your ability to flail wildly, swallow pool water, and sink..."

"I get it, Reno..." Elena said shortly, glaring at him.

"Heh... So, yeah... no points. But ya _do_ get a nice consolation prize."

"Consolation prize?" she hesitantly asked. She wasn't sure she wanted anything Reno considered a 'prize' for Hell Week...

"Swimming lessons, of course," Reno stated, writing in a zero on the board. Elena groaned.

"Not sure that qualifies as a 'prize' so much as extended torture, if you're the one giving them," Rude pointed out.

"Exercise number three," he said, ignoring his partner's commentary, "Was stalking detection and avoidance. Hate ta say it, but that was an epic fail. Found ya in less than two minutes."

He wrote in a zero, but to Elena's surprise, Rude suddenly grabbed the marker and replaced it with a ten.

"You found her, but _you're_ the one who ended up handcuffed to a truck," he stated. Reno glared at him, and wiped away the one he'd added.

"It wasn't the 'handcuff Reno to a truck' exercise. It was the stalking detection and _avoidance_ exercise."

Rude replaced his one anyway. Reno wiped it off again, and when Rude put it back, Elena couldn't help but snicker.

"Enough, both of you," said Tseng, using his own marker to write in a five, "Half points seems fair. She may not have successfully avoided you, but she did successfully detect – _and_ ambush – you."

Reno snatched the marker back from Rude. "Fine. Half points," he grudgingly agreed.

"Moving on... Coordination and agility. Like I said afterward, ya did okay. Coulda been better, though. So I'm givin' ya a six."

Elena wasn't too put out by that. Especially after having watched Reno's effortless performance after she'd finished. She glanced down the list, and flinched when she saw what was next.

"For Leviathan's sake, Reno... it is most definitely _not_ called the 'naked time with Reno' exercise," Tseng groaned. Elena flushed slightly.

"It is now," he said with a smirk. This time, Tseng just let it be. "Gotta admit, I was impressed, 'Lena, even if I did go kinda easy on you. So... ya get a five. Still got a lot of room for improvement."

"At least there's no consolation prize this time," she muttered.

"Ya want one?" he asked, leering teasingly, "It could be arranged..."

"Move on, Reno," Tseng ordered.

"Tch... You're no fun, Boss," he shot back, "Fine. Marksmanship... I think we all agree that one gets full points. Even if we never got around to holding the actual exercise I had planned..."

Tseng and Rude both nodded, and Elena beamed at the acknowledgment.

"Last... and definitely least," Reno grumbled, "Hand to hand combat."

"... I still say she deserves an eleven for that one," Rude teased.

"I _gave_ her a fifteen, initially," Reno said in mock seriousness, "But then I had to dock her two points for ruining my weekend... and another three after the painkillers wore off..."

Rude sniggered somewhat maniacally, and Tseng rolled his eyes. Elena looked up at him, somewhat guiltily. Reno sighed.

"Aw, come on... Don't give me that look, 'Lena," he said, dramatically, "I forgive ya... this time."

"And on that note, I declare Hell Week officially over," Tseng stated, "Which means it's time to get back to work." He turned to Elena, smiling warmly. "Well done."

"Congratulations," Rude added, "You survived."

"Which, given your examiner, is no small feat, in and of itself," the Turk leader joked, "And Reno... I don't know where you found that board, but put it back before I'm fielding complaints about missing furniture."

"Yeah, yeah," the redhead muttered, waving him off. Tseng headed back to the main office, and Rude and Elena started to follow. Reno lingered behind. "Hey, hang back a minute, 'kay 'Lena?"

She turned back, a bit uncertainly, as Rude disappeared into the hall, leaving them alone.

"So... here." He held out a small box to her, wrapped in silver paper with a red ribbon. Elena took the box, smiling shyly, and carefully pulled off the paper. Reno scoffed. "You're 'sposed to _tear_ the paper off, ya know. Don't tell me you're one of those weirdos that saves it..."

" _You_ can unwrap gifts however you like," she replied, trying not to laugh, "This is how _I_ do it."

But just to humor him, she sighed and tore the neatly removed wrapping in half when she was done, shaking her head at his pleased expression. She lifted the lid of the box and, inside, discovered a tiny silver figurine in the shape of a dragon. It's eyes were made of aquamarine crystal, and the whole thing was only about the size of an egg.

"Tseng gave that to me after _I_ made it through Hell Week," he said, "It's... been kind of a good luck charm, I guess. He got it from Veld after his Hell Week. Figured I'd keep up the tradition."

"Oh..." she said, feeling her eyes growing suspiciously moist as she peered at the detailed little figure, "I don't know what to say, Reno..." She blinked rapidly as she looked up at him.

"Annnnd... you're cryin' again," he teased, with an exaggerated sigh, "Shoulda seen that comin' a mile away..."

"Sorry," she giggled.

"Heh... whatever," he replied, "I... uh... I probably don't say it enough, but... I'm proud of ya 'Lena."

Elena couldn't remember anything Reno had said that had ever meant quite so much to her. She moved a step closer to him, and hugged him tight, a moment later feeling his arms wrap around her as well, as he returned the embrace.

~fin~


	17. Fever Dreams

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 17: Fever Dreams**

 **by Desha**

 _Author's Note: Just a quick one for your weekend reading pleasure._

* * *

"For Ifrit's sake, just _make it stop_!" Reno moaned. He stood in the doorway of his bedroom, back pressed to the doorframe as he desperately tried to maneuver into the right position to dispel the itching sensation that tortured him from between his shoulder blades. He closed his eyes in relief as he finally found the right spot.

"Oh… Oh, yeah… that's more like it…" he sighed… then groaned again in frustration when the itch reappeared, this time on his arm… then at the back of his neck… then his chest. Soon he was in an all out frenzy, scratching frantically. For every itch he managed to rid himself of, at least three more seemed to creep over his flesh. He was on the verge of tearing his clothes off right then and there, just so that he could better dig his nails into his skin, when his PHS rang insistently.

"What?!" he yelled into phone, voice tinged with near-hysteria, fervently attacking another itch on his left side.

"You're late, Reno," said a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"I don't fucking care!" Reno replied, "Rude, just tell Tseng that I'm usin' a sick day, will ya?" He couldn't stand it anymore… His entire body itched now, and it was slowly driving him mad.

"… Pretty sure you've used all your sick days."

"Again... I don't fucking care!" Reno lamented, his voice rising nearly a full octave as the itching suddenly seemed to double in intensity, sending him clawing awkwardly at his back for what seemed like the hundredth time since he'd awoken that morning.

"…"

"Look, I'm not comin' in today. The boss wants me, he's gonna have ta come drag me out of this apartment himself!" he continued, and abruptly ended the call before yanking his shirt off over his head and flinging it across the room. If he had to draw blood to get this to stop, he damn well would.

* * *

Behind his sunglasses, Rude blinked in surprise, not quite sure what to make of his short conversation with his fellow Turk. The note of distress in Reno's voice had definitely not escaped his notice.

There was a reason the redhead never seemed to have any sick leave saved up... He rarely actually got sick, but his proclivity for being injured had landed him an overnight – or, on occasion, several nights – stay in the hospital more times than Rude cared to count.

"Where's Reno?"

Rude turned to face the Turk leader, still rather disturbed by the phone call. Reno really hadn't sounded at all like himself.

"Out sick, apparently" he stated.

Tseng raised an eyebrow. "Reno? _Our_ Reno? The same Reno who, the last time he was legitimately ill, still dragged himself into the office and collapsed?" Tseng looked vaguely concerned. Reno liked his time off, but on the infrequent occasions he opted to use his sick leave – when he managed to still have some – for a personal day, he'd always been honest about it... and contacted him first to make sure it wouldn't be too great an inconvenience. The fact that he hadn't led Tseng to believe the man really wasn't well this morning.

"Said you'd have to drag him in yourself if you wanted him here," Rude confirmed.

"Indeed?" mused Tseng, wondering if Reno had meant that simply as a statement of fact or as a challenge. One never knew with the redhead.

"... Something sounded off," Rude added, causing his superior to frown.

"I take it you think we should check on him," he stated. He'd already been leaning toward doing just that anyway. That Rude seemed to be thinking along the same lines only nudged him closer to acting on the impulse.

"Check on who?" a new voice asked, and the Turk leader turned to see Elena slipping through the door with an assortment of files under her arm, "This is everything I could find in the archives on anyone named Wallace, by the way, sir."

"Thank you, Elena," he said with a nod, "You can just leave them on my desk for now. We were discussing Reno... and his current absence."

Elena frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Says he's sick," Rude replied.

"And Reno is virtually never sick," Tseng stated, definitively, "And when he _is_ sick, it's never anything typical. I trust you recall the last time. He was fine half a day later, but could barely remain conscious before that."

"Yes, sir... I remember," she said, her own worry growing now. She'd been the one tasked with looking after him for the afternoon last time, after all... and while he had indeed gotten over the bug quickly, there was no denying that for several hours, it had completely knocked him to the floor.

"That was probably the least unusual thing I've ever seen him ill with." Tseng hesitated for a moment, before finally sighing in defeat. "I'll be back shortly. I'm going to make sure he hasn't somehow managed to contract the plague... or something equally Reno-like."

* * *

Less than fifteen minutes later, Tseng was standing outside Reno's apartment.

"Reno?" he called, knocking a second time... his first attempt having gone unanswered. He was about three seconds away from pulling out a lock pick when the door finally swung inward.

"What?!" asked Reno, in a near-whining tone. He stood, clad in only his underwear, eyes filled with desperation as he scratched at his shoulder. Tiny clusters of red spots... and angry red welts that were almost certainly from his own fingernails, littered his entire body. In a few places, he'd actually drawn blood.

Tseng's eyes widened. Only Reno... "What in the world... ?"

He stepped inside, placing hand on Reno's arm and pulling him towards the couch. The redhead clawed viciously at his chest, and Tseng had to grab him to get him to stop before he did any farther damage to himself. Reno whimpered softly, closing his eyes as Tseng pressed the back of his hand against his forehead.

"Reno, you're burning up," he stated, matter-of-factly.

"Don't care... Itching won't stop..." he hissed, wrenching away from Tseng's grip on his arm, and returning to his scratching frenzy. Tseng finally had to pin his arms at his sides, holding him firmly in place. Reno's entire body quivered as the maddening sensation seemed to attack from every angle.

"Fuck... Tseng, I can't take this anymore! Do something... _Please_!" he begged, shaking from the sheer desire to scratch. The Turk leader hadn't seen Reno look so helpless in years.

"It's alright," he said, comfortingly, gently coaxing him to lay down on the couch. The moment he released him, the younger man's hand crept up to continue his assault on his own skin. Tseng grabbed his wrists. "Reno, I need you to try to stop. You're going to hurt yourself. I'm going to have Rude collect Dr. Ward and bring her here. I'm sure she can help."

Reno finally nodded, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to resist the ever-growing need to scratch.

* * *

When Rude's PHS rang for the second time that morning, he answered immediately.

"Rude here."

"Get Dr. Ward. Bring her to Reno's apartment," Tseng's voice ordered without preamble. Rude felt his stomach clench uncomfortably. If Tseng was requesting the doctor, something was very wrong. Though at least Reno was still at home... not on his way to the hospital.

"On it," he stated, on his feet immediately and heading for the door. He nearly trampled Elena in his rush as she returned with coffee for them both.

"W-what's wrong?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"... Not sure. Tseng wants Dr. Ward at Reno's place. Now," he replied.

"I'll go with you," she said, setting the coffee on the edge of the nearest desk, and falling into step behind him as he beelined for the elevator.

"Did he say anything else?" Elena asked as the car started its descent. Rude shook his head, watching impatiently as the floor numbers flashed by on the display. She may not have been able to read Rude as well as Reno could... but even she could see the man was worried. She wasn't exactly unconcerned herself.

The elevator reached it's destination, chiming as the doors opened, releasing its occupants. Elena had never actually been to the building's medical suite before, somehow having managed to avoid any injuries she couldn't treat herself, and having her initial medical workup with her own doctor rather than the company one. It was smaller than she'd expected... but then, they weren't exactly running a hospital here.

"Rude... Good ta see yeh. You're not dragging in a certain redhead again, are yeh?" the gray-haired Dr. Justinia Ward chided as she caught sight of them. "Ah... nope. I see yeh've brought me a blonde instead today. That's a nice change of pace. Hmm... Elena, wasn't it?"

Elena opened her mouth to reply, but Rude cut her off.

"Tseng sent us to get you," he said, "Wants you at Reno's place sooner rather than later."

Dr. Ward demeanor shifted almost instantly from conversational to professional. "Of course he does. I haven't seen Reno in more'n a week... He's overdue. What's the matter, then?" she asked, turning to gather a few things into her bag.

"Didn't say. Just said to get you and bring you there."

Ward scoffed. "Bah! That _Tseng_! Couldn't take two seconds to have yeh pass along what I'm expected ta be treating the little troublemaker for, I suppose. Odin forbid I have some idea what I'm getting myself inta. He'll be getting an earful from me later, I don't mind telling yeh. Can yeh at least tell me... injury or illness?"

"Illness," Rude informed her. Dr. Ward, made a soft noise of acknowledgment and reached for several more items, stowing them in her bag.

"Well, let's be going, then," she said a minute later, when she'd stuffed the small satchel to near-bursting.

* * *

"Yer not gonna do Reno a bit of good if yeh kill us all before we get there," Dr. Ward commented as Rude narrowly avoided a head-on collision while passing a slow-moving truck, "Or, barring that, give me a heart attack."

Rude frowned at her reflection in the rearview mirror... but he did slow down noticeably. Much to Elena's relief as well.

"I know yer worried, 'bout him," she continued, "But if it were life 'n death, Tseng woulda sent him straight on to the emergency room... not summoned me to come ta him."

The three of them rode in silence for the remaining time it took before they were pulling into the parking lot of Reno's apartment complex. Rude opened the door for Dr. Ward, dutifully escorting the doctor into the building as Elena trailed behind. Minutes later, they were stepping out onto the fifth floor, and heading toward Reno's door. Elena hurried ahead and knocked.

"Come in," came Tseng's voice from within. She quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside, followed, moments later, by Rude and the Dr. Ward. Tseng looked up, nodding in greeting, before returning his attention to his ailing compatriot.

Elena rounded the couch, and blinked in surprise.

Reno was laying face down on the cushions, mostly undressed, with his arms wrapped tightly around pillow, as Tseng soothingly rubbed his hand back and forth along his spine. Every so often a tremor would wrack his body, as though he were trying very hard not to react to something. Every square inch of him that Elena could see looked to be covered in bright red dots, barely larger than a pinhead, that seemed to cluster in groups of five or six... and interspersed between them were angry-looking welts, several of which were bleeding slightly.

She suddenly had the nearly uncontrollable urge to laugh hysterically, and she had to bite down hard on her lower lip to stop herself. She knew _exactly_ what was wrong with Reno...

Apparently, so did Dr. Ward... because when _she_ saw her patient, there was no attempt at holding back the laughter.

"Oh, Reno... yeh poor thing..." she chuckled. Tseng looked up incredulously.

"What exactly do you find so amusing about this?" he asked, clearly annoyed by her reaction.

"Oh now, don't yeh go getting your panties in a bunch, Tseng," she said, "He'll be just fine. Not so often yeh see a grown man come down with chocobo pox, though. Leave it ta _Reno_ ta manage it..." She knelt down next to the redhead, patting him gently on the shoulder. "I see yeh've been scratching a wee bit..."

Elena glanced back at Rude... who suddenly seemed far less concerned about his friend and was backing out the door, looking slightly terrified – as much as he ever did, anyway. Apparently, Reno wasn't the only Turk who'd never had chocobo pox as a child.

"I seriously can't take any more itching, Doc..." Reno whimpered, " _Please_ just make it stop!"

"Don't yeh worry... we'll get yeh fixed right up," she assured him, as she pulled him into a sitting position. She set her bag down, digging through it for a moment, and coming up with a thermometer, which she wordlessly popped into Reno's mouth.

"Fuck my temperature," he moaned, "Do something about the damn itching!"

"You'll keep that thermometer under yer tongue and yer mouth shut for the next sixty seconds, if you know what's good for yeh," Dr. Ward commanded in a tone that brokered no argument. Reno whined, but did as he was told. She moved to place a stethoscope against his chest, and he flinched violently.

"Oh, for pity's sake," she sighed, and warmed the instrument by rubbing it against her sleeve. Elena stifled a giggle. The next time the doctor tried, Reno let her make contact. "Deep breath, now," she requested, and he immediately obeyed. "Good boy... one more time," she said, moving the stethoscope to the opposite side, smiling at whatever it was she heard when Reno inhaled deeply a second time. Dr. Ward retrieved the thermometer, and checked the results.

"Well, the good news is yer lungs are perfectly clear... which means yeh probably aren't gonna end up with a nasty chest infection to go along with this like a lotta people your age do... _if_ yeh take it easy on yourself for a few days, and actually do what I tell yeh for once, that is. The bad news is that yer running a fever of a hundred 'n four. I'm surprised yer not half delirious, ta be honest."

"Doc... _please_... the itching..." Reno pleaded, essentially ignoring everything she'd just said.

"Alright, alright..." she replied, returning to her bag, "We'll just getcha a nice antihistamine. Won't get rid of it completely, but it'll help quite a bit. You're awfully lucky I thought ta bring this, since _someone_ neglected to give me any information 'bout your symptoms before dragging me out here." She looked pointedly at Tseng, who had the good sense not to attempt to defend himself to the woman. She held up a vial of clear liquid, and a syringe. Reno's eyes widened.

"W-wait... Ya gotta do it like that?" he asked, suddenly looking nervous. Elena stared at him.

"You're not afraid of needles, are you?" she snickered. The redhead glared at her, and might have even looked intimidating were he not covered in spots.

"Poor thing's terrified of 'em. Has been since the day I met him... haven't yeh?" Dr. Ward spoke up, and Reno immediately shifted targets. "Don't yeh give me that look. You know it's true. Now this is faster, and'll last yeh longer than the tablets... which, by the way, I didn't think ta bring due to lack of information, so you'll be waiting while I run back 'n get 'em if yeh insist on it."

Reno's hand twitched toward his chest, and Tseng quickly caught it before he could start scratching again.

" _Fine_. Just... do it quick," he finally relented, shuddering. Dr. Ward filled the syringe, and took hold of Reno's arm. He shut his eyes and turned away with a frightened – though, Elena suspected, somewhat exaggerated – whimper. She expertly finished the injection in about two seconds.

"All done," she said, patting his arm gently. Reno slowly relaxed. "That'll probably make yeh a might sleepy pretty soon. Before you're completely dead on your feet, I want ta get yeh into a cold bath, 'n see if we can't get that fever of yours down. Tseng, ya mind givin' me a hand?"

"Of course," the Turk leader replied, though before he could do anything else, his PHS rang. Thoroughly irritated, he removed the phone from his jacket pocket and answered the call.

"Tseng here." The person on the other end of the line was shouting so loudly, Elena could hear it from several feet away... she couldn't quite make out the words, but they certainly didn't sound happy. He was so loud, even Tseng flinched.

"Yes, sir," he replied calmly, "I understand. I'll leave immediately."

"Sir?" Elena queried, once he'd ended the call.

"Heidegger," he said, not sounding the least bit amused, "I'm wanted _personally_ for his security detail while he tours Reactor Five to inspect the defensive upgrades. Right now. I suppose Rude will have to help with..." He looked around the room, only then realizing that the fourth member of the team had made himself scarce. "Elena, where's Rude?"

"The hall, I think, sir," she replied, "As soon as he heard Reno had chocobo pox, he took off. I guess he hasn't had them before, either..."

"Don't blame him, then," Ward said, "They're a right menace for adults... better to get 'em young 'n be done with it. Lifetime immunity after that. How're ya feeling now, Reno?"

"Better," Reno murmured. His eyes were drifting shut already.

"Good. Now just to be clear... the pair of yeh? Yeh've both had it already, I hope."

"I had it when I was six," Elena replied. Tseng was easing a barely-conscious Reno back down against the pillow on the couch. He nodded, somewhat distractedly.

"Well, thank goodness for that," Dr. Ward said, "Last thing I need is _three_ patients."

"Sir, if you need to go, I'll stay and help Dr. Ward with Reno..." Elena offered.

"Thank you, Elena," he replied, gratefully, rising to his feet. He cast one more glance at the redhead before turning on his heel and heading out the door.

"Well then, I suppose it's just you 'n me," the doctor said, warmly, "Go and run a bath. Nice 'n cold, if yeh please. He won't like it, I'm sure, but that fever needs ta come down before it gets any higher."

Elena nodded and hurried to fill the tub. She left the tap running and returned to see what further help she could be.

"'Fraid I'm not much for heavy lifting these days, but I'll do what I can. Think yeh can manage him?"

"I think so," she said, "Reno's pretty light."

Reno blinked blearily as Elena eased his arm over her shoulders, lifting him to his feet. Dr. Ward slipped herself under his other arm, and between the two of them they half-carried him to the bathroom.

"Get the rest of his clothes off, and we'll pop him in the water," the doctor said, motioning to his boxers. She felt Reno shake slightly, and she suddenly realized that he was laughing almost silently.

"I don't care if you're sick... I swear to god, Reno, if you make one comment..."

"'Bout what?" he replied, innocently, perking up slightly for a moment as the opportunity to tease his favorite rookie presented itself. The short burst of energy passed, however, and soon, he was leaning his head tiredly on Elena's shoulder, and allowing his eyes to close, oblivious to what she and the doctor were doing.

* * *

Reno woke to the not exactly unfamiliar sensation of a warm body curled against his side. He sighed softly and nestled himself against his current bedmate, wondering briefly if he should know who it was. The last thing he remembered was being very, _very_ sleepy, and resting his head against Elena's shoulder.

With a start, his eyes snapped open, breath hitching slightly as he realized that... yes, he was indeed in bed with Elena... who was pressed firmly against him, her face nuzzling his neck. One of her hands was lightly petting his hair, while the other began making gentle sweeps along his chest under the sheets.

"'Lena?" he managed, thoroughly confused.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she teased, and much to his intense shock, she leaned in and kissed him deeply. His eyes widened. _This_ was definitely not normal. He gingerly pushed her away, staring at her in disbelief.

"Uh... 'Lena? Did... something happen last night?" he asked hesitantly. This couldn't possibly be a good thing. He couldn't remember anything at all after falling asleep. What _exactly_ had he... they... done? Elena giggled teasingly.

"Oh... just the same thing that's been happening most nights for the last six months or so," she said coyly. A chill shot through him. Six months? What the hell was she talking about?

"Of course, that's going to change when the baby comes... so we should really enjoy it while we can..." she purred, seductively. His mouth went dry...

"The _WHAT_?!" he shrieked.

* * *

Reno sat up rigidly in bed, breathing heavily and shaking. It took him a moment to realize he was alone.

"Oh, thank fuck..." he moaned, "It was a just dream." He laughed to himself, feeling slightly delirious with relief, as he flopped back onto the pillows. The bedroom door creaked open a crack.

"Er... Reno? Are you awake?" Elena said in a hushed voice, poking her head in.

"Yeah, 'Lena... I'm up," he replied. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her frown at him, a decidedly annoyed look on her face. What was that about?

"Well it's about time. You've been asleep all day. Um... Are you feeling any better?"

Something about this all seemed vaguely familiar.

"Ugh... Kinda..." he replied automatically, not really knowing why he was feigning such a pitiful whine. He felt fine. The doc did good work, even if she was a little too fond of needles for his taste.

She pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped into the room. "Well... look. Tseng asked me to look after you until you were feeling more yourself. So is there anything I can get you?"

Reno blinked. "Uh... 'Lena? What the hell are you wearing?" High cut, poofy black skirt... lacy white apron... frilly top... Why the fuck was Elena in his apartment dressed as a maid?

"Would you stop calling me that?" she asked, petulantly, "You know I hate it. And I don't know what you mean. This is my normal uniform."

"Having trouble with him, Elena?" a familiar voice called from the other room. Tseng appeared in the doorway, and Reno rubbed his eyes in incredulity.

"Boss?" he said, wondering if he was a lot sicker than he'd been led to believe. Tseng was dressed identically to Elena... right down to the three-inch pumps that made his legs look rather distractingly shapely.

"If you're feeling better, we could really use you back in the office. Heidegger has instituted a new policy. We'll be taking on no further assignments until the backlog of incident reports has been cleared."

"Uhhh..."

"Elena, I think if we're going to make any progress on those reports, we may need to take drastic measures to get Reno back to work..." Tseng intoned, glancing meaningfully at the rookie.

"Yes, sir," she said, reaching into the top drawer of Reno's dresser and withdrawing what was easily the largest syringe he'd ever seen in his life.

"Whoa... Wait a minute! W-what do ya think you're doin' with _that_?!" the redhead said, nervously backing himself up against the headboard, as Elena approached. She grinned menacingly, and Reno dove for the other side of the bed, scrambling to his feet and making a run for the door. He pushed passed the Turk leader, and ran headlong into a solid body, slamming to an abrupt halt.

"... Going somewhere?" a maid uniform-clad Rude asked, lifting him bodily off the ground and hauling him back to the bed. Tseng in that outfit had been shocking... but seeing Rude likewise dressed was downright disturbing. He and Tseng held Reno in place as Elena brought the syringe into view.

"Don't worry, Reno... you won't feel a thing..." she said, ominously. Reno shuddered. No matter how much he fought, the other two Turks held him fast as Elena drew closer. Unable to escape, he shut his eyes tight, and screamed.

* * *

He was still screaming when he woke up safely alone in his bed. For a moment he lay there staring at the ceiling as he waited for his heart to stop trying to leap out of his chest... which it nearly did anyway as he suddenly realized that it wasn't _his_ ceiling he was staring at. Reno sat bolt upright, looking around at his – rather cramped – surroundings.

"Ok... now I _know_ this has gotta be a dream..." he muttered. He had no idea why his subconscious had decided to put his bed inside an elevator, but it was somehow far less unsettling than the last two times he'd woken up. Or thought he'd woken up. Or whatever.

He shrugged and crawled across the mattress to the panel of buttons by the door, and hit the one for the Turks' main offices, waiting patiently as the elevator car began to rise. He sat back as the floors ticked by, quickly reaching his destination... and then climbing past it. The elevator rose steadily... past the fiftieth floor... the sixtieth floor... the sixty-fifth... finally stopping at the sixty-ninth.

"Oh crap..." he moaned, as he was suddenly plunged into momentary darkness before finding himself in the pale orange glow of the emergency lighting. He braced himself.

Right on cue, he felt the queasy sensation in the pit of his stomach as the car dropped. The floor numbers on the screen above the door ticked by so quickly he could even read them. He dove for the panel containing the manual brake, just barely able to wrench it open with his bed in the way, and hauled down on the lever. The car screeched to a stop, and the lights came back on. Reno laid back on the bed and relaxed. Nothing to it.

The elevator car began to rise again, stopping at its original destination. He sat up as the doors slid open, fully expecting to see Tseng waiting for him. Instead, he was met by a certain blonde-haired rookie.

"Mornin' Reno," Elena said cheerfully, "Welcome to Hell Week!"

With that, she pressed the button beside the elevator doors. They slammed shut with a bang, and Reno once again found himself in total darkness.

"Ah, fuck... Why me... ?!" he shouted as the car dropped again.

* * *

He sat up, shivering violently. Reno stared down at his body... or what he could see of it. Most of it was submerged beneath a layer of crushed ice. He looked up and realized he was in his bathtub. Shaking, he tried to leverage himself out of the ice bath, only to cry out as a sharp pain lanced through his lower abdomen, causing him to fall back, breathing raggedly.

He pushed some of the ice out of the way, looking for the source of the pain. It wasn't hard to find. The deeper he dug, the more the ice became tinted with red, until he could finally see his stomach. A neat incision had been made in his left side, and it was slowly oozing blood into the melting ice.

"It's an urban legend that's been around for decades," Tseng's voice suddenly pointed out, and Reno's attention snapped up to the man's face. He was certain he hadn't been there a moment ago. Eyes going wide, Reno shifted his gaze to what was in his commander's hand, immediately feeling nauseated.

"As I believe told you... if _I_ were going to steal a kidney, I certainly wouldn't leave a witness," Tseng added, his free hand drawing his gun.

"Wait! Tseng, don't!" he shouted, a split second before the gunshot.

* * *

Warmth radiated from the person beside him under the covers, and Reno decided he much preferred this to the ice bath. At least no one was trying to shoot him, or skewer him, or torture him in _this_ dream. And if his fever-addled brain was going to keep sticking him in bed with the rookie, he might as well enjoy it. Not as if she'd ever have to know, after all...

He cuddled up closer to her, letting his hands drift gently over her body... and very quickly realized that this was definitely not Elena. Cringing, he forced his eyes open.

"... Mornin' sleepyhead..." Rude purred in an almost creepy imitation of Elena's tone the first time around.

"Oh, _come_ on!" Reno shouted, not particularly wanting to wait around to find out if Rude was going to be having his baby, too.

* * *

He sat up with a sharp cry, shaking with cold.

"Reno!?" Elena's voice called to him, snapping his unfocused gaze toward her, "A-are you alright?"

The redhead swallowed harshly, eyes flitting around the room frantically. "Reno?" Elena prodded, in a concerned tone, as she rested a hand on his shoulder. He flinched away, not knowing what to expect from _this_ Elena, but suspecting that he wasn't going to like it. He dared to take his eyes off of her for the few seconds it took him to glance down at the ice bath... finding that it was only water.

"Dr. Ward?!" Elena shouted, sounding worried.

"Alright... Alright... I'm right here," the elderly doctor assured her, as she appeared in the doorway, "Well... awake, are yeh?"

"I have no idea..." Reno managed, a little breathlessly, after a moment's hesitation. Elena looked over at Dr. Ward, more than slightly perturbed by the man's behavior. The doctor shook her head.

"Perfectly normal ta be a wee bit disoriented with a fever like this," she said, and Elena relaxed minutely, "Been having some interesting dreams there, Reno?"

"I... I'm not missin' a kidney, am I?" Reno asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Not that I'm aware of," Dr. Ward replied, chuckling softly, "Dya want me ta check for yeh?" She knelt down next to him and rested a hand on his forehead. "Well, yeh feel a might cooler, but we won't really know if the fever's coming down 'til we let yeh warm back up a bit. Grab a towel for him, would yeh, Elena? Let's get him inta bed."

Elena rose to do as requested, but Reno caught hold of her sleeve before she could go too far.

"Uh... hey, 'Lena? Don't take this the wrong way, but... just for my own peace of mind," he said, eying her suspiciously, "You're... _not_ pregnant, right?"

"Excuse me?!" she responded, sounding more than a little insulted.

"I'll just assume that's a no," he sheepishly replied, "Please don't kill me."

"Hmph... Interesting dreams, _indeed_ ," Dr. Ward commented, smirking slightly.

A few minutes later, Reno found himself dressed and tucked beneath the covers, the two women hovering over him. He was at last convinced that he was really awake.

"Think yeh could eat something?" Dr. Ward asked.

"Not really feelin' very hungry..." he replied, and Elena's jaw dropped in shock.

"A-are you _sure_ he's alright?" she asked. Ward nodded.

"He may be a bottomless pit, but even Reno's only human. Probably won't have much of an appetite 'til that fever finally breaks," she said, "I'd still like ta get something in yeh, though. Elena, take his temperature for me while I go and see if he keeps anything besides junk food in the house."

"Yes, ma'am," she replied, reaching for the thermometer. As the doctor left, Elena moved to slip the instrument into Reno's mouth, only to have him pull away from her, as he scratched at the back of his neck.

"Ugh... Reno. Would you stop being so difficult?" she sighed. Dr. Ward poked her head back into the room..

"Yeh best behave yourself for her, yeh little menace. Otherwise, you'll be getting my _other_ thermometer," she said threateningly. Elena snickered loudly as Reno paled and immediately became far more cooperative.

"Don't laugh... She's not joking," Reno said with a shudder, moving to dig his nails into his left arm.

"And don't yeh dare start that scratching again!" Ward's voice called from the other room. He winced, and forced his hand back down.

"She's also a fuckin' psychic," he muttered.

The rookie took the opportunity to shove the thermometer under his tongue with a smirk. He glared at her, annoyed, for a full minute until she retrieved it.

"A hundred and two," she read, "And exactly how do you know she's not joking?"

"Made the mistake of doubting her once... and _only_ once," he replied, darkly, "That woman isn't a doctor... she's a goddamn sadist with a medical license. And her sole purpose in life is to torment _me_."

"Reno!" Elena scolded him, "After all she's done, how can you say something like that?"

"Because it's true," he groused, crossing his arms stubbornly, "Oh, sure... she _acts_ like a perfectly nice, sweet, caring old lady... and then she jabs you with a needle when your back's turned, or damn near gives ya fuckin' a heart attack stickin' freezin' cold metal shit on you... or _in_ you... without any warning... or refuses to hand over the candy ya damn well deserve for puttin' up with her crap just 'cause she doesn't like it when people swear a little..." He paused for a moment, eyes squeezed shut in frustration, "Or worse, she won't let ya scratch when it still fuckin' itches 'cause her stupid shot didn't work! Ah, the hell with this..."

He finally gave in, scratching vigorously at his chest until Elena seized him.

"Now there's gratitude for yeh," Dr. Ward chastised. She carried in a tray with a bowl of soup and glass of milk, setting it on the bedside table, "Really, Reno... do yeh not eat anything that isn't pre-packaged, frozen, microwaveable or all of the above? And I told yeh before... that antihistamine I gave yeh won't do much more'n take the edge off..."

Reno huffed softly, plainly irritated, as Elena cautiously released him and then helped him sit up in bed.

"Well, then what fucking good is havin' ya here?" he scowled, arms crossed, as he tried his hardest to ignore the fact that his skin was beginning to crawl again. He had to admit, though... it was nowhere near as bad as it had been that morning.

"Well, if that's the way yeh _really_ feel, maybe yeh want me ta refer yeh ta a different doctor," she said, her tone serious. Reno froze.

"W-what?" he stammered, looking up at her and blinking in shock. She'd never threatened him with _that_ before, even when he was at his worst. Ward sniggered at the slightly panicked expression the redhead now wore.

"Oh, now relax. I'm just teasing, yeh silly creature," she replied, before adding with a grin, "Probably couldn't be rid of yeh even if I tried… and I wouldn't wish the likes of yeh on my worst enemy, besides. Now eat. Meantime, I'll get yeh something ta help yeh feel a little more comfortable," She placed the tray carefully on his lap and pointedly stared him down. The redhead hurriedly obeyed. Ward smirked, and leaned over toward Elena, whispering loudly before heading for the door again, "He's a good boy, really – just horribly grumpy when he's sick or hurt. I try not ta hold it against him..."

"I can hear ya, you know..." Reno grumbled at her retreating figure, narrowing his eyes warningly at Elena when she snickered in response. Dr. Ward returned moments later with a small bottle of pink liquid.

"Alright, you," she said, firmly, "I don't want any complaining 'bout the way it smells, the way it feels, or the the way it looks. Yeh want that itching ta stop, yer just gonna havta deal with it."

* * *

Reno was home for the remainder of the week... most of which was spent coated in a blotchy white layer of calamine lotion to keep the itching at bay. Aside from a daily visit from Dr. Ward to ensure he was following her instructions – and to issue admonitions and threats of uncomfortable medical procedures if she found he wasn't – he was largely left to his own devices. It certainly wasn't that he expected to be waited on hand and foot, but he was a little surprised neither Tseng nor Elena had stopped by to at least make sure he was still alive. Rude's absence could be forgiven... Elena had told him why the man wouldn't come anywhere near him until the danger of contagion had passed. But the other two better have had a damn good excuse for leaving him to slowly go stir crazy.

By Thursday afternoon, he'd been climbing the walls. By Friday, he was practically begging Ward for leave to return to work, contagious or not. By the following Tuesday, he was all but nominating her for sainthood for finally granting it.

And so, Wednesday morning found the redhead in the office nearly an hour early... something that was so unheard of he half expected Tseng to faint from shock when he saw him. Which was why he was very surprised when, at nearly five minutes to seven, it was only Elena who – almost literally – dragged herself through the door.

"Mornin' 'Lena," he drawled, feet propped up on his desk as he leaned back in his chair, grinning at the rookie.

"Oh, _thank_ Ifrit you're back!" she groaned. Reno cocked an eyebrow at the expression of sheer relief etched across her face.

"Ya miss me or somethin'?" he asked, a little miffed, "Coulda stopped by any time in the past week if you were so desperate for my company, ya know."

"I-I'm sorry Reno... I meant to visit. I really did," Elena said quickly, "It's just been _so_ hectic... and by the end of the day I was always just _so_ tired... And then the weekend finally came, and I slept half the day Saturday, just to get caught up, and Sunday..."

"Uh... 'Lena? Wanna back that up a little? What exactly did I miss?"

"Dr. Ward didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" he asked, curious now. Why was it that the interesting things always seemed to happen when he was out?

"Tseng's been out sick. Apparently _he_ never had chocobo pox, either. I guess he wasn't really paying attention when Ward asked him about it. He gave it to Rude, too. I've been here on my own since _last_ Wednesday!" she said, looking a little overwhelmed just thinking about it, before adding, "I... I had to explain to Heidegger why I was the only one here..."

She shuddered at the memory, and Reno sat up.

"Ouch..." he commented. Heidegger was never fun to deal with. Even less so when he was annoyed. "Well, least you're still in one piece."

"Not for long... Tseng's going to _kill_ me when he gets back."

Reno shot her a bemused smirk. "Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because now _Heidegger_ has chocobo pox, too... and because of me and my big mouth, he knows exactly who gave it to him..." she replied, miserably. Reno wasn't sure whether to laugh or to feel extraordinarily sorry for the rookie. Finally, he settled on a compromise. He stood up and walked over to Elena, wrapping an arm gently around her shoulders.

"... Yep. You're dead."

~fin~


	18. A Night on the Glacier

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 18: A Night on the Glacier**

 **by Desha**

Reno yawned as the elevator rose steadily past the lower floors of the Shinra Building. It was entirely too early to be awake... much less at work already... but he didn't have a choice. This had to be done, and if he waited until a less painfully early hour, he'd almost certainly be caught in the act. The doors opened at his floor, and the Turk moved silently into the deserted hallway, cautiously listening for even the slightest indication that he wasn't alone.

His feet carried him swiftly towards his destination, almost of their own accord. The door was locked, of course... and he didn't dare use his access card to open it. The security system kept a log that even the Turks didn't have the ability to wipe. He'd just have to do it the old fashioned way. It took him longer than it should have – Shinra didn't skimp when it came to security, and these locks could be tricky – but it eventually surrendered to his pick, and the door swung open.

The room was in near-pitch darkness when Reno slipped inside... not that it mattered. He knew this place far too well to let a little thing like not being able to see deter him. Several long strides brought him to the far corner and the lone desk that stood there. He glanced back the way he'd come, at the meager light that filtered through the crack at the bottom of the door, assuring himself that he'd remained undetected, and placed his surprise in the center of the desk, arranging it carefully. He grinned to himself, and turned to leave, secure in the knowledge that his intended target would never know it was him.

Without warning, the lights in the room came on.

"Ahhh!" Reno cried, shielding his eyes from the glare, and swearing vehemently under his breath as he wondered why in the hell the overheads in this room seemed to be so much brighter than in the rest of the building.

"Ha! I finally caught yeh!" a voice called out accusingly, as he tried to blink away the spots currently dancing in front of his vision.

"Yeah, yeah... ya caught me... but did ya have to fuckin' blind me, too?" he groaned. His eyes at last adjusted to the light, and he found his target standing before him, smirking.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic. Yer fine," Dr. Ward stated, patting his arm fondly. He glared at her as she turned and lifted the flowers from her desk, inhaling the sweet scent of the yellow daffodils and white daisies. "They're lovely, by the way. Thank yeh."

"Yeah... well... Happy birthday," he replied, turning to leave.

"I always knew it was you, Reno," Dr. Ward called after him, smiling, "Just took me awhile ta finally prove it, yeh little sneak!"

Reno froze. "You did not..." he countered. She couldn't have... he'd always been so careful not to do anything that would make her suspect him if he happened to run into her later in the day after leaving the gift. In retrospect, maybe that was his mistake. Maybe he'd been a little _too_ careful in the past.

"Of course I did," Ward chuckled, "Just how many patients do yeh think I have that can break in here year after year like it's nothing?"

Or maybe he just hadn't given the good doctor nearly enough credit. Reno turned, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Right... I was _kinda_ hopin' you wouldn't've realized that..."

Dr. Ward snorted contemptuously. "I'm old, not senile," she commented dryly, before her smile returned, "Now go on, yeh silly thing. Off ta work with yeh. Unless of course yer of a mind ta get yer annual physical out of the way a might early..."

"Hell no... I'm puttin' that shit off as long as Tseng'll let me. As usual," he replied, backing steadily towards the door.

"Well, fine, then. Have it your way. But yeh _are_ due for a tetanus booster this year," she added, teasingly, "We could take care of that today, at least..."

Reno's eyes went wide. "Are you _tryin'_ to make me regret bein' nice?"

* * *

He sighed as he waited for the elevator. Years of being convinced the doc was none the wiser to his annual acknowledgment of her birthday, and it turned out she'd known the whole time. Not only that, but the damned woman had fucking ambushed him. Him! He hung his head in shame. For a seasoned Turk to be outdone by an old lady in a lab coat... if anyone found out, he'd never live it down.

The doors opened and Reno looked up, blinking in shock as he suddenly came face to face with two familiar faces.

"What the hell are you two doin' here so early?" he asked, stepping in with them. Elena looked at him oddly.

"Tseng called us in," she said, "He didn't get a hold of you, too?"

Reno swore, and extracted his PHS from his jacket. Three missed calls while he'd had his phone silenced for his delivery. Of all the luck. The boss wasn't gonna be happy about that.

"Wait... so if you never talked to Tseng, what are _you_ doing here so early?" the rookie asked, suspiciously. Her companion snickered.

"It's the doc's birthday," Rude said simply.

"Shut it, partner," Reno ordered, blanching. Since when did Rude know about that?! Rude smirked, as if in answer to the unasked question.

"Dr. Ward?" Elena asked, sounding confused. The bald Turk nodded. "Wait... Why would that get _Reno_ in here at the crack of dawn?"

"Don't you dare..." Reno warned.

"Leaves her flowers every year... before she comes in, so she doesn't find out it's him."

"Goddammit, Rude, would ya shut up already," Reno said glaring at his friend, as his cheeks flushed. Did _everyone_ fucking know?

"Awww," Elena cooed, "Reno... That's so sweet!"

Reno sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes. "I just... appreciate her puttin' up with me 'n shit, that's all..."

"Most doctors hate _him_ as much as he hates _them_ ," Rude added as the elevator chimed and delivered them to the Turks offices, "Ward actually _likes_ him... says he's a 'good boy'."

"I am seriously gonna fuckin' kill you if you don't knock it off," Reno threatened, as menacingly as he could manage with his cheeks taking on a gradually darkening pink hue. Rude laughed softly, but said no more on the subject. He only wanted to tease... not humiliate. And nothing seemed to embarrass Reno more than pointing out what a nice guy he could be. For whatever reason, having other people know about some of the less self-centered things he did left the redhead feeling incredibly awkward... a rarity Rude thoroughly enjoyed witnessing.

As they stepped out, Reno's phone went off a fourth time. He answered it immediately.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for half an hour..." Tseng's voice spoke over the phone, echoed by the real thing from just down the hall.

"Had an errand to run," he replied, "Phone was on silent. Sorry 'bout that."

"I need you in the office. Now," Tseng replied, not commenting on his second's excuse. Reno smirked to himself and ended the call as he pushed open the door.

"Your wish is my command," he said, bowing with a flourish. Rude and Elena slid in behind him, snickering softly. The look of surprise on Tseng's face was worth the exasperated roll of the eyes that followed. "Somethin' up?" Reno asked. Tseng pointed to the pile of gear that lay on the couch.

"I hope you're all in the mood for cold weather," he replied, "We have a lead on Istev."

Both Reno's and Rude's demeanors shifted immediately, the redhead looking decidedly pissed off and even Rude's expression becoming more readable than usual.

"Payback time," the bald Turk muttered, fists clenching.

"S-sir?" Elena questioned.

"He's a target that has been at large for nearly six years," Tseng explained, "He was responsible for a bombing in Junon near the end of the war with Wutai. We were sent after him, but we ultimately lost him. He went into hiding, and we haven't had so much as a whisper of him until now. He's officially remained a low priority target ever since."

"Yeah... _officially_ ," Reno ground out, " _Unofficially_ , that son of a bitch is shoot on sight. Fucker killed three Turks with a second bomb before he disappeared. Almost took out Tseng, too. Where is he?"

"He was seen at Icicle Inn less than twelve hours ago, heading out onto the glacier," Tseng replied, "We leave in five minutes."

* * *

"..."

"Everything alright, partner?" Reno asked, glancing over at Rude.

"Hate being cold," he muttered, shuddering as an icy blast of wind cut through him again.

"Heh... yeah, you 'n me both," Reno replied. Both men were wrapped up tight in warm winter gear, but it didn't seem to be doing much more than keeping them from instantly freezing solid. The cold was biting on the glacier and the wind that had kicked up over the past few minutes just made it worse.

They were on the right track, though. Someone had definitely been through here recently, and given the remoteness of their current position, odds were pretty good it had been Istev. The four Turks had been following the trail of a pair of cross country skis for miles before the wind had started burying the tracks. Even so, they had a pretty good idea of where he'd been heading. There were caves in the distance... the perfect place for someone who didn't want to be found to hide. Tseng and Elena had already gone ahead to locate their quarry, leaving Reno and Rude to watch from afar in case he decided to take off again.

Reno's PHS played a muted tune from deep inside a pocket. He stripped off a glove, wincing at the feeling of cold air on formerly-protected flesh and fished it out.

"Reno here," he answered, pausing as he listened to the reply, "... Got it." Rude looked at him expectantly. "Boss says we're a go. He and 'Lena are movin' in from the upper trail. You 'n me are gonna flank him from below."

Rude nodded, turning his gaze to the mountainous terrain ahead of them. He could just barely make out the two figures separating from one another some fifty feet above the nearest cave entrance. The two men split up at a crossroads, approaching the caves from opposing sides.

They were close... Reno could feel it. So, apparently, could Istev. Shots rang out from one of the cave entrances.

"Shit..." Reno swore and took cover behind the drifted piles of snow. Tseng and Elena were above the caves, most likely out of sight, which meant that it was probably he or Rude who had been spotted. Either that or the guy was so paranoid, he was firing blind and hoping he hit something. Over the howl of the wind, Reno heard a shout and broke cover long enough to see what was happening.

'Not firin' so blindly after all,' Reno thought, cringing. Istev _had_ been shooting at a target. Not just a target, but at the rookie, or rather the ice ledge she was perched on. Reno watched, horrified, as the ledge gave way beneath her, sending her sliding down the steep embankment. Elena seemed to keep her wits about her, though, at least long enough to get a shot off herself. Istev crumpled to the ground mere seconds before the woman lost her footing on the crumbling ice completely, her slide suddenly becoming a tumbling fall.

"'Lena!" Reno shouted, breaking cover completely and rushing towards her. He kept one eye on Istev, just in case... though knowing Elena's aim, the odds of him being a threat at this point were slim. By the time he reached her, she'd rolled to a halt at the base of the ice cliff. "Hey, rookie... you alright?" he asked, carefully rolling her onto her back. She blinked, looking up at him somewhat dazed.

"My leg hurts..." she bit out, wincing as she tried to move it. Tseng and Rude, meanwhile, had reached Istev. A second shot rang out as Tseng finished what Elena had started. "I missed?" she asked, a little forlornly.

"Please, 'Lena... When do _you_ ever miss?" Reno replied, "He went down. The boss was just finishin' the bastard off for ya. Come on... let's getcha out of here. How bad's that leg? Think you can walk if I help ya?"

She sat up slowly and nodded. Reno looped an arm around her waist, hoisting her to her feet and letting her lean heavily against him as they began to make their way toward the other two Turks. A sudden rumbling from above them caused Reno to pause, glancing up. Elena let out a frightened gasp as she did the same, seeing a truly terrifying amount of snow and ice tearing loose from the cliff face and heading straight towards them.

"Ah, shit..."

Reno scooped Elena off her feet, barely noticing the cry of pain she gave as her injured leg was further jostled, and sprinted for one of the cave openings at the base of the cliff. He made it with hardly a second to spare, having to quite literally throw himself into the shelter of the cave to do so. He hit the ground hard, cushioning Elena as best he could, as they skidded to a stop on the ice-coated floor.

Moments later, they were plunged into blackness as the entrance was covered and sealed by the avalanche. Reno lay on his back, breathing heavily, Elena clutched to his chest. He felt her shift slightly and then push herself away, rolling off of him.

"Reno?!" she prodded, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fine," he panted, "That was way too fuckin' close, though... You still in one piece?"

"Yeah," she replied, groaning loudly as she tried to move her leg, "I think..."

Reno grunted softly as he sat up himself, ignoring the throbbing in his shoulder where he'd hit the ground on the way in, and moved toward her in the darkness. He yanked his gloves off, gently running his hands over Elena's legs, feeling out the injury. It wasn't hard to find. The break was painfully evident and the rookie whimpered quietly at even the softest touch.

"Well... mostly one piece, anyway," he said, trying to mask his concern. When his PHS went off a moment later, he answered quickly.

"You still alive?" the caller asked.

"Fuck, you have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice, partner. Thought maybe you guys got caught, too. Get us the hell outta here, will ya?" he said, pulling his gloves back on before his fingers froze.

"Working on it," Rude replied, "You both there?"

"Yeah, 'Lena's here too," he said, grinning in the pale light of his phone's screen, "Say hi, 'Lena..."

"Hey, Rude," she responded, sounding fairly relieved at knowing that help was coming.

"How bad is it out there?" Reno asked, "'Cause it's cold as fuck in _here_ , and 'Lena's hurt, so... ya know... we'd kinda appreciate a quick rescue."

"..."

"Ah, hell... don't go all quiet on me now, pal. Is it that bad?"

"It's that bad. Me and Tseng can't do much on our own. Gonna have to call in help. You're gonna be there for a while."

"Define 'a while'," Reno said, hesitantly.

"... Several hours, at least," Rude stated, "Maybe overnight."

"Crap."

"... Yeah."

"... Whatever. Just get us out of here before I end up a Turk-cicle, 'kay?" Reno sighed.

"Tseng says to conserve your phone's battery in case we need to contact you when we get close," said Rude.

"What, no late night pillow talk for us tonight?" Reno joked, though he wasn't exactly looking forward to the prospect of being out of contact with the outside world. Rude chuckled quietly on the other end of the line.

"Ask Elena," he suggested.

"Yeah, I'd like to survive the night, thanks. She has a broken _leg_... pretty sure her trigger finger still works just fine." He could practically feel the rookie eying him after that comment, "Later, Rude."

"Later," Rude replied before ending the called. Reno sighed and pocketed the phone.

"Why exactly are you concerned about my trigger finger?" Elena's disembodied voice asked, suspiciously.

"Heh... no reason," Reno hurriedly replied, glad that she'd only heard half that conversation, "Tseng and Rude are workin' on getting' us outta here, but it sounds like we're buried pretty deep. We're gonna be here awhile."

Reno dug his lighter out of his pocket. The tiny flame gave him enough light to see Elena by, but not much else.

"I thought you quit smoking," said Elena, her tone accusatory. The expression on her face was made all the darker by the flickering light.

"Said I would and I did," Reno assured her, "Lighter comes in handy on occasion, though. Hang here a minute. I'm gonna see how far back this goes. Maybe it hooks up with another opening we can use to get outta here."

"'Hang here'? Really?" Elena parroted, "What do you think I'm going to do? Drag myself along behind you?"

Reno snickered and turned toward the back of the cave, one hand on the wall to his left as a guide. He took it slow, not knowing what might be lurking in the darkness... and it was a good thing he did. Thirty yards in, he found himself at the edge of what was likely a _very_ deep crevasse. He couldn't see the other side. He walked along the edge until he reached the opposite wall. No way across.

"Well... so much for takin' the back door," he muttered to himself. Reno sighed and started back toward the entrance. As he came nearer to where he'd left Elena, he discovered a stack of crates. "Now that's more like it," he murmured, lifting the cover off the topmost container. The inside was filled with straw packing, and he dug through it until he found something solid. He lifted out one of several large, cloth-wrapped bottles, and laughed.

"Reno?" Elena called out to him from a short distance away.

"Heh... No way out back here, but if ya want, we can have one hell of a party while we're stuck," Reno replied, stripping away the wrapping and reading the label in the dim flame light. Bourbon... vintage bourbon. Not, strictly speaking, his favorite, but this shit had to be twenty years old, and he definitely recognized the label as top-shelf. He'd happily suffer through a bottle or two of it... later, when he was someplace warm and comfortable.

For now, though...

He broke apart the crate lid, and wrapped the cloth from the bottle around one of the slats. Then cringed as he cracked open the bottle itself, shuddering at the waste, but telling himself there was plenty more where that had come from as he soaked the cloth and struck a flame from his lighter, igniting it. It went up with a soft whoosh, bathing the chamber in orange firelight.

"Much better," he commented, grabbing more of the wood from the crate lid, and returning to Elena at last. "How ya doin', 'Lena?"

"I'm good... as long as I don't move too much," she replied, "What the hell did you mean we can have a party?"

"Things get really desperate, there's five whole fuckin' cases of liquor back there," he grinned, "And not cheap shit, either. If I gotta freeze to death, at least I can be drunk off my ass when it happens..."

He wedged the makeshift torch between two rocks, and knelt down next to the rookie.

"Freeze to death?!" Elena said, looking alarmed.

"Ah, relax," Reno replied, "Those guys'll have us outta here way before we gotta worry 'bout that. Umm... 'kay, so this is gonna hurt."

Elena blinked in confusion. "What's going to hur- _eeeyah_!" she screamed, as Reno jerked her injured leg out straight, sending an agonizingly sharp pain lancing up through the limb. She felt dizzy for a moment, as her vision grayed temporarily. When her focus finally came back, she discovered the redhead was carefully securing her leg between two slats wood.

"Sorry," he said softly, glancing up at her face, "Had to set it. Figured if I did it without givin' ya too much time to think about it, it wouldn't be quite so bad. Always works for me, anyway..."

"I-I don't think I like that method..." Elena managed, trying to ignore the painful throbbing in her leg.

Reno grinned at her. "Don't ever let Rude do it, then. Ya get no warning at all from him..."

Elena leaned back against the cave wall, letting her head rest against the rock. "Well? Now what do we do?"

"Wait," Reno said with a shrug, "Not much else we _can_ do."

"Oh," she said, quietly. The redhead sat down next to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Here... Lean against me instead of the rock. You'll be more comfortable." Elena gratefully did as he asked, curling against his side and laying her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a little while, and soon, Reno realized she'd drifted off. He nudged her gently in the side. "Hey... 'Lena..."

She jerked slightly, startled out of the light doze she'd fallen into. "W-what?" she responded.

"Maybe try not to get _that_ comfortable," Reno said, seriously, "Ya don't wanna fall asleep in a place like this and risk gettin' too cold. Might not wake up again."

Elena nodded, and sat up a bit. She felt like an idiot for not realizing that herself.

"Tell ya what..." he continued, "Game time. Ask me anything."

"W-what?" she replied, wondering just where he was going with this.

"Ask me anything," he repeated, "It'll keep us _both_ awake."

" _Anything_?" Elena clarified, "Anything I want... and you'll actually answer it?"

"Not like I'm easy to embarrass," he smirked, "So yeah... I'll probably answer anything ya throw at me." Elena grinned.

"Okay... What's the deal with you and Dr. Ward?" she said, thinking back to that morning. Reno rolled his eyes.

"There's no 'deal'," he replied, "Rude pretty much explained it already. Doctors hate me. I can be a real dick when I'm not feelin' so great, and Ward is probably the only one of 'em that'll put up with it without wantin' to kill me. Even teases me about it... so yeah, I kinda like her. Don't you _ever_ fuckin' tell her I said that, though."

"Not wanting to kill you is an awfully flimsy excuse for bringing her birthday flowers every year," Elena goaded him.

"... Ward's been takin' care of me for a long time, 'Lena," he chuckled, "Since I was first recruited, so goin' on ten years now. That's a _lot_ of not wantin' to kill me. And... the candy's a nice bonus, too. She... uh... actually keeps it around just for me, I think."

"Why?" she asked, curiosity piqued. Reno shifted a little awkwardly.

"'Cause I was a sixteen year old kid the first time Tseng dragged me in to see her," he finally said, "First medical workup, they check that you're up to date on vaccinations 'n shit. Tseng pulled me straight outta the slums... so I wasn't. Which meant _way_ more needles than I ever wanted to see intended for me." He shuddered at the memory.

Elena giggled. "I still can't _believe_ you're afraid of needles..."

" _Anyway_..." Reno continued, ignoring her, "I was kinda nervous... like... halfway out the door the second I saw 'em nervous. She promised me candy if I sat down and let her do it."

"And you just let her bribe you?" Elena grinned.

"Hell, yeah, I let her bribe me," Reno replied, "I was a fuckin' kid. I liked sugar. _Still_ like sugar. It kinda got to be a thing after that."

He could feel Elena shaking with laughter pressed against his side.

"Oh, shut up," he said, poking her lightly, "My turn now..."

"Wait, what?" she asked, the amusement quickly being replaced with trepidation, "I don't remember agreeing to that..."

Reno grinned evilly. "What? I'm 'sposed to bare my soul and get nothin' in return? Nuh uh... You get a question, I get a question."

Elena groaned, thinking back to the last time she'd had to answer Reno's questions... during Hell Week. At least this time she was fully clothed. "Fine... but if the first thing out of your mouth is 'Are you attracted to me?', I'm kicking your ass."

"That wasn't what I was _going_ to ask... but I'd almost like to see how ya plan to kick much of anything with only one good leg..." he teased.

"Just ask your stupid question..." she muttered.

"What'd you _really_ think of me when you were first promoted?"

Elena bit her lower lip, not quite sure how to respond to that. The truth was she'd kind of hated Reno at first. Now he was one of her closest friends, practically family.

"Heh... Don't worry 'bout sparin' my feelings, 'Lena. I'm just curious to hear it in your own words," he prodded, grinning, "I already know you could hardly stand me."

"I..." she started, glancing up at Reno's slightly smug expression, as if he were daring her to let him have it. Well, if he was going to be like _that_... "Okay... You want it, you got it. You were a total jerk. An egotistical, obnoxious, heartless bastard who's greatest joy in life seemed to be centered on tormenting and mocking _me_. You were a... a shameless womanizer, and easily the most annoying person I'd ever met. And I hated that you kept calling me 'Lena when you _knew_ I didn't like it! I hated that you went out of your way to make me look incompetent. I hated that you always made perverted comments at my expense. I hated that you never seemed to be satisfied with anything I did..."

Reno's grin had grown progressively wider the longer she ranted.

"Damn, 'Lena..." he snickered, "Don't sugar-coat it or anything..."

"There were days that I just wanted to punch you in the face," she finished, "... _so_ badly..."

"Were? Ah, come on... There are days ya _still_ wanna punch me in the face, admit it..." he joked.

"... Not really," Elena said, smiling, "Slap you really hard, maybe... My turn?"

"Go ahead," Reno said, gesturing for her to continue. Elena hesitated before she asked the first question that came to mind.

"What did you think of me?" she finally asked.

"Sure ya want me to answer that?" the redhead taunted her. To be honest... she wasn't really. But she'd asked anyway, and after a brief internal debate, she nodded.

"First impression? You were naïve, gullible, and way too concerned with impressing Tseng." Elena flinched. This was going to be brutal, she just knew it. "I kinda had ya pegged as virgin for awhile, too..." he added off-handedly. Elena glared and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Ow! What? You asked..."

"So I was a naïve, gullible virgin..." she replied, shaking her head, "How the hell'd I ever get promoted?"

"'Cause you were talented. And you were also incredibly strong-willed and driven. You knew what you wanted, and you wanted it bad enough that you'd fight for it," Reno answered, "That's not something you can teach a person. I was willing to work on trainin' you out of the other shit, long as I knew I had someone worth the effort. Wouldn't've bothered askin' Tseng to consider you otherwise."

"Hold on... _You_ nominated me for promotion?" Elena choked out in shock. She'd known that Reno'd had a say in _approving_ her promotion, but she had no idea that he had taken an interest in her before she was even up for for it.

"Yep," he said, "And made sure you got it. Actually took a little convincing to get Tseng to let me have you over our other two picks. He liked you, too, but he wasn't sure you were quite ready. Ultimately, though, I was gonna be the one handlin' ya, so he let me have my way."

"W-wait, wait wait..." Elena stammered, trying to sort things out in her head, "If you were so gung ho about me getting into the Turks... why were you such an asshole at first?"

Reno sniggered. "Whaddya mean 'at first'?" he threw back, "Think about it, 'Lena. I don't really treat you _that_ much different now, do I? I still tease you constantly, I still go out of my way to embarrass you on a regular basis... I still, how'd ya put it? Make perverted comments at your expense. And of course you're never gonna get me to stop callin' ya 'Lena. Only thing that's really changed is that _now_ you know that most of the time I'm just screwin' around..."

Elena just stared... realizing that he was right. Over time, Reno had maybe let up on her a _little_ as she made fewer dumb mistakes on the job, but by and large, he was still the same old Reno. She'd just redefined what that actually meant as she'd gotten to know him better.

"Heh... my turn again," he said, breaking the short silence, "So... Are you attracted to me?"

"Oh, for Shiva's sake..." Elena rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you just said it couldn't be my _first_ question," he teased her, "And the best I got last time was 'not awful to look at'. My poor, fragile ego has been suffering ever since..." Elena gave disbelieving snort of contempt. "If you tell me what I wanna hear, I might just drop it and find some other way to bug ya..."

"Or you'll be ten times worse," she deadpanned.

"Fifty-fifty shot, either way."

"I know I'm going to regret this..." she sighed, "I guess you're... you're... Ugh, I can't do it. It's too much like telling my brother he's hot."

"So... does that mean ya think I'm hot?" he prodded, grinning maniacally, "Ha! I knew it."

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "Remember what I said earlier about wanting to slap you sometimes?" She suddenly shivered as a chill ran up her spine. Reno's expression turned serious.

"You gettin' cold?"

"Kind of, yeah," she responded. She hadn't realized _how_ cold until just then. She wished she could get up and move around, but even thinking about it made her leg ache. Apparently Reno was thinking along a similar vein.

"Hate to do this to ya, but sittin' still's not gonna make ya any warmer..." he said, levering himself to his feet, and grabbing her hands, "Up we go." He pulled, dragging her up to join him, in spite of her pained yelp, and pulled her arm around his shoulders to support her. "Time for a little walk."

It took so much effort to just to hobble along making the brief circuit around the cave's entrance chamber that by the time the pair returned to where they'd started, Elena could actually feel herself beginning to sweat. Reno carefully lowered her to the floor again, before sliding down next to her.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, a little winded as she resumed her position against his side.

"So... I think it's your turn, right?" he mused. Elena had to think for a minute... she hadn't yet decided on her next query. Suddenly, she smirked, looking up at Reno with purpose. "Uh oh..." he muttered.

"I'm sick of relying on rumors and second hand information. I want know the _whole_ story about why you and Scarlet don't get along," she stated. Reno groaned and let his head fall back against the wall of the cave.

"Shoulda known you'd get me back."

"Spill it!" she demanded, even more interested now.

"Fine," he groused, "Christmas party probably eight years back. It was all the company executives, buncha investors, a few representatives from towns Shinra was tryin' to talk into lettin' 'em build reactors... that sort of shit. Exclusive guest list."

"So how'd _you_ get invited," she joked.

"Heh... I didn't," he replied, "Heidegger's an asshole, and always has been. Called Tseng in last minute on Christmas Eve to handle security, since the place was packed with VIPs, and Tseng dragged me, and a couple of fairly new rookies, along for good measure. Almost managed to pawn that shit off on Rude, but I lost the coin toss. Pretty sure he cheated, the son of a bitch..."

"Don't get off topic... I asked about Scarlet," prodded the rookie.

"I'm getting' there, geez..." Reno chuckled, "Anyway, it actually wasn't such a bad assignment, all things considered. Couldn't drink since I was on the clock, but it was open season on the food, long as we didn't piss anyone off. 'Round two in the morning things were finally windin' down. President had fucked off home for the night hours ago, and most of the guests and the execs were either passed out drunk, or damn close to it. Time to start roundin' 'em up and makin' sure they got back home or wherever they're staying, right? Which is exactly what Tseng told us to do. My luck, I get stuck wrangling Scarlet."

"I'm guessing she wasn't exactly sober?"

" _Completely_ wasted," Reno said, smirking, "Which actually might've been pretty damn funny, if it weren't for the fact that, as soon I hauled her into the elevator, she decided that since she outranked me in the company pecking order by a few orders of magnitude, I was free for the taking."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, having a pretty good idea where this was going.

"I mean that by the time we reached the parking deck, she had her hand down my pants and her tongue down my throat," he replied, sounding more than a little disgusted, "Typically I don't mind a lady – and I use the term very loosely in reference to Scarlet – gettin' a little aggressive with me, but I _do_ have limits... and I definitely draw the line at nonconsensual public groping. I'm also not stupid enough to think that screwin' an executive is gonna end well under any circumstances. Problem was, I couldn't exactly shove her back and tell her to fuck off... which is probably, at a minimum, what it woulda taken to get through to her at that point. That gets back to Heidegger and he's gonna have my head... 'specially since, rumor had it, he had a thing for Scarlet at the time. Plus, she kinda _literally_ had me by the balls... so... yeah."

"So what'd you do?"

"Thankfully, Tseng was on his way back for the next load. Hegot her off of me pretty quick. 'Course then she started in on _him_. And I kinda got the impression it wasn't the first time, either. We both lucked out, though. Right as she was goin' for his zipper, she passed the fuck out. We tossed her in the trunk of his car and took her home."

"Y-you _WHAT_?!"

"Yeah... that part was fuckin' awesome," he said with a grin, "Guess Tseng had finally had enough of her shit. Just shoved her right in there. She was out cold, so it's not like she was complainin'."

"Come on... You've got to be making this up," Elena chided him, "There's no way Tseng would ever do that to a company executive."

"I swear it's all true," Reno assured her, "It was an opportunity for a little payback without havin' to worry about explaining himself to Heidegger or Veld, and he jumped on it. But anyway, that's why I try 'n steer clear of Scarlet. I still get propositioned _every_ fucking time I do have to deal with her. And then she's pissed 'cause I always turn her down."

Their torch, which had been burning low for some time, finally flickered out. "Crap... Guess we need a new one," Reno muttered, as he forced himself to his feet, "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

"That joke wasn't funny the first time," Elena called after him, and he snickered in response.

As he made his way back to the crates by the miniscule illumination provided by his lighter, Reno wondered how long they'd been there by now. It certainly felt late. He supposed he could check the clock on his PHS, but that would eat into its battery life. Even if it was only a fraction, who knew how much longer they'd be stuck. That fraction might be needed later, and knowing what time it was wasn't exactly life or death. He suppressed a yawn. Yeah, it was definitely late.

As he assembled a new torch... and a couple extra for good measure... he wondered what he should ask Elena next. He needed something that would keep her awake for awhile. He was still mulling it over as he lit the new torch, grabbed a couple bottles of bourbon, just in case he didn't get the opportunity later, and made his way back to the rookie again. He found her dozing quietly, propped up against the cave wall. Reno hurriedly set his load down and shook her lightly.

"'Lena?" he said, coaxing her awake.

"Huh?"

"What'd I tell ya 'bout sleepin'?"

Elena yawned and sat up straighter, rubbing vigorously at tired eyes. "I didn't even realize I was _falling_ asleep," she replied, "What time is it?"

"Don't know... Late, I'd guess. Or early, depending on how ya look at it," he said settling in next to her again. "So... where were we?"

"Your turn." She yawned again.

"Fuck, don't do that," Reno moaned, stifling one of his own, "You're gonna get me started, too." Elena giggled quietly. "My turn, huh? Okay, little miss perfect... What's the most trouble you've ever gotten into?" Elena started to answer, but he quickly cut her off. " _Before_ you met me, I mean..." he added with a smirk.

"I guess... it would have to be the time I burned down a bar," she said, hesitantly.

Reno gawked at her, not quite sure he'd heard her right. "... Say that again?"

"I burned down a bar," she repeated, "In Kalm."

"Okay... I'm pretty sure I'd remember readin' something like _that_ in your background file," the redhead commented, skeptical.

"I was nine... and it was an accident," Elena said, rolling her eyes. "We were visiting a friend of my mom's, and she had a couple of boys my brothers' ages... so of course they all went off together and left me behind, because guys are jerks to girls at that age."

"I wasn't," Reno commented, sounding slightly offended... before he added, "Course that was mostly cause I was really scrawny at that age and most of the girls coulda beat the crap outta me... Couple of 'em did, come to think of it..."

"Was there ever an age you _weren't_ scrawny?" she sniped back.

"Touché," he said, in a dry voice, "I really _was_ pretty undersized 'til I was twelve or so, though. But go on..."

"The third day we were there, I guess I just got sick of always being left out, so I followed them. The boys were friends with the son of the owner of the bar, and that's where they all kept sneaking off to," Elena continued, "I caught them in the back room with a bottle of beer and a pack of cigarettes. And when I threatened to tell on them, they said that they'd let me play with them if I didn't. I... I really just wanted to be included. So I said okay... and then they said that if I wanted to hang out with them, I had to do everything they did. The next thing I knew, I was holding a cigarette and one of them was lighting it for me."

"And then it all went horribly wrong," Reno dramatically interjected.

"Yeah, pretty much," Elena replied, seriously, "I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing with it, so I just sort of tried to copy them. I ended up coughing so hard I dropped it and it rolled under a shelf. And it spiraled from there. No one was hurt, but the place burnt to the ground. And of _course_ we got caught. I don't think I _ever_ saw my father as angry as he was when he found out. Del and Bel tried to play down just how much I had to do with it. I think they felt guilty about pushing me into joining them. But we all got the same punishment."

"Lemme guess... grounded? Sent to bed with no dinner? Nah... I know. Bet they took away your TV privileges..." he taunted, "That musta just about killed ya..."

"Ha, ha..." she replied, poking him in the ribs, "You know, just because I grew up on the Plate doesn't mean I was spoiled."

"Ah, I know... I'm just teasin' ya. So what _did_ they do to you, anyway?"

"We really only _had_ one punishment in my family. God, I couldn't sit right for an hour after that... neither could my brothers," she said with a groan. She suddenly felt Reno's body tense.

"Wait... you got hit?" he asked, and she could hear the note of anger in his voice.

"Well... spanked, yeah. It's not like we were beaten, or anything," she said, a little surprised that it would bother him. He relaxed a little. "What, weren't you ever punished like that as a kid?"

Reno shook his head. "Not 'til I got dropped in the orphanage, and even then, it was pretty rare 'cause they mostly didn't give a shit. When I got the crap beat outta me there, it was almost always by some other kid I ticked off. My mom never once raised a hand to me that I can remember... Got slapped by one of her dates once for bein' a little too nosy, and she laid into him like a fuckin' nibelwolf."

"What was your mom like?"

"That your next question?" Reno frowned, caught off guard. He hadn't been expecting her to go quite _that_ personal. Elena fidgeted slightly.

"Sorry... You don't have to answer that, if you don't want to," she said.

"Nah... It's not that," Reno replied, "I'm just not real sure _how_ to answer it. I don't really remember much about her, to be honest. I was really, _really_ little when she died. My most vivid memory of her is... findin' her the next morning. And don't think that's really what ya had in mind..."

"Oh, god... Reno, I'm so sorry. I never should have asked..."

He shrugged. "Don't be," he replied, "I don't mind talkin' about her. Just, like I said... I don't remember much, other than a few things that really stood out. Like her bein' so pissed off at that guy for hittin' me." He closed his eyes, and sighed softly, "I do remember her voice, though. Can hardly see her face anymore, but her voice has always stuck with me. She used to sing to me. I'd fall asleep to that almost every night. It was breathy and sweet, and she had this way of holdin' a note so it kinda trembled."

Reno went silent for a moment, his eyes still shut. " _Please_ tell me you're not cryin'..." he said at last. Elena quickly wiped away the moisture that had gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"N-no..." she replied, "I'm not..."

"Thank Ifrit..." he sighed, finally looking over at her with a lopsided grin, "I never know what to do with a woman who's cryin'... Half the time, I just seem to make it worse."

"What do you mean?" she asked, "I practically had a nervous breakdown in front of you when I... er..."

"When ya brutally murdered Mr. Foo-Foo?" he finished for her, smirking.

"Y-yeah... that," she confirmed, blushing in embarrassment, "And you were fine."

"'Lena, I was about two seconds away from running out the door and goin' into hiding for a few days until it all blew over," Reno laughed, "Only reason I didn't was 'cause I had no idea what the _hell_ was goin' on and I was worried you were in some kind of trouble..."

"Ok... what about the little girl we saved during Hell Week? She was a wreck, and you didn't so much as bat an eye taking care of her until we found her mother..."

"Scared kid. Not even remotely the same thing."

Elena giggled. "So I guess that means there are at least two things Reno, second in command of the Turks, is absolutely terrified of... needles and distraught women."

"And I'll take needles over the alternative any day," he said with conviction. He yawned before he could catch himself, and moments later, Elena reflexively did the same. Reno sat up straight, stretching his arms above his head. Normally, he didn't have a problem staying up all night, and then some... but normally, he was doing a little more than just sitting around talking. "Rude's gonna be pissed at me. At this rate, the second we get outta here, I'm fallin' asleep, and he's gonna be stuck haulin' my ass across the glacier. You still warm enough?"

"I guess," she replied. She wasn't freezing or anything like she'd been a while ago, but she wouldn't exactly venture as far as to say she was 'warm' sitting on an icy stone floor. Her legs were starting to go a little numb, in fact... which, in so much as it dulled the pain in her injured leg, wasn't an entirely bad thing, but it probably wasn't an overall _good_ sign, either. She drew the knee of her good leg up to her chest, and tried massaging some feeling back into her calf.

"Wanna move around some more?"

"No... but we probably should," she said, eliciting a soft chuckle from the redhead. She groaned as half-frozen muscles protested when Reno helped her up. Moving didn't seem to have near as great an effect on her body temperature this time around. Elena wasn't sure if the cave had gotten colder as the night had worn on, or if she'd just had so much heat leached out of her that it was getting harder and harder to generate more. Either way, she hoped they wouldn't be here too much longer. Even Reno – who up until now hadn't seemed bothered much by the cold – was becoming noticeably more lethargic in his movements than he had been earlier.

"I fucking hate bein' cold," he sighed as they eased themselves down again. The torch was burning low again, and Reno lit the first of his reserves off of it. "I guess it's my turn again, right? I should really get two, I think."

"What?!" Elena squawked indignantly, "Why should you get two questions?"

"'Cause you _basically_ got two last round."

"I did not..."

"Sure ya did. First you asked me about my mom... then we went off on that whole tangent 'bout me not likin' it when women cry..."

"That wasn't even a question!"

"Pretty sure it was..." he replied, grinning. Elena folded her arms across her chest. She was _not_ going to let him get away with that.

"No, it most certainly was not. Quit trying to cheat," she said firmly.

"I'm not cheatin'," Reno retorted, narrowing his eyes at her, "I'm just tryin' to keep things even."

"By cheating. I only asked one question. Everything else was... was... an anecdote!"

"Heh... Anecdote, huh?" The redhead gave an exaggerated sigh, and smirked. "Alright, fine. Since I wanna ask my question sometime in the next decade or so, I'll be the bigger person and let ya win this one."

"Bigger person? Really?" she said, insulted. He nodded. "Watch it, Reno... or I might be tempted to wipe that smirk right off of your face..."

"Okay, okay..." he snickered, "How 'bout we go five questions each... one word answers only. No 'anecdotes' to make things confusing. Every question asked counts, even if ya didn't mean to ask it."

"I guess..." she replied, trying to figure out what Reno's angle was with this new rule change.

"Heh... One. How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

And there it was. "Ugh... _seriously_?!"

"One word _answers_ , 'Lena," he replied, perfectly straight-faced, "Ya can't answer a question with a question."

"Twenty," she ground out. Reno blinked, doing a quick count. Elena was only twenty-three now. She'd been tapped for Shinra's recruiting program about two years before she was promoted, which meant maybe he _hadn't_ been quite so wrong about his initial impression of her...

"Really?"

"Yes... and that was your second question."

"What?! … Oh, fuck..." he groaned, realizing that that was a question, too. He was being done in by his own rules.

"Second question. And that was your third," she said, mirroring the smirk he'd graced her with earlier.

"Goddammit..." he swore, "Either you're too good at this shit, or my brain's half frozen. Fine. Four... Ever stolen anything from the office?"

"Uhh..."

"That's not really an answer. More of a suspiciously thoughtful moan..." Reno commented.

"Y-yes..." she admitted, hanging her head.

"Five... What?"

Elena looked away shiftily, and mumbled a barely audible answer.

"It doesn't count if I can't hear it," Reno prodded, far more interested now.

"... Gummy worms."

He looked at her oddly. "Why'd ya take... wait, a minute... _MY_ gummy worms?! _That's_ why they keep disappearin'?! You don't even like 'em!"

"You keep eating my cookies!" she accused, folding her arms across her chest. "So every time I find a cookie missing, I take a worm. And I throw. It. Away."

Reno mockingly gasped, looking positively scandalized. "You monster."

"Leave my cookies alone, and your worms are safe," she shrugged, "And that's five. Six, really... so question number one. How old were _you_ when you lost _your_ virginity?"

Reno rolled his eyes at the weak attempt. "Oh... rookie wants to play _my_ game, huh? Fourteen. And ya can't seriously think I'd be bothered about answering that..."

"What was his name?"

Reno blinked and then burst out laughing. "Okay, 'Lena... I'll give ya credit for that one. That was actually a halfway decent setup..."

Elena grinned triumphantly.

"And for the record, _her_ name was Lira." he added, then grimaced, "Fuck... hey, 'Lena? Ya mind if we switch things up for awhile? Leanin' against this wall for so long is murder on my back..."

"Oh... sure, Reno," she replied. Elena suddenly realized she hadn't even been thinking about how uncomfortable he must have been. Meanwhile she'd been about as cozy as she could hope to be under the circumstances, curled up as she was against his side. He'd been shielding a good portion of her body from the cold stone for hours. She quickly sat up so he could move, and Reno positioned himself on his back, his head and shoulders resting on her lap.

"Mmmph... that's better," he groaned, letting his eyes close. When he didn't open them again, Elena started to worry.

"Reno... Are you awake?" she asked, concerned. The redhead's lip quirked into a smile.

"That's three..." he smugly informed her.

"You jerk! That's not fair..."

"Hey, I didn't make the rules..." he replied.

"... What are you talking about? Yes, you did!" she responded automatically.

"And there's four." He opened his eyes again and looked up at her, bemused, "And before ya decide to kill me for that, just remember... I fucked up two of my questions, too. Now we're even again."

Elena was about to make the argument that he'd lost those questions on his own... not because she'd tricked him... but her appeal died on her lips as Reno's PHS suddenly came to life. The redhead sat up immediately, nearly dropping the phone, his hands were so cold, and answered.

"Got good news for me, partner?" he said without preamble.

"Almost there," Rude's voice acknowledged, "Last bit's gonna suck, though. If you're near the entrance, you need to move back. Ice is kinda unstable out here... it's probably gonna collapse inward some when we break through. Don't want you buried a second time."

"Can do... give us a couple minutes then come get us the fuck outta here. And tell Tseng I'm takin' the rest of the day off."

"Hmph... lazy bastard," Rude commented.

"You know it," Reno replied, grinning as he ended the call. He pocketed the phone, and scrambled to his feet. "Gotta move," he said, helping Elena up, "They're gonna drop that wall, and then we're home free."

"Finally," she replied, wincing as her broken leg protested sharply. She yelped in surprise as Reno picked her up. He carried her deeper into the cave, setting her down gently when they reached the crates. Less than a minute later, they heard a loud rumbling from the entrance. It was followed by a whoosh of freezing cold air. Elena had only _thought_ the cave had been cold... the air from outside shot through every protective layer she was wearing, chilling her to the bone, and she shivered violently. In the pale light that now penetrated the darkness, she could see Reno wasn't faring much better... though he turned to her, grinning through chattering teeth.

"Sounds like we've got guests," he said. Harsh beams of light rounded the corner, nearly blinding them both. Reno squinted and shielded his eyes from the glare, just able to make out the silhouettes behind the lights.

"Hey, guys," he called out, "Come on in... make yourselves at home."

"Rude, take Elena out to the helicopter," Tseng commanded, before walking over to his second, "Have a pleasant evening?"

"Oh, sure... You know me, Boss..." Reno drawled, "I love hangin' out in dark, freezing cold caves for hours on end."

"Indeed," the Turk leader chuckled, "Come on... Let's get you both somewhere warm."

"Oh, hold on... almost forgot..." he replied, pulling away from Tseng and heading for the crates. He pulled out two bottles and shoved them into his hands, and took two more himself.

"Courtesy of Istev," he smirked, "Don't think he'll be needin' it, now..."

* * *

Tseng was standing beside the fireplace when Elena hobbled out of her room, crutches clicking softly against the wooden floor of Icicle Inn's lodge. She'd slept for a while, but ultimately had found herself restless upon waking and gone in search of her fellow Turks... and food. She was starving.

They'd been rescued in the early morning hours, just after the sun had risen. It was now past noon. The Turk leader seemed to be alone.

"Sir?" she called. He responded by raising a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to keep quiet, and nodded to the couch that sat facing the fire. Elena made her way closer, rounding the large piece of furniture, and had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from laughing.

"How can he sleep like that?" she whispered.

"I don't bother asking anymore," Tseng replied softly with a shake of his head. Reno was splayed across the couch on his stomach, one arm hanging over the edge, face partially hidden by a pillow he seemed to have burrowed under. A glass half-filled with a deep amber liquid dangled from his fingers in a precarious grasp. His other arm was tucked beneath his body. His left foot was wedged between two of the cushions, knee bent awkwardly, while his right leg rested partly on the floor. A blanket, that Elena assumed had once been covering the redhead, lay crumpled beside the couch.

Tseng stooped and picked it up, returning it to it's original position and tucking it around the sleeping Turk for good measure. He also plucked the glass from his hand before it could fall.

"Heeeeey..." Reno whined, "Wasn't done with that yet..."

"I knew I was pushing my luck... One of these days, I _will_ figure out how to avoid waking you," Tseng sighed. Reno grunted in acknowledgment and rolled onto his side, blinking wearily up at them.

"Food?" he asked, hopefully.

"I sent Rude for lunch," he replied, "He'll be back shortly."

"Yay for Rude..." Reno murmured happily as he tried, and failed, to sit up. Elena giggled and helped him.

"Don't tell me... you've already finished off a bottle," she stated. The redhead grinned, suddenly finding himself upright.

"Nah... not even half..." he said, "But it was all on an empty stomach, so I'm... a little tipsy. Really should know better by now. Quality stuff, though. How's the leg?"

"It's alright," Elena replied, glancing down at the cast that enveloped her entire right leg below the knee. "It kind of itches, though."

"Yeah... that'll only get worse," Reno said, smirking. He slid over so she could sit down... an offer the rookie Turk was only too eager to accept.

"And you would certainly know," Tseng added with a roll of his eyes. Reno didn't have the chance to respond to that, because at that moment, his absent partner made his return, food in hand.

"Yay!" Reno cheered, "Rude's back!"

"Yay!" Rude mimicked, teasingly, "Reno's drunk!"

"Just slightly," he assured him, "Now feed me so I can sober up."

* * *

"All things considered, not a bad day's work," Reno commented, reaching across the table for another sandwich... his fourth, by Elena's count. "We finally get to cross Istev off our to do list, got some sweet booze outta the deal..."

"Broke the rookie..." Rude interjected.

Reno glanced over at Elena. "Yeah... You don't think we'll need to go shoppin' again, do ya? This one took for-fucking-ever to get workin' right."

"I think the repairs will hold," Rude replied.

"Hope so," the redhead said, seriously, "Pretty sure this model's outta stock and I have no idea where we'd get replacement parts..."

"Will you two knock it off..." Elena said in an exasperated voice.

"Ignore them," Tseng advised her, "They're just relieved your injury wasn't more serious. As am I. If you were badly hurt, they wouldn't dare make so light of it. Believe it or not, I think they're actually trying to make you feel better... in the most idiotic way they can think of."

Reno grinned, and Rude flashed her a brief smile.

"Yeah, 'Lena... just a compound fracture," Reno teased, "I've had half a dozen of 'em. No big deal."

"Hmm... That's not what you said when they treating her," Tseng chided. Reno flushed slightly, and the rookie raised an eyebrow. "Ah... You slept through most of that. Reno probably would have, too, if he hadn't been so busy hovering over you."

"Oh, give me a break,"the redhead groaned, "I was expressing moderate concern about the quality of care in this backwater hole. I was _not_ hovering."

"Of course you weren't... and I _didn't_ have to threaten to have you sedated just to get you out of the room. Nor did have to ply you with alcohol to get you to fall asleep," Tseng said with a slight smirk.

"Exactly. None of that happened," Reno replied, "Just so we're clear on that."

Reno pointedly ignored the quiet snickering that suddenly seemed to be coming from all sides of the table, and reached for sandwich number five.

~fin~


	19. Sorrow is a Woman

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 19: Sorrow is a Woman**

 **by Desha**

Elena flinched as the saw came dangerously close to tender flesh, the high-pitched buzzing it emitted setting her teeth on edge. She watched as it traversed the rigid plaster from her knee all the way to her toes, sighing in relief when it stopped.

"There yeh are," Dr. Ward said brightly, popping the two halves of the cast apart with practiced ease, and releasing the rookie's leg from it's confines.

"Oh, thank Ifrit... _finally_!" she moaned, and scratched furiously at the formerly-unreachable spot on her ankle that been driving her absolutely mad all morning. The doctor stood, chuckling fondly, next to her.

"Yeh should be just about good as new... though I'd recommend going easy on that leg for another day or two 'til the muscles get accustomed ta being used again," she advised. Elena rolled her pant leg down over her newly freed appendage, and carefully hopped down from the exam table. It felt a little strange at first, putting her full weight on it again after being on crutches for so long.

"Thanks, Dr. Ward," she said, smiling widely.

"My pleasure, Elena, dear," the doctor replied, "Oh... And when yeh see Reno, say hello for me. Right before yeh remind him he's overdue for his annual physical. As usual. Got a nice tetanus vaccination with his name on it."

"I'll do that," she said with a laugh.

* * *

By the time she stepped out of the elevator at the Turks' offices, Elena was practically giddy. It felt, _so_ good to finally be rid of the cast and those stupid crutches... especially since for the past week, Reno had taken to hiding them when she wasn't looking and innocently pretending to know nothing about it until she threatened to get Tseng involved... again.

She was _going_ to get him back for that. She wasn't sure how, just yet, but she'd get him.

Right now, though, she was just happy to be able to enjoy her newly restored mobility. She was sick of desk work and being stuck in the office all day, every day. She pushed the door to the main office open, grinning madly.

"Good morning, sir," she said cheerfully, catching sight of Tseng. The Turk leader returned her smile.

"Hmm... I doubt I need to ask the reason for your good mood today," he commented, taking a sip of tea and setting something on Reno's desk.

"It is _so_ good to finally be done with that stupid cast," she enthusiastically stated, taking a seat at her desk and logging into her email.

"Then I'm sure you'll be equally pleased to hear that I have an assignment for you that doesn't involve combing through the archives for hours on end," Tseng replied, "But I'll fill you in once Reno arrives, since he'll be joining you. I suspect he'll be a little late this morning."

He turned toward his own desk before pausing, hesitantly.

"Elena..." he said, tone turning a bit more serious, "It's perhaps not my place to say anything, but... be kind to Reno today. He very likely won't be quite himself."

"Sir?" she asked, caught off guard by the odd request.

"As I said, it's really not my place. If you want to know, you'll need to speak with him directly. I just thought you should have some warning." With that, he returned to his desk, settling in with a thick file folder and leaving Elena to wonder what in the world that was all about. She was still pondering over it when Rude arrived... so much so that she didn't even notice him come in.

"... No more crutches?" he asked, and Elena nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh! Rude! Good morning," she said, smile returning, "Yep! Gone as of less than twenty minutes ago."

"About time," the bald Turk responded, sitting down at his desk. Elena stared at her monitor for a minute or two before finally getting up and walking over to him.

"Hey, Rude?" she said, keeping her voice low.

"Mmm?"

"Would... you happen to have any idea why Tseng asked me to be extra nice to Reno today?" the rookie asked, somewhat guardedly.

"..."

"I'm going to guess that's a yes," she said, "And I supposed _you're_ not going to tell me what's going on, either."

"..."

She sighed. "That figures..."

"It's personal," Rude said simply, "He wants to tell you, _he'll_ tell you. I won't."

While Rude wasn't above teasing Reno with inconsequential things the redhead might rather not be revealed, when it came to truly important matters, the man was impenetrable. No one could keep a secret like Rude. "Okay... I get it." she said. Rude nodded.

She sat back down at her desk, waiting for the topic of conversation himself to arrive. And waited.

At last, he walked in, fifteen minutes late, and looking far less animated than usual.

"Hi, Reno," Elena ventured, smiling warmly.

"Mornin'," he responded, dully, before nodding to his partner. "Hey, Rude." Elena blinked. When Tseng had said Reno might not be himself, apparently he hadn't been kidding. She watched as he sat down, picking up whatever it was Tseng had left for him. A half-smile briefly flickered across his face.

"Reno... Elena..." Tseng called, "If you would...?"

* * *

"How many interrogations you sat in on so far, 'Lena?" Reno asked as he lead her down an unfamiliar hallway somewhere in the Shinra Building's sub-basement. He'd been unusually quiet the entire journey down... in fact, that was the first full sentence she'd gotten out of him the whole time. The man was all business today. No teasing, no jokes... not even a comment on her lack of crutches. It was downright weird.

"Only a few," she replied, "Twice with Tseng, and once with Rude." She wanted desperately to ask what had gotten into him, but every time she tried, she found herself hesitating, and she didn't really know why. Maybe it was because neither of the other Turks were acting as if anything were unusual. She was intensely curious, but if Tseng and Rude weren't worried about whatever was bothering the redhead, maybe she should just mind her own business and leave him alone until he worked through whatever it was. He didn't seem to be in a very talkative mood, after all... and the last thing she wanted to do was make things worse.

"Ya mind doin' a little more than just watchin' this time?" he asked.

"I... um... sure," she replied, wondering what he wanted her to do.

"Good. 'Cause this guy's a little different from most of the people we get. Can't get physical with him, and he knows it," said Reno, "He's got a soft spot for pretty, young blondes, though. They remind him of his kid. Doesn't like to see 'em hurt."

"O-okay...? So... what do I do?" she replied, a little apprehensive. They paused outside of an unassuming metal door.

"Lose the jacket and the tie. Your ID badge, handcuffs, and your weapon, too. Anything that identifies you as a Turk. Leave 'em out here," said Reno. She did as he asked, shedding the requested items, and then looked up at him expectantly. "Turn around," he said, motioning for her to turn her back to him. She did so, and he took hold of her arms, pulling them behind her. A half-second later, he snapped her own handcuffs onto her wrists and spun her around to face him. She jumped a little when his fingers unexpectedly popped the top two buttons of her blouse without comment.

"All you gotta do is convince this guy that you're terrified of me," Reno continued, "I'll make that easy for ya, so don't think too much about it. Just react to what I do to ya."

Elena swallowed nervously and nodded. A ghost of the old Reno suddenly reappeared, along with a weak smile. "Just remember... I'd never really hurt ya, 'Lena," he assured her, "Stay right here 'til I come and get you."

With that, he unlocked the door with his access card, and disappeared inside. Elena leaned against the wall, waiting and wondering what exactly was going to happen. Normally, she'd hardly think twice about anything Reno asked her to do for an assignment... but he was behaving so strangely today. She couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

The longer she waited, the more her unease grew. It had been nearly ten minutes. What was he doing in there, anyway? Suddenly, the door opened, and Elena was a little shocked to hear laughter. And definitely not Reno's. The Turks' second in command angrily stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him... and then leaned back against it, perfectly relaxed.

"We'll give him a minute or two, then you're comin' in with me," he said, "Fair warning, I'm gonna be a little rough with ya." Elena stayed silent, feeling her stomach flip as she considered the possibilities of what was about to happen to her. She had a feeling that he was being vague on purpose... probably, she realized, because he didn't want her reactions to seem like they're been prepared in advance.

After a short while, he pushed away from the door. "Ready?" he asked.

"I think so..." Elena replied, nodding. Reno took a deep breath himself, and then seized her harshly by the upper arm, throwing open the door and dragging her along with him as he entered the room. The rookie Turk squeaked in surprise as he propelled her forward, throwing her off-balance and sending her to her knees in front of an older man in a gray suit. She only just managed to stop herself from faceplanting... no small feat with her hands behind her back. He looked perhaps in his mid to late fifties, with a neatly trimmed beard, wire-rimmed glasses, and a stocky build. He was bound to a chair, and as Elena hit the floor, she saw the grin he'd been sporting drop from his face.

"Who's she?" he asked, sounding worried.

"No one of any consequence," Reno responded nastily, "Which means no one important is gonna miss her if I get a little carried away."

He grabbed her by her hair, jerking her head up to look at him. It didn't really hurt, but she gasped anyway... more from the expression Reno wore than what he was actually doing to her. She'd never seen him look so dangerously sadistic.

"I'm not allowed to lay a finger on you," he spat, his gaze turning toward the man in the chair, "... this bitch, though... I can do whatever I want to her. And I can make you watch."

Reno hoisted her to her feet and turned her so she was facing the man, then pulled her flush against his body, his arm around her waist. Elena heard the soft snap of a switchblade, and shuddered as cold, sharp steel was suddenly pressed against her cheek. Reno drew the tip of the blade down along her jawline, barely even grazing her, and certainly not using enough pressure to break the skin, but she reflexively squeezed her eyes shut anyway.

"You know... it'd be a real shame to ruin such a pretty face..." he said, darkly. Elena whimpered softly for effect... mostly for effect, anyway.

"Y-you wouldn't..." the man stammered, before clearing his throat, and speaking in a stronger voice, "Why should it matter to me? I... I don't even know this girl. I don't care about her..."

"No... you don't. But I bet someone does," he said, lowering the knife. Reno leaned in pressing his face close to her neck, and inhaling deeply. Now that, she had to admit, was a little creepy. "Mmm... How about it? Got anyone that cares about ya?"

Elena shivered at his tone, and said nothing. She wasn't sure if he wanted her to answer that or not. When she didn't respond, Reno spun her around, and slapped her across the face. His palm was wide open, so she really didn't feel much more than a light sting as training kicked in and she turned her head in time with the blow, but, gods, the sound it made... The sharp crack make her eyes widen in shock.

"Answer me when I ask ya a question, sweetheart..." Reno growled, "Now... is there anyone out there that actually cares about your worthless ass?"

"Y-yes..." she replied, softly, staring at him. He turned back to the interrogation subject. "See? _Somebody_ cares whether or not she comes home tonight..." With that, he abruptly let go of her, and she dropped to the floor at his feet.

"Why are you doing this?!" the man shouted.

"Because you've got information I need," Reno answered, and then grinned maliciously, "And because I enjoy it. But if ya tell me what I want to know, I might be willing to deny myself the pleasure of toyin' with this little vixen, and let her skip on home with that pretty face of hers intact."

The man looked at her, desperation clear in his eyes. "Please... she doesn't have anything to do with this..."

"Do I look like I give a shit?" Reno asked. He drew his electro mag-rod, and gave it a sharp flick, extending it to full length, and smirked as sparks erupted dramatically from the tip. "Fine... maybe I won't mess up her face. Maybe I'll just make her sing for me."

Without warning, he shoved the mag-rod against her thigh, and depressed the triggering mechanism. Elena yelped in surprise... not only because it was so unexpected, but also because it didn't hurt at all. If anything it actually kind of tickled. She hadn't even known it _had_ a setting that low...

"Stop!" the man shouted.

"You gonna talk?" Reno prodded, idly giving the weapon a twirl.

"I... I can't..."

Elena felt the mag-rod make contact again, and this time she was ready for it. When it went off, she shrieked, and tensed her entire body. She didn't stop screaming until Reno lifted the weapon away... which, to her surprise, was mere seconds later. She stole a brief glance at him, and realized he looked horrified.

"Alright! Alright... I'll tell you... Please, just... just let her go home..."

The plea seemed to shake Reno back to the present.

"Good choice," he growled, and hauled Elena to her feet, dragging her out the door, and slamming it behind them.

"Are you alright?!" he asked once they were safely out in the hall. He held onto her upper arms almost painfully tight as looked at her, his eyes wide in terror.

"O-of course," she replied, a little confused, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Reno sagged in relief and leaned back against the door, his grip relaxing. "Damn, 'Lena... That scream was a little _too_ convincing," he stated, "You scared me half to death... I thought I fucked up the settings somehow."

He pulled the handcuff key from his pocket and released her.

"Head on back up to the office," he said, still looking a little pale, "I'll take it from here."

Once he'd disappeared back into the interrogation room, Elena gathered her jacket and weapon, and everything else she'd removed, quickly putting herself right, and headed for the elevator. She glanced back at the door as she went. Whatever was bothering Reno today, it didn't seem to have diminished his protective streak, at least. That had been real fear in his eyes when he'd thought he'd hurt her.

* * *

The rest of the day was more of the same. Reno – what she saw of him, at least, since Tseng seemed intent on keeping him thoroughly occupied – remained withdrawn and quiet. Two characteristics no one who knew the man would ever have associated with him. The longer it went on, the more Elena wished she knew what had turned him so melancholy.

Tseng and Rude had made it clear that they weren't going to violate his privacy... and she felt like it would have been painfully intrusive to seek an answer from Reno. Not that she'd even _had_ the opportunity to have a private conversation with him since that morning. Finally, though, she decided that she would drive herself crazy worrying about him if she didn't find out what was wrong. It was almost the end of their shift... maybe he and Rude would be heading to the bar. She could talk to him there...

When five o'clock rolled around, however, Reno headed out alone, barely taking the time to say goodbye. Elena frowned, and grabbed her things, bidding a hasty goodnight to Tseng and Rude herself, before following him in the hopes of catching up to him before he disappeared for the evening. Even so, Reno beat her to the elevator, and was on his way down before she made it down the corridor. She was about to step into the neighboring car, when she realized that the panel was showing Reno's elevator hadn't descended to the parking deck, as she assumed it would. Instead, it had stopped on the first floor...

She hurried to catch up, wondering where he'd be going if he wasn't going home or to the Phoenix Nest with Rude, and hit the button for one. The elevator dropped her off on the first floor concourse, and she just barely caught a glimpse of Reno as he slipped out the front door of the building. She followed as quickly as she could, avoiding the throng of workers bound for home, and found herself in the main plaza of Sector 0, scanning for her target. It wasn't exactly difficult to pick Reno out of a crowd; his bright red hair stood out like a beacon in the sea of tired faces. She spotted him at the far south end.

He was talking to a young woman. Elena had seen her before any number of times. She sold flowers in the central train station from time to time, and sometimes there in the plaza. The rookie Turk hurried to get closer, keeping herself out of sight, though she had no reasonable explanation as to why her objective had suddenly gone from talking to the man, to tailing him. She concealed herself in the alcove of a nearby shop and watched.

The flower girl seemed to know Reno... though it was clear she was uncomfortable around him. Not shy, or nervous... but almost as if she was considering whether or not she should run – which struck Elena as decidedly odd. Unless they happened to be a... professional acquaintance... most people found Reno to be downright charming. After exchanging a few words with the Turk, however, she seemed to relax. It took Elena a moment more to realize that Reno was buying flowers from her.

That done, he was on the move again, still heading away from the building, and Elena matched him step for step from a safe distance. She didn't dare get too close. Reno would spot her in no time flat if she did, and she'd have a hell of a time explaining what she was doing. She trailed him all the way to the train station, and watched as he boarded the train to the Sector 2 slums.

She swore quietly and broke into a run. He'd be hard enough to keep up with down below if she was right behind him... if she missed that train and had to wait for the next, she'd lose him for sure. She caught hold of the railing on the last car, and swung herself aboard just as it began to pull out of the station. Elena casually slipped inside amongst the other commuters, looking around for Reno. To her relief, he was in a different car. It would have been next to impossible to hide from him if he hadn't been. She took a seat, and let the train carry her down to the slums.

When it arrived, she practically had to fight her way off, but finally emerged on the platform, searching the area for a familiar flash of red... which, much to her chagrin, was nowhere to be found. Elena groaned as she realized she'd just lost her target.

* * *

It hadn't taken much to lose the rookie. He actually felt a little bad about it... she'd been doing a halfway decent job of it for once, right up until she'd broken cover at the station to catch the train. Any other day, he'd have given her the opportunity to practice.

Today, though... today he had other things on his mind, and Elena's training just wasn't a priority. Elena herself, in fact, he was somewhat ashamed to admit, hadn't been a priority today, save for those few heart-pounding moments that morning when he thought he'd electrocuted her. At some point, he was going to have to make things up to her; he'd gotten the distinct impression that between the act he'd been putting on for the interrogation and his less than personable mood, he'd legitimately scared her a couple of times. That was a worry for tomorrow, however.

He gazed up at the metal gate that stood between him and his destination and sighed. He hated coming here, but he couldn't not. He'd left his old life behind a long time ago... except for this. This was the only thing – outside of the occasional need to head down here for work – that drew him back to Sector 2. Otherwise, he avoided this hellhole like the plague. Reno shook his head and pushed the gate open, cringing as its hinges protested loudly.

He knew the way by heart... he barely even had to look for the familiar landmarks to get where he was going. Ignoring the empty liquor bottles and the graffiti, he climb the little hill, passing several rows of stones until he reached the one he was looking for. He stood for a moment, staring at it.

"Hey, Mom," he said at last, bending down to lay the small bouquet of flowers on the grave. He sat down, leaning against the back of the stone opposite hers. "Didja miss me?"

* * *

Elena kicked an old, rusted can in frustration. It was as if the redhead had simply vanished into thin air. She'd been looking for some indication of which direction he'd gone for almost an hour now... had tried asking people if they'd seen a man with red hair come by... but she'd come up empty-handed. She'd lost him, and she wasn't going to find him. Aside from being incredibly annoyed with herself for failing – yet again – at effectively shadowing someone, she was also upset that now she wouldn't have the chance to talk to him until tomorrow... assuming he was in a better mood by then. If he wasn't, prying any information about his out-of-character behavior out of him might _still_ prove difficult.

She suddenly realized that her search had brought her quite some distance from the train station. Sector 2 wasn't exactly known as the friendliest of the slums, and she was effectively on her own. Not that she couldn't take care of herself... but even Rude was wary of Sector 2, and he spent more time in the slums keeping tabs on his network of informants than any of them.

If Reno had known she'd followed him, and intentionally ditched her, he probably assumed she'd given up and gone back topside by now. And if by some miracle he hadn't noticed, he wouldn't even know she was down here to begin with. Which meant he wouldn't be coming if she needed help. On top of that, she hadn't mentioned following the redhead to either Tseng or Rude, either, so they'd have no reason to be concerned about her unless something actually happened to her and she went missing. They wouldn't even know they needed to start looking until tomorrow morning. Elena was beginning to think she'd made a very big, very foolish mistake, and slowly reached for her PHS. At the very least, she should check in. Just in case.

"Well, lookie what we got here, boys..." a voice spoke from the shadows of an alleyway, "Definitely not your usual alley cat. More like a sweet little kitten..."

Oh, yeah... definitely a _big_ mistake.

The rookie's posture turned defensive, her phone call forgotten. Sometimes she hated being right. A large, heavily tattooed man emerged from the alley... and so did six of his friends. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and stood on end, as she realized that the threat wasn't just in front of her. A swift glance over her shoulder revealed four more, equally intimidating, men behind her. She drew her gun.

"Aww... the baby kitty's got claws," the apparent leader laughed. He was joined by snickers and cat calls from the rest of the group. Elena's finger tensed on the trigger. She could take him out, no problem... but the other ten? If they didn't scatter and instead decided to come after her together, she wouldn't stand a chance. She'd never get that many shots off before they brought her down, and even though her hand-to-hand skills were much improved, she had to be realistic... she couldn't fight ten opponents at once, and she'd be a fool to try. That left making a run for it... but even that didn't look promising, the way they were surrounding her.

"Back off, Jericho," a new voice called out, "She's with me."

Elena swung around towards the sound, and saw a man shoving his way between two of the men who'd come up behind her. He looked strangely familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. The tattooed man – Jericho, apparently – scowled.

"Yeah? She doesn't look like someone who'd be interested in anything you're sellin'," he replied.

"She's a friend of a friend. And trust me, you don't wanna mess with any of my friend's friends... Not if you wanna live to see tomorrow."

That seemed to give Jericho pause. The man shifted anxiously, as if trying to determine just who this "friend" might be. Finally, it appeared that he decided he didn't want to risk finding out.

"Fine... keep the kitten, then," he muttered, "Let's beat it..." The members of the gang grumbled, but gradually dispersed, and Elena finally let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Shit, Elena... What the hell were you thinkin' coming down here by yourself? You got a deathwish or somethin'?" her mysterious rescuer exclaimed. She blinked in surprise.

"How do you know my..." she began, narrowing her eyes slightly and studying the man's face, "Wait... I-I know you. From the Silver Swan over in Sector 4... You're Reno's friend. Kel, right?"

The man broke into a grin, and Elena immediately relaxed. She hadn't seen him since Valentine's Day, and she hardly recognized the hotel concierge in street clothes... but remembered that grin.

"You got it," he replied, "Now seriously... what the fuck are you doin' down here alone? 'Specially walkin' around in _Jericho's_ territory. You either got balls of steel or you're completely outta your mind."

"Neither... I'm an idiot. I'm just lucky you showed up when you did," she said, with conviction, "Do me a favor, and don't mention this to Reno. He'd _kill_ me for doing something so stupid."

"Yeah, he probably would," Kel snickered, "Still haven't answered my question though..."

"Well, I _was_ looking for Reno..." Elena replied, "Or... _following_ Reno. But I lost him, and was trying to find him again. I guess I got a little out of my depth."

"Reno's down here?" Kel asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah... He's been a little weird all day, and I was trying to figure out why. I started tailing him after work, and got as far as the train station. Then he disappeared on me."

"Weird, huh? I think I might know where he is, then. Really only one reason besides kickin' some ass for Shinra that Reno ever comes _here_ anymore," Kel said, gesturing for her to follow, "Come on... I'll take ya there."

* * *

"... and then Rude flattened the guy," Reno said, snickering softly, as he hugged one knee to his chest. "Got a new Turk, too," he continued, "Still a little raw, but she's gettin' there. You'd really like 'Lena, Mom. She's pretty awesome. Kind of a handful, though... and fuck, does she ever hit hard. You _don't_ wanna piss that woman off. Fights dirty, too..."

Reno's shifted his gaze almost imperceptibly to the left. Someone was watching him. He smirked.

"She's total crap at shadowin' a guy, though. Can spot her a mile away," he added, looking up, "Yeah, I know you're there, 'Lena. Come on out."

For a moment, nothing happened. And then a very red-faced Elena peaked out from behind one of the nearby weathered statues that dotted the cemetery. Reno shook his head, and waved her over.

"Lemme guess... Rude and Tseng wouldn't tell ya why I've been so off today, so ya thought you'd find out for yourself," he said as she approached.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to intrude," she said, awkwardly. This was the last place she'd expected to find him. When Kel had dropped her off at the gate, she hadn't known quite what to think, but she'd ventured in anyway. And then she'd overheard Reno talking...

"Doesn't matter... I was just about done here anyway," he replied, "Ya coulda just asked though. Would've saved ya the trouble of trackin' me down. How'd you find me anyway? I was sure I shook you at the station. Thought for sure you'd've gone right back up. You haven't been wanderin' around down here, have you?" Concern flashed in his eyes, and after meeting some of the locals, she could understand why.

"I ran into your friend Kel," she replied, "He brought me here."

"Oh... Good," he said, looking relieved, "Guess since ya made it this far, you deserve an explanation. It's my mom's birthday." He gestured to the stone in front of him. The name 'Aria Donovan' was chiseled into the smooth, pale surface. The born-on date matched today's. "I get a little... depressed... when it rolls around every year. Comin' here makes me feel better."

"Oh... Reno, I really am sorry. Rude said it was something personal, and I should've just let it go at that." She felt even worse now. "I-I should probably just leave you alone."

Reno rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist as she was turning to leave.

"'Lena, if I wanted ya to leave, I'd've told ya to fuck off by now," he said, only releasing his grip on her when he was sure she wasn't going to take off on him. "Besides... Sector 2 is _not_ a good place to be runnin' around alone so far from the station this time of night. You're not goin' anywhere without me. There are people you definitely don't wanna run into without someone to watch your back..."

'Tell me about it,' she thought to herself, thinking back to her run-in with Jericho and his goons.

He sighed softly. "Happy birthday, Mom," he said, with a sad smile. He sat up from his reclined position, and Elena offered him her hand. He smiled slightly as he took it, and let her pull him to his feet. "Come on, 'Lena... let's getcha home before the creeps come out to play."

By the time they reached the station, Reno was beginning to seem a little more normal again. He wasn't his usual boisterous self yet, by any means, but the general air of melancholy seemed to have lifted. They road the train up to the Plate in silence, and when they arrived, he escorted her back to the Shinra Building, and through the exterior entrance to the parking deck.

"Hey... 'Lena?" Reno asked as she was opening the door to her car.

"Yeah?"

"Would it, maybe be alright if I come hang out with you and Snuffy for awhile tonight?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, "I'm probably gonna be shit company, but I kinda don't wanna sit around at home alone, and I really don't feel much like goin' out either..."

"Of course you can," Elena responded, warmly.

"Thanks." Reno smiled, and headed towards his car. "I'll follow ya... Then ya won't have to haul my ass home later."

* * *

"Okay, that looks... kind of gross," Elena said, staring into the box, "Are you sure that's even edible?"

"Don't knock it 'til ya try it, 'Lena," Reno replied, lifting a slice onto his plate.

"Yeah... but... pineapple, jalapeños, and onions? Really?" Elena hadn't been planning on a dinner guest, and it had been a while since she'd been shopping. When Reno had suggested pizza, it had seemed like the perfect solution... until she'd made the mistake of letting _him_ choose the toppings. The little ferret, who had been perched on the redhead's shoulder, crept down his arm and stole a chunk of pineapple from his plate.

"See? Snuffy likes it..."

"Great... I'm taking dining advice from a human garbage disposal and a rodent..." she sighed, but gingerly selected a slice – the _smallest_ slice – from the box. Reno was grinning at her, waiting for her to try it. She groaned softly... just the fact that it seemed to be cheering him up, made it impossible to say no. Elena took a tentative bite, expecting the worst... and was pleasantly surprised. "You know what? It's actually not bad..."

"Told ya so..." her dining companion said smugly as he started in on his own slice. Between the two of them, it took them no time at all to finish off the entire thing.

"So... if you want, I've got a new movie I was going to watch tonight," Elena ventured as she set their dishes in the sink. She'd deal with them later.

"Yeah? Anything good?"

"Ninja Zombies 2: The Rotting Fist..." she replied.

"That sounds absolutely horrible..." he deadpanned, before breaking into a wide grin, "I'm in."

Elena giggled. Reno was the only person she knew who shared her guilty pleasure for bad horror movies... a fact she'd discovered last Halloween, but hadn't had the opportunity to act on until now.

"Got any popcorn?" he asked, as Elena went to retrieve the disc.

"In the cabinet above the stove," she called back from the living room. Moments later, she heard the microwave spring to life. She slid the disc into the player, and went to hit the power button for the TV. Before she could, though, her PHS began to ring. She quickly dug the phone out of her pocket, and glanced at the screen, a little shocked to see Tseng's number come up. He never called her this late unless there was a work emergency.

"Elena here, sir," she said, a little worried.

"My apologies for calling so late," the Turk leader's voice replied, sounding far less calm than usual, "... but I'm hoping Reno is there with you. He's not answering his phone, and Rude hasn't seen him tonight, either. We're both a bit... concerned."

"Oh, don't worry, sir, he's..." Elena began, only to have the phone plucked from her hand.

"Relax, Boss... I'm here, and I'm fine," Reno said.

"... For Leviathan's sake, Reno, turn your damn phone back on," Tseng sighed, sounding both exasperated and intensely relieved. The redhead chuckled softly.

"Yeah, sorry. Got distracted by pizza. You can cancel the search parties... I'm not layin' half-murdered in a gutter in Sector 2."

"You joke, but I strongly suspect Rude has had them ready to go at a moment's notice all day..."

"Heh... 'night Tseng. See ya tomorrow," Reno replied.

"Goodnight, Reno." He ended the call and handed the PHS back to Elena.

"Search parties?" she asked.

"Yeah... Tseng's not exactly crazy about me goin' down there without someone to watch my back. Neither is Rude, for that matter. 'Specially when I'm not quite at a hundred percent. They get why I do it, but.." he said, trailing off, shrugging, "Anyway, I usually turn up at one of their places by now. Probably freaked 'em out a little when I was a no-show. And I completely forgot to turn my phone back on, so I've probably got a half dozen increasingly panicked voice mails at this point."

"You just turn up?" she asked.

"Kinda have a standing invite with 'em both. I never know how social I'm gonna be feelin' when I get back. Tseng talks. Rude listens... and cooks. Where I end up depends on what kind of mood I'm in. Sometimes I just end up headin' home 'cause I'm not really up for either. That's sort of where I am tonight. Bein' alone sounded pretty crappy, though, so I'm kinda glad you said I could come over," he explained, before cocking his head to one side and grinning slightly, "So... popcorn's ready... Movie time?"

* * *

"Hnn... I should go home," Reno muttered, though he made no move to drag himself off the couch. The movie had ended, and the hour had grown late. Much later than Reno had intended stay. It had been an emotionally trying day... His mother's birthday always seemed to leave him utterly spent by the end of it, and now he really, _really_ didn't want to get up, even though he knew he'd imposed on Elena's hospitality for far too long.

As he'd told her in the parking deck, he was shit company tonight. A movie had been the perfect idea, really, and he was grateful to Elena for suggesting it. It let him enjoy being around someone without having to deal so much with the human interaction factor that he wasn't feeling up to just yet.

"You'd never even make it to your car," Elena countered, yawning, as she sat up. "I'd find you curled up in the elevator tomorrow morning when I left for work..."

"Should still go home," the redhead murmured as he snuggled against one of the couch's throw pillows. Elena's couch had to have been the most comfortable couch on the planet, he mused. No matter how many times he said he should leave, aloud or just to himself, he couldn't seem to make himself actually move to go. When Elena stood up and gently eased him out of his suit jacket, he couldn't find the will to even _feign_ resisting.

"No... you shouldn't. You should stay right where you are so I don't have to worry about you trying to get home while you can barely keep your eyes open," she replied. His sidearm and its holster followed the jacket, as did his shirt, and the mag-rod on his belt.

"You sure?" he asked. Shoes were next, and then pants, leaving him in only his boxers, before she finished by tucking the quilt from the back of the sofa around him. He had to admit, being so casually undressed by the rookie was a somewhat surreal experience. She usually got so hung up about things like that...

"Good night, Reno," she simply said.

"Ya know... I usually sleep naked..." he responded, unable to resist poking at least a little fun at her, and smirking sleepily.

"Good _night_ , Reno," Elena repeated, amusement evident in her voice, shaking her head.

"Mmph... 'night, 'Lena..."

He slept unusually soundly that night, never waking once, in spite of the lack of familiar noises and sensations. When he did wake, the sun was up and so was Elena... but more importantly, he smelled breakfast. He grinned and pushed aside the blanket, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

"Hey," he said, wandering into the kitchen. The rookie Turk already had a plate waiting for him, laden with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

"'Morning," she said cheerfully. Reno chuckled.

"You are _way_ too fuckin' happy in the morning, 'Lena," he teased, sitting down at the table and immediately digging into the pile of food.

"Only because _you're_ not a morning person..." she replied.

"Right..." he said, rolling his eyes, "So... um... Thanks. For lettin' me stay, and everything. Sorry 'bout fallin' asleep on ya like that. I didn't mean to be a pain in the ass..."

"Reno, stop acting like needing a friend is some horrible imposition," said Elena, "You're _always_ willing to drop what you're doing to make sure I'm okay. Don't you think I'm happy to do the same?" She smiled. "Just add me to your list of standing invites."

Reno didn't respond at first, swallowing harshly as he glanced away from her, refusing to make eye contact. Elena had to stop herself from giggling when she realized that he was trying very hard to hold back tears. She'd never seen him look quite so vulnerable, and it was absolutely adorable. "Thank you," he said softly, and with more sincerity than Elena had ever heard from him.

She went back to her breakfast, giving him a moment to compose himself.

"Heh... I just realized... I never said a word about ya finally ditchin' those crutches," he commented a few minutes later, making a not so subtle effort at changing the subject, "Guess I gotta find a new game..."

Elena smirked down at her plate. She still owed him a little payback for that.

"Oh, that reminds me... Dr. Ward says hi," she said, looking up, "She also says to tell you that you're late for your annual physical. And she mentioned something about a tetanus shot..."

The hand holding Reno's fork froze midway to his mouth.

"You're... uh... not gonna say anything about that to Tseng, are ya?"

Elena smiled innocently, and watched as Reno began to look a bit uncomfortable.

"... 'Cause... heh... once he finds out, he's gonna make me go. Even if he has to literally drag me down there..."

Elena's smile didn't falter. If anything it widened. Reno sighed in resignation.

"This is 'cause I kept hidin' your crutches, isn't it...?"

"See you at the office, Reno..." she replied, cheerfully, as she finished the last few bites of her food, and set her plate in the sink.

As she grabbed her car keys and made her way out the door, she heard Reno groan.

~fin~


	20. Down to the Market

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 20: Down to the Market**

 **by Desha**

Reno glowered at Elena as she stepped into the elevator alongside him. He'd been rubbing gingerly at his right upper arm and looking very put-out... almost to the point of pouting... when she'd first stepped aboard. Now, he stood, eyes locked on her in a malevolent glare.

"W-what? What did I do?" she asked, blinking in confusion. The petulant Turk lifted a hand and removed an orange sucker from his mouth.

"Give ya three guesses where I've been... and three more how I got there," he replied, in a very unamused tone. Elena broke into a fit of giggles. It had been almost a week since she'd ratted Reno out to Tseng and informed the Turk leader that the redhead was at the top of Dr. Ward's most wanted list. Apparently, Tseng had finally made good on his threat to drag the man in to see her. "Fucking tetanus shots are always a bitch," he muttered, lightly massaging his sore bicep.

"Aw... poor Reno..." she cooed, teasingly.

"Don't you start with me, 'Lena," he grumbled, "I'm _not_ in the mood."

The elevator dropped them off at the Turks' headquarters, and Elena followed Reno toward the office, grinning silently to herself.

"... Back so soon?" Rude greeted him, "You didn't skip out on Ward after we dropped you off, did you?"

Reno growled something that sounded suspiciously like "Dropped me off, my ass," and sat down at his desk.

"What exactly did I miss?" Elena asked. She'd left to deliver a stack of requisition forms as a favor to Tseng before Reno had come in that morning... and apparently had missed out on the fun.

"Don't worry... I have it on video," Rude assured her.

"Wait... What?!" Reno cried, head snapping up to look at his partner, who was smirking, "That better be a joke, Rude..."

"Back already?" Tseng interrupted, before the bald Turk could answer, slipping through the door behind Elena, "Ward really does have wrangling you down to a science these days... Reno, Rude, would you join me please? We have an... opportunity... that I'd like to take advantage of."

Elena made her way to her desk as the two men rose and followed Tseng. She caught Rude as he walked past. "Is there really a video?" she asked, pitching her voice so Reno wouldn't overhear. Rude chuckled softly and nodded.

* * *

"... Mind if I make a suggestion?" Rude asked.

"By all means," Tseng replied. He was the first to admit that the plan he'd relayed to them had it's flaws.

"We could do things a lot quieter if we used Elena instead."

Until then, Reno had been slouched in the chair that sat in front of Tseng's desk. Rude's interjection made him suddenly sit up. "Boss... she's come a long way, but she's still just a rookie. I dunno if I'm comfortable with gettin' her into somethin' involving Corneo just yet. You know that guy's a lot more dangerous than he lets on..."

"I tend to agree," Tseng replied, causing Reno to relax a bit, "... but you have to admit, Rude has a point. And in this particular instance, quieter would be better for all involved. You two would be recognized almost immediately, as would I, and that will, frankly, make it significantly more difficult to do things peacefully. No one knows Elena down in Wall Market... and inserting her would be almost effortless if you can get her into the Honey Bee. Can you?"

Reno frowned. "Yeah... Yeah, I can probably get her in. Lira owes me a favor or two. Plus, I doubt she's real happy about the situation anyway. Kid's a friend of hers, I think. Pretty sure she'll help us out. Just for the record, though... I don't like this..."

"Noted," Tseng replied. He was silent for a moment, mulling over the options. "But I think it's far less risky overall. Get in touch with your contact. Then tell Elena."

* * *

It took Reno some time to contact Lira... it always did on days she was working. He'd known the woman since they'd been teenagers. And she'd been working at the Honey Bee for almost as long as he'd known her. They'd been friends for years – friends with benefits for a short while, in fact, until she'd started working exclusively for Corneo's brothel. These days, she was one of Reno's more useful contacts in Wall Market, despite numerous offers on his part to get her out of the slums for old times' sake. She seemed to know everything about everyone in the sector, and she was only too willing to pass that information along to Reno when he asked... for a price.

He finally caught her as she crept furtively out the back door of the Honey Bee Inn and lit a cigarette.

"Sneakin' in a smoke between boyfriends? Thought management frowned on that," he said from the shadows. The woman turned toward the sound of his voice and smiled.

"You gonna tell on me?" she asked, and walked over to him as he stepped more fully into the light. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself flush against his body seductively, and then smirked and placed a very chaste kiss on his cheek. "Reno. Where've you been? I haven't seen you in weeks."

"Busy workin'... which is why I'm here, actually. Need a favor."

"Oh? What kind of a _favor_?" she purred softly next to his ear. One hand trailed down his chest, glossing gently over his stomach, and not stopping until it slipped expertly between his legs and squeezed.

"Not _that_ kind," he replied, biting back a groan, "Unfortunately. Ya mind? I'm on the clock..."

She laughed and removed her hand, taking a step back. "Must be serious if you're turnin' down a freebie..."

"Lira, nothin' with you is ever free," Reno chided, fondly.

"True... very true..." she said, grinning. She took a drag from her cigarette, then stubbed it out against the wall of the building. "So what _can_ I do for my favorite redhead today?"

"Need ya to get a girl a job."

Lira's smile faded. "Now there's somethin' I wouldn't think I'd ever be hearin' from _you_ ," she said, pointedly, "You don't even like that _I'm_ still workin' here. You want me to help someone else get intomy line of work?"

Reno shook his head. "No... I want you to help someone get into Corneo's place. Girl's a Turk. He still... _samples_ … the new merchandise, right?"

"Of course he does, the old pervert. I get caught doing somethin' like that, though, I'll lose more than just my job," Lira replied, "So what's in it for me?"

"Usual fee, plus a fifty percent bonus if ya can set it up quick. And in case that's not sweet enough for ya... we're lookin' to get Talia out. Quiet as possible. Hear she's a friend of yours."

Lira immediately looked far more interested. "You hear right. What's your stake in Talia?" she asked, somewhat suspiciously, "That poor thing doesn't have anything that'd interest the Turks."

"No... but someone else does. And their price is gettin' Talia outta here... safe."

"Well... I'll admit, I don't like the idea of her being held captive just because Corneo thinks he's the one that managed to knock her up," she mused, "I might be willing to help. _If_ you can promise me that she'll be safe _after_ you get her out of there, too. I don't wanna see her end up right back down here. Wall Market's no place for a girl like her."

"She won't be comin' back," he assured her, "Deal is we get her outta Midgar entirely. She'll be okay... you got my word on that."

She chuckled softly. "You know, Reno... you're probably the only person in all of Midgar I'd ever take completely at their word. So... how soon does this need to happen?"

"Soon as you can arrange it," said Reno, before adding, "... And listen... the Turk we're sendin' in is still pretty green. Do me a favor, and try 'n keep the worst of the creeps away from her 'til Corneo sends for her, huh?"

"Aww... Reno's got a new girlfriend?" she teased.

"Reno's got a new _rookie_ he's gotta take care of. She's not a hookup."

"New girl you're _not_ sleepin' with? She must somethin' special," Lira commented with a soft laugh, "Alright, alright... I'll do what I can. I'm done here at nine. Bring her by my place tonight. We'll talk details."

* * *

By the time Reno returned to headquarters, it was nearly four o'clock. Almost quitting time, any other day. He'd much rather be making plans with Rude to head out to the Phoenix Nest tonight than doing what he had to do now... because now he had to tell Elena that she was going undercover in a brothel. Alone.

He made his way to the main office, finding only Tseng present.

"We're good in Wall Market," he said without preamble, "Lira will get 'Lena into the Honey Bee, and if Corneo's true to form, she'll be... _invited..._ to his place the same night. I'm takin' her down with me tonight to sort out the specifics. You tell her anything yet?"

"Nothing specific. I thought you might prefer to do it. Wall Market is sort of _your_ area of expertise."

"I'm still not crazy about this idea, Tseng," Reno sighed, running a hand through his already unkempt hair.

"I know," Tseng replied, "Though I do wonder somewhat if your concern is due more to Elena's lack of experience or to you simply being protective of her. She is, after all, the first rookie you've been given sole responsibility for. One tends to become slightly more attached than usual to the first one. I know I certainly did," He chuckled slightly, and smirked at Reno. "... Even though _mine_ was a royal pain in my ass. And still is, on occasion."

Reno snickered. "Not sure I have it any easier with 'Lena, Boss..."

Tseng gave a derisive snort. "If you truly believe that, I think it may be time for a mandatory psych evaluation... You're delusional."

* * *

Reno found Elena in the Turks' private lounge, poking at what looked like the Shinra cafeteria's pathetic excuse for broiled chicken.

"And here I thought _I_ was the only one who could actually stomach that crap," Reno drawled.

Elena pushed the plate away. "I think you are," she replied, a disgusted look on her face, "Tseng said we're going to have a late night and I should eat something."

"Yeah... pretty sure he meant food, not... whatever the hell that shit is," he said with a laugh, eying the pale white lump and the sad looking vegetables that were making a valiant, but futile, effort at hiding its unappetizing appearance. "Seriously... are you sure that's even real meat? It _is_ supposed to be meat, right? In any case, I need to brief ya on what's goin' on... 'cause you're kinda playing a big part in it."

"I-I am?" she said, surprised.

"Yep," he replied taking a seat next to her, and pulling the plate towards him. He shrugged and grabbed the plastic fork, shoving a bite into his mouth. "Fuck... shit tastes worse than it looks," he muttered. Though, Elena noted, apparently it wasn't quite awful enough to stop him from taking a second bite. And a third.

"Reno... sometimes I really do have to wonder if you're human..." she commented. He smirked.

"I've never been picky. Food is food when you're hungry enough," he said, "... This stuff _really_ does taste like shit, though..."

"Then _why_ are you still eating it?" she disbelievingly queried.

"Hate seein' food go to waste," he shrugged, "You might have a point, though. Not sure this really qualifies as such."

"Umm... so... the mission?" she prompted him, silently resigning herself to the fact that she'd never understand how Reno could so effortlessly choke down some of the things he ate.

"Oh, yeah... that," he said, finally setting the fork down and nudging the plate away, "Here's the deal. We've got someone willing to trade some pretty trustworthy info on the security breaches we've been seein' lately. In return, they want us to rescue someone for 'em. You ever been to Wall Market?"

"The red light district in the Sector 6 slums?" she asked. Reno nodded. "No... I haven't seen too much more of the slums than what Rude's shown me. We've never gone anywhere near Wall Market..."

"Well... you're gonna see it tonight," he replied. The rookie's eyes widened slightly. Reno rested his elbows on the table and propped his chin up on his hands. "The girl we're lookin' for is named Talia, and she's currently a 'guest' of Don Corneo... and by 'guest', I mean she's not allowed to leave and he's probably been makin' her do some things she'd rather not do. She _was_ workin' at the Honey Bee Inn. I'm assumin' you know what that is..."

"Er... yeah... I have a general idea," she said, a little uncomfortably. Everyone knew what the Honey Bee Inn was, even if most people on the Plate wouldn't have admitted it. Some of the rumors she'd heard about the place put even Reno's most perverted jokes to shame.

"Yeah, well... Corneo runs it, and he's got a nice little system set up. New girls get to spend their first night at his place. Talia was one of those girls about eight months ago. Couple weeks back, Corneo had her brought back in, and hasn't let her leave since."

"Why?" Elena asked.

"That's one of the reasons we're puttin' _you_ on this one. She's pregnant. _Very_ pregnant... Corneo thinks it's his. Hell, it might even _be_ his, but that's kinda beside the point. Fact is, best way to get her _out_ is with as little violence as possible... best case scenario, we'd like to get her out of Corneo's place and onto the Plate before he even realizes she's gone."

"What is it you want me to do, exactly?" she asked, feeling a bit nervous.

"Got a friend that's gonna get you a job at the Honey Bee. That mean's Corneo'll be sendin' for ya, probably the same day. Once you're in, you find Talia, get her out of the house, and rendezvous with Tseng, me, or Rude... depending on where you manage to find an exit. It's a big place."

"W-why not just break in?" she stammered.

"'Cause for one, Corneo and his men know the rest of us by sight. Any of us get spotted in, or even near, his mansion, and it's game over. We'll find ourselves in the middle of a firefight against fuck knows how many of his hired muscle... which isn't exactly the best situation to have to deal with while attempting to extract a pregnant woman from a heavily guarded mansion," Reno said, frowning, "Corneo's also got some value to us. Tseng would rather not completely piss the guy off, 'cause he occasionally comes in handy. He's never seen you before... doesn't know you're with Shinra. Ideally, we keep things that way."

"Oh..." Elena managed.

"For another thing, the girl's just a kid, really. She's barely eighteen and she's been trapped there for weeks. She'd be a lot more likely to trust another woman, and go with her quietly, than with Tseng or Rude... or even me, charming and attractive as I am," he said with a teasing grin.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, Reno," she murmured.

"Oh... just for that cute little remark... you're _really_ gonna love this next part," he said with a vengeful smirk, " You're goin' in unarmed."

"W-what?!" she nearly shouted.

"If they search ya and you get caught with a weapon, and you're done," Reno explained, "Don't worry... we're not sendin' you in there a sitting duck. You're gonna be wired, so you'll be able to talk to me the whole time, and I got somethin' special for ya in case of an emergency. Worst case scenario, we switch to plan B."

"What's plan B?" Elena asked.

"We say the hell with it and come in after ya. Tseng sorta wants to avoid that, though."

Reno studied her for a moment. She looked uncertain... even a little scared. Not that he could blame her. This was by far the biggest assignment she'd ever been given, and it hinged largely on her not screwing up at any point along the way. That was a lot of pressure for even a seasoned Turk... much less a rookie.

"You're gonna do fine, 'Lena... and you'll have all of us watchin' from the shadows in case anything goes wrong. Ya know I always got your back. Come on... let's go get some real food and I'll walk ya through the layout of Corneo's mansion," he said, grinning.

* * *

Several hours later, Reno and Elena found themselves in the residential area of Sector 6. The homes here seemed just a little nicer and less ramshackle than those in many of the other slums... probably owing to the business generated by Wall Market. He led her through the winding streets, calmly passing by the locals, careful not to draw attention. Neither Turk was in uniform... the last thing they needed was word getting back to Corneo that Shinra had been snooping around. Reno stopped at a small boarding house on the corner and pulled Elena inside with him.

"Guess you'd be Lira's friend, then," the woman at the front desk said as they entered, looking up from the magazine she'd been reading, "Told me when the pretty redhead turns up to send him straight to her..."

"Oh... ya think I'm pretty, huh?" Reno said, smiling flirtatiously. Elena did her best to refrain from groaning out loud.

"Upstairs, second door on the left" she replied with a giggle, nodding to a staircase in the back, "And... if you're bored later... I'm downstairs, first room on the right. You can even bring your friend there if you want..." She winked at him, and turned back to her magazine, though Elena caught her peeking up at them both through long eyelashes as Reno led her toward the stairs.

When they reached the door, Reno knocked. It was answered moments later by a young woman around Reno's ago with short cropped black hair and hazel eyes.

"Well, hello there," she said, coyly, as she stepped aside and ushered the two Turks into the room. It was small, but cozy. Just a single room with a sleeping area and living space. Off to one side was a door that led to a bathroom. It was cheerfully decorated in creams and pastels, and the furniture looked relatively new and comfortable.

"'Lena, meet Lira. No one knows Wall Market better than she does," Reno said, as soon as the door closed behind them, "Lira, this is Elena."

The woman circled Elena, looking her over appraisingly. The rookie couldn't help but think she was being evaluated for something... and not necessarily her role in this mission.

"Mmm... so you're the girl Reno's not sleepin' with, huh?" the woman said at last. Elena wasn't sure if she was teasing or not, but she immediately blushed, and Reno rolled his eyes. Lira giggled. "Honey, you don't know what you're missin'..."

"For fuck's sake, Lira... we've been here less than thirty seconds," the redhead said, chuckling.

"Oh, you're no fun at all, tonight, Reno," she said, before turning to Elena, "Alrighty then, straight to business... I talked to the management, and told them I knew someone who needed work. They were ecstatic. We're short on redheads at the moment."

"But... I'm blonde," Elena pointed out.

"Not for long," she replied, grinning.

* * *

Reno laid back on the couch, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. How fucking long was this going to take?

"Oh, Reeeenoooo..." a voice called impishly from the bathroom door. He glanced over toward the source of the summons. "I think I've found your long-lost twin..." Lira said, grinning at him, "She's _almost_ as cute as you are."

She stepped aside and waved Elena out into the room.

"So? What do you think?" Elena asked, showing off her freshly dyed hair. Reno sat up, laughing. It was nearly the same unusually vibrant shade as his own, and he doubted that was an accident.

"Not a bad look for ya, 'Lena... Always wanted a sister..." he replied. Elena joined him on the couch, as Lira walked over to her closet.

"'Course you still need something to wear tomorrow for your interview. You're pretty much in already, but Rosa likes to chat with all the new girls first... make sure they really know what they're gettin' themselves into..." She leafed through the collection of garments, and finally pulled out a short, pale blue dress. "This one might look pretty..." she mused, "What do you think, Reno?"

He shrugged. "I've always thought 'Lena looks especially nice in green, personally... I dunno with the red hair, though. Green sure as fuck isn't _my_ color. Makes me look like a damn Christmas ornament..."

Elena snickered, and Lira began laughing so hard that for a moment she couldn't speak.

"Oh... Oh, Reno... Thank you so much for putting _that_ image in my head," she said, still giggling. She finally calmed herself, ignoring the man's glare. "Maybe just black, then? Hard to go wrong with that..." She pulled out a black skirt and halter top. "Here," she said, handing both outfits to Elena, "Why don't you try them both on and we'll see which looks better on you."

Some time later, Elena had modeled both sets of clothes – several times – and Reno and Lira were practically at one another's throats arguing over them.

"She's wearin' the blue one," Reno said, firmly.

"She looks sexier in the black," Lira countered, "She's workin' the Honey Bee, not selling flowers."

"Yeah, well, she's also not tryin' to compete for customers. She just has to blend in for a few hours. I don't want her drawin' any more attention than necessary..."

"She'll be taking it off as soon as her interview's over... They'll put her in one of those silly bee outfits anyway!"

"Wait... What?" Reno asked, looking slightly alarmed, and Elena wondered what they were talking about. Bee outfits?

"You know... The bee outfits. New girls always start out workin' the front entrance and the main floor. What, you thought I'd be able to just stick her in the back room and hide her all day? Sorry, Reno, but that's not gonna happen. She wants to get into Corneo's place, she's gotta work."

Elena swallowed nervously as she saw Reno go slightly pale.

"I thought I told ya..." he began, only to be cut off.

"Oh, would you relax," Lira said with a smirk, "She's not gonna be workin' any of the rooms. Just advertising and greeting. You actually have Corneo to thank for that, ironically enough. He wants 'em all to himself before the customers get their hands on 'em."

Some of the tension in Reno's posture eased. "... Fine... go with the black one if ya have to," he grumbled, conceding the argument. He glanced at the clock by Lira's bed. It was nearly one in the morning.

"You two can stay here tonight if you don't mind the couch or the floor," Lira said, following his gaze. She smirked, and ran a finger along Reno's jawline. "I'd offer to share with you, but the bed's a single... and I have busy day tomorrow."

"Go ahead and take the couch, 'Lena," Reno sighed, "I got the floor."

Lira wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulders. "Ever the gentleman, our Reno, huh, Elena?" she said with a grin.

"'Course I could always take the girl downstairs up on _her_ offer..." Reno retorted, suggestively.

"Yeah... Right up until he opens his mouth," Elena said to the woman. Lira laughed.

* * *

"Dammit 'Lena, hold still... I can't get it in with you movin' like that," Reno growled.

"W-wait, it's too... Ow! That hurts!"

"Just relax a second, I almost – There. It's in."

"C-can you pull it out a little? It feels like it's in too far..."

"Better?"

Elena gave a sigh of relief and relaxed, as the door opened and Lira slipped back into her little boarding house room.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," the woman said, smiling lasciviously, "Sounded like things were getting a little hot and heavy between you two..."

The rookie was laying with her head on Reno's lap, rubbing at her right ear as her compatriot sniggered shamelessly as it occurred to him what that conversation must have sounded like.

"Inner ear receiver," he explained, "Completely invisible, but not the easiest thing to put in place. Though it's a lot less of a pain in the ass if ya fuckin' _hold still_. And quit pokin' at it."

"It feels... weird," Elena replied, sitting up. Lira set down the bags she was carrying, and Elena caught the scent of bacon.

"You'll get used to it. Tell me that's food," Reno said, turning toward his friend.

"It is," said Lira, and Reno immediately darted for the table. The woman slapped his hand as he reached for one of the bags. "That's for all of us... and I know _you_. I turn my back for five seconds, it'll vanish without a trace. Sit!" She pointed to the couch he'd just vacated. Reno grudgingly complied. "Now finish whatever you were doin' to that poor girl, and then I'll feed ya." With that, she began to unpack the contents of the bags.

Reno sighed and turned back to Elena, pulling a slender case from his breast pocket.

"This is the other half of the radio", he said, opening it. Inside was a pair of silver earrings. They were simple, small hoops with no patterning or decoration. "Put those on, and pay attention to which one has the black stripe along the inside. That's the one with the mic and the switch for the transmitter."

Elena easily found the one he was talking about. She took off her own earrings, replacing them with the ones Reno had given her.

"Now what?" she asked.

"The switch is right along the back edge, near the post. Run your nail along it til it catches, and push in to turn it on. Same to shut it off."

She did so and twitched slightly as the receiver in her ear gave a short burst of static. Reno, meanwhile, had donned an over the ear headset.

"Can ya hear me?" he asked. Elena jumped as his voice was echoed slightly out of sync with real time by the receiver.

"Yes," she replied. Reno nodded, satisfied that her microphone was picking up her voice as well.

"Alright, turn it off for now," he said, and Elena did so, "Battery's only good for about four hours, so don't activate it until you're taken to Corneo's place."

"I thought you said I'd be able to talk to you the whole time..." Elena said, nervously.

"Well... the whole time you're at Corneo's, yeah. 'Til ya get there, though, you're gonna have to manage without me. Lira'll look after ya, though, don't worry. Besides... I won't be far off. And..." he continued, drawing out a second case, "... I managed to requisition one of these for ya from Scarlet. Don't even _ask_ what I had to do to get her to give it to me..."

Inside was a silver pendant holding what looked like a deep red stone... but on closer inspection, Elena realized that it wasn't a stone at all. It was a glass phial containing a blood-red liquid.

"Emergency use only," Reno stressed, "Crush the capsule, and you've got about ten seconds to get the fuck outta the general area or take a really deep breath. After that, it reacts with the air and creates a very potent sleeping gas that'll knock a guy out for hours..." He flicked a lock of crimson hair out of her face. "Picked the right color, anyway..." he smirked, and fastened the pendant around her neck before escorting the rookie over to the table. Breakfast was waiting.

Lira bent over and studied the necklace. "Mmm... you do have good taste in accessories..." she agreed, "Don't suppose you could get me one? I could see somethin' like that coming in handy..."

"Heh... Sorry, Lira... but I'm not facin' Scarlet a second time," he said, shuddering as he started in on his breakfast, "Once was bad enough. That woman's got it out for me..."

"Jilted lover?" asked Lira as she took as seat as well, and Elena couldn't help herself. She dissolved into a fit of silent laughter at the expression that suddenly came across Reno's face.

Reno, meanwhile, very nearly choked. "Fuck, no..." he finally managed.

* * *

Tseng answered his PHS on the first ring.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Fine. Just an update. 'Lena's on her way to the Honey Bee now," Reno replied over the phone, "and I'm movin' to my first surveillance position."

"How is she?"

"Nervous," the redhead said, his tone serious, "I think she'll be alright, though."

"Good. I'm leaving for Wall Market now. Rude is already in position, watching Corneo's mansion. He hasn't seen any sign of the girl yet... but he doesn't really expect to. One of his informants says they're keeping a tight leash on her. Apparently, she's tried to run once or twice already."

"I'll pass that along to 'Lena when we're back in contact. Should make things easier if the kid is still _tryin'_ to get away instead of just givin' up."

"Indeed it should. Contact me again when they come for Elena. Let's keep things quiet until then," said Tseng.

"Understood," Reno replied, ending the call. He couldn't blame Tseng for wanting to be careful about communications. A conversation overheard by the wrong person could jeopardize everything. He slipped out of Lira's room, and down the back staircase of the boarding house and into an alley. Pulling up the hood of his sweatshirt, he made his way towards the Honey Bee Inn. He'd already staked out and secured a room in a building across from the brothel. One nice thing about Wall Market... if you needed a room for a few hours, there were plenty to be found... no questions asked, since the answers were already assumed.

This particular room, he noted as he let himself inside, had a near-perfect view of the Honey Bee Inn's entrance. He settled in near the window, opening it wide so he could hear the general goings-on in the street below, and then sat back so the curtains concealed him. Reno drew his sidearm and checked the magazine. On the whole, he much preferred his mag-rod... the EMR let a you get so much more personal... but today he needed to be able to attack from a distance if need be. He left the weapon unholstered and within easy reach on the narrow table beside the window.

He stayed like that, for the most part, for the better part of an hour. Reno stretched and leaned back in the chair. Surveillance sucked... he hated being still and quiet for so long. He sighed and rolled his eyes at the sounds coming through the wall from the room next door.

"Hate ta break it to you pal, but she's totally fakin' it," he muttered softly, returning his gaze to the scene outside.

Suddenly, something finally caught his attention. Lira appeared in the doorway, dressed in skin-tight black and yellow. Reno smirked... she'd always hated those stupid outfits. By now, she'd been around long enough she could usually get out of what she termed "bug duty" and pawn it off on someone who owed her a favor. Apparently, today she'd come up short on favors.

Or maybe not... She motioned to someone behind her, and a moment later, a flash of red caught his eye as Elena emerged beside her. Reno's eye twitched as he realized she was dressed in the same ridiculously revealing outfit as Lira, her dyed hair making her stand out even more than she would have otherwise. The two girls that had been lingering around the entrance for the past hour grinned and slipped back inside, Elena and Lira taking their places.

He kept a close eye on the two women for awhile, noting that Elena was gradually becoming slightly less obviously uncomfortable... though he had no doubt she would have jumped at the chance to get out of the spotlight had it been offered to her. Several of the Honey Bee's patrons seemed to be paying her far more attention than Reno would have liked as they made their way in, and he glared coldly in their general direction.

When one of them grabbed her, hands reaching for things no decent man would reach for in public, _Reno's_ hand went immediately to his gun. The weapon was leveled, aimed and his finger had tensed dangerously on the trigger by the time Lira intervened, escorting the man inside.

Reno ground his teeth and forced himself to relax his grip, slowly lowering the weapon... but not, it seemed, before Elena had caught a glimpse of of it. Her eyes were on his window, though he was certain all she could see from her position now were the curtains.

He glanced at his watch. "Just a few more hours, 'Lena," he said quietly, though he wasn't sure if that was meant as an attempt to reassure the rookie – through sheer force of will – or himself. He'd seen far too many people become victims in Wall Market over the years. The idea of Elena on her own down there, unarmed, and... dressed like _that_... left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable and restless.

* * *

"Good news, Elena... our first door shift's up," Lira said with a sigh of relief as two new girls exited the Honey Bee in costume. "Time for a break."

"Thank goodness," the rookie Turk sighed, grateful to finally be able to get away from the stares and leers of men passing by on the street. It really was an awful feeling. She followed Lira back into the Honey Bee, casting one last glance up at the window on the second floor of the building across the street. She was almost certain Reno was there... she felt a little less self-conscious knowing that, for some reason.

Lira led her through the main foyer and into the back, where customers weren't allowed, and into one of the large dressing rooms. The woman took a seat in one of the makeup chairs.

"Ugh, I fucking _hate_ bug duty," she groaned, and Elena laughed quietly as she made herself comfortable on the long couch on the back wall. "So... how ya holdin' up? Reno said you're kind of a newbie with the Turks... so I'm guessin' you haven't had to do anything quite like this before." She smirked when Elena looked up at her, alarmed. "Relax... no one's gonna hear us back here. Walls are sound proof so us girls don't have to listen to what's goin' on out _there_ when we're on break. Get enough of that while we're workin'."

"I'm okay," Elena replied, relaxing a bit, "So... can I ask you something?"

"Now I'd bet that 'something' is one of two questions... ya either wanna know how long I've been doin' this, or you wanna know _why_ I do it..." Lira said with a grin.

"A-actually... I kind of wanted to know how you met Reno," she answered, "I mean, he doesn't really seem like the type who'd have to... um..." She trailed off, uncertain whether or not what she'd intended to say would be overly insulting to the woman.

Lira laughed so hard she nearly slid off the chair.

"Oh, honey... the day Reno's gotta pay for it is the day I finally give in and move up to the Plate," she snickered, "He's not a customer and never has been. That's not to say I don't know every inch of that pretty little body of his. But I knew Reno _way_ before I turned pro and started workin' for Corneo."

"You did?" Elena asked. Somehow, it didn't exactly surprise her to know that Lira and Reno were lovers... half of Shinra Company could make _that_ claim... but she hadn't considered the possibility that it went beyond that.

"Sure... We both grew up over in Sector 2. Met him when he was about... fourteen, fifteen, maybe? Couple of years before Shinra snapped him up, anyway. I was only a year or two older, myself. I'd seen him around before that, of course... he's hard to miss... but didn't really know him well 'til then. He kinda came to my rescue when my Pop got a little rougher than usual with me. Got himself a nasty black eye and a bloody nose for the trouble, too... and he's lucky that's all he walked away with. Pop was about three times his size. Didn't seem to matter to Reno, though."

Elena smiled shyly. "I guess he's always been the protective type, then."

"It's a rarity in Sector 2," she said, nodding, "Plenty of decent folks down there... but most of 'em are too busy watchin' their own asses to worry about someone else's. Anyway... I went home with Reno, cleaned him up a little, and... well, one thing usually leads to another in situations like that." She chuckled fondly at the memory. "Poor thing hardly knew what to do with himself."

"W-what?" Elena asked, suddenly blushing. This was getting a little more _interesting_ than she'd been expecting. Lira grinned widely.

"Mmm, I got one claim on Reno no one else in the world can make," she replied, teasingly.

Elena was certain she turned bright red as she realized what the woman was implying. "Y-you mean..."

"Oh, yeah... thoroughly deflowered that sweet, innocent boy," Lira said, her grin widening even more. While Elena was trying desperately to think of a way to change the topic of conversation to something a little less awkward, Lira was giggling madly. "Sorry... was that more than you wanted to know?" she asked, "Around here, we've heard it all, so I barely think twice about sayin' things like that. And judging by the look on your face... and the fact that it kinda matches your hair now... I'm thinkin' you're probably not quite as used to it as I am. Even workin' with Reno."

"Uhhh..." Elena tried, not quite sure what to say.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Lira said, dismissively, "We can always talk about somethin' other than Reno's virginity... or lack thereof." She gave Elena a quick wink. "Don't 'spose you watch Shadow & Sword?"

The rookie perked up at that. "You're a Swordie?" she blurted out in surprise.

"Guess that's a yes," Lira stated, approvingly, "Knew there was somethin' I liked about you... So... Ya see last Sunday's episode?"

* * *

Hours later, Elena groaned as she wrenched the stiletto heels off her feet and sat down in the dressing room. After their break, she and Lira had spent the rest of the day alternating between the lobby and the front door. It had been long, relentless, and slightly humiliating... and she was grateful it was over.

"Get yourself changed," Lira said, rushing through the door, "Just heard Kotch is on his way. He's the one who'll be takin' you over to Corneo's place."

Elena stood, wincing slightly as her feet protested sharply, and hurried to change back into the black skirt and top Lira had loaned her.

"Haven't been there in awhile myself..." Lira continued, "but if things haven't changed, they'll leave ya pretty much alone in a room until the Don decides he wants ya. They'll tell you not to wander around, but just so ya know... they're not allowed to touch you without Corneo's say-so unless you cause serious trouble."

"Thanks," she said, glad for the advice, "Anything else I should know?"

"Yeah... Stay away from the basement," the woman replied, seriously, "Trust me... if you don't _have_ to go down there... don't."

Lira hustled her out of the dressing room and into the main foyer. A dark skinned man with a blonde mohawk was waiting.

"That's Kotch," she whispered, "You take care, 'kay?"

"You the new girl?" the man said, sounding bored. Elena nodded. "Don Corneo wants to meet ya. Come with me."

* * *

Reno dialed Tseng's phone the moment Elena appeared in the Honey Bee Inn's doorway with Kotch.

"Tseng here," the Turk leader's voice replied.

"She's headin' for Corneo's," he said, eyes locked on the pair down in the street below.

"We may have a problem. They're watching the exits. Very closely," said Tseng. Reno swore under his breathe. That was all they needed.

"What should I tell 'Lena?" he asked.

"It doesn't look like they've got eyes on the drainage pipe. If she can get the girl to the basement, it may be as simple as walking right out."

"And if she can't?"

"Rude and I will stay in our current positions to assist. I'll cover your original position. You take the pipe."

"On it," Reno affirmed.

The redhead ended the call and hurried out of the room, heading for the street. He doubted very much that Elena would be in any danger from Kotch. Not yet, at least. Corneo's top lackey was the loyal sort... he wouldn't do anything without his boss' go-ahead. Still... he wasn't about to let the rookie out of his sight when he didn't have to. Moments later, he was shadowing the two of them from a safe distance. As he moved, he slipped his communications headset on, hiding it with his hood. He didn't know when Elena would have a chance to activate hers, but he didn't want to miss it when she did.

It wasn't a long journey. Reno watched from an alley as Elena was escorted into the huge mansion, frowning as she disappeared from view, then turned and headed for the nearest sewer entrance.

* * *

Elena looked around at the garishly decorated foyer, and somehow refrained from cringing at the sight. She'd thought the Honey Bee Inn's lobby had been tacky. This took it to a whole new level. The place looked like Wutai and the Gold Saucer had collided and spawned some sort of bizarre theme hotel.

Kotch led her up the stairs and showed her into a small room.

"The boss'll call ya in when he's ready for ya," he said, "Meantime, stay here and don't go wanderin' around."

With that, he left her on her own. Elena hesitantly sat down, making sure she was really alone, and reached for her earring, running her nail along it until she found the little indentation that would activate her radio. She pressed inward, and heard a faint buzz of static for a moment.

"Reno?" she said quietly.

"About damn time..." the redhead's voice greeted her, sounding small and far away through the tiny receiver in her ear. She almost laughed in sheer relief at the sound. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, keeping her voice low.

"Where are you right now?"

"Some kind of lounge... just off the main foyer," she said.

"Alright... got some intel for ya from Rude. Seems our girl has been tryin' to escape on her own. Unfortunately, she got herself caught, and now they're watchin' her _and_ the exits a lot closer," Reno relayed to her, "Tseng says there's one they're not watchin' though, far as he can tell from out here... probably 'cause it's not so much a exit as it is a sewer tunnel... Hate ta say it, but that's probably gonna be your best bet."

"You seriously want me to try and convince a pregnant woman to climb into a sewer?" she asked, somewhat incredulously.

"Just sayin'... the other exits are covered," he replied, "Rude and Tseng are watchin' 'em, just in case you end up havin' to use them instead, but the sewer's wide open. I'd try very hard to get her down there."

"O-okay... How do I even get to it, though? It wasn't on the plans you showed me," Elena queried.

"There's a drain in the basement," Reno said, "It's locked down, but I'm headin' there now. I'll get it open for ya."

'Of course it's in the basement...' Elena thought to herself. Naturally, it would be in the one place Lira had specifically warned her to steer clear of.

"For now, though, just focus on locating your target," Reno continued, "Gotta find the kid first. Then we'll worry about gettin' her out. Keep your radio on so I can hear what's happening."

"Got it," she replied.

Elena stood and crept towards the door, trying the handle, and was a little shocked to discover that it was unlocked. She opened it a crack and peered out. There was no sign of Kotch on the upper level, though she could hear someone moving around downstairs. She slipped silently into the hall.

* * *

Reno grimaced as a slimy wetness began to seep into the top of his boot. The water in the tunnel was gradually getting higher the farther in he ventured. It had just reached ankle-depth, and he could feel his socks quickly becoming waterlogged. Between that and being forced into an uncomfortable sort of half crouch by the low ceiling, he would be glad when this job was finished. And of course... there was the smell, which he was trying very hard not to think too much about.

He hoisted the heavy crow bar he'd 'borrowed' from the junk shop over one of his shoulders and aimed his flashlight down the narrow tunnel. Its beam reflected off of the surface of the murky water, casting patterns of waves on the concrete walls. It couldn't be much farther... He'd already gone at least a few hundred feet.

A faint glint caught his eye farther down, and he clicked off the light. Reno grinned to himself as, instead of being plunged into complete darkness, he found himself staring at a faint glow emanating from the ceiling another fifty feet ahead of him, and he quickened his pace.

Finally standing beneath the grate, he looked up. He couldn't see much from that angle, but spied a heavy wooden table to the right, and could just make out the foot of the stairs straight ahead. The grate itself was hinged on either side, opening in the center, and was secured with a heavily rusted lock and chain.

'Hmph... Too easy,' he thought, smugly, as he slid the crowbar beneath the chain. The thing was so old, it would probably snap on the first pull. He hauled down hard on the bar, readying himself for it to give way... and looked up in surprise when it didn't. He glared at the chain, and tried again, with the same results. On his third attempt, he put the entirety of his weight into the effort, hanging from the crowbar.

"You have _got_ to be shittin' me..." he muttered, grunting softly as he let himself drop back down.

"Reno? What's wrong?" Elena's voice whispered, concerned, over his headset.

"Nothin'..." he growled, "I got this..."

He gripped the crowbar with both hands and swung himself up, bracing his feet against the ceiling, straining against it as hard as he could.

* * *

Elena jumped as a sudden splash, followed by a lengthy string of profanity, spewed forth from her radio receiver.

"Reno?!" she whispered as loud as she dared. She was met only with the sound of more splashing, followed by coughing and what sound like gagging, followed by more swearing.

"Gah... I'm fine," Reno finally said, sounding utterly disgusted, "I'm just going to have to sanitize my... everything... later. The fucking drain's open now, by the way."

She couldn't quite suppress a quiet snicker.

"Shut the hell up, 'Lena," Reno replied, not amused.

If nothing else, his response eased some of the tension that had been building in her since arrival at Corneo's mansion. Elena slowly made her way around the upper level, trying the various doors, in search of her target. Most seemed to be unlocked, though empty. One, very obviously, was the entry to Corneo's own room, and she carefully avoided it. Behind another, she could clearly hear Kotch's voice speaking to at least one other man. Eventually, though, she found a locked door.

Elena pressed her ear to the wood, listening for any sound from within, but heard nothing. She crouched down, and peered through the keyhole. She could see a bed on the far side, and some other furniture, but beyond that, the room appeared to be empty.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement, and Elena unexpectedly found her view of the room replaced by another eye. With a gasp, she skittered backwards in shock, just barely catching herself before she fell over entirely.

"W-who's there?" a frightened voice called from behind the door. The rookie Turk hurried back to her former position.

"Talia?" she replied, keeping her voice down, "Are you Talia?"

"Y-yes..." the girl answered her, hesitantly, "Who are you?"

"My name is Elena," the Turk said, "I'm going to get you out of here."

But first she'd have to get that door open. That, thankfully, was one task she was prepared for. She started to reach for one of the pins holding her hair back. It wasn't the best way to pick a lock, but she'd manage.

"Hey... Thought I told you no wandering!" a voice called out behind her. Elena spun to face the owner of the voice, coming face to face with Kotch. "Eh, whatever... Don Corneo's ready for ya now. Come with me."

"I... uh..." she began.

"Don't start anything that's gonna draw attention... Corneo's got more guys than just Kotch hangin' around. Wait 'til you get an opening," Reno cautioned her over the radio.

"Hurry up already," Kotch muttered impatiently. Elena quickly did as commanded, and fell into step behind the man. She trailed behind him all the way back to the door she had studiously ignored earlier in her search. He pushed it open and motioned her inside. Instead of following, he simply shut the door behind her.

"Oh ho... So you're the new little chicky over at the Honey Bee!" a gleefully high-pitched voice called out from across the room, "What's your name, baby?"

"Elena?" she replied, uncertainly. Don Corneo wasn't much taller than she was. Balding, with a wisp of blond hair combed into something resembling a mohawk, he leered at her unapologetically, cigar dangling from his lips. He was easily one of the most repulsive men she'd ever seen, and his eyes seemed to rove over her entire body. Elena found herself suddenly wishing she'd listened to Reno and gone with the slightly less revealing blue dress that morning. Corneo rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Oh, we are going to have one hell of a night," he said, "Redheads are always such fun in bed!"

"It's true... we are..." Reno commented, somewhat teasingly in her ear, "... but watch yourself. Guy might not look like much, but he didn't get to be in charge down here on account of his good looks."

Corneo suddenly covered the distance between them faster than she'd thought someone of his build could possibly have moved. The next thing she knew, his arm was around her waist, one hand lewdly pawing at her backside, the other having taken hold of the cigar, as he planted a kiss on her lips.

"Mmph!" Elena squeaked in surprise as she instinctively tried to push him away, disgusted; he tasted like ashes and alcohol. The man was deceptively strong, however, and held her fast. Corneo laughed and pulled back.

"Oh yeah... lot's of fun," he grinned lecherously.

* * *

Reno growled low in his throat as he listened in on what was going on in Corneo's room. More than anything, he wanted to ditch the goddamned sewer pipe and rip Corneo a new one. It wasn't like the guy wouldn't deserve it. The man was a pig who treated women like a commodity... something the redhead took rather personal issue with. The fact that it was Elena who was being treated like that right now only made him angrier.

He had his orders, though. Tseng didn't want anyone but Elena seen if it was at all avoidable... and odds were pretty good he'd run into someone between the basement and Corneo's room, even if he was exceptionally careful.

"Com'ere you little minx, you!" Corneo's voice cried over his headset, and Reno cringed. He could hear what sounded like rapid footsteps, as if Elena were being chased. Suddenly, there was a soft thud and the squeak of bedsprings, and Elena squealed. "Ha! Gotcha!" the man cackled.

"'Lena?!" he tried, though she likely wouldn't be able to answer him at the moment without drawing suspicion.

"Mmm... oh, you smell nice," Coreno groaned so close to Elena's microphone, it was almost as if he were right next to Reno, "Oh ho... are these real?! They feel real... Let's just take this off so I can get a better look at whatcha got to offer..."

If it had gone much farther, Reno would have been out of the tunnel and up the stairs in record time... fuck Tseng and his desire to stay on Corneo's good side. He'd be damned if he was going to sit idly by while the bastard was in there feeling her up. He'd promised Elena that he'd watch out for her, and that was a promise he intended to keep. But a moment later, everything went silent. In fact, he briefly thought the mic had cut out entirely, until a loud thump echoed over the radio.

"'Lena?" he tried again, "'Lena... what's going on?"

He could hear footsteps again, hurried but not panicked, and with the distinctive click of heels... It had to have been Elena. But why didn't she talk to him?

"'Lena... for fuck's sake, answer me!" he hissed. The sound of a door opening, and then closing again, was followed by a gasp, and several seconds of heavy breathing.

"'Lena?"

"I'm here..." she replied at last, sounding a little short of breath, "I'm okay..."

"What happened?" he asked.

"I used the knockout gas on Corneo..." she said, "He's out cold."

That explained why she hadn't been able to answer him immediately. She'd been holding her breath to avoid succumbing to the gas herself.

"Good work... Now let's get the kid, and get you both the fuck outta there," he instructed.

* * *

Elena hurried toward the door where she'd left Talia, careful to keep an eye out for anyone roaming the halls. If she were seen now, things would probably go downhill pretty quickly. Thankfully, Talia's room wasn't far, and Kotch seemed to have retreated again to wherever Corneo's men vanished to when they weren't needed. Moments later, she was working at getting the door to Talia's room open.

She huffed in frustration as the stubborn lock refused to budge. "This would be a lot easier with a real pick," she muttered, as she tried again.

"Quit hurryin', 'Lena. You're always in a rush," Reno replied in her ear, "Just take it slow and stop thinkin' about it so much."

"Easy for you to say... you're not trying to pick a lock with a damn hairpin," she whispered back.

"Tch... I could do it in twenty seconds flat," Reno bragged. The worst part, Elena decided, was that the man probably could. In fact, twenty seconds was likely a little on the conservative side. She'd never seen anyone open a lock faster than Reno.

"Yeah? Then _you_ come up here and do it," Elena replied, as the lock gave a sharp snap and the knob suddenly turned freely in her hand. Elena blinked, a little surprised she'd managed it so quickly. "Oh... er... nevermind."

"Told ya you just needed to quit thinkin' about it..." Reno said smugly. She didn't reply, instead pushing the door open and slipping inside. Movement to her right instinctively made her duck... and it was a good thing, too. A heavy ceramic vase hit the wall bare inches from where her head had been.

"O-oh! Oh, no... I... I'm sorry! I thought you were Kotch or one of his men!" a voice gasped from a darkened corner.

"It's okay, Talia..." she said, with a slightly relieved sigh, "Come on... we're getting out of here."

The young woman stepped out of the shadows, frightened gray eyes staring at Elena. She was young, as Reno'd said... frankly, she didn't even look the eighteen years he'd claimed she was. Her honey-blonde hair was pulled back in a waist-length braid, and her hand rested protectively over her very pregnant belly.

"How? I've tried running away twice already... the second time, they were watching every door I was able to get to," she said, "That's when they started locking me in my room all day."

"There's a way out in the basement. We just have to..." Elena began, and Talia immediately went pale.

"N-no... I'm _not_ going down there..." she said, terror evident in her voice, "I'm _never_ going back down there. There isn't any way out down there. All that's down there is..." She whimpered softly, unable to finish whatever she'd intended to say.

Elena moved a few steps closer to the girl until she could take her hand. "You have to trust me," she said, "We can get out if we can just make it to the basement. A friend of mine is already there, waiting for us. He got in the same way we're getting out."

Talia shook her head, backing away.

"'Lena... tell her Lira sent you. They're close," Reno offered.

"Talia... please, trust me," Elena pleaded, "I'm here because Lira wants to help you."

"You... know Lira?" Talia asked, timidly. The Turk nodded.

"She's the one that helped me get in here so I could find you," Elena replied, "Now, we have to hurry, okay?"

Talia still looked uncertain. "Do we really have to go through the basement?" she queried.

"I know you don't want to, but it's the only way out that isn't being watched," the Turk said, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise... but we need to go."

Talia took a shaky breath and seemed to steady herself a bit. "O-okay... Let's go," she said at last. Elena smiled and turned to the door, peering into the hallway. The coast was clear, for the moment, at any rate, and she waved for Talia to follow her.

"Nice work..." Reno's voice congratulated her, "Remind me to have you try and convince Tseng I need some extra vacation time when we get back."

Elena bit back a retort... but only because Talia was nervous enough as it was, and she really didn't want to try to explain to the girl why she was apparently talking to herself.

"Don't get too complacent, though," he cautioned, tone turning serious, "You still gotta get yourselves down here. Elena stopped in her tracks, as a pair of shadows appeared farther down the hallway.

"How much longer we gotta keep feeding her in her room anyway?" a male voice groused, obviously annoyed.

"'Til the boss says otherwise." _That_ voice Elena recognized. It was Kotch. "Ah, hell..."

"Now what?"

"I forgot the damn key," Kotch replied, "Wait here... I'll be right back." His footsteps faded, but Elena could still see the silhouette of the other man against the wall.

"Don't move," Elena whispered to Talia.

"If you're gonna take him out, better do it in one. He raises the alarm, we're gonna have a problem," Reno's voice said.

"Ah, fuck this... I got better things to do. Kotch can feed the bitch himself," the man suddenly muttered. There was a quiet rattle as he set something down, followed by retreating footsteps. Elena crept forward, careful to stay hidden as she peaked around the corner. A tray of food had been left on a side table, but neither Kotch nor the other man were in sight.

"Hurry!" she whispered as loudly as she dared, motioning Talia forward. The girl was moving as quickly as her current condition would allow. All they had to do was make it to the stairs. They were almost home free.

Almost.

"Hey! Where the hell do ya think you're goin'?" Kotch yelled from the opposite end of the hall just as they reached the steep staircase leading into the basement.

"Go!" Elena said, nudging Talia forward, "I'll be right behind you."

The girl hesitated a moment, but at a second look from the Turk, she started down. Elena readied herself for a fight.

* * *

Reno hoisted himself out of the tunnel and into the room. If Elena was sending the girl on ahead, best that someone was there to meet her. He scowled as he got his first unimpeded look at what was actually _in_ the basement. He'd always known Corneo was a twisted bastard, but this really was more than he'd thought the man was capable of.

It was a fucking torture chamber. Chains, whips, spikes, cages, and god only knew what else... Corneo's own private dungeon of pain. No wonder the kid didn't want to come down here. He hoped the girl had only been shown the accoutrements and threatened... hoped that she didn't know from experience what the sick fuck did down here. Somehow he doubted she was that lucky.

Reno looked away from the leather cuffs – and their disturbing stains – fastened to the heavy table in the center of the room just as the girl reached the bottom of the stairs. She let out a soft shriek of surprise when she saw him, and almost turned to run.

"Relax kid, I'm part of the rescue party," he said, moving toward her with purpose, "Any time now, 'Lena... I got the girl." By the sounds coming through the headset, and what he could hear echoing down the stairs, the rookie seemed to be holding her own... for now at least. Reno grabbed Talia by the arm and led her toward their escape route.

"Don't wait... she doesn't move very fast. I'll catch up," Elena responded, as Reno turned his full attention to the girl.

"Down there?" she asked in a frightened voice.

"'Fraid so," the redhead replied, grinning slightly, "Don't worry... I'm not lettin' anything happen to ya. Lira'd castrate me if I did."

That seemed to calm her somewhat. He helped her slide into the hole, lowering her slowly by her arms until she reached the bottom. Reno frowned and glanced back toward the stairs. Elena was right... the sooner he got Talia moving through the tunnel, the better... but he didn't want to leave the rookie behind, either.

He sighed. The priority right now was the girl.

"... Just hurry the fuck up, 'Lena," he ordered, and followed Talia through the open drain. Reno dropped down into the tunnel, landing with a splash next to the girl. "Come on... 'Lena can't take on Corneo's whole fuckin' gang herself, so we gotta move while we got time."

The pair hadn't gone more than a hundred feet when a scream rang out over Reno's headset. His eyes went wide as the sound was followed by a series of bumps and thuds, and grunts of pain... and then everything went silent.

"Shit..." he whispered to himself, before trying to raise Elena again, "'Lena? Can you hear me?" He could hear her breathing... but the only answer he got was the sound of heavy boots on stone stairs. He instinctively spun back to look towards the drain.

"W-what is it?" Talia asked. Reno swore under his breathe.

"Keep goin'," he urged, pulling her along as fast as he dared. The sooner he handed the girl over to Tseng, the sooner he could go back for Elena. Half of him wanted to point her in the direction of the exit and turn back now. But he knew he couldn't. The poor kid was terrified, and his first responsibility was the mission.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that, you little whore..." a man's voice – not Kotch this time – ground out, and even over the radio, the anger was unmistakable... as was the sound of chains. Elena groaned. "Wake up, bitch!" He was pretty sure it was the same guy he'd heard before in the hallway. There was a loud crack, followed by another scream.

Reno felt his blood run cold.

The opening was just ahead. He quickened his pace as much as dragging along an eight-month-pregnant teenager would allow, and finally emerged into the dreary light of Wall Market. Tseng and Rude were waiting for him.

"Where's Elena," Tseng asked when the rookie didn't appear behind the two of them.

"No time... take the kid," Reno replied, all but shoving Talia into Tseng's arms, and sprinting back into the tunnel. As he ran, he pulled off the headset and shoved it into his pocket, unable to listen to the rookie being tortured... though he found he couldn't escape it. The sounds echoed just as loudly inside the narrow tunnel as they did over the radio, leaving him feeling sick.

* * *

"Who're ya workin' for, huh?" the man spat at her, "That little upstart Fabian over in Sector 3? Thinks he can horn in on the Don's business? Better start talkin', bitch... Kotch is a creampuff compared to me."

Elena pulled painfully, but futilely, at the chains that held her hands so high above her head she had to stand on her toes just to avoid hanging freely. That was the position she'd woken in... she wasn't sure how long she'd been out after her freefall down the stairs, but it couldn't have been any significant amount of time.

Kotch hadn't been that difficult an opponent, really. He was strong, but slow, and after training with Reno for so long, slow was a substantial disadvantage. It was when the second man had shown up that things had spiraled. She hadn't seen him in time. Instead of alerting the rest of the mansion, he'd sucker-punched her just as Kotch had gone down. The next thing she knew, she was tumbling head over heels down the steep basement stairs... and that was all she remembered until the first lash of the whip had jarred her back to consciousness minutes ago.

If nothing else, she'd bought Reno and Talia some time... at least she hoped she had. All she really knew was that neither of the were there in the room with her.

The man raised the whip again and brought it down hard on her thigh. She felt tears in her eyes at the searing pain, and let out a sob that mingled with a sharp cry. She already had several deep welts and cuts on her lower back and legs. Elena squeezed her eyes shut as she saw his arm rise again, the leather streaking toward her.

Though she heard it crack against something, the blow never came. Instead, there was a loud grunt and a crash.

"You fuckin' touch her again, you're gonna wish you were never born," a very angry, but very welcome voice growled. Elena's eyes snapped open. Reno was standing over the man who was lying half top of a toppled rack of still more torture devices. The whip was wrapped around the Turk's left arm. He shook it loose, catching it by the handle, and stared at it for a moment. "You're lucky I'm not into this kinda shit myself... or I'd give you as good as ya gave her... and then some."

"Shinra scum..." the man hissed, "Shoulda known."

"Now if you were smart, you'd've kept your goddamn mouth shut and not let on that ya recognized me," Reno replied, coldly calm, tossing the whip aside and drawing his sidearm, "Now, though... now I gotta kill ya."

He took aim at the man's head, who's eyes suddenly went wide in terror.

"'Course, to be fair," Reno continued, "I was thinkin' about doin' that anyway just on principle for fuckin' with my rookie. Just sayin'... now I don't have a choice in the matter. Can't have Corneo findin' out we're the ones who took his plaything away..."

"N-no, w-wait, I..."

Whatever plea the man had been planning on making was lost to the sound of the gunshot. Reno didn't bother sparing him a second glance as he holstered the weapon and lowered Elena to the floor. He made short work of her chains.

"Come on, 'Lena... someone's bound to have heard _that_ ," he said. Elena kicked off the one shoe that had somehow remained on her foot following her fall, and Reno helped her up. The rookie staggered as the welts and gashes on her back and thighs screamed in protest, crying out as her badly bloodied right leg gave out beneath her.

"O-ow... Reno, it hurts," she said, clinging to his arm. They were running out of time. Reno picked her up, carrying her toward the sewer drain.

"Hang on... I gotcha," he said, as he lowered her down. Heavy bootsteps could be heard on the stairs, as Reno jumped down himself. Once in the tunnel, he pulled the grate closed over the drain. "Let's go," he said quietly, pulling Elena's arm around his shoulders, and rushing her through the tunnel.

When they emerged, Reno set her down against the side of a building, and swung the heavy storm grate closed over the tunnel.

"Is Talia alright?" Elena asked, grimacing as she tried to get a better look at the damage she'd sustained.

"She's fine... Tseng and Rude are takin' her up topside as we speak," Reno said, grinning.

"Just Tseng," a voice interjected. Rude moved out of the shadows, joining the two Turks. Reno chuckled.

"Shoulda known you wouldn't leave me behind, partner," he said. Rude smirked.

"Someone had to make sure you didn't get penned in down there." He nodded to a pair of bodies in the alley. More of Corneo's men.

"Well, fuck... Guess that means I'm buyin' tonight," Reno sighed.

"Tomorrow night. You reek," Rude commented. The redhead gave him a withering look.

"You try crawlin' around in a fuckin' sewer for a couple hours and see how wonderful _you_ smell. Now, give me a hand with 'Lena, will ya? Her leg's pretty torn up. And so's her back, so take it easy."

Rude carefully took charge of the injured Turk, holding her face down over his shoulder to avoid putting pressure on any of the injuries. As much as Reno was loath to admit it, Rude's more powerful build let him travel faster carrying a burden than the wiry redhead was capable of. Otherwise, Reno would have been only too glad to have taken Elena himself. But none of them wanted to stick around Corneo's territory any longer than they had to.

"We missed the last train of the night. Got somewhere in mind?" Rude asked.

"How much cash ya got on ya?" Reno asked. Rude raised an eyebrow. "Head for the Honey Bee. Nothin' like hiding right under someone's nose."

* * *

"Just tell 'em ya want Lira and you'll even pay for the room 'til she's available. She'll be able to get the two of us in through the back," Reno advised. The three Turks were concealed in the alley behind the Honey Bee Inn. "If we're lucky, she's not already with a customer... but don't count on it. She's popular."

Rude nodded his understanding and disappeared around to the front side of the brothel.

"How ya doin'?" Reno asked, turning to Elena. The smaller gashes had stopped bleeding, but some of the larger ones were being stubborn. And then there was their little trip through the sewer, which would almost certainly mean a nasty infection if they didn't get her cleaned up soon.

"I'm fine, all things considered," Elena replied, leaning her head back against the wall.

"Ya did good," he said, "Gettin' caught was kind of a fuck up, but..."

"Hey!" the rookie said, indignantly. Reno snickered.

"Kidding," he smirked, "You really did great tonight, 'Lena."

The female Turk smiled at the praise, and the pair fell into silence for a short while.

"Reno?" a voice eventually called, concerned, from the Honey Bee's doorway, "You out there?" Reno helped Elena to her feet, steadying her as they made their way toward Lira. "Oh, sweet Shiva... what did that bastard do to you?" she gasped, catching sight of Elena, "And why do _you_ smell like death?" She looked pointedly at Reno, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

Reno glared at her. "Went for a little swim earlier," he muttered.

"Where?" Lira asked, motioning them inside, "The sewer?"

"Yeah, actually," he replied, and Elena had to stifle a laugh. Lira looked utterly repulsed.

"Please tell me there's running water in the room. Or... maybe just fifty gallons of bleach we can bathe him in?" Elena teased.

"It's not _that_ bad..." Reno groused, "... is it?" He'd gotten so used to the smell after being down there so long, he really couldn't tell anymore.

"Oh, believe me... it's that bad," Lira affirmed, and led them down a back hallway and into a room, locking the door behind her. Rude was waiting for them.

"You, give her to me so I can clean up those welts," she said to Reno. She then turned to Rude. "And _you_... for fuck's sake do somethin' with _him_. I can't take that stench any longer."

Rude gave Reno a slightly less than innocent smile, and cracked his knuckles.

"Rude... what are you thinkin'...?" Reno asked, nervously, as Lira took Elena off his hands. The redhead suddenly found himself tossed over the man's shoulder and hauled across the room. Rude dumped him unceremoniously, clothes and all, into the jacuzzi in the corner.

Reno sputtered as his head popped above the surface of the water. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Rude stated emphatically in response, and hit the button to turn on the jets for good measure.

* * *

The trio caught the first train back to the Plate the following morning, dragging themselves aboard with about as much grace as a drunken moogle. They'd accompanied Lira home the night before, and imposed upon her hospitality until dawn, sleeping in shifts just in case they hadn't covered their tracks as well as they thought and Corneo's men came sniffing around. Thankfully, it had been a quiet night, though none of them felt particularly well-rested.

Rude chuckled, staring at the other two Turks from across the otherwise empty car.

"What's so funny?" Reno asked. The bald Turk responded by pulling out his phone and snapping a photo of the pair.

"Think I'm gonna start telling people all about your long lost twin sister," he smirked, "At least until that dye washes out."

"Oh, please," Elena said, rolling her eyes, "I doubt anyone other than Tseng will even notice my hair."

"Famous last words..." Reno grinned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Trust me... a redhead doesn't not get noticed," he snickered, " _I'm_ used to the attention... you, on the other hand, are gonna be in for a shock."

"What's he talking about?" Elena asked, ignoring the double negative and glancing over at Rude. The other man shrugged.

"Oh... you'll see..." Reno replied, ominously.

* * *

Tseng settled back into an overstuffed armchair. The girl was safely asleep in the other room. As safehouses went, this was one of the more comfortable ones available to the Turks, and one of the best hidden. Even so, he'd been up and on guard throughout the night.

Rude had contacted him late last night, letting him know that all of his Turks were safe and relatively unharmed. Elena, apparently, had sustained some minor injuries before Reno had reached her, but nothing some disinfectant and bandages wouldn't take care of. Tseng had been greatly relieved by the news, particularly given the urgency Reno had displayed in going back for the rookie.

He'd brought the girl topside himself. He hadn't even considered ordering Rude to accompany him back to the Plate. That the man would have obeyed if Tseng had done so was without question... but he would not have been happy about it... and ultimately, Reno and Elena needed him more. Talia had been perfectly cooperative, if slightly terrified at first, and the return trip had gone more smoothly than the Turk leader could have hoped... Now if only his wayward Turks would hurry and return home.

A soft sound from the other side of the room pulled him from his thoughts.

"Good morning, Talia," he said, glancing up at the figure standing nervously in the doorway.

"G-good morning," Talia replied, shifting uncertainly. Tseng smiled slightly. He couldn't blame her for being apprehensive. She really had no idea who he was or why he and the others had gone to the trouble of rescuing her from Corneo's mansion. He hadn't been overly concerned about explaining himself on the trip back, being more focused on getting her safely away from the slums.

"As I assured you last night, you're not in any danger here. You have my word that you will not be harmed... though I certainly won't hold your obvious skepticism against you, given recent events," he said, calmly, rising from the chair, "Are you hungry?"

"Kind of..." she said, softly.

"I'm afraid I'm not an especially good cook, but..." Tseng was interrupted, by a knock at the door. The girl jumped, startled, and the Turk motioned for her to stay where she was. Fingers wrapping around his holstered sidearm, he peered through the security peephole in the door... and immediately relaxed. "It's alright," he said to the girl, "Just a few friends."

Tseng unbolted the door, and opened it.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd all decided to take the day off," he said as Reno pushed his way into the room first, immediately flopping down on the couch.

"Thought about it, Boss" Reno said with a grin. Rude trailed him through the door.

"... Suggested it, too," the other Turk added.

"More than once," a female voice from behind Rude teased. Though the voice was familiar, Tseng was a little shocked when a second redheaded figure peaked out from behind the man. He blinked.

"Elena?"

"Yes, sir?" she asked, slightly confused for a moment, "Oh... right... the hair. It was Reno's idea."

"It was _Lira's_ idea," Reno corrected, smirking, "Don't you dare start blamin' that shit on me... I take no responsibility for your upcoming life as a temporary redhead. Though I _will_ be enjoying it immensely."

Talia had finally ventured out into the room, and made a beeline for Elena, hugging her tight.

"Thank you so much for getting me out of there," she said, "I was so worried when you weren't behind us..."

"Tch... Nothin' to worry about," Reno cut in before she could respond, stretching out more fully across the couch, "I wasn't gonna let anything happen to her. I lose a rookie and Tseng'll kick my ass into next week _And_ make me find a new one... probably on my day off. Less hassle to just the one we got in one piece."

"Ignore him. His jokes get progressively less amusing the longer it's been since he's eaten... He's really quite likeable once he's been fed," Tseng assured Talia, who was looking at Reno as though he were no better than any other man she'd met lately.

"Ha. Ha." Reno deadpanned, "Speakin' of food, though..."

"On it," Rude called from the kitchen.

"Oh, good... I was afraid we'd have to suffer through one of the boss' attempts at breakfast," Reno shouted back, grinning at Tseng, whose only response was a roll of the eyes. Elena guided Talia over to the couch, and shot the redhead a glare.

"Yeah, alright... I'm movin'..." he replied, swinging his legs over the edge and sitting up so the pregnant woman could have a seat.

"W-what are you going to do with me now?" she asked.

"Geez, boss... ya let the poor kid sit around worryin' all night?" Reno said before Tseng could answer.

"I didn't have time to explain anything in detail... She was exhausted by the time we arrived, and she only woke up a few minutes before you three returned," he replied, "But, in answer to your question, we've contacted your aunt in Kalm. You'll be joining her as soon as transportation can be arranged."

"Aunt Evelyn?" Talia gasped, a smile spreading across her face. Tseng nodded. "But... why?"

"Someone asked us to," Reno replied with a shrug.

"And unfortunately we're not at liberty to tell you any more than that. It was part of the arrangement," Tseng clarified, "Our job is simply to get you out, keep you safe, and see that you make it home to your family."

"It was Kwedge... wasn't it?" she said, smiling slightly as she ran a hand gently over her swollen belly.

Reno glanced over at Tseng, uncertain how to answer that. The Turk leader shook his head in amusement. The girl was more perceptive than he would have given her credit for.

"I will neither confirm nor deny," he replied.

"He's the only one who would have done something like this," she said, knowingly, "It's really his, you know. I was starting at the Honey Bee the day after I found out. We had an awful fight after I told him I was pregnant. I was so stupid... he kept trying to talk to me, but I wouldn't see him. And then Don Corneo's men came and took me to his mansion. I tried to tell him them truth, but... he insisted it couldn't belong to anyone but him. The more I denied it..." She sniffled softly, wiping a hand across her eyes, before looking up at Elena, "... well, that's why I didn't want to go down to the basement..."

"Corneo's a pig," Reno muttered darkly, "How fucked up do ya have to be to treat a girl like that? 'Specially one that's gonna have a kid... like at any fucking second now..."

Talia grimaced slightly and pressed a hand to her abdomen.

"Uh... I was just kidding about that..." Reno said nervously, eyes going wide, "Seriously... _don't_ have it now."

Talia giggled softly. "He's just kicking, that's all. I think he agrees with you." She took hold of the redhead's hand, and pressed it to her stomach. Reno jumped slightly at the sudden movement from within. "See?" she said, smiling.

"Oh, thank Ifrit," Reno sighed in relief, "That's somethin' I really don't need to see more than once..."

Tseng snorted in laughter, both at Reno's response, and at Elena's confused expression. "Reno is the only Turk since the founding of Shinra who holds the honor of having delivered a baby," he explained.

"Didn't know traumatic experiences counted as an 'honor' now," came the petulant reply, as he drew his hand back from the girl, "That shit scarred me for life."

Thankfully, Reno was saved from further reliving said traumatic experience by Rude, who declared that breakfast was ready.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Elena and Tseng were escorting Talia towards the Shinra company helicopter that would take her to Kalm. Rude had been left in charge of the office in the interim, as Tseng intended to see to her safe arrival himself. Reno had disappeared more than an hour ago... where, Elena had no idea.

"Hey, hold up!" a voice called to them from across the helipad. Elena glanced over to see the aforementioned Turk emerging onto the roof, pulling along someone behind him. Talia looked over at the sudden appearance of two new people and gasped.

"Lira!" she cried happily, as the second figure came into view and rushed over to her.

"Oh, sweetie, I just couldn't let ya go without sayin' goodbye," Lira said, embracing the younger woman.

"I'm so glad you came," Talia replied, almost in tears.

"Well, you can thank Reno for that. Wouldn't have known you were gettin' ready to leave town so soon if he hadn't come and got me..."

Talia smiled, as Reno finally joined the group, not having been in quite as big a rush as Lira to reach the woman.

"Thank you," she said simply.

"Nah, don't mention it," the redhead shrugged, before adding, "'Sides... if I hadn't, Lira woulda been pissed at me. You ever seen her truly pissed off?" Lira swatted Reno on the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You always have to end on joke..." Lira said, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, "Odin forbid someone might start to think you're actually the decent person you are..." She shook her head and turned back to Talia, hugging her again. "You take care of yourself, okay? _And_ that baby..."

"I will. And you, too," Talia replied. Tseng offered her his hand to help her into the helicopter. Elena followed, and moments later, they were airborne. Talia continued to wave to Lira back on the helipad until she was out of sight.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon before Tseng and Elena returned from Kalm. While Elena happily wandered off in search of a late lunch, Tseng joined Rude in one of the sub-basement interrogation rooms. Seated at a small table in the center of the room was a young man, perhaps nineteen or twenty years old with dark brown hair and a slightly rotund build.

"Is she safe?" the man asked.

"Yes. I delivered Talia to her aunt in Kalm personally," Tseng replied, reaching into his suit jacket and removing his PHS. He pulled up a photo of the girl standing in front of a house in what was very obviously the small village east of Midgar. "I trust that is sufficient?"

The younger man nodded.

"In that case, I believe you owe us some information."

"My brother... he's a member of Avalanche," he replied, "He doesn't tell me everything, but I hear plenty. They've got somethin' big planned. Wedge said something about makin' their point with one of the reactors."

"When?" Tseng asked.

"I don't know," the man replied. At Tseng's annoyed look he quickly added, " _They_ don't know yet, either. They're still tryin' to figure out a way past the new security. And there's a girl... Jessie... who's been workin' on fake IDs for the train that won't trigger the alarms. Plus... they're still lookin' to hire some more muscle before they even think about goin' for it."

"And their base of operations?"

"The Seventh Heaven bar. A woman named Tifa runs the place... I don't know for sure if she does anything more than give 'em a place to meet, though," he said. Tseng nodded. They'd already assumed as much, but confirmation was always nice.

"And you're sure they're the ones who have been trying to break into Shinra's computer network?" Rude queried.

"Jessie did that. I overheard her say so," he said, "Only one of 'em that knows a thing about computers, anyway. She wanted plans for something."

"I see..." Tseng said, considering the possibilities, as he steepled his fingers in front of him, elbows resting on the edge of the table. "I want names... and descriptions. Ever member you're aware of."

Rude leaned back in his chair. They were going to be here for awhile.

* * *

Elena glowered at Reno as he stepped into the elevator alongside her. She'd been tugging at a few stray locks of her temporarily red hair and looking very put-out... almost to the point of pouting... when he'd first stepped aboard. Now, she stood, eyes locked on him in a malevolent glare.

"Keep it up and your face'll stick that way," Reno said, grinning. He had a pretty good idea what had his normally chipper rookie in such a less-than-cheery mood.

"It's all your fault, you know," she all but growled.

"Told ya already... I take no responsibility for this... but welcome to my world."

Elena tried to think of suitable a retort for that, but came up short. At last, she sighed in resignation.

"I feel like every last person in the building has been watching me wherever I go. I don't think most of them have ever even noticed me before! And for crying out loud, why does _everyone_ want to touch it?!" she finally asked, gesturing to her hair. Reno's grin was growing wider by the minute.

He shrugged. "Red hair's uncommon. People are attracted to the novelty," he replied.

"How do you stand it?"

"Oh, that's easy... I'm an attention whore," he smirked.

"You like being ogled?" Elena said incredulously, before shaking her head, "Oh... wait... I forgot who I was talking to. Of course _you'd_ like it. You practically _live_ for it."

Reno took a little bow. The elevator dropped them off at the Turks' offices, and Elena trailed him to the lounge.

"You used to do it to me, too, ya know," Reno added, pushing open the door.

"W-what!? I did not!" she denied, sounding slightly scandalized.

"The hell you didn't," Reno said, laughing. "The entire first week after your promotion, I think my hair's probably the only thing ya recognized me by," Elena scoffed, and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Probably couldn't've even told me what color my eyes were if I'd asked," he teased, "Matter of fact... What color _are_ my eyes, 'Lena? And no fair lookin'..."

"Oh, for Shiva's sake..." Elena groaned, without even bothering to turn around, "They're blue... with a little bit of green in the center."

"You sure about that?" Reno asked. The rookie spun around to face him.

"Of course I'm sure," she replied, but much to her chagrin, she couldn't stop her gaze from going straight to his eyes to double check. He snickered, obviously having expected her to do exactly that.

"Oh, for... give me a break," she muttered, looking away and tying to ignore just how obscenely amused the man was over the whole situation.

"You tried to pet it once, too, but ya chickened out. Yeah... I noticed," he snuck in quickly, watching the woman turn pink, before switching gears, "So... how many times ya heard 'I've never slept with a redhead before' so far today?"

"Once.. from Creepy Gym Guy," Elena admitted with a shudder.

"The one from 19 who's always checkin' ya out on the treadmill?"

"Yeah, that's the guy. I told him off."

"Really?" Reno asked, cocking his head slightly, "My response is usually 'Do ya want to?'..."

"He'd probably try and take me up on the offer," said Elena, "I wonder if I can just dye it back?"

"Red to blonde? Good luck," he commented, chuckling softly, "Now ask me how I know that..."

"O...kay... How do you know that?" she asked, one eyebrow rising.

"'Cause Tseng once tried to turn me into a double for Rufus," said Reno. He headed for the couch and made himself comfortable, stretching out across its entire length. "Ya think I look weird with blue hair, ya shoulda seen _that_ dye job... Basically turned it orange. And not a subtle orange, either. Think reflective traffic cone orange. I made Tseng _swear_ he'd never do that to me again..."

"... Do what to you again?" Rude asked, catching the tail end of the conversation as he walked through the door.

"Dye my hair," Reno responded.

Rude began to chuckle. "That was not a good look for you..." he commented.

"Yeah, no shit..."

"... You wouldn't even let me take a picture..." Rude continued.

"Damn straight."

"Good thing I took it before you told me not to," he finished. Reno sat up, staring at Rude as if trying to gauge whether or not the man was joking.

"I'm gonna have to kill you now, aren't I?" Reno said when it became apparent that he was not.

~fin~


	21. Where There's Smoke

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 21: Where There's Smoke**

 **by Desha**

He jerked awake, startled, hand instinctively reaching beneath the pillow, fingers curling around the grip of his sidearm before he even knew what had woken him. All was silent and still as tired eyes focused in on the clock beside his bed.

"The fuck...?" he muttered. He hadn't woken on his own at three thirty-two in the morning, he was certain of that. He jumped, finger tensing on the trigger, as a sharp pounding echoed through his apartment. Well, _that_ would certainly explain why he was awake... it took him a moment to realize that the sound was someone knocking on his door. Insistently.

Reno groaned. "Whoever it is, someone better be tryin' to kill ya... 'cause if you woke me up for any other reason, _I'm_ gonna," he muttered under his breath as rolled out of bed, the gun still in his hand. The cool night air on his bare skin made him flinch. He briefly considered finding some clothes before he opened the door, but by now the knocking was almost incessant.

'Fuck it,' he thought, making his way into the living room, still naked, 'They woke me up, they can deal with the consequences...'

"Alright, alright..." he moaned, hopefully loud enough for his inconsiderate guest to hear, "I'm comin' for Ifrit's sake..." Either they didn't hear, or they just ignored him, because the knocking continued, unabated. He debated whether or not he ought to be aiming the gun when he opened the door... he doubted very much that anyone planning to attack would bother knocking, but it would certainly be a memorable experience for whoever it was. Especially if he looked as pissed off as he currently felt.

He decided that he wasn't quite awake enough to trust himself not to shoot on sight, however, and kept the weapon pointed at the floor as he yanked the door open.

"You got any idea what time..." he growled, only to cut himself off mid-sentence. He blinked, shaking his head to clear it, but no... his second look at the person at his door was the same as the first. "... 'Lena?"

She looked like she was half asleep herself. Hell, she _looked_ like she'd just rolled out of bed moments before he had. She was barefoot and dressed in dark green pajamas. Her hair – still noticeably red from her most recent mission, though the color had finally begun to fade from the vibrant shade it had been to more of a strawberry blond – was a mess... and she was shivering. In her hands, she was clutching the bars of a small cage, inside of which a very agitated ferret was racing back and forth from one side to the other.

"... My apartment's on fire..." she said, blearily... almost emotionlessly.

"Uhh... 'kay..." He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, particularly since Elena herself seemed more than a little out of it at the moment. He finally managed to shake himself from his shock and pulled her into the apartment, closing the door behind her. He sat her down on the couch and took the cage from her, setting it on the coffee table. "Stay right there..."

Reno headed for his bedroom, and pulled on a robe before grabbing a spare blanket. He returned to his troubled rookie moments later, finding her rubbing her arms trying to warm up.

"Hang on," he said softly, as he wrapped the blanket around her, his fingers brushing against the exposed flesh of her arms. "Fuck, 'Lena, you're half frozen..." he gasped. He wasn't sure if it was the concern in his voice of the sudden warmth against cold skin, but she seemed to snap out of her near-robotic state of mind at last.

"I was in the parking lot for awhile, watching. Everyone thought it would be out quickly and we could go back inside... it didn't seem like that big of a fire at first. It's really cold outside..."

"Why the hell didn't you call me? Or Tseng? Or Rude? Any one of us woulda come and got you," he asked.

Elena shook her head. "I didn't have time to grab anything other than Snuffy. And I couldn't find anyone with a phone."

"How'd ya get here, then?" he wondered.

"I keep a spare car key in a little box in the wheel well. In case I lock myself out..."

He tried not to think too hard about Elena behind the wheel in the state she'd been in a few minutes ago. She shuddered violently beneath the blanket.

"Okay... well, first things first. We need to get you warm," he said, slipping under the blanket with her, and pulling her towards him. She curled against him, laying her head on his shoulder and lapsed into silence for a short while.

"What time is it?" she suddenly asked, the spacy, half-asleep tone back in her voice.

"Three thirty-somethin'... why?"

"Sorry..." she murmured.

"For what?" he asked, incredulously.

"Waking you up so late... early... late?" She looked up at him, her expression one of utter confusion.

"'Lena, I think you need some sleep. You're not thinkin' straight right now," he replied, worried. Something was off with her. In fact, if it had been just about anyone else, he'd have guessed she was on something.

"I feel strange," she sighed, laying her head back down.

Or had been given something.

"You weren't out anywhere tonight, were ya? Before the fire?" he ventured. She shook her head.

"... You take anything tonight I should know about?" he asked, though he _very_ seriously doubted it. Elena just wasn't the type to be into recreational shit. She barely even drank. Another shake of the head confirmed that.

"Anyone give ya anything to eat or drink before ya started feelin' like this?"

"Mmmhmm..." she hummed softly against his neck.

"What?" he pressed her.

"Coffee," she said, drowsily, "He had coffee for everyone... It was cold outside."

Crap.

"Okay..." he replied, trying to keep him tone even, "'Lena... don't move, 'kay? I'm gonna go get dressed, and then I'm takin' you to the emergency room."

"It was terrible coffee..." she mumbled as he gently laid her down on the couch. Reno rushed to grab some clothes, along with his PHS and his keys, dressing quickly. When he returned, Elena was barely conscious.

"'Lena?" he prodded, tapping her cheek with the palm of his hand, trying to rouse her, and swearing loudly when he couldn't. "Yeah... We're outta here," he said, picking her up, blanket and all, and carrying her out door.

* * *

Tseng groaned as the obnoxiously insistent ringing jarred him from a sound sleep. He rolled onto his stomach, one hand feeling along the night table by the bed until his hand closed around his PHS.

"Tseng here," he answered, trying to sound as awake as possible.

"I'm at Midgar General in the ER. It's 'Lena," his lieutenant's voice replied back, and Tseng suddenly no longer had to _try_ to sound awake.

"What happened?" he asked, righting himself and sitting up in bed.

"Not sure," Reno said, and Tseng could hear the concern in his voice, "All I know is that there was a fire, and they evacuated her building. 'Lena showed up at my place actin' like a damn zombie... Then she passed out and I couldn't wake her up again, so I brought her in."

"Drugged?" the Turk leader asked, pulling clothes from his closet.

"Sure was actin' like it... haven't got an answer from the docs yet, though."

"Any idea how?"

"Maybe. Said someone was passin' out coffee at the fire. Didn't have time to get much more out of her."

"I'm leaving now... Ten minutes," Tseng assured him, "In the mean time, call Ward."

"Should I wake up Rude, too?"

"I'll do it," he replied, "You focus on Elena."

He ended the call and finished dressing, before dialing Rude's number. It rang only twice.

"Rude," the man's voice intoned over the connection, sounding surprisingly alert for it being barely four in the morning. He half-wondered if he'd woken him at all.

"I'm on my way to Midgar General," said Tseng. He collected his keys from the hook by the door, and exited his apartment, heading straight for his car.

"What'd Reno do now and how bad is it?"

"Not Reno. Elena," he clarified.

"... I'll meet you there."

* * *

"How is she?"

Reno jumped, startled beyond belief. "Fuck, Tseng... ya tryin' to put _me_ in the hospital, too?" he cried, before taking a breath, "She was out cold last they let me see her. They're still waitin' on blood tests to find out what the hell's in her system. Won't tell me shit." He glared in the general direction of the nurse's station.

To be fair, he probably wasn't at his most endearing at the moment. If it hadn't been four in the gods-forsaken morning, and if he hadn't been worried half to death about the rookie, he'd probably have come across as a whole lot less threatening – and a lot more charming – when he'd questioned the two young women currently on duty there. As it was, he was pretty sure they'd been about five seconds away from calling security on him before he'd finally realized he wasn't doing himself any favors and backed off.

"How are _you_?" Tseng asked.

"Oh, I'm just fucking terrific," he ground out, thoroughly annoyed, for some reason, by Tseng's ridiculously calm demeanor. "'Lena's in a fucking hospital bed, none of these assholes are tellin' me anything, and where the fuck is Ward, anyway? Her place is three goddamn blocks from here."

"Sit down," he said, " _Calm_ down. And then tell me what happened."

Reno sighed. Tseng was right... he needed to stop before he drove himself crazy. He sat down on one of the decidedly uncomfortable waiting room chairs, the Turk leader joining him.

"Told ya already," he began, "She just showed up. Woke me up knocking on the door 'bout three thirty. She was kinda... robotic... at first. First thing she said to me was 'My apartment's on fire' like it was somethin' that happened every day."

"How did she manage to get to your apartment at all?"

"She fucking drove," Reno replied, running a hand through his hair. He still had trouble believing it, himself, "No idea how she managed to make it in one piece. She was really spaced out."

Tseng suddenly shifted his gaze over Reno's shoulder, and the redhead turned to do the same, spotting Rude on his way through the doors, Justinia Ward making her way in alongside him.

"Well, now this is a first, isn't it? Thought I must still be dreaming when _you_ were the one waking me up in the middle of the night. Usually, yer the one I'm being woken up _for._ "

Reno scowled as he stood to meet the woman. He was in no mood to deal with the woman's abrasive bedside manner just now. Whatever he'd intended to say, however, was forgotten a moment later.

"Don't yeh worry. I'll check in on her for yeh. Find out what's going on..." Dr. Ward said, ruffling his hair... an action that earned her an even deeper scowl, in spite of his gratitude for her assistance... and made her way back towards the treatment rooms.

"What's going on?" Rude asked.

"We're not entirely certain yet," Tseng replied, "Elena appears to have been drugged. How, why, and by whom, however, are questions we have yet to answer. Apparently there was a fire. Her building was evacuated... and she somehow managed to drive herself to Reno's despite being rather out of it at the time."

"She was freezing when she got there, too," Reno added, "Kinda came to her senses for a couple of minutes and said she'd been outside for awhile while they were putting the fire out. So I tried gettin' her warmed up, and she started slippin' again. Got real confused and sleepy. By then it was pretty obvious somethin' wasn't right, so I started tryin' to get some information outta her. All she really told me was that she felt strange, and that it started after someone gave her some coffee at the fire. Then she passed out and I brought her straight here."

"And a good thing yeh did, too," Ward's voice gravely interrupted, "If yeh'd just left her ta sleep it off, like a lotta people would've... she'd be dead right now."

Reno felt himself go cold, and judging by the sudden concerned look on Tseng's face and steadying hand at his back, he was pretty sure he'd gone pale as well.

"Yeh don't need ta panic... She's alright. Relatively speaking," Ward continued, "... But she did stop breathing for a moment there."

"What the fuck do you mean, she stopped breathin'?" Reno asked.

"Well, I thought I was fairly clear with that," Ward said, "I mean she stopped breathing. For about a minute, they said... If yeh want the medical lingo for what happened, then yeh can call it acute respiratory depression leading to arrest. She's on a ventilator right now, which sounds much worse than it really is. Soon as this clears outta her system, she'll be just fine. It's waiting for it to run its course that's going ta be the unpleasant part."

"I take it then, they've figured out what she was given?" Tseng concluded.

"They've got a general idea. Could be any one of several things in the same family. The good news is that the treatment doesn't vary between 'em, so even if they can't determine exactly which one it is, they know what ta do for her," the doctor replied.

"So... what was it? Generally?" Reno queried.

"Opiate of some sort," she said, "I'd put money on it being one that's been popular lately, goes by the name of Sentience. She woulda been alright if she'd gotten a normal dose. Woulda left her a bit feeling euphoric and relaxed most likely... Whoever gave it to her either didn't know the dosage, or was _tryin'_ ta hurt her. She's got close ta six times what'd be considered safe in her right now."

Reno growled low in his throat. Whoever had done this was going to pay for it. Painfully.

"Rude... Go to Elena's apartment building and see what's going on. I want to know if this happened to anyone else," Tseng said, interupting Reno's violent train of thought.

"... You worried she was targeted?"

"I'd like to rule it out at least."

Rude nodded, and turned to go.

"I'm comin' with you," Reno said.

"No... you're not," Tseng replied.

"Like hell I'm..."

"You're not going with Rude, because you're going back to _your_ apartment. Check Elena's car, see if she happened to bring along that coffee cup. If that was indeed the source of the drug, it narrows our search to those at the scene of the fire. If not, our haystack gets quite considerably larger," he said, neatly cutting the redhead off. He smiled lightly, "And while you're there, you might also consider arming yourself, and putting on something a bit more conducive to tracking down a possible attempted murderer."

Reno glanced down at himself, realizing that he was still wearing the first things he'd managed to grab from his laundry basket in the dark... which as it happened, was a pair of worn sweatpants and a ragged Petrified Zolom concert shirt from about two years ago that he'd actually thought he'd already thrown out. On top of that, as Tseng had mentioned, he'd left without any weapons.

" _Then_ you may join Rude," Tseng added.

"They'll be admitting Elena and moving her upstairs shortly. Yeh can see her for a moment before they take her, if yeh like," Ward said, "She's still unconscious, and probably will be for quite awhile yet."

The three of them followed the doctor back to one of the rooms. Elena was so very still... As much as Reno tried to tell himself that she was only asleep, it brought him little comfort. This never seemed to get any easier. He'd seen Rude in a similar state more than once over the years... Tseng, as well. The dread it filled him each time with never seemed to lessen. It was somehow much worse when it was Elena, though... she looked so much more fragile lying there than either of the two men would have. He knew better, of course... Elena was _far_ from fragile... but it didn't make looking at her right now any less painful.

"Go... both of you," Tseng said a moment later, "I'll stay with her."

* * *

The first thing Reno did when he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex was track down Elena's car. He found it without too much trouble... it was parked askew across a narrow stretch of landscaping, the driver's side door still open.

He ducked inside, settling into the driver's seat. The keys were even still in the ignition. Elena really hadn't been with it at all by the time she made it there, he mused. He started the engine and backed the vehicle out, moving it several spaces down. If he left it where it was, odds were good management would have it towed as soon as they found it... which was a headache Elena didn't need to deal with.

He looked around the neat interior of the car. At first glance, he didn't see a coffee cup... or much of anything else, for that matter. Elena's car, much like her apartment always seemed to be, was pristine. It wasn't until he looked in back that he spotted it on the floor behind the passenger's seat... a small styrofoam cup. He picked up, mindful of the scant few drops of liquid left inside. As he did so, he noticed something unusual. A small 'X' had been written in red ink near the rim of the cup on one side.

Reno frowned... The fact that the cup looked to have been marked wasn't a good sign. He snapped a quick photo and forwarded it to Tseng and Rude.

His first task completed, he hurried upstairs to his apartment, where he was greeted by the sounds of a very annoyed ferret. He dropped the cup into a sandwich bag, and turned to the creature.

"Hey, Snuffy," he said, opening the cage and letting him climb onto his shoulder, "Don't worry... 'Lena's gonna be fine." Snuffy chittered softly by his ear in response. He made sure their shared pet had food and water, and placed him back in the cage, lightly scratching the top of his head.

Reno made his way to the bedroom and stripped off his haphazard outfit, replacing it with his uniform. His mag-rod and gun were quickly located, and moments later he was on his way out the door for the second time that night.

* * *

The parking lot was lit by bright orange light, as flames enveloped much of the building. Some residents were still huddled in small groups outside, watching in morbid fascination as it burned, but most, by now, had retreated to the handful of businesses in the neighborhood open at so early an hour. A small diner two blocks down was particularly full, as was an all-night laundromat.

The blaze had, according to the people Rude had spoken to, started around two in the morning. It was just after four thirty now, and it seemed that those fighting to contain it still had their work cut out for them. Half the building was in flames. Elena's apartment, on the far end, seemed to be safe for the moment... though if it wasn't brought under control soon, it was unlikely to remain so.

His PHS chimed softly, and Rude glanced down at the screen, thumbing open the new message from Reno. His brow furrowed in concern at the picture that loaded. A marked cup usually meant it was intended for someone specific.

He had yet to find anyone who had recognized the man handing out coffee to the displaced residents earlier, and in fact had only the vague description that he'd been short with brown, or possibly black, hair to go on. Most people had been paying more attention to the fire or their families at the time. What he had _not_ found were any more cases of someone being drugged. That, combined with Reno's discovery, painted a pretty clear picture of Elena being singled out.

The question was why. The most obvious possibility... that she was a Turk... seemed the most likely answer. But if that were the case, why hadn't any of the rest of them been subjected to any kind of attack? Had Elena been the first, simply by virtue of her being less experienced and thus looking like an easier target?

Or had it been more personal? Don Corneo certainly wasn't happy at present... though if he was aware of the Turks' involvement – and Elena's, specifically – in liberating his young captive a couple of weeks ago, none of _his_ informants had caught wind of it. And if Rude's eyes and ears in the slums didn't see or hear anything, it was a rare occurrence indeed.

The possibility that Elena had been targeted for no other reason than that she was a Turk and that he _hadn't_ heard anything about a possible attack didn't sit well with Rude at all. Intelligence was his specialty among them, and he prided himself on always being a step ahead of anyone looking to cause trouble for Shinra. If he had somehow failed, and Elena had paid the price for it, it would be some time before he managed to forgive himself for it. As it was, he'd already begun spreading the word among his network that he was looking for information on the attack, but he'd yet to hear anything worthwhile.

The more he thought about his injured teammate, the more his inner monolog began to remind him of Reno when we was particularly enraged. He had no doubt in his mind that, as soon as they found out who was responsible, the redhead would be out for blood. And Rude planned on being right behind him.

For now, however, a cool head was what was needed... something his partner didn't always excel at. Though in this case, he was having a difficult time of it himself.

* * *

It was closing in on five o'clock when Reno pulled into the parking lot of Elena's apartment building, more than a little shocked by the scale of the fire. Rude spotted him long before the redhead zeroed in on his partner, making his way over to him.

"Anything?" Reno asked.

"Not much."

"What about security cameras?"

"Nothing from the building," Rude answered, "Footage is stored on equipment in the maintenance office... which is currently on fire. Doubt there's going to be much of anything left."

"Fuck."

Rude smirked. He hadn't come up completely empty handed. "Might still have a shot at some video, though. Guy was set up over there," he said, nodding to a corner of the parking lot far from the action, "There's camera at the complex across the street... looks like it might be able to see it. At least a partial view, anyway."

"That's more like it," Reno replied, "What do we gotta do to see it?"

"Convince the nice, and extremely suspicious, lady at the gate to let two strange men into a building inhabited entirely by young female students, at five in the morning and give us access to their security office,"said Rude.

"Oh, is _that_ all," Reno said, grinning widely, "Wait here."

Rude leaned back against a lamp post, and watched the redhead make his way to the gatehouse. He glanced at his watch, noting the time. He almost certainly could have threatened, even forced, his way in on his own... but aside from wanting to avoid unnecessary collateral damage, being _allowed_ in made things infinitely less of a headache. They wouldn't have to worry about locating where the footage was stored, or being able to access it if the system was well-secured... nor would they have to concern themselves with wasting time explaining what they were doing to the Midgar police force when they were inevitably called. Thus, he'd held off on any attempts until Reno had shown up... the redhead had a distinct talent for talking his way into places he shouldn't be.

Rude stood up straight when he saw Reno wave him over, and looked down at his watch again. Three minutes, seventeen seconds. He shook his head, chuckling, and quickly joined him in front of the opening gate.

* * *

This was never an enjoyable part of his job. There were few things he disliked more than waiting for one of his own to wake up in a hospital. It disproportionately seemed to be Reno he was watching over... but he hated seeing any of them hurt. Tseng was far from well-rested, but sleep wouldn't be claiming him any time soon.

"Yeh could at least sit down," a voice called quietly from the door.

"I could," Tseng agreed. He wouldn't, of course. If he did, he'd only end up feeling more tired than he already did. At least moving around a bit kept the blood circulating.

Dr. Ward huffed in annoyance. "Stubborn, that's what yeh are," she commented, handing him a fresh cup of coffee. He smiled gratefully, and turned his attention back to Elena.

"How long will she be like this?" he asked.

"I'd say six more hours, maybe, before they can safely remove that breathing tube. She may wake up before then, but it's hard ta say. Probably won't be feeling quite herself for at least twenty-four, though. And I definitely won't be signing off on her going back to work 'til Monday. Give her Friday and the weekend to recuperate. Yeh heard anything from those two yet?"

"Nothing of substance," Tseng replied.

"Well, if yeh need me, I'll be in the staff room. You may yet be young enough to go without sleep... even if yeh _shouldn't_... but I'm afraid I'm not."

"Thank you being here," he replied, "I forget sometimes just how much we tend to impose upon you."

"Hmph... you lot do get more than your fair share of my time, that's for sure," she commented, smiling slightly as she left, "Yer lucky I'm fond of yeh."

* * *

"This is gettin' us nowhere," Reno lamented, "The fucker never moves into frame..." They'd watched nearly forty minutes of footage already... and while the person of interest was, indeed visible in the video, they hadn't seen much more of him than his left hand.

"..."

"Yeah, yeah... I know," he muttered, "Keep watchin'." He rubbed at his eyes, and rested his chin on one hand. Suddenly he sat up. He still couldn't see the man, but another face had caught his attention. "There's 'Lena."

"What's she doing?" Rude asked, leaning forward. Reno shook his head. She'd taken the cup, but unlike the other people, hadn't left immediately.

"Think she's talkin' to the guy..." Reno replied. Now he was studying the expression on the rookie's face. She didn't look concerned or defensive. If anything she seemed... Oh, hell yes, he knew that expression all too well. She was annoyed... in the long-suffering sort of way that had evolved into quiet acceptance of the fact. "Fuck... Rude, I think she _knows_ him. Goddammit, move _over_ you son of bitch..." he growled at the video.

Elena walked away. Once she was gone, the man, too, began to pack things up to leave.

"Only interested in her," Rude commented, his tone foreboding. The man suddenly leaned down to pick something up. Rude's hand shot out to the controls, running the footage back a few seconds, and pausing it as he moved into view, shaking his head. "No good," he muttered, running through it frame by frame, "Can't see him any clearer than that."

"Don't need to," Reno ground out, glaring angrily at the monitor , "I know _exactly_ who that is..."

* * *

Tseng answered his phone on the first ring. Technically, he wasn't allowed to have it on in the rooms, but the hospital staff were well-acquainted with him... and none of them were brave enough to demand the Turk shut it off.

"You have something?" he asked, expectantly.

"Yeah," Reno replied, anger evident in his tone, "Yeah, we got somethin' all right. It's a Shinra employee. We're at the office. Rude's checkin' employee records now for his name and address."

"How did you find him?"

"Asshole turned up on a security camera. Never get a real good look at him, but I've seen the guy enough times to recognize him. Works on nineteen... and he's been botherin' 'Lena in the gym practically since her promotion."

Tseng frowned. "And you never thought to mention this?" he replied, a little more snappishly than he'd intended.

"... I... honestly didn't think he was dangerous," Reno reluctantly admitted, "Neither did 'Lena."

"Find him, bring him in, and then contact me before you do anything further" Tseng replied evenly. He'd deal with Reno's lapse in judgment later, "And Reno... You needn't bother being gentle."

"Wasn't plannin' on it," he responded, and ended the call.

* * *

Reno was unusually quiet. As Rude turned onto the inter-Plate freeway that would take them back into Sector 1, he glanced sideways at his partner. He had a pretty good idea of what exactly was on his mind.

"Wasn't your fault," he stated.

"Like hell it wasn't," the redhead muttered, "Shoulda gone and kicked his ass the second I found out he was creepin' on her..." He lapsed back into silence.

"She could've done that herself," Rude pointed out. Obviously, she hadn't... most likely because, like Reno, Elena hadn't sensed any real threat from the man – whom they'd identified as Carson March, a clerk with the legal department on the nineteen floor. By all indications, he was a model employee. His file had contained no complaints against him... though there were several glowing letters of commendation from various supervisors.

"Yeah, well... She shouldn't've had to," Reno replied.

"This is it," the bald Turk said, nodding toward a condo development. Reno's mood shifted noticeably, and he cast Rude a smirk.

"Heh... Let's show this idiot exactly what happens to people who fuck with the Turks..."

* * *

They hadn't had any great difficulty gaining access to the man's condo. He hadn't even bothered throwing the deadbolt. The two Turks now stood on either side of his bed, where Carson March lay, sleeping soundly.

They'd found a number of interesting items on the way in... rope, duct tape, handcuffs... Not at all what one would expect a legal clerk to have on hand. Reno was less than happy about the implications, though he had quite enthusiastically snatched up the roll of duct tape for his own use. He glanced over at Rude, who nodded.

Reno gave the end of the tape a sharp tug, pulling loose several inches with a loud ripping sound. The man in the bed suddenly found himself no longer so soundly asleep, and as he jerked awake and attempted to sit up, he was quickly forced back by Rude. Reno moved quickly to silence him with the tape.

"For the record, asshole..." he said, coldly, "I'm really gonna enjoy this."

March stared at the two men, his eyes wide in fear, recognition dawning in the dim morning light. Rude effortlessly flipped him onto his stomach, pulling his arms behind him, giving Reno access to secure them with the tape as well. The same process was applied to his legs before they turned him back over.

"Now I don't know if you're stupid or just outta your fuckin' mind... but it was a big mistake, goin' after a Turk, pal," Reno intoned, with a dangerous smile, "Really pisses us off." He glanced up at Rude. "Shall we?"

The man began pleading, or attempting to do so, through his gag. Reno generally didn't consider himself a sadistic person... Threatening, terrifying, even beating information out of people was just part of the job. He didn't take any particular pleasure in it; he didn't shrink from it, either. But this was one interrogation that he was going to thoroughly enjoy.

Rude hoisted the man bodily over his shoulder and followed the redhead back to the car. He dropped him roughly into the trunk.

"Enjoy the ride," Rude calmly told him, slamming the lid.

* * *

"Tseng here," the Turk leader answered. The PHS had barely even begun to ring before he'd accepted the call.

"We just picked up our guest. You joinin' us for breakfast?" Reno's voice, sounding pleased with himself, asked. Tseng gazed over at Elena, unconscious and still, laying on the bed. He was loathe to leave her unattended, but he very much wanted to deal with the man who'd left her in such a condition personally.

"I'll be along shortly," he replied, "I trust the two of you can keep him... entertained... until I get there?"

"Oh, sure, Boss... We'll entertain him. Right into a coma, if ya want."

"Take him to the sub-basement, then. And don't get too carried away, Reno. I'd like to have _something_ to do when I arrive."

"Understood," he replied, before pausing briefly, "... How's 'Lena doin'?"

"No better, no worse," Tseng stated, "Which, according to Ward, is a good sign. She probably won't wake for several hours yet, but she's going to be fine."

Tseng heard a slight commotion on the other end of the line. Rude's voice first, though he didn't catch what was said.

"Ah, fuck," Reno swore.

"Problem?" Tseng asked, concerned.

"... Not an _immediate_ problem," his second in command replied with a sigh, "'Lena's just gonna have some bad news when she does finally come around."

"Now what?" he asked, wondering what else could possibly have gone wrong this morning.

"We're just passin' her place now," Reno replied, "Fire's pretty much out, but the building's toast. She's gonna be lookin' for a new apartment. And, ya know, probably new... everything. Her end didn't take quite as much damage as most of it, so might be somethin' left up there to salvage, but... yeah. It's bad."

Tseng frowned, and shook his head. As Reno had said... not an immediate problem, but one he didn't look forward to having to recount to his newest Turk.

"One thing at a time," Tseng said, ending the call, and striding purposefully out of Elena's room in search of Dr. Ward.

* * *

"So... ya got anything to say for yourself?"

"Mmmph! Mmm hmm mmmph mmm!"

Heh... Oh, right. Kinda forgot about that," Reno said with thinly feigned innocence. He reached out and gripped the corner of the tape, "Lemme just take that off for ya..."

He yanked, hard, tearing the tape, and a good bit of the topmost layer of skin it was stuck to, off of March's face.

"Mmmmaaaahhhhh!" The scream came, muffled at first, until the tape cleared his lips.

"That hurt?" he asked.

"W-what do you w-want from me?" the clerk stammered, wide-eyed. He was presently seated in a chair in the center of the room while Reno and Rude loomed over him threateningly.

"We want to hear what you've been up to," Rude stated.

"N-nothing!"

Reno glanced sideways at the other Turk.

"Ya hear that, partner?" he said, "Nothin'. Must have the wrong guy."

"Don't think so. Sure looks like the guy on the video."

March paled at that, and Reno smiled cruelly.

"Yeah... we gotcha on video, moron. So let's try this again. Anything to say for yourself?"

"I... I... wasn't going to hurt her!" March cried. He was starting to shake, now. "The guy I bought it from said it was good for partying. I just thought if she relaxed a little, she'd be more willing to take me up on my offer of a place to stay. B-because of the fire!"

"Yeah," Reno sneered, "'Cause every woman loves bein' drugged by the sleazeball that harasses them at the gym... I'm sure that's the first place she'd wanna stay. And I 'spose the ropes and tape and shit we found at your place were just to make sure she didn't hurt herself wanderin' around, right?"

"You set the fire, too?" Rude asked, arms folded across his chest. March stayed silent.

"I'd answer him if I were you," the redhead prodded, "Before he gets violent."

Rude cracked his knuckles, threateningly.

"A-alright... alright... yes... I started the fire. T-to get her outside," March said in a panicked voice, eyes never leaving Rude's hands. Which was why he never saw it coming when Reno punched him in the face. The Turks' second winced slightly as teeth grazed his knuckles, opening a gash, but ignored it. March's lip was bleeding heavily from the wide split that had been opened by the blow. He looked up at the redhead in shock.

"Yeah... probably shoulda warned ya. I tend to get violent a lot faster than he does."

"W-what is it you want me to say?!" he shouted. Reno snickered, as did Rude.

"Oh, sorry... We're you under the impression that we wanted information?" Reno asked, grinning.

"You attacked a Turk," Rude added.

"Put her in the hospital with that shit you slipped her," Reno all but growled, and though it shouldn't have been possible, the bound man actually went paler.

"And burned down her home," Rude finished.

"That's not somethin' we're inclined to just let go with a slap on the wrist," Reno continued, "But don't worry... We're under orders not to kill ya."

March looked more than a little relieved.

"Wouldn't relax just yet," Rude commented. Reno leaned in close, his face inches from March's.

"Yeah, pal... We don't get to kill ya. But we _do_ get to keep ya company 'til the boss gets here. And he's not real happy," he hissed at him. He stood up, turning to his partner, "So whaddya think, Rude? Any ideas on how we could keep busy while we're waitin'?"

Rude smirked.

* * *

Tseng had taken his time making his way to the Shinra Building's sub-basement. He was in no particular hurry... Reno and Rude had things well in hand, he was certain, and far be it from him to interrupt them early. The hallways in this part of the building were dead silent. Few, beyond a handful of maintenance staff, ever had cause to venture down here.

Which made it the perfect location for conducting some of the more... difficult... interrogations that occasionally fell to the Turks. Or in this case, meting out a little retribution.

Tseng reached his destination, and still all was silent. He swiped his access card, unlocking the door, and pulled it open, breaking that silence.

The first sound that met his ears was a soft, keening whimper from the man in the chair at the center of the room. His face was bloodied, and he looked to be in some amount of pain.

"Was startin' to wonder if you'd forgotten about us, boss," Reno said by way of greeting.

"Hardly," Tseng replied.

"P-please..." the bound man said softly, "T-tell them to s-stop..."

"Reno... See to Elena, if you would," said Tseng, "Rude, I'll need your assistance later, but for now, you may go."

The pair wordlessly exited the room, leaving Tseng alone with their captive.

"Thank you," March sobbed.

"I doubt very much you'll be thanking me before long," the Turk leader replied with an icy glare, roughly grasping the man's chin and forcing him to look him in the eye, "You drugged and nearly killed one of _my_ Turks. Why?"

"S-she... wouldn't go out with me..."

"And you thought she'd be more... cooperative... under the influence of whatever it was you gave her?" Tseng said, thoroughly disgusted. In all honestly, that was the response he'd expected, given what Reno had told him of March's behavior earlier. Hearing it admitted, however, sent a surge of rage through him that he only kept in check through many years of practice. Though judging by the look of abject fear in the man's eyes, he hadn't managed to school his expression enough to fully keep how he felt from showing on his face.

"It didn't seem like it had any effect on her. She left in her car..." he replied, avoiding the question, "P-please... just let me go. I-I'll never bother her again! I swear!"

"Indeed... you will not be bothering her again. Nor anyone else," Tseng said, darkly.

* * *

It was nearly eight thirty in the morning, he realized belatedly as he stepped into the elevator. He and Rude had been at it a lot longer than he'd thought they had... they'd hauled March's sorry ass into the interrogation room just after five. Tseng had been generous.

A soft chime announced his arrival at the eighth floor recovery ward of Midgar General.

Generous... but a part of him wished his superior had let him stay. He had a feeling he knew exactly what fate awaited Carson March, and wouldn't have minded sticking around for the show. On the other hand, there was still Elena to be considered, and thinking about her here alone didn't sit will with him. In the end, he hadn't raised a complaint, and simply returned to the hospital.

Though, he mused, it might have been wiser if he'd stopped to clean himself up a little better, first. He'd paused just long enough to change his blood-spattered clothes in the gym locker room and wash the worst of the mess from his skin... but clean clothes did little to conceal his hands, the knuckles of which were cut and bruised. At one point, he'd slugged the man so hard he thought he'd actually broken a finger or two in his left hand, though the aching throb had died down considerably by now... he'd have to submit himself to Ward's tender care and reproachful gaze in the near future, just to be safe. Would probably have to, regardless, since he'd almost certainly need a few stitches to close the particularly nasty gash where his knuckles had met March's teeth... it was still bleeding sluggishly. He didn't regret it. March'd had it coming.

He slipped into Elena's room, finding her much as he'd left her hours earlier... with a tube down her throat to secure her airway, IVs in both arms, and a half dozen or so leads connecting her to various monitors.

"Oh, for Odin's sake..." a familiar voice cried out in exasperation behind him, "What in the wide world have yeh done to yerself now? Bad enough I've already got one of yeh in a bed... just how many more of yeh am I going ta be treating today before yeh let me get a little sleep?"

"Tch... it's nothin', Doc," Reno muttered in an annoyed tone, holding up a hand for display... though, in truth, he was glad to see the doctor was still there with Elena, "Just had a little... conversation... with the guy that did this to 'Lena."

Ward seized his arm, pulling his hand toward her.

"Quite the _heated_ conversation, apparently," she groused, examining the injuries, "Well, sit yeh down, my little headache. I'll get the suture kit."

Reno smirked and sat down in one of the chairs by Elena's bed. Ward returned moments later, kit in hand, and pulled up a chair next to him. He winced as she proceeded to clean every nick, cut, and scratch on his hands with what, given the way it stung, he was half-convinced was pure acid.

"Fuck, Doc... go easy on me. Ya tryin' to dissolve my skin or what?" he grumbled.

"No, I'm trying ta make sure nothing goes 'n gets infected. Knowing the sort of 'conversation' yeh tend ta have with people that cause yeh trouble, I'd be willing ta bet more'n one of these came from someone's teeth," Ward stated, "Now quit yer griping and hold still."

Reno lapsed into a grudging silence and complied. It wasn't long before the worst of cuts was sewn closed, and Ward was gently wrapping a long strip of gauze around his knuckles.

"There yeh are," she said at last, patting his hand lightly above the gauze. He looked at her expectantly, and she rolled her eyes, "Yer just gonna have ta wait, yeh little sugar fiend. I didn't bring any with me when yeh dragged me outta bed at four 'o clock this morning."

"What a ripoff," he muttered, folding his arms petulantly across his chest, drawing a chuckle from the doctor.

"Come see me when we're back at work. I'll let yeh have two ta make up for it," she promised, "In the mean time... I think _someone's_ tryin' ta get yer attention." She nodded towards the bed. Reno turned quickly, his annoyance at the lack of candy forgotten.

"'Lena?"

She was looking up at him, very much awake, and looking frightened, as if trying to work out how she'd gotten there. Elena tried to say something, only to panic slightly when she realized she couldn't.

"Now don't yeh go tryin' ta talk just yet," Ward admonished her, "Everything's alright. Yeh don't need ta worry yerself."

Reno took hold of her hand. "You're gonna be fine, 'Lena."

"Now that yer awake, I think we can safely do without that tube," Ward said, shooing Reno off so she could get closer to the woman. Reno reluctantly obeyed the unspoken order, backing off and letting her remove it. Elena coughed several times before finally finding her voice.

"Reno? W-what happened?" she asked, sounding a bit hoarse.

"You remember anything?" he asked, pulling the chair closer to the bed and taking a seat next to her.

"Kind of..." she said hesitantly, "I... think I remember a... a fire?"

"Don't push yerself too hard," Ward advised, "Yer likely ta be a bit foggy for awhile yet. I'd wager yer probably a might hungry, too, but I'm afraid they're not going ta let yeh eat for a bit. It'd probably just make yeh sick to yer stomach right now, anyway. Best wait until yeh've come down a bit more." She turned to Reno. "Now you, on the other hand... when's the last time yeh had anything to eat yerself?"

Reno shrugged. "Last night," he replied, "Been a little busy this mornin'..."

"I'll get yeh somethin', then. No sense in starvin' the both of yeh." Ward disappeared into the hallway, leaving the two Turks alone.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, "Reno, what happened?"

"Someone drugged ya last night. Well... early this morning, really," Reno explained, "That fire you remember? Guy set it to get you out of the building."

"S-so... Someone's trying to kill me?"

"Planned on takin' ya home with him, not killin' ya. Guy was an idiot and fucked up on how much he gave ya," he said, stroking back her hair. He grinned. "You kinda fucked up his genius plan, though. Took off in your car before the shit had a chance to kick in, and turned up at my place. I brought ya here."

"Then... someone's out there, trying to kidnap me," Elena stated, shuddering slightly.

"Don't need to worry about that," Reno replied gently, "Me 'n Rude tracked him down. Tseng's... uh... dealing with him... as we speak."

"Who?"

Reno's shoulders sagged slightly. "Someone I shoulda dealt with myself soon as you told me he was bein' a total creep in the gym."

"Wait... Creepy Gym Guy tried to..."

"Yeah," he said, "Yeah, I know... We both kinda wrote him off as harmless. Like I said, though... you don't need to worry about him anymore."

"So he's..."

"Be glad you'll never be on the receiving end of Tseng's temper when he's truly enraged, 'Lena. I know I am," said Reno, "Can't say I feel too sorry for that son of a bitch, though."

"Should it worry me that I don't find that nearly as disturbing as I think I ought to?"

"Nah," Reno laughed, "Perfectly normal. Ya know... for a Turk."

Elena's gaze lingered on Reno's bandaged hands for a moment. "What happened to you, anyway?"

"Hell, someone had to soften him up for Tseng," Reno shrugged, "Not a big deal. Did more damage to him than to myself. Probably shoulda swiped Rude's gloves before I really laid into him, though. Woulda saved me some stitches."

Elena suddenly laughed softly, covering her mouth as though trying to hide it. Reno arched an eyebrow, curious.

"What?" he asked.

"I-I think I must still be a little loopy," Elena giggled, "I was just thinking... that's one of the nicest things anyone ever done for me..."

"Nothin' says 'I care' like beating the shit outta someone, huh?" Reno smirked, "Any time, 'Lena. You need someone's ass kicked, just point me at him."

Elena's slightly uncontrollably giggling continued for a few more minutes before she finally sobered a bit.

"So... what happens now?" she asked.

"Eh... Carson March disappears. Wouldn't be the first time someone's done that around here," said Reno, "Sounded like Rude'll be handling things for the most part. Meanwhile, I'm babysitting."

Elena scowled indignantly at him. "I don't need a babysitter," she replied.

"Okay, fine... guard duty, then," Reno grinned.

"Which sounds suspiciously like a nicer term for babysitting," Elena pointed out, "So... did Dr. Ward say when I can go home?"

Reno's smile faded. He hadn't been looking forward to this. "Uh... about that," he began, "So, ya know that fire?"

"W-what's wrong?" she asked hesitantly, "How bad was it? … It's really bad, isn't it?"

"I don't know _exactly_..." Reno confessed, "We only saw it from the street. But... yeah, it looked pretty bad. I... don't think there's gonna be much left."

"Oh... oh, no..." Elena said softly. Reno could already see the tears forming.

"It'll be alright, 'Lena," he said quickly, "Me and Rude are gonna get in there as soon as we can and see what can be salvaged, and 'til we can find you a new place, you're gonna be stayin' in Tseng's guest room."

"I-it's not that..." she said sniffling, as a tear rolled down her face, "It's... Snuffy..."

"Shh, 'Lena... Snuffy's fine," he assured her.

"H-he is?"

"Yeah," Reno said, grinning, "You had him with you when you showed up at my door. He's safe and sound at my place. Don't worry."

Elena visibly relaxed, and Reno gently wiped the tear from her cheek. She suddenly giggled again, and Reno shook his head at her rapidly shifting moods. Ward was right... this definitely wasn't completely out of her system yet.

"What's so funny, now?" he asked.

"It's just... you didn't freak out," she said, still giggling. The red head stared at her, a slightly confused look on his face. "You always get so bent out of shape when I start crying..."

"Ah, gimme a break, 'Lena," he said, chuckling, "I've been up since three a.m., haven't eaten a damn thing since dinner last night, spent three hours kickin' a guy's ass... I'm too damn tired to react normally to shit like that."

"Poor thing," said a voice from the doorway, the sarcasm obvious, "But, I suppose I can at least feed yeh." Ward had returned, carrying a tray of food. "If yeh can call what they serve in the hospital cafeteria 'food', that is. Makes the Shinra Building's offerings look almost gourmet..."

"Can't be that bad," Reno snorted, "'Sides... You know I'll eat just about anything."

He grinned as Ward set the tray down, and lifted the cover.

"I stand corrected. It actually can be that bad," Reno said, "What the hell is it?"

"That, I do believe, is tofu."

"Why is it... gray?" he asked. He poked the bite-sized cubes with the fork. He wasn't intimately acquainted with the food, but gray was not a color he generally associated with edible.

"I haven't the faintest," Ward replied. Reno eyed it suspiciously. At least the other items on the tray were recognizable, and seemed fairly safe. He shrugged.

"Ah, what the hell. It poisons me, least I'm already in the hospital," he sighed, spearing a chuck and shoving it in his mouth. It actually wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. He wouldn't venture as far as to say it was _good_... but he'd had much worse. Elena was watching him somewhat incredulously, as he started in on it in earnest.

* * *

Elena had been released that evening, and sent off with Reno, with strict orders to take it easy for a day or two. Reno, in turn, had delivered her to Tseng's apartment, where she had been met by both her absent colleagues and installed in Tseng's guest room... despite much protest that she was fine, and didn't need to be treated like an invalid. Snuffy, it was decided, would remain with Reno... secretly, since he wasn't technically permitted to keep the ferret in his building... until Elena was settled somewhere new.

Since she had been barred from the office until the following Monday, Elena had spent much of her Friday bored out of her mind. She was quickly beginning to understand why Reno so thoroughly hated being laid up.

What she really wanted to do was pay a visit to her apartment and see what – if anything – she could rescue from the ashes. Tseng, however, obviously used to dealing with Reno more often than not, had ordered her, specifically, not to even think about going alone. By noon, she was watching the clock, counting the minutes until the work day ended and Tseng would return home, so she could hopefully talk him into going with her.

By four o'clock, she'd fallen asleep on the couch watching reruns of Shadow & Sword.

When she woke, she found herself staring, not at the television, as she had been when she'd drifted off, but directly into a pair of blue eyes. Elena yelped in surprise, and instinctively shoved the owner of said eyes away from her.

Reno landed with a soft thud on the floor, snickering.

"Reno!" she yelled, glaring at the man.

"What? Just seein' if you were awake or not," he said, innocently.

"Clearly she is," Tseng's voice spoke from the opposite side of the room, somewhat disapprovingly, "Now, at any rate."

"Ah, come on, boss... You know she was just waitin' for us to get here," he said, still sitting calmly on the floor right where he'd landed, "She's probably been going nuts all day wantin' to check out the mess at her place."

Elena sat up, and looked over her shoulder at the Turk leader, who shook his head and sighed. "He's right, isn't he?" he said, smiling slightly.

"Er... Yes, sir," she replied, a little embarrassed. Had she really been that obvious?

"And that's why I'm here," Reno added, scrambling to his feet so that he could pull Elena to hers, "You wanna go now?"

"Absolutely," she said, eagerly. She wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing her home in ruins, but she'd feel much better knowing the extent of the damage instead of just worrying about it.

"At least _try_ to be careful," Tseng advised them.

"All were doin' is walking into a condemned building that was on fire less than forty-eight hours ago. What could possibly go wrong?" Reno asked.

"I'll have Ward on standby," Tseng dryly responded. Reno grinned, and escorted Elena out the door.

The drive to her apartment was uneventful, and as they pulled into the parking lot, she got her first look at the destruction. Reno hadn't been exaggerating. The building really was beyond saving. Most of the east end had already crumbled. The west end, where her apartment had been located, was still mostly intact, structurally, but evidence of flames was readily apparent.

"You sure you wanna do this? I mean, me and Rude were gonna head in there tomorrow and grab anything that looked like it could be saved anyway. So if you'd rather not..."

"I'm here, I might as well take a look," she replied, climbing out of the car. The two of them made their way up the stairs to the second floor, and then to Elena's apartment.

"Watch where ya step," Reno cautioned, as she was pushing open the door ahead of him, "I don't think things are real structurally sound up here."

Elena stepped inside, her chest constricting painfully as she took in the devastation. She'd known it wasn't going to be pleasant, but this... this was far beyond what she'd imagined. And far more shocking. Nothing on the east wall seemed to have been left untouched. Photos incinerated, their frames barely recognizable, furniture charred beyond repair, books and DVDs burnt to nothing... Things were slightly less crispy farther from the wall, but the damage was still significant. And that was to say nothing of the water damage left over from putting _out_ the fire.

Reno let out a low whistle when he saw it. "Damn," he said softly.

"I'm not sure _anything_ can be saved," Elena said, sadly.

"Ah, don't be so pessimistic," Reno countered, "Living room might be a total loss, but the kitchen doesn't look that bad, and the far wall's barely even singed. Bedroom might still be okay."

"You think?" she asked.

"Only one way to find out," Reno said shrugging as he set off across the floor, which creaked ominously under his weight. Elena followed, mindful of where she stepped. They reached the bedroom, and Reno nudged the half-closed door open and grinned.

"Heh... Told ya so," he smirked. Elena slipped in beside him, looking around. Aside from the strong smell of smoke that seemed to permeate the entire apartment, and a distinct dampness in the air from the water that had been poured on the building, the bedroom was more or less intact. She sighed in relief. Not everything was gone.

"It's gettin' dark," Reno pointed out, "Grab anything important... we can worry about the rest tomorrow."

"Right," she said, hurrying to the closet, and pulling out a suitcase. She quickly set about gathering up photos and other items that held sentimental value: her mother's wedding ring, the doll she'd had since she was a little girl, the silver figurine Reno had given her after Hell Week, and more... She grabbed a few changes of clothes as well, since she really had nothing at Tseng's apartment, save what the Turk leader had kindly retrieved from her locker at work. They would have to be washed first to get the scent of smoke out, but that was a minor inconvenience.

The last thing she did was strip the quilt off her bed. Her grandmother had made it for her years ago, and she was relieved it had survived.

"I... think that's everything I'd really hate to lose," she said, looking around the room.

"Good... let's get outta here," Reno replied, "Rude 'n me'll take care of the rest." He took the suitcase from her and walked her out. They loaded the retrieved possessions into Reno's car. "So... you wanna head back to Tseng's, or stop by my place and see Snuffy? I think he misses you. We can pick up..."

Reno's question was cut off as he suddenly found Elena's arms wrapped tightly around him. He grinned widely as she released him a moment later.

"What was that for?" he asked, chuckling.

"For everything. For being you," Elena replied.

~fin~


	22. Moving Day

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 22: Moving Day**

 **by Desha**

 **Author's note:** _I know it's been awhile since my last update. I bought a PS4._ ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 _Annnyway... This chapter is about some of the more mundane aspects of life as a Turk. No big plot twists... no shootouts... no bad guys to fight. They can't be off killing people and spying all the time, after all. Right?_

* * *

Saturday morning... Elena didn't even want to open her eyes yet, she was so comfortable, though she was sure she'd slept in much later than she normally would have. Tseng's apartment was so deliciously quiet in the mornings – a trait she was beginning to hope her new place shared. She'd been hunting for almost three weeks now, and finally had found one that suited her, having signed the lease just a few days ago. She'd be moving in this weekend, in fact... though she had very little to move.

Though Reno and Rude had generously donated their time to salvage whatever they could from her destroyed apartment, it wasn't much. What could be laundered, had been, and most of it was presently in storage at Rude's. But even the otherwise undamaged furniture from her bedroom either absolutely reeked of smoke or was much too heavy to safely attempt to remove from the badly damaged building. A few smaller pieces had been extracted and allowed to air out... her nightstand might still be usable, at least, and the mirror from her vanity, along with a handful of other things, but the majority of her larger furnishings had been written off as a total loss.

Which ultimately meant that, in addition to moving, she was going to have to go furniture shopping this weekend... and probably several future weekends, as well. The daunting task of replacing almost everything she owned made her even less eager to open her eyes. Instead, she rolled onto her side, snuggling against...

Goddammit.

With an annoyed grunt, she shoved hard against the slender body that was stretched out along the edge of the bed, smiling in satisfaction at the surprised yelp and soft thud that followed as the not-really-that-unexpected intruder tumbled to the floor.

"Mornin', Reno," she said, mocking her superior's usual greeting, eyes still closed.

"Startin' to rethink my offer to help ya move today..." the redhead grumbled as he picked himself up. Elena finally cracked open an eye and smirked.

"Aren't you tired of that joke yet? I've gotten so used to it that it's kind of losing its shock value," she shot back with a yawn, ignoring his comment and rolling away, pulling the covers over her head to block out the morning light.

"Guess I gotta take things up a notch, then. Tell ya what... next time, I'll strip."

"Don't you dare," she responded threateningly from her little sanctuary, as images of waking up next to a naked Reno flashed unbidden through her mind. She heard him laugh, and a moment later found herself being lifted, still wrapped in the sheets, and slung over his shoulder.

"Well, fine... if you're not in the mood to cuddle, then it's time to get up. It's almost ten... even _I'm_ not that lazy. Usually."

"R-reno! Put me down!" she protested as she was carried out of the guest room.

"I said you could 'see if she's awake yet'," another voice commented from the next room, its source obscured from Elena's view by the blankets, though no less recognizable, "Not 'drag her bodily from her bed'..."

"More fun my way," Reno retorted, and she was relatively certain he was grinning like an idiot.

"Not from my point of view," Elena groused, her voice slightly muffled by the blankets. Her captor sniggered and set her down on the couch, releasing her, though she had to fight her way loose from her confines on her own. When she finally managed to poke her head out of the tangled mess, she glared at him.

"Ah, come on, 'Lena, admit it... only reason you haven't been up for hours already is 'cause you're just tryin' to put off the inevitable shopping hell you know you're in for," he needled her. Sometimes, Elena mused to herself, she got the feeling Reno had come to know her just a little _too_ well. But she really couldn't deny it, either. Staying with Tseng had been so simple... rebuilding her own home seemed far less appealing by comparison.

"If you're finished tormenting her..." Tseng said, "You might consider letting her eat something before you get started."

"Eh... I _could_ do that," Reno replied, snickering, "But let's face it, boss... your cooking's worse than _mine_. And Rude's already over at her new place stocking the kitchen. Given the choice... it's not really a choice."

She had no intention of actually saying so, but Reno wasn't far off base. Tseng's cooking was... edible. And that was honestly about the closest she could come to complimenting it. However, another thought quickly pushed that aside.

"Wait a minute... Rude's in my kitchen? How?"

"Tch... It's an apartment. Not the Junon weapons depot. By the way, you're gonna want to replace the locks. The ones they're usin' are cheap as hell. Might as well not have been locked at all."

"... You broke in? To my _new_ apartment?"

Reno shrugged in response. "Well, how else were we 'sposed to get in without a key?"

" _I_ don't even have a key yet... I still have to pick it up!"

"You would've had that taken care of by now if you'd gotten up earlier," he replied with a wink. Elena opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Tseng.

"Don't bother," he sighed, "There's no use arguing with Reno-logic..."

Elena shook her head, knowing he was right. "I give up," she sighed, pushing aside the remaining bedclothes and heading back to her room.

"Where ya goin'?" Reno asked, "You already spent half the day in bed..." She turned back toward him with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, I'm _not_ showing up at my new place in my pajamas and looking like some psychopath hauled me out of bed while I was still half asleep..." she sniped, "I'd like at least a _chance_ of not immediately terrifying the neighbors."

"Oh, don't worry... I've already taken care of that," Reno commented, off-handedly. Elena froze mid-stride, while Tseng chuckled softly.

"You'd better be kidding," she said, not looking back, before resuming her course toward fresh clothes and a hairbrush.

* * *

"So... first thing's first," Reno said, as they pulled out of the lot, "You need some furniture."

"First thing's first... I need some breakfast," she corrected him, " _And_ I still need to pick up my keys. And get the rest of my stuff from Rude's apartment. _And_ get Snuffy from your place..."

Reno grinned and floored it as they hit the freeway. "Actually, ya just need to pick up your keys," he replied, "Me 'n Tseng hauled your stuff over this morning while you were busy sleepin', Snuffy's already moved in, and Rude'll probably have your breakfast waiting when we get there."

Elena blinked in surprise. "Y-you did all that already?"

He smirked and zipped past a truck, cutting across three lanes of traffic to get to the off-ramp and ignoring the fact that several other drivers laid on their horns as he did so. Elena instinctively gripped the seat, eyes widening.

"Yep," he said, glancing over at her, "... What?"

"Who the hell taught you how to drive?" It hadn't occurred to her until now, but she'd never actually been in a car with Reno behind the wheel before. Helicopters... sure. But never a car.

"Tseng did," he calmly answered, as he took a right so sharp it would have sent Elena flying into him had she not been strapped in. He laughed. "For some reason, he doesn't take credit for it, though..."

"Hard to believe..." she squeaked while Reno sailed through an intersection as the light turned red. He snickered loudly as she braced herself for the upcoming left... and slowed the car to a more sane pace, before taking the turn smoothly and switching lanes like a normal human being. The rest of the short drive was conducted in so textbook perfect a fashion, she briefly began to wonder if she'd imagined the first half of it. Reno grinned at her, amusement evident on his face, as they pulled into her new building's parking lot.

"Next time... I'm driving," she stated, clambering a bit shakily out of Reno's convertible. She collected her keys from the building's office, and moments later the pair were on their way up to the eighth floor. Elena was greeted at the door by Rude, who promptly handed her a plate of pancakes and nudged her toward a makeshift table constructed from overturned cardboard boxes.

"Wow... Thanks..." She smiled gratefully at Rude.

"Where's mine?" Reno asked as Elena settled herself cross-legged on the floor and began to eat.

"You ate earlier," the other Turk retorted.

"And your point is?"

Rude snorted softly and chuckled. "Fed you once already. You want a second breakfast, make it yourself. I'm not a short-order cook."

Reno gave a dramatic sigh and meandered over to the refrigerator, yanking it open. Elena was surprised to see it filled to the brim. Apparently when Reno had said Rude was stocking the kitchen earlier, he hadn't been kidding.

"You guys even went grocery shopping?"

"Rude did," Reno clarified, "Which would explain the selection. Seriously, man... didn't ya get anything that's _already_ food and not just... stuff to make food with?" He finally grabbed an apple, shutting the door with his foot as he turned back to the small group.

"Thank you for _not_ letting him do it," Elena deadpanned, just imaging what Reno would have come back with. She'd probably have been living on frozen pizza and toaster pastries for a week. Rude smirked and nodded in acknowledgment.

Reno simply shrugged and made his way to the little cage sitting on the floor near a window, where a small furry creature was standing on it's hind legs, watching the newcomers intently. He knelt down and opened the door, letting it claw its way up his shirt and onto his shoulder before returning to the 'table' and sitting down across from Elena. The ferret immediately leapt for the apple in Reno's hand, seizing it in his teeth, then made a mad dash for the rookie, chirring softly as he curled up on her lap and began to nibble at his prize.

"Hey! Ya thievin' little..." the redhead yelled, glaring at the creature, before shaking his head and laughing, "Guess he missed ya."

"Aww... I missed you, too, Snuffy," she said, scratching him behind one ear.

"So... ya got me 'n Rude both for the day," said Reno, still eying the apple thief, "I'm thinkin' we do a little shopping and get ya some necessities. Tch... personally, I'da gone for something already furnished. Other than the shit in the kitchen, ya got nothin'."

"All the furnished apartments that weren't clear out on the edge of the Plate were huge... and about five times what I'm paying for this place," Elena explained, "Really, even this is bigger than what I need, but it's such a nice building..."

"And it's got a great view..." Reno said, clearly on the verge of laughing at his own apparent joke, "Which reminds me... Borrowed somethin' for ya from R&D to make it even better."

Reno stood up and picked up a pair of high-tech binoculars that had been sitting on the kitchen counter and tossed them to her. Elena arched an eyebrow, wondering what he was talking about. At her confused expression, Rude joined in on the merriment.

"Not sure she'll agree it's an improvement," he teased.

"Ah come on, partner... How could she not appreciate it?" the redhead shot back.

"Okay... what am I missing?"

Reno flashed her a smile and stood up, offering her a hand and pulling her to her feet... much to the annoyance of the ferret still munching happily on his stolen treat on her lap. She followed him, curious now, out onto the balcony.

"Tell me if ya need a hint..." he said, grinning madly. Elena rolled her eyes, but decided to humor him, looking out across the wide swath of Midgar she could see from there. Nothing in particular stood out. The Shinra Building, of course, stood prominently in the distance... but you could see that from almost anywhere on the Plate. It was a nice view... she couldn't argue about that. But she just wasn't seeing what Reno found so entertaining about it.

"To the left," Rude suggested helpfully, causing her to jump. She hadn't realized he'd joined them. Elena turned her gaze in the recommended direction, but nothing caught her eye.

"Oh, this is ridiculous. What am I even _looking_ for?"

Reno sighed, and moved behind her, positioning her so that she was facing another apartment building a few blocks away. It suddenly clicked what he was getting at, and she immediately brought the binoculars up to her eyes, scanning along the fifth floor windows of the building. She groaned aloud when she saw it.

"That's not..." she started.

"Yep."

Hanging in one of the windows was a sheet of paper. Written on it in thick black marker – and in Reno's unmistakably untidy handwriting – were the words "Hey 'Lena!". Behind the note, with the aid of the digital zoom on the binoculars, she could see what was very obviously Reno's bedroom.

"I'll start leavin' the curtains open at night, if ya want..." Reno joked. She lowered the binoculars and turned to the two men behind her, both of whom were shaking with silent laughter.

"You two are such children sometimes," she said, shaking her head.

* * *

"For the last time... No."

"But you'd like it if you..."

"Reno, I'm not getting a waterbed. And why do _you_ even care? You're not going to be sleeping in it... I am."

"But they're awesome..." the redhead replied, in a pouting tone.

"Well, then... _you_ buy one."

"He wouldn't dare get another one," Rude interjected. The three of them had, after a short discussion, ventured off to one of Midgar's smaller shopping districts in the hopes of finding a few things to fill Elena's apartment with. At Reno's innuendo-filled insistence, and Rude's agreement, given that it was actually a very practical place to begin, they'd started by looking for a new bed. They presently found themselves in a small furniture store, testing out the display models.

"... Another one?" Elena queried, wondering what had happened to the first one.

"Heh... yeah. Love 'em, but I kinda decided it's probably not something I should own..." Reno replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"... Why?" She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. Rude let a knowing grin spread across his face.

"Let's just say I don't always make the best decisions when I'm drunk..." Reno said, somewhat cryptically.

"He almost drowned himself," Rude claimed, snickering.

"Oh, for fuck's sake... I did _not_ almost fucking drown myself," the redhead quickly shot back, rolling his eyes. The bald Turk said nothing in response... just continued to smile. "Fine... ya want the whole story? I came home very, _very_ drunk one night, ended up tossin' and turnin' for a couple hours 'cause it was the middle of the damn summer and hot as hell out and I couldn't get to sleep. Got a little queasy from the motion of the bed, so I... fixed the problem.

"Fixed it how?" Her previous hesitation was gone. Now she was absolutely certain she wanted to know what had happened.

"He shot it," Rude said simply, "Put six rounds into it."

Elena burst out laughing, while Reno stood by, scowling at his partner.

"It was only three rounds and, it _did_ solve my problem," he said with as much dignity as he could muster, "After about ten minutes, it wasn't movin' anymore."

"W-wait..." Elena managed, wiping at her eyes, "You stayed there for ten more minutes after you shot the bed full of holes?"

"Of course not."

"He stayed there _all_ _night_ ," Rude hurried to clarify, "Woke up the next morning hungover as he's ever been and laying in about six inches of water."

"Which... kinda solved my other problem, too. I was nice and cool after that. No trouble fallin' asleep at all," Reno finished. He smirked at Elena's valiant attempt to keep a straight face. "Well... It seemed like a perfectly reasonable course of action at the time!"

The rookie Turk dissolved into laughter a second time, sitting down on the edge of one of the nearby beds as she tried to get ahold of herself. "Well... now I'm definitely not getting a waterbed. I'd be too afraid you'd assassinate it one day..."

"Hmph... be that way, then. You're missin' out, though," Reno glanced around the showroom, his eye catching sight of something new. "Oh, hell yeah..." he murmured, moving off toward the back corner. Reno hopped onto another bed, and hit the button on the display pedestal, moaning in enjoyment as the mattress sprang to life, vibrating vigorously. "How 'bout this one?" His voice shook from the intensity of the vibrations.

"How about... no," Elena said firmly.

"Fuck it... I tried," Reno said, grinning as he stretched out to take full advantage of the bed's main feature, "Your turn, partner. I'm stayin' here awhile."

Rude pointedly moved off in the opposite direction, bound for the store's more normal stock, escorting Elena along with him. The pair left the redhead to his new toy.

"He has got to be the most easily amused person I've ever met," the rookie commented, rolling her eyes, and looking to the man beside her for agreement... though Rude seemed to hesitate.

"... Reno never had much as a kid, even by slum standards. Had even less after his mom died," he said at last, as Elena was testing out another mattress, "He learned pretty young not to take things for granted and enjoy whatever he could."

"I... oh. I guess I never realized..."

Rude nodded, glancing back at the redhead... who by then had flipped over onto his stomach and was laying at an angle across the bed. "Most people'd probably have ended up bitter and resentful. Plenty of people down in Sector 2 that _do_ ," he said, "Reno somehow turned out just the opposite."

Elena giggled as she watched the subject of their conversation roll onto his back again and reposition himself, head and shoulders hanging over the corner of the vibrating bed. " _What_ is he doing?" she asked, laughing openly at the sight. Rude snorted softly and shrugged. "Does he realize he looks like a complete lunatic?"

"Doubt he cares," he replied, "Just leave him be... We still need to find you a bed."

Elena bounced slightly on the mattress she was laying on. "Umm... Actually, I think we just did. This is _really_ comfy..."

Rude glanced at his watch and grinned. "Thank Odin... Almost said no when Reno asked me to come along for this."

"Why?" she asked, a little shocked. Elena had never known Rude to turn his friend down for much of anything.

"Because he talked me into coming with him after he murdered the waterbed. Took hours... he had to try _everything._ Twice. In three different stores," he groaned, "It was torture."

"... Seriously?" she asked, incredulously, "But... Reno'll sleep anywhere. And in just about any position. He's even slept on my old couch, and that thing actually _deserved_ to die in a fire, it was so lumpy."

"Just because he _can_ doesn't mean he wants to," Rude said with a shrug, as he headed back to their distracted friend, "He finds someplace really comfortable, you can barely get him out of it without physical force. You find a salesman. I'll... go see if I can pry Reno away from that thing..."

* * *

Rude reached out and pressed the button to shut off the bed.

"Hey!" Reno said, indignantly, as he struggled to right himself, "What's the big idea?"

"Elena found one she likes."

"... Already?" the redhead queried, genuinely surprised... and a little disappointed. He was getting to like this model. It reminded him of the ones at the Silver Swan in Sector 4... the ones he always ended up funneling far too much spare change into. They seemed to shake the tension right out of him. Had he thought his landlord would let him get away with driving the neighbors out of their minds, he'd have gotten one of his own... but living on the fifth floor meant having to tread somewhat lightly, or the people downstairs started to get a little irritated with him. He could just imagine their reaction to to something like this bed... and while that thought made him grin internally, he didn't _really_ want to get himself kicked out.

"Yep," Rude stated. Reno sighed and hauled himself to his feet.

"I 'spose you expect me to help load," he said, grinning.

"Could always make Elena do it herself," the bald Turk smirked, knowing exactly the response that would get from his friend.

"Tch... and that's why you leave the bar alone on Friday nights," the redhead teased, "Not an ounce of chivalry."

Rude chuckled lightly. It was an old joke between them. Reno had always had a somewhat odd dichotomy when it came to his attitude toward women. On one hand, he would be intentionally suggestive, and often downright lewd in his comments, and invade personal space shamelessly. But Shiva help anyone _else_ who might dare to do the same. In fact, Rude had known him to step in personally and put a stop to it when he deemed that things had gone too far... which frequently seemed to win him a great deal of favor from the woman he happened to be rescuing, though Rude had never truly believed that was his motivation for doing so.

He was pulled away from his musings by Elena's swift return.

"They said we can take it now, or they'll deliver it tomorrow morning," she replied, smiling.

"Heh... and that's why we brought Rude along. And his truck," Reno smirked, heading off, "Come on, partner... guess we got some heavy lifting to do."

* * *

"Ya couldn't get a place on... shit, I dunno... the _first_ floor, maybe?" Reno bemoaned her, lifting awkwardly at one end of the mattress. Elena sniggered as it tilted wildy, nearly throwing him off-balance, and he was forced to, rather gracelessly, maneuver himself back into a more stable position. "You make _one_ remark about that little move, and I'm lettin' this thing go," he warned.

They'd discovered the hard way that the elevator was too narrow to fit her new bed. Thank you, Shinra Urban Development Department. After several attempts – at several different angles – they'd finally admitted defeat and opted for the stairs... eight un-air-conditioned flights of them. Even with the cooler weather that had been gradually settling in over the last few weeks, it was uncomfortably warm in the stairwell at the moment.

"You let it go, don't expect me to hold it 'til you're clear," Rude grunted from above them.

"There has gotta be an easier way to do this..." Reno hoisted as best he could as they reached the sixth floor landing and were forced to round the corner onto the next flight of stairs. It was an extremely tight squeeze, and Elena ended up giggling when the redhead suddenly found himself pinned tight against the wall until Rude could find his footing and ease the mattress up a few feet. "No comments from the peanut gallery," he muttered at her.

"I didn't say anything..."

"No _laughter_ from the peanut gallery, either" he amended, "Shit, man, set it down a second... I'm losin' my grip..."

"On the mattress, or your will to live?" Rude joked, as he let the corner rest on the edge of a stair.

"Both," he replied, panting softly. He let his end drop as well, wedging it in place with his hip, and wiping his hands on his sides.

"Maybe you should've been on top," Elena commented. Rude was, after all, the stronger of the two. It would've made far more sense to give _him_ the heavier end instead of the lanky redhead.

"Heh... There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm too out of breath to make it," he responded, drawing a snort of laughter from the other man. "Alright... let's just get this over with."

They pushed through the last two flights of stairs, and at last made their way into Elena's apartment, setting the mattress in the living room. Reno moaned in relief and flopped down on top of it, face down.

"Don't get too comfortable," Rude admonished, "We've still gotta get the boxspring."

"... That's it. Kill me," Reno said, voice muffled by the mattress, "I mean it, Rude. Just shoot me right in the head."

" _Not_ on the new mattress. I'm not hauling up a second one," the bald Turk cut in, jokingly, "You want to die, go die out on the balcony."

Elena took pity on him, and walked over to the fridge, pulling it open and quickly spotting what she was looking for. She'd kind of had a feeling Rude wouldn't have skipped that particular purchase on his trip to the grocery store that morning. She offered him one as well, before crossing the room to the man lying prone on her new bed.

The redhead shivered as something smooth and icy cold was pressed against the back of his neck. His head shot up, eyes locking onto what was in Elena's hand.

"Nevermind... I wanna live," he grinned, seizing hold of the bottle and sitting up, cracking open the beer without further comment.

* * *

"You're doin' it wrong."

"..."

"I'm pretty sure that's backwards..."

"..."

"I'm tellin' ya, it goes the other way..."

"... Fine. You do it," Rude said at last. Reno smirked at him, and sat down next to the pile of parts, confident that he'd succeed where the other Turk had failed.

When Elena poked her head into the bedroom ten minutes later, he was swearing loudly while Rude watched, smugly leaning against the wall. She rolled her eyes. It was a bed frame, for Ifrit's sake... not a mako reactor. The fact that between the two of them they couldn't seem to figure it out was a little pathetic.

"Um... Maybe you should take a break and bring the boxspring up instead," she suggested, "It might help to step away from it for a few minutes."

"Hate to admit it," Reno said with a sigh, "But she may be right. _You're_ takin' the bottom this time."

Rude shrugged in agreement, and the two men disappeared into the hallway, leaving Elena alone with the disassembled pieces of the frame. Her eyes fell on a sealed plastic bag that had been tossed carelessly into the corner of the room, and she picked it up.

"Oh, for the love of Shiva..." she muttered, shaking her head, "... Typical men."

She tore open the bag, and unfolded the assembly instructions before sitting down and getting to work. She finished well before they returned. By the time they _did_ , Elena had also dragged the mattress into the room. Their arrival was announced by yet another string of profanity... though for once, it wasn't coming from Reno.

"I said I was sorry," the redhead grunted, as they maneuvered their load into the apartment and set it down.

"..."

"Ah, don't be like that..."

"..."

Elena peeked out into the other room to see what was going on, unexpectedly meeting a pair of soft, brown eyes. She blinked in surprise. Seeing Rude without his trademark accessory was a little off-putting.

"Don't ask," Reno smoothly interjected, before Elena could voice her question. Rude cast him a glare.

"He knocked them over the rail," he said, visibly annoyed. His compatriot sighed wearily.

"And now I'll never hear the end of it... Ya know, they _might_ have survived," Reno offered, "We were only... what... four stories up?"

Rude gave a derisive snort, but turned and strode out, in search of his lost sunglasses.

"Well, _I'm_ in deep shit," Reno said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Last time I broke a pair, he... well, you _saw_ what he did to me."

Elena's eyebrow rose ever so slightly. "I did?" She didn't recall ever hearing about that, much less seeing the outcome.

"Sure... You remember when Mr. Foo-Foo went missing..."

"... _That's_ what that was about?" she replied. Reno laughed again and nodded as the rookie shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my god... You two are seriously deranged."

"Believe me, 'Lena... you have no idea," he said, grinning proudly, "Now... back to the frame."

"Oh, I finished that."

"I... you... what? What do you mean ya finished it?"

"I finished it. It's ready to go."

"... How?!" Reno managed.

"I... read the instructions?" Elena replied, a little offended that he seemed to think her incapable of such a thing.

"Oh... so ya cheated."

"Following the instructions isn't cheating," she scoffed, suddenly wondering if all men had that mindset. Both of her brothers certainly did. "If they weren't meant to be used, it wouldn't have come with them."

"Poor, misguided rookie," he sighed, hanging his head, "That takes all the challenge out of it. Well, too late to go back now. Grab the other end of this thing." He patted the boxspring with one hand. Elena joined him on the opposite end and they carried it into the bedroom, setting it down on the frame. The mattress joined it, seconds later.

"I may not have challenged myself, but at least I don't have to sleep on the floor tonight," she said, "Where'd you put all my stuff?"

"Closet," Reno answered, nodding to the door, "Assuming that thing's actually 'sposed to be a closet and not a tiny bedroom. Your clothes aren't gonna know what to do with all the extra room."

Elena smirked, and crossed the room. The walk-in was a little bit of an overkill... the closet in her old apartment had been cramped – very cramped – but everything fit. She'd had much the same reaction as Reno when she'd first seen the size of _this_ one. The whole place, in fact, was far more space than she could imagine needing just for herself. On top of the massive closet, she also had a spare bedroom and a separate dining room... compared to her old one-bedroom apartment, with it's tiny kitchen and dining nook, her new home was practically palatial. It was going to take some getting used to.

She found the box with her linens and began pulling out a set of sheets and her favorite quilt. With Reno's help, the bed was soon made up. The redhead laid down on top of it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Elena asked, poking him in the side. He squirmed away and grinned.

"Testin' it out?"

The rookie whipped the pillow out from under his head and smacked him in the face with it.

"Get up," she giggled, "I've still got an entire apartment to furnish and you promised me your services for the whole day." Reno opened his mouth to say something, but Elena quickly stopped him. "Not _those_ services, you pervert."

"Ah, come on 'Lena. Give me a break here. You're ruinin' all my jokes today..."

"You need some new ones," she advised him.

"Laying down on the job?"

Elena turned sharply at the sound of the voice. Tseng stood leaning casually against the doorframe, eying the prone redhead with undisguised amusement.

"Volunteer work doesn't count as on the clock, boss," Reno responded without bothering to look up at Tseng. He had long ago grown accustomed to the man appearing out of nowhere whenever he felt like it. It hardly phased him anymore. Most of the time. The rookie, though, still seemed to be getting used to it.

"Hmm... I see," Tseng repiled, "Oh... I'm also to inform you that you are, and I quote, 'going to pay dearly'."

"... Broke 'em, huh?"

"Quite thoroughly."

Reno snatched the pillow back from Elena, and pressed it over his face.

"If you're trying to smother yourself, I very seriously doubt that method will work." The Turk leader strode over to the bed, lifting the pillow away, with a barely concealed smirk. "In any case, is this really all you've managed to accomplish? The way you were bragging this morning, I expected to show up to a fully furnished apartment by noon."

"Bragging, sir?" Elena queried. Tseng smiled.

"Indeed... Reno was convinced he'd have you comfortably settled in here in a matter of hours. I believe his exact words were 'Nothin' to it'."

The redhead finally sat up on the bed, glaring at his superior. "Yeah, well, I wasn't expectin' to be killin' myself lugging shit up eight flights of stairs."

Tseng shook his head. "I'm surprised you bothered. You never seem to have any problem ignoring regulations on the use of company aircraft in other matters."

Reno blinked, and then groaned as understanding dawned. He flopped onto his back again and grabbed the pillow, shoving it into his face with renewed determination. "I'm a fucking idiot..." he said. Or at least that's what Elena thought he said. It was hard to tell, muffled as his voice was.

"Come along, Elena... Let's leave Reno here to asphyxiate himself at his leisure and go and see if we can't find a few more items for your new home," Tseng said, offering her his arm.

Elena had to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing as Reno remained motionless on the bed, and Tseng escorted her out.

"You're really going to let us use one of the helicopters to airlift furniture up to my apartment?"

The two Turks made their way to the elevator, passing a handful of residents on the way.

"I believe I merely stated that I was surprised Reno hadn't thought of it..." he replied, raising an eyebrow. Elena grinned.

"Yes, sir... You would never tell him to break regulations, of course..."

"Of course not. That would be incredibly irresponsible of me. Though I can hardly be expected to predict what Reno might do when left to his own devices."

"Oh, please don't say that, sir," Elena moaned, as they rode the elevator back down to the first floor, "We just left him alone in my new apartment..."

Tseng was still laughing softly when they met Rude in the parking lot.

* * *

She was well and truly torn. It had become an impossible decision.

"I just don't know... maybe we should try one more store?"

It took everything in him not to audibly groan. Things had been going so well until she'd started trying to pick out a couch... which was, beside her bed, the piece of furniture Elena apparently spent the most time on. She'd gone into great detail over how much she'd come to hate her old one, but replacing it had always seemed like such a hassle.

Rude had _known_ he should have been the one to make the trip back with their other purchases instead of handing his keys over to Tseng when he'd offered. Every instinct he possessed had been telling him that things had been going far too smoothly. It couldn't possibly last. And now, they were on their fourth store, looking at more or less the same collection of couches. It was the post-waterbed-death shopping trip all over again.

"... You don't like any of them?"

"Ugh... that's the _problem_ ," Elena sighed in frustration, "I like almost all of them."

He bit his tongue, cutting off the caustic remark that threatened to escape. It wasn't _really_ Elena's fault he was in a lousy mood, after all, and she certainly didn't deserve his ire. Technically speaking, _that_ was entirely Reno's doing. Thanks to the redhead, his favorite sunglasses were in currently in several shard-like pieces in his truck's glove compartment. He didn't even have his spares with him...

He felt so very naked without them.

Rude let his head fall against the back of the couch he'd taken up residency on fifteen minutes ago. He wasn't really angry with his friend... just irritated by the loss. The truth was he wore them because, in the past, he'd been a bit on the shy side. He'd discovered it was easier to talk to others when they couldn't see his eyes. It was something he'd long since left behind, but the accessory had become such an ingrained part of him after so many years, he loathed being without them.

It had, in fact, been Reno who'd given him his first pair. They'd actually belonged to the younger man initially. It had started as something of a joke... Reno had simply been trying to break the ice when they'd first met. It had ended with him telling Rude, with the most casual of shrugs, to keep them and that they looked better on him anyway. Even from the start, Reno had been able to read him better than most and had noted the subtle difference they had made.

By now, Elena was stretching out, for the fourth or fifth time, on what Rude hoped, at least, was one of her top choices. The Turk was pulled from his thoughts as his PHS rang.

"Rude, here," he answered succinctly.

"Hey, partner... Tseng's headin' back your way with an empty truck. You two done yet?"

The bald man smirked, and glanced over at the rookie again, making sure she was still more or less ignoring him.

"Think she may be worse at this than you are..."

"Tch... she can pick a bed in under five seconds, but spends hours looking at everything else. Figures... Well, tell her I got pizza comin' in something like twenty minutes. If she doesn't hurry up, me 'n Snuffy are eatin' hers for her."

Rude rolled his eyes. An entire kitchen full of food, and the man ordered pizza. Though on the other hand... that meant Reno wasn't cooking. _That_ was always a good thing.

"And you'd better not be rollin' your eyes at me... Nothin' wrong with pizza."

"I'll let her know," he said, ignoring the comment.

"This one!" The sudden cry caught him by surprise as he ended the call, and he looked up, startled. Elena looked almost giddy as she sat down next to him. "This one is perfect."

Rude felt a wave of relief wash over him. It was over... finally.

"... You know this is the first one you looked at... right?"

"Is it?" she asked, standing up and looking more closely at the piece of furniture. For a moment, Rude was terrified that he'd just changed her mind. "Huh. You know I really did like it a lot when we first walked in. Guess I should've just gone with my first instinct..."

Rude had to bite his tongue for the second time in less than ten minutes, as Elena looked over at him. She paused when she saw his expression and laughed.

"You're _never_ going shopping with me again, are you?"

"... Not any time soon."

* * *

Reno was waiting for them in the parking lot. As she climbed out of Rude's truck, Elena chuckled at the sight that greeted her. The Turk was leaning calmly against the side of a Shinra company helicopter – one that was parked squarely between the lines of a parking space near the center of the lot, directly between her own car and Tseng's.

"Hmph... Show-off," Rude, commented as he joined her. Tseng didn't look quite as amused.

"If I find so much as a scratch, Reno..."

The redhead grinned, and held up his hands. "Aw, relax, boss... You know I can set this thing down on a dime..."

"One scratch," Tseng reiterated, the note of warning in his voice unmistakable.

"Yeah, yeah... I scratch it, you'll have me beaten to within an inch of my life..." Reno waved him off, unconcerned.

"Far worse. I'll assign you to Scarlet's next security detail, _and_ ensure that you'll be sharing accommodations with her for the duration, per her usual request. As I recall, she'll be making a three day trip to Kalm in the near future."

Tseng watched coolly as his lieutenant's eyes suddenly went wide, turning to make quick, not-so-subtle inspection of the side of the black sports car, and sighing in relief once he'd assured himself its shiny black paintjob was undamaged.

"Shit, Tseng... I know you love this car, but fuck, man... That's cold."

"Perhaps. But I trust I've made my point?"

Reno visibly shuddered, and Tseng finally cracked a smile.

"I am, of course, being entirely facetious. I have no desire to see you traumatized."

"Too late," Reno dryly replied, "Just the thought's gonna give me nightmares."

"Sir... Scarlet _requests_ Reno for her details?" Elena asked. The Turk leader nodded, glancing at the redhead.

"Oh, yes... And I have always stringently ignored those requests, much to her perpetual annoyance. Scarlet has something of a history of... shall we say, inappropriate behavior toward Reno. Leviathan only knows what condition he'd be returned to us in. Mentally as well asphysically."

The redhead groaned. "Okay, enough... We all know Scarlet's got a thing for me. Now can we please stop discussin' what she might do to me if she ever got those claws of hers on me... before I really _do_ wake up screamin' in terror later tonight?"

Reno shuddered again, more violently this time, and Rude nudged the rookie with his elbow, flashing her a teasing grin. "Reno has very vivid dreams..." The other man glared.

"Yes," he stated, "As it happens, I _do_... and I would very much like to keep Scarlet _out_ of them, thanks."

The Turk leader at last chose to take pity on his friend, and nodded. "I think we've wasted quite enough time. We do still have furniture to unload..."

"Heh... which reminds me..." Reno turned to Rude and tossed him something. "Swung by your place on the way to get the copter."

Rude smoothly caught the projectile, and smiled faintly. He put sunglasses on and looked up at his friend. "Still gonna get you back for breaking the first pair," he said, smirking, "Eventually."

Reno snorted and turned toward the apartment building.

"Hey, where are you going?" Elena called after him, "We still have a couch to move!"

"Pizza'll be here any minute... Helps to have someone at the address ya sent 'em to. Tseng said ya haven't crashed into anything in a week or two now... I'm sure you can handle it."

Elena's jaw dropped as she glanced back at the helicopter, snug between the two cars. Just as she was wondering if Reno was really expecting her to manage the precision required to airlift a couch up to an eight foot wide balcony without causing massive property damage, she became aware of her other fellow Turks' amused laughter.

"I'm fairly certain he wasn't serious about that," Tseng said calmly.

Rude was already making his way over to the aircraft. "I got it."

"Elena, head upstairs with Reno and help guide it in."

"Yes, sir," she replied, glad, for once, that she wasn't being given the opportunity to practice her piloting skills, and hurried into the building. She slipped into the elevator just as the doors were closing, and was immediately hit with with delicious aroma of melted cheese and tomato sauce. A teenage girl stood, balancing a large stack of boxes on one arm, double-checking the address.

"Oh, god... don't tell me that's all for 817..." she gasped. The girl looked up at her.

"Yeah, how'd ya know?"

The rookie sighed, and couldn't help but laugh. "Lucky guess..." Apparently, Reno'd ordered them each their own full-sized pizza... and an extra just in case they were somehow not in agony after finishing it all. The elevator arrived, doors opening with a soft chime, and the two stepped out, Elena taking the lead.

"Hey! Your quarter-ton of pizza is here," she called out as she pushed open the door to her apartment.

"Only a quarter-ton? I was sure I ordered at least a half..." Reno answered, feigning disappointment. He grinned when he saw the delivery girl. "Hey, Shelly. How much?"

"Oh! Reno! Hi!" The girl beamed at him, recognizing him immediately, and, Elena was pretty sure, blushing just a little bit. "Um... 70 gil, even. New place?"

"Nah... Just helpin' her move in," he said, nodding toward Elena as he pulled a hundred gil note out of his wallet, "Give the kid a hand, will ya, 'Lena?" The rookie took the boxes and carried them over to the kitchen counter. Reno, meanwhile, handed the girl the cash. "Nah, you can keep it," he said with a shrug, when she went for change.

The girl's face lit up. "Really? Thanks!" she said, smiling widely, "Have a great night!"

He shut the door and turned to find Elena staring at him. "What?"

"A 30 gil tip?" she asked, "For pizza?"

"Hey, ya keep the people who bring you food happy, you get all kinds of perks," he said, thinking about that for a moment and smirking, "And I did _not_ mean that the way it sounded... She's like... sixteen or somethin'. Get your mind outta the gutter, 'Lena."

"How are you not broke?" She ignored the rest of his comment, refusing to let him bait her.

Reno snickered. "Ah, I don't do that all the time. Shelly's kind of my regular delivery girl, though. I like to do somethin' nice for her once in awhile. Her family owns the place, and they have fucking amazing food. Actually, I think she might have a little bit of a crush on me. Hey... by the way, I think your couch is tryin' to get in..."

Elena jumped, and turned toward the balcony. She'd completely forgotten the whole reason she'd come up in the first place. The large piece of furniture was hovering just beyond the railing. She hurried to open the sliding glass doors, Reno trailing behind her to assist.

"Watch it..." he cautioned her as she stepped outside, "Might not look like it's movin' much, but it hits ya wrong, it'll knock ya over." He motioned for Rude to bring it forward into their range. Elena caught hold of the end, surprised when it shoved her backwards and then dragged her several steps forward as the newly added momentum set the couch rocking gently on the line that held it. Reno snickered loudly.

"Told ya so." He grabbed on as well, stabilizing the load a bit and hauling it farther forward through the doors. Rude slowly lowered the couch once it was clear of the railing. "Alright... unhook it, and help me get it in here."

Elena unclipped the tether from the straps that encircled the couch, and pushed it clear of the balcony. Moments later, the helicopter's winch hauled it up, and she turned back to the task at hand.

"This... is a lot... heavier than it looked... in the store..." Elena ground out as she struggled to lift her end. Reno didn't answer right away... he was too busy trying not to drop his own end. The two Turks, awkwardly wrestled the couch into the living room.

"Swing it left... 'Lena, I said left... Fuck. _My_ left, not yours..." They set it down once they made it through the doors. "Well... This seems like a good spot."

"Sure... if I want a nice up-close view of the wall and never plan on using the balcony..." Elena said, shaking her head in amusement.

He laughed and vaulted over the back of the couch, landing on the cushions with a soft bounce.. "It weighs a fucking ton. This thing's stayin' right where it is 'til we've got some more muscle up here."

"Aww... too heavy for the big strong Turk?" she teased, watching the redhead stretch himself out over the length of the couch.

"'Lena... when the fuck have I ever claimed to be either big _or_ strong?" He grinned at her and folded his arms behind his head, "Not sure if you noticed, but I'm built for speed, not power. That's Rude's thing. Like the couch, though... I'd stay here awhile if I weren't almost fainting from hunger..."

With that, he scrambled to his feet, heading for the kitchen and the stack of pizzas therein. Elena wasn't far behind... she was getting awfully hungry too. She'd skipped lunch in favor of hitting up more furniture stores. Just as he was lifting the lid on the first box, Tseng and Rude arrived at the door.

"Interesting place for it," Tseng noted, nodding to the couch, and Elena saw her chance.

"Reno said he was too weak and puny to move it any farther..."

The aforementioned Turk had, by then, crammed most of a slice of pepperoni and mushroom into his mouth, rendering him incapable of speech... so instead, he narrowed his eyes at her and flipped her off, drawing a laugh from the rookie.

"I see..." Tseng suddenly caught sight of dinner, and gave a soft chuckle. "Are we planning on feeding the entirety of Shinra Company tonight?"

Rude, who had wandered unnoticed deeper into the kitchen to raid the cabinets for tableware, paused in front of the redhead. "At least use a plate," he sighed, shoving one into his hands. Tseng, meanwhile collected the stack of pizza boxes, carrying them toward the dining room. Reno harshly swallowed his mouthful of pizza.

"Hey... where the hell are you goin' with that?"

"Elena's new table... some of us prefer to eat like human beings rather than pigs at the trough."

* * *

They'd made a valiant effort. Between the five of them, they'd put a significant dent in small pizza buffet Reno'd graced them with... but ultimately, there was enough left over for Elena to _still_ be eating it for most of next week. And that was after she'd talked both Tseng and Rude into taking some of it home with them once they'd shifted the couch to a more desirable location.

But all in all, extra food was hardly something she could complain about. On top of that, she now had a bed, a dining room table and chairs, shelves, a couch, and a plethora of other furnishings that would eventually decorate the mostly empty space of her new home, as well.

She still had a decidedly overwhelming task ahead of her, but it didn't seem quite as daunting as it had when she'd been so unexpectedly woken that morning.

"Ya know... we shoulda gotcha a TV..." Reno commented from his current reclined position on the couch, "Don't know about you, but I'd be bored outta my mind with nothin' to do the rest of the weekend."

Snuffy, who was perched on his chest, nibbling a piece of pizza crust, chirred in apparent agreement, before returning to his snack.

"I'm pretty sure I can find something to do... Most of the stuff I bought still needs to be assembled..."

"Tch... That'll kill what? Twenty minutes... 'specially since ya cheat."

"Oh, not this again..." She smiled and prodded him in the side until he sat up and made room for her. The ferret barked in annoyance at having been so rudely displaced, but took his crust and climbed onto Reno's shoulder. "And if you're _so very_ bored, you could always go home and watch your _own_ TV..."

"Sick of me already, huh?" he said, grinning as she joined him on the couch, "Hey, ya want me to fuck off and leave ya in peace, just say so..."

"I... I didn't mean _that_..."

She really wasn't in any rush to get him out the door. Aside from the fact that she was eternally grateful for all the help – not just today, but during the few weeks she'd been essentially homeless – she wasn't really looking forward to being left on her own just yet. Elena had never enjoyed spending the first night in a new place. The sounds... the shadows... they were so unfamiliar. Every single time she'd moved in the past it always took her ages to get to sleep the first few nights. And when she finally did, she always seemed to sleep so restlessly she woke up exhausted.

"Ah, don't worry. I don't take shit like that personally."

"Reno, I was just kidding. I _really_ didn't mean to imply that I wanted you to leave," she said hurriedly. It suddenly occurred to her that this wasn't the first time the man seemed concerned about overstaying his welcome. "You can stay... I mean, unless you don't want to."

The redhead shrugged. "Nah, it's not that. I just like bein' around people, and sometimes I stick around a little _too_ long," he said smirking, "Someone once told me I'm only tolerable in small doses."

"What? _Who_ told you that?" Though she supposed she could see it. Reno took some getting used to. He wasn't overbearing, exactly... he just tended to have far more energy than she'd ever imagined possible for one person. But saying something like that to someone like Reno... well, it just seemed a bit heartless.

He suddenly laughed. "'Lena, you look I like just told you someone kicked my puppy..."

"Well... it _is_ kind of a mean thing to say..."

"Yeeeeah... I'll admit, I was actually a little hurt at the time. 'Til I realized he kinda had a point. He was bein' a dick about it, but he had a point."

"Who?" she asked again.

"Huh? Oh... Veld. It was a few months after I was promoted. Tseng was on some assignment outside of Midgar, and I guess I was gettin' on his nerves more than usual that day. I told ya before, I was a real pain in the ass when I was startin' out."

"But, still..."

Reno's eyebrow arched curiously. "You feelin' sorry for me, 'Lena?" When she didn't answer right away, he grinned. "Don't... Rude overheard him and ratted him out to Tseng for me when he got back. Tseng was... not happy. And you've seen Tseng 'not happy'."

"So why take it to heart, then?"

"'Cause like I said... he was bein' a dick about it, but he wasn't totally wrong. And... frankly, I don't wanna run off the people I like hangin' out with."

Elena smiled. "If I promise to tell you when I get so sick of having you around that I'm ready to strangle you, will you stop worrying about it?"

"Heh... Deal," he said. Elena did her best to hold back a yawn, but failed miserably. Reno snickered. "But I think _that_ might be my cue to get outta here so you can get some sleep..."

Elena fished her PHS from her pocket and glanced at the screen. It was nearly eleven. "No wonder I'm tired... I didn't realize it was getting that late." Tired as she was, though, she wasn't looking forward to a night of tossing and turning. Reno was right... she should have picked up a television. At least then she could've immersed herself in the mind-numbing mediocrity of late-night infomercials if she couldn't get to sleep.

"Somethin' wrong?" Reno cocked his head to one side, studying her.

"No... I just always feel a little weird at first in a new place, that's all."

He smirked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Want me to check for monsters under the bed for ya? Make sure there's nothin' hiding in the closet? I can tuck ya in, if ya want..." he teased. Elena rolled her eyes, but it seemed he wasn't quite finished yet. "I'd offer to sing ya a lullaby, but I think that _might_ do more harm than good..."

"Go home, Reno," she said, giggling as she plucked Snuffy from his shoulder. The little ferret gave a sharp, irritated cry at being disturbed again.

"Yeah, alright..." He stood up, heading for the door. "Don't really have anything planned for tomorrow, so ya need anything, lemme know, 'kay?"

"Thanks, Reno... I will," she replied, following him, "Good night."

"'Night 'Lena." She shut the door behind him, turning back to her now-empty apartment and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Nearly three hours later, Elena found herself staring at the ceiling fan above her bed. She sighed, frustrated. Nothing seemed to be working... as usual. Every time she started to drift off, something would jar her awake again. Half the time she wasn't even sure if she'd actually heard something or if it was just her imagination working overtime in the unfamiliar room. With a groan, she sat up in bed and swung her feet over the side.

'Maybe some hot tea will help,' she mused. Chamomile might quiet the irritating anxiety enough that she could at least get a few hours of sleep in.

Assuming there was any. She hadn't actually had the opportunity yet to take stock of everything Rude had thought to supply her with... and it wasn't as if she'd given him a list.

Elena made her way out to the kitchen, yawning widely as she rubbed at tired eyes. She opened the first of several cabinets and laughed.

"Thank you, Rude..." she said out loud, picking up the box of tea bags. Apparently when Rude stocked a kitchen, he stocked it with everything. It took her a minute or two to locate her kettle, but it wasn't long before the water was boiled and the tea leaves were steeping.

She inhaled the warm scent and took a cautious sip. Still a little too hot. Elena carried her mug out onto the balcony, and looked up at the night sky over Midgar. It was a nice night... Chilly, but beautiful. The moon was a mere sliver tonight and the cooler weather had brought with it much clearer skies than the city normally saw. It made for a very pretty view.

She took another sip, and closed her eyes, enjoying the soothing heat from the tea, as she leaned against the railing. She jumped slightly, startled when something brushed against her leg, and looked down. Elena snorted in laughter as she realized what it was. Reno's binoculars were hanging from one of the corner posts. Finishing her tea, she turned to go back inside and renew her attempts to fall asleep. She barely made it halfway through the door before pausing and glancing back with a soft groan.

"Ugh... I have _definitely_ been spending too much time around him if I'm even considering this..." she muttered, setting the empty mug aside. She was standing on the balcony at two in the morning, bored out of her mind and knowing full well that a little chamomile wasn't going to knock her out anytime soon, a pair of binoculars dangling entirely too temptingly in front of her. "Dammit, Reno..." she laughed.

What the hell... It was the middle of the night. It wasn't as if anyone was going to see her spying. For that matter, she probably couldn't see much of anything in the dark anyway. "Oh..." she murmured, studying the optics, "They have night vision..." So much for that excuse. She hesitated... and then resolutely hung the binoculars back on the post, turning on her heel and walking back inside.

Ten seconds later she walked straight back out and picked them up again, raising them to her eyes.

At first, she only scanned the street below, tracking the occasional car as it drove by, and peeking into the various storefronts down the block. Most were dark, but a handful of lights still shone even at this late hour. From there, she turned her gaze towards the parking lots that dotted the area, eventually coming to rest on a blue convertible parked a few blocks away. Not that she could actually see the color in night vision mode... but she knew perfectly well who it belonged to and what color it was.

The neighborhood was remarkably quiet and still... her old apartment had been near a complex filled with students at Midgar University. Quiet was sometimes a luxury, particularly on the weekends.

She shook her head, and lowered the binoculars, looking out across at Reno's building. She was _not_ going to let his silly joke gift turn her into a peeping tom just because she was tired, and bored, and feeling a little giddy and reckless from sleep deprivation.

Oh, who was she kidding... ?

Elena raised them again, scanning her way up to the fifth floor, easily finding Reno's corner apartment. The sign from earlier had been removed from the window, but – and she was a little surprised, given how easily woken he was by the smallest things – the curtains were still open.

She hit the digital zoom on the lenses and zeroed in on the window. One thing about the Shinra labs... they made good tech. Every detail of the room was rendered in sharp, crisp shades of green and black. Reno was curled up under the covers, laying on his side, his back to the window. She giggled a little madly, as she realized what she must look like, and thanked whatever deity that might be listening that it was much too dark for anyone to be able to see her.

That would have been the end of things – she'd had her little thrill, and now it was time to go back to being a normal, not-completely-creepy, human being again – were it not for the sudden movement that drew her slowly shifting gaze immediately back to Reno.

He'd shuddered, and a moment later, she realized it was much more than that. He was breathing in sharp, ragged gasps... which became all the more noticeable when he suddenly rolled onto his back. His face turned toward her and she could see the expression of obvious distress he wore. In spite of that, his eyes remained closed, even as he clawed at the sheets.

Her breath caught in her throat as it became clear that Reno was still very much asleep... and apparently mid-nightmare. Elena bit her lower lip, silently urging him to wake up. It was awful to watch, but she felt even worse when she tried to look away, as if she were somehow abandoning him.

It suddenly occurred to her that she _could_ wake him up herself. His PHS had to be nearby. None of them were ever far from their phones. Of course... then she'd have to explain how she knew he'd needed waking in the first place. She dithered for a moment, half hoping he'd shake himself from the dream on his own while she was still deciding what to do.

"Oh... Fine," she bit out, hurrying back inside to get her phone. She was dialing before she even returned to the balcony. The PHS pressed to her ear, she lifted the binoculars again. It was awkward with only one hand... they were a little on the heavy side... but she finally managed to find Reno's window again.

* * *

Reno bolted upright in bed, heart racing and breathing heavily. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to figure out where the hell he was and what was going on... and more importantly, what had woken him up. The redhead jumped violently at a sudden piercing sound to his left, and then all was silent again for a moment. When it sounded again, he finally pulled himself from his confusion as he recognized his phone's ringtone.

He was already on edge... and the fact that his PHS was ringing insistently in the middle of the night didn't exactly calm him down. He rolled to one side, blindly groping for the noisy device, becoming much more focused when he saw who was calling.

"'Lena?" he gasped out, answering it at last, "What's wrong? You alright?"

"I... umm... Please don't be mad at me," the rookie's voice said nervously, "I just... I couldn't just go back to bed and leave you like that. A-are you okay?"

Reno shook his head trying to make sense of what she was saying, as the worst of his panic began to slowly subside. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine. What the hell are you talking about?" There simply wasn't any way she could possibly have known about his less than pleasant dreams tonight. When she didn't answer, he prodded her again. "'Lena?"

"... Umm... I was... You... looked really freaked out."

His brow furrowed in confusion for a moment. Suddenly his eyes widened slightly and he turned toward the open curtains. He smirked in spite of his still much-too-rapid heartbeat. That was certainly the last thing he'd have suspected...

"Been watchin' me sleep, 'Lena?"

"..."

He began to snicker softly at her non-response.

"I... I couldn't sleep, and I was sick of staring at shadows, and your _stupid_ binoculars were just hanging there, and... Y-you're not mad, are you?"

"Nah... I'm not. Kinda glad you were. I wasn't exactly enjoying that dream," he replied in a serious tone. He grinned to himself, unable to resist poking a little fun. "Gotta admit, though... Those were meant as a joke. Never _really_ had ya pegged as the voyeuristic type." If he hadn't known it was completely impossible, he would have sworn he could actually hear the woman turning red.

"I... I am _NOT_ a voyeur!" she vehemently denied, "Y-you're... not going to _tell_ anyone about this, are you?"

The panic in her voice was palpable. He briefly considered stringing her along a bit, but felt it was too cruel. Especially since she'd all but ensured certain humiliation by helping him out.

"Relax, 'Lena..." he assured her, "I'm not gonna say anything." He laid back against the pillows, trying to get comfortable again. It was going to take some effort to get back to sleep after that. "You still watchin' me?"

He heard a soft clatter, and what he was pretty sure was the sound of a sliding door being closed.

"N-no..."

Reno bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to stem the laughter. That may have been the least convincing denial he'd ever heard in his life, but he'd decided that the poor girl had been embarrassed enough for one night.

"So... couldn't sleep, huh?"

"... Yeah."

He rolled onto his side propping himself up on an elbow, and turned on the lamp beside his bed. "Heh... Well, thanks to Tseng, I guess I'm in the same boat, now..." While his pulse had finally calmed to a less hammering beat, the effects of the fear-induced adrenaline surge had yet to ebb away. He was going to be awake for awhile.

"Tseng? Why? What'd he do?" she asked.

"Put that damn idea in my head this afternoon," Reno muttered, "I fucking _told_ the bastard I was gonna have nightmares. Mostly kidding at the time, but I'm still blamin' him for it."

"You... you were dreaming about Scarlet?" He heard her giggle, and snorted softly in vague amusement at the absurdity of the idea himself as he rolled over onto his stomach.

"Unfortunately..." It had actually been much worse than that... _Much_ worse.

"You know... I'm suddenly not sure want to know any more about this. No wonder you looked so terrified..."

Reno sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "Believe it or not, that wasn't the worst part." It was the part that was currently tempting him to jump into a scalding hot shower, but it wasn't really what had made the dream so awful.

"Don't tell me... Heidegger was there, too..."

The redhead groaned loudly. "For Ifrit's sake, 'Lena... Haven't I had a rough enough night without you makin' suggestions of _new_ shit for me to endure? It's gonna take me forever to get back to sleep as it is... Now I got _that_ lovely thought floatin' around in my head..."

"Sorry," she said, sniggering.

"Bad enough _you_ were in the last one..." he said, before he had time to consider his words. He hadn't intended to tell her that. _That_ had actually been the worst part.

"M-me?" Elena sputtered, obviously caught by surprise. Reno had to resist the urge to smack himself... That was going to require an explanation. Preferably before the rookie got the wrong idea.

"No, I was not dreamin' about gettin' you in the sack..." He subtly smirked to himself. Had that been the case, he suspected she'd have gotten quite a different sort of show. He didn't often have truly erotic dreams – which had always struck him as a little ironic, all things considered – but when he did they were quite... tangible.

"Oh... Wait, so what _was_ I doing there, then?"

He hesitated. He didn't particularly like talking about his dreams, and nightmares in particular bothered him to recount. Especially _this_ nightmare, since it had been so close to becoming a reality.

"Same thing you always seem to be doin' in my dreams lately," he said at last, though he wasn't sure why he felt compelled to admit it, "Gettin' tortured by that psycho we ran into in Costa del Sol."

He'd _thought_ he'd gotten over that by now. The nightmare had gradually started to come less and less frequently as time when on. He hadn't had it, or any other disturbing dreams, in weeks... until tonight, that is. Not even while Elena had been recovering from her recent attack. He couldn't say for certain what had triggered it again, but it had definitely caught him unprepared. Worse still... the dream had changed to include Scarlet in a prominent roll. He suddenly noticed that Elena hadn't spoken in some time. "'Lena? You still there?"

"... Yeah, I'm here. You dream about me being... tortured?"

There was a subtle note of distress in her voice. And Reno really couldn't blame her... It was a pretty fucked up thing to be dreaming about. "I dream about you bein' where I was in Costa del Sol. And me not bein' able to do anything about it."

"Oh... Reno... That's awful..."

"Had a way to stop it tonight, though," he added, "All I had to do was anything Scarlet wanted me to..." He shuddered in spite of himself, and for a moment was convinced he could still feel the awful woman's hands on him.

"A-and... you did?"

"'Course I did."

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" she asked, obviously concerned. Reno smiled.

"'Lena... it was just a dream. A royally fucked up dream I kinda hope to never have again, but just a dream." He yawned, and glanced over at the clock beside his bed. Not even two-thirty yet. He might have a chance at a halfway decent night's sleep after all. Talking to Elena seemed to be calming him to an extent he probably wouldn't have managed so quickly on his own. He was even beginning to feel drowsy again.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Heh... Like what? You gonna sing to me? Maybe read me a bedtime story?" He chuckled softly, and wondered if either was even likely to help.

"Oh!" she cried, "That's a great idea! Hold on a minute!" He heard something that sounded like boxes being moved around, and their contents being shifted haphazardly. "I know it's here somewhere..." She must have set the phone down, because her voice sounded far away now.

"'Lena?" She didn't answer, but the rummaging continued.

"Found it!" Reno cringed slightly at the volume. Apparently she'd picked the handset back up.

"Found what?"

"My favorite book of short stories," she replied, "I knew it survived the fire..."

Reno rolled his eyes. "You're _not_ serious..."

"Why not?"

"'Lena... I'm twenty six years old. I don't need a bedtime story."

"Oh, come on..." she goaded him, "When's the last time someone read to you?"

"Fuck if I know..." The fact was, he honestly couldn't recall if anyone ever had. His mother had always sung for him instead. It was one of his earliest memories, and he was fairly sure she'd done it almost every night from the time he was born, right up until the night he lost her.

"These always put me right out when I was little... I'll even do the voices, like my dad always did."

"You do and I'm hangin' up." The idea of being read to felt silly enough, as it was.

"Does that mean you're _not_ hanging up if I just start reading?" Reno stared incredulously at the phone in his hand. She was actually serious.

"... You're _actually_ serious."

Elena giggled softly. "The Mouse and the Fly... One sunny summer afternoon, a field mouse was..."

"You're readin' me a story about a fuckin' mouse?" he interrupted.

"And a fly... yes."

"You _ever_ mention this to Rude, I will make sure no one ever finds your body..."

"Oh, just be quiet and try to relax," she chided him, "One sunny summer afternoon, a field mouse was sweeping his front step..."

Reno burst out laughing. "What the hell kind of story is this?"

"Well, if you'd let me get past the first sentence, you'd find out..."

"Alright, alright... No more interruptions..." He was still shaking slightly with disbelieving laughter, and he was pretty sure Elena could tell.

Elena sighed in frustration, and started again. "One sunny summer afternoon, a field mouse was sweeping his front step when little fly flew past as fast as he could. 'Oh dear,' said the mouse, 'I wonder where he's off to in such a hurry.'."

Reno shook his head, and did his best to quell the urge to comment. He put Elena on speakerphone and adjusted the volume to a more soothing level.

"The mouse hurried to catch up to the fly and finally spotted him zipping over a pond. The mouse paused at the water's edge, wondering what he should do now. The pond was very deep and the mouse couldn't swim very well."

He clicked off the lamp at his bedside, and laid back down, making himself comfortable. Reno curled up under the blankets, nuzzling his cheek against his pillow, and set the PHS beside him on the bed.

"But the mouse was very curious, and he so wanted to find out where the fly was going, that he decided to try."

'Not the brightest mouse on the planet,' the redhead thought to himself, letting his eyes drift shut.

"The mouse waded slowly into the water... First to his ankles. Then to his knees. Soon, he was in up to his neck, and very far from the shore."

Reno yawned again, and decided that this really wasn't a _terrible_ way to fall asleep... even if the story left a lot to be desired. The last thing he remembered was something about the mouse, a snake, and a missing egg...

* * *

"... and the mouse returned home, his good friend the fly at his side. The end," Elena finished, "So? What did you think?" The only answer she received from her PHS was the gentle sound of calm, even breathing. "Reno?" she said, softly.

There was still no answer. Just the quiet, unhurried rhythm. She clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Goodnight, Reno..." she whispered, and ended the call. She yawned, and stretched her arms over her head. She was actually feeling pretty sleepy herself. That story always seemed to relax her as a little girl. Apparently, it still did.

Elena turned out the light and climbed back into her bed, wrapping her arms around her pillow. She was asleep herself minutes later.

* * *

"Well, Snuffy... that's three down. One more to go." The ferret pointedly ignored her in favor of his recently refilled food dish. "Yeah... thanks for the encouragement," she said, dryly. She'd been assembling furniture for the better part of two hours... Right now she was working on a quartet of shelving units that were shortly going to be lining the large, empty wall in her living room. She'd already put together the little table she'd found to use as a stand for Snuffy's cage, and the ferret seemed quite content with its placement near one of the windows.

A knock at her door pulled her away from the task at hand... something she wasn't at all bothered by. It was starting to get a little mindlessly repetitive. She hurried to open it, grateful for the break.

"Reno!" She grinned widely upon seeing the redhead.

"Hey, 'Lena."

"So... ?" she prodded. Reno raised an eyebrow.

"So what?"

"So how'd you sleep last night?"

He rolled his eyes and smirked. "Pretty good, actually. Seriously, though... you ever tell Rude about that..."

Elena snickered, and pulled him inside. "I'm not going to tell him," she assured him.

"Yeah, well... you better not." He looked appraisingly around the room. "Looks like you're makin' some progress."

"Slow progress, but yeah... Care to lend a hand?"

"Heh... I'll help ya out on one condition," Reno said.

"What?"

The redhead started to reply, but apparently thought better of it. He turned and shut the door behind him, after making sure no one was in the hall to overhear him.

"I... uh... kinda need to borrow that book from ya," he said in hushed tones. The rookie giggled. "What? I fell asleep halfway through, and it's been buggin' the crap outta me all morning."

~fin~


	23. Down and Back

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 23: Down and Back**

 **by Desha**

"How much longer are we going to be stuck here?"

"What's the matter? Rookie gettin' restless?" Elena shot him an annoyed glare, and Reno grinned happily at her response. He pointed at her with the half eaten candy bar he had in one hand. "You really need to be more patient, 'Lena. I don't like sittin' around doin' nothing any more than you do. Hell, I fuckin' _hate_ it, but ya don't hear me complaining..."

It was late. Nearly everything was closed for the night. The two of them were parked in the shadows of an alley across from an out-of-the-way materia shop at the edge of Sector 4. Supposedly, the owner had a bit of a side business... namely selling other people's information to the highest bidder. In this case, that information came in the form of stolen Shinra security schematics, and the high-bidder was, reportedly, an agent of Avalanche. Rude's informant claimed the purchase was being made tonight.

"I'm patient," she countered. Reno nearly choked on the bite he'd just taken. Elena wasn't sure if the tears in his eyes were from the sudden obstruction of his airway, or the laughter that began the moment he managed to dislodge it. "What? I am!"

With some effort, Reno calmed himself, returning his gaze to the shop across the street.

"'Lena... let's go over a few recent examples of your 'patience', shall we? You crashed a helicopter, 'cause you got in a hurry and tried to do three things at once..."

"That was mostly _your_ fault. You were making me nervous up there..."

Reno snorted derisively, and continued. "You knocked over six trash cans rushin' to get a better position on the guy you were tailin' with Rude... Six. Got yourself seen, and lost the guy."

"I... uh... He told you about that?"

"In excruciating detail. And it was also in his report, so yeah... Tseng knows all about it, too."

Elena groaned and sank lower in the seat. That was _not_ one of her more shining moments... though it _had_ been a fitting precursor to Hell Week.

"And let us not forget about the flaming vacuum of doom..."

"F-flaming... _what_?!"

"Okay... so that one we can maybe chalk up to you bein' drunk off your ass at the time. Which was funny as hell, by the way. But if you hadn't been so insistent on cleanin' up the mess immediately, it wouldn't have caught fire." He suddenly started laughing again. "Fuck, you're a hilarious drunk, 'Lena... Wish you'd let me getcha plastered more often..."

Elena folded her arms across her chest. "Are you done yet?"

"Wait... wait... I got one more," he said, sobering, and jabbing at her again with the candy bar. "Swimming lessons... You want to get 'em over with so badly, you've damn near drowned yourself twice, so far. You either really hate swimmin', or you're desperately tryin' to get me to give ya mouth to mouth..."

Elena snorted in contempt, and leaned forward, teeth snapping down on the confection in an act of retribution.

"Hey!" the redhead protested, pulling back what remained. "Not cool, 'Lena." He took a disgruntled bite and glared at her.

"Were you actually going somewhere with all this?" she managed to say around a mouthful of chocolate and nougat.

"I'm just sayin'... you're kinda lacking in patience. Need to slow down and think once in awhile. And don't talk with your mouth full."

She obligingly swallowed. "Right... Because _you_ never do that," she snickered.

"Ah hell... If your new acceptability standard is 'Reno does it', Tseng's gonna kill me..." Before she could respond, something else caught his attention. He sat up straighter in his seat. "Looks like we're on..."

A young woman had stopped in front of the door to the shop. Whoever she was, she definitely looked out of place, even here in the slightly less posh district of the Sector 4 Plate. She moved nervously... furtively... eyes darting in all directions.

"Wait 'til she's inside." The two Turks watched from the darkness as the woman knocked on the shop door. It was several minutes before it finally opened, and the woman was ushered in. "Okay, go..."

Elena reached for the door handle, opening it as quietly as she could and slipping out. She closed it just as quietly behind her. Reno mirrored her actions.

It wasn't supposed to be a difficult task. Wait for Avalanche's agent to come out... with the schematics... and move in on them until they were cornered. Schematics recovered, Avalanche member brought back to the Shinra Building's holding cells for questioning later, and then home for a good night's sleep. Simple.

Reno motioned for her to take a position at the corner of the building, well out of sight of the front door... and with a view of the side entrance, just in case the woman didn't come out the same way she went in. Meanwhile, he slipped into the shadows of an alcove across the street. They waited in tense silence.

It felt, to Elena, like eons before the sound of a door slowly creaking open registered. It was the side entrance. She sank back a bit in spite of the fact that she was fairly well concealed already, not wanting to take any chance at being seen. The woman checked both directions up and down the alley before leaving the safety of the shop, and began walking quickly away from where the two Turks were hidden.

The rookie waited until the woman reached the back of the building and rounded the corner before emerging, and swiftly followed her. At the corner she paused, sighting her target, and watching as she turned back in Elena's direction, eyes wide and searching in the dim glow of the distant streetlights. Elena held her breath, hoping it was just the woman's obvious nervousness, and not something she'd done to give herself away. At last, she continued on, apparently satisfied she was alone.

She didn't get the chance to relax for long.

When a figure appeared in front of her, the woman froze for a moment, then turned back in the direction she'd come... only to find herself facing Elena. She backed away, then seemed to remember the reason she'd turned around, and spun, looking at Reno.

"Doin' a little late night shopping, are we?" he asked, advancing slowly.

"S-stay away from me... whoever you are."

"Ya know... You have no idea how much I'd love to. I'd much rather be in bed right about now... but I come back empty-handed, and my boss'll have my ass served to him on a silver platter. So how about you hand over what that guy just sold ya?"

"You're with Shinra, aren't you?" she spat out, her disgust readily apparent.

"Obviously. And so's my friend behind ya, there. The one with the gun aimed at your head. So seriously... how 'bout we just make this easy so I can go home and get some sleep?"

The woman looked back at Elena, who, indeed, had drawn and aimed her weapon. They were under very strict instructions not to kill unless absolutely necessary – Tseng was more interested in information than taking out an Avalanche courier; he wanted her alive – but their target had no way of knowing that. She reached into her pocket.

"Slowly," Reno said, "Wouldn't want my friend there to think you're reachin' for anything but those schematics, after all..."

The woman slowly withdrew a small USB drive. Reno approached her, casually reaching out and taking the drive and tucking it into his front jacket pocket. Elena moved in as well.

"'Fraid you'll be comin' with us." He caught hold of her wrist, but as he did so, her other hand moved to her belt and a split-second later, she lashed out at him with a knife. Thankfully, Reno was faster. But he _was_ forced to release her in order to dodge the blade. The woman didn't stick around to continue her attack. She was off and running down one of the side alleys before he could fully recover.

Elena immediately took off after her, only vaguely aware of Reno's voice shouting at her, "'Lena! Don't!"

A moment later, an intense white light lit up the alley, and the rookie squealed in pain at the blinding flash. She dropped to her knees, rubbing her eyes. Somewhere behind her, she could hear Reno swearing. Moments later, she was being hauled to her feet.

"Come on... we gotta go. If she's got friends nearby, we're in deep shit..."

Elena felt his arm encircle her waist, as he began guiding her, she assumed, back in the direction of the car.

"R-reno... I... I can't..." she began, as she suddenly realized that the spots of light that had blanked out her vision weren't going away.

"I know, 'Lena... Relax. It's temporary. Just a flash grenade."

He was pressing her downward now, and her hand shot out instinctively, coming in contact with soft upholstery that she recognized a few seconds later as the passenger's seat of Reno's car. Elena felt him lean over her as he pulled the seat belt across her body. Then he shut her in and rounded the car, climbing in behind the wheel.

"You okay? Other than not bein' able to see, I mean..." he asked, as he started the engine and pulled into the street, in a hurry to get out of the area now that their position had been compromised.

"I... I think so. H-how long does this last?"

"Varies... Could be a few minutes, could be a few hours. What the hell were you doin' back there, 'Lena? I told ya not to go after her! Didn't ya see her drop the grenade?"

"... No," she was forced to admit, flinching slightly at his tone. She'd been so focused on tackling the woman, she hadn't been paying attention to anything but her position.

It was rare that she heard Reno sound angry... particularly angry at _her._ It was far different from the usual – often mostly over-dramatized – irritated voice that she heard when she did something wrong, or his grouchy nature when he was hurt or sick, or even the note of impending violence that became apparent in a fight. But he was definitely angry right now.

"You're damn lucky it wasn't somethin' lethal."

"I-I'm sorry..."

Satisfied they weren't being followed, he pulled over. He took a calming breath before speaking again. "Here... lemme take a look."

Reno leaned over, fingers gripping her gently by the chin, as he turned her face toward him. Even in the dim console light of his car, he could see that her pupils were mere pinpricks. Not that he was surprised. She'd been right next to the flash grenade when it had gone off. The effects would probably last awhile yet.

"Can ya see _anything_?"

Elena shook her head miserably. "Y-you're sure it's temporary?" she asked, nervously. Reno smiled lightly in spite of himself. He didn't like seeing the rookie like this, and he was pissed that she'd ignored his warning and taken off, but maybe she'd pay a little more attention after tonight.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I've been hit with those damn things before, too. Sucks for awhile, but it wears off eventually." He released his grip on her. Then he put the car in gear and sighed. "Looks like we're callin' it a night. Guess half a successful mission's better than a failure, huh?"

"I really am sorry, Reno..."

* * *

Elena woke the next morning, almost afraid to open her eyes. When she finally did, it was to her great relief that the sight of her own bedroom greeted her. The last thing she remembered was Reno helping her into bed and reassuring her, once again, that flash blindness was only temporary, and she'd be fine in a few hours.

She yawned and stretched, glancing over at the clock. It was still early... her alarm wouldn't go off for another thirty-eight minutes... but she didn't feel much like staying in bed.

Elena groaned, and swung her legs over the side of the bed, dragging herself to her feet. She wasn't really looking forward to going to work, either. She'd have to face Reno, and she already knew he wasn't exactly pleased with her actions last night. He'd been perfectly right when he'd told her she was lucky. Being blinded for a few hours was nothing compared to what _could_ have happened to her. She couldn't recall an instance when she'd ever heard someone manage to sound both concerned and intensely pissed off at the same time... and now that she had recovered, she wasn't sure which she'd be facing when she got to the office.

Pushing open her bedroom door, her first instinct was to head for the shower and get herself cleaned up for work. That plan, however, was interrupted when she realized that she wasn't alone in her apartment.

Reno was curled up at one end of the couch, minutes away from being woken by the sunlight that was rapidly encroaching on the living room. She debated on whether or not she should wake him herself, and finally walked over.

"Seriously, 'Lena... Why the hell do you insist on gettin' up at the ass-crack of dawn?" he murmured before she could do anything further, not bothering to open his eyes. "And when the fuck are you gonna get around to puttin' a bed in that spare bedroom?"

"You stayed all night?"

One eye cracked itself open, and his lips quirked into a smug smile. "No... I just thought I'd get up early and come take a quick nap on your couch before work. 'Course I stayed. You think I'm gonna leave ya alone, blind and defenseless? Which, I'm gonna assume, you're neither at this point."

"I'm okay now," she replied.

"Good." He sat up stretching his arms above his head until his shoulders gave a soft crack. "In that case, I'll see ya at the office."

"I... um... do you want to stay for breakfast... ?" His demeanor seemed civil enough, but she couldn't help but think he was in an awful hurry to leave. Normally, Reno lingered – at least for a short while – well after he'd decided it was time to go. Even if he _had_ been watching over her all night, she wasn't quite convinced he wasn't still angry with her on some level.

"Appreciate the offer," he said, "And ya know I wouldn't normally turn down food... but Tseng wanted me in early today for something. And since I gotta explain why we didn't come back with someone to interrogate last night, I think maybe I better actually _show up_ early for once."

"Oh. Reno, I'm really sorry. It was all my fault."

Reno rolled his eyes. "No... It wasn't. She got away from _me,_ remember? By the time that flash grenade faded out, I doubt I would've been able to catch up to her... even if I hadn't stopped to help you instead of chasin' her down."

He stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch and shrugging it on. Elena followed him to the door.

"But don't think you're off the hook for puttin' yourself in danger like that," he added, "The next time I tell ya not to do somethin', don't fucking do it."

Elena didn't have anything to say to that. She dropped her gaze, disappointed in herself.

"Come're," Reno sighed, pulling her into a hug, "Look... I'm not mad at ya. But I'm not gonna pretend like it's no big deal, either. That was... _spectacularly_ stupid, and I know ya know better."

"I know. I-I do. You're right."

Reno released her, and grinned. "Heh... Do me a favor and keep that in mind from now on. See ya at work, 'Lena."

* * *

When Elena did finally arrive in at the Turks' main office, she found herself alone. Rude's absence could be explained... he was in Junon at the moment with Heidegger. As she sat down at her desk, she quickly saw why Reno wasn't there either. The door to Tseng's office was firmly shut... the only time that happened was when he needed to speak to one of them in private.

She chewed nervously on her lower lip, wondering if she'd be next. Odds were good he wasn't pleased with how last night's events had unfolded... though, overall, it didn't seem like something Reno would actually be in trouble for. So if not a reprimand, then what?

Before she could run through the possibilities, the door swung open.

"Don't get comfortable, 'Lena," Reno said as he exited, "We're leavin' again. Five minutes..."

With that, he was gone. She couldn't help but notice that the redhead had sounded less than thrilled. Tseng, on the other hand, looked suspiciously like he was trying to keep a straight face.

"Sir?"

The Turk leader dropped his collected demeanor, and laughed. "I will apologize in advance, Elena... He's not exactly excited about the transportation I've arranged for you."

"Why not?" she asked, mystified. He smirked.

"Because Reno... doesn't get along with chocobos. And unfortunately for him, they're the most efficient way to reach Mythril Mine when one lacks an available helicopter, so he couldn't come up with a convincing argument against it. You've ridden before, I believe?"

"It's... um... kind of been awhile. But yes, sir. I can manage. Reno doesn't like chocobos?"

"He's never really mastered handling them," Tseng replied, "I hate to say more than that and ruin it for you. Rude will be extraordinarily disappointed when he finds out that you get to take his place today. If I weren't due in a meeting in twenty minutes, I'd come to see you off... just so I could watch."

Elena blinked in surprise. Riding required, above all else, a good sense of balance and a certain amount of confidence. She'd have thought Reno would've been a natural at it. It was right about then that the subject of her musings decided to return, a travel pack on his back, and strapped to it, a tightly rolled sleeping bag. He carried an identical pack in his hand, which he tossed to her.

"For the record... If one of those stupid overgrown chickens kills me, I'm comin' back just to haunt _you_ , Tseng. I will fucking haunt the ever-living crap outta you for the rest of your Ifit-forsaken life."

"Duly noted," Tseng chuckled.

* * *

They had been on the train to one of Midgar's exit gates for almost ten minutes before Elena finally voiced one of several questions she'd been wanting to ask since they'd left the Shinra Building.

"So... why are we going to Mythril Mine, anyway?"

"Because Scarlet's a pain in our collective asses," he muttered in reply.

"Umm..."

"Sorry... Mine's been abandoned for a few years now 'cause of the Zoloms that moved into the marshes awhile back. The workers from Kalm cleared out pretty quick, and left a lot of shit behind. A lot of Shinra property. Apparently, one of the things they left was a prototype for some kinda sonic drill that Scarlet would like back. Tseng only agreed to go get it because, turns out, it's kind of a dangerous piece of tech... Not really something we want scavengers to get ahold of and sell."

"And I guess you don't think we're going to find it very quickly..." she said, gesturing to the packs. Reno shook his head.

"We're not even gonna be there 'til almost nightfall. Gotta make a side trip to Kalm first, and find the guy who knows where the damn thing was when they took off. Otherwise, we could be wandering those mine shafts for weeks with nothin' to show for it."

The train reached the station and the two Turks disembarked, heading for the gate. Reno swiped his access card and stepped though, Elena right behind him. The checkpoint wasn't for security, _per se_... Shinra just liked to keep tabs on who was coming and going from the city. Just in case. Reno groaned at the sight that greeted them. Two chocobos stood, saddled and ready, at a small covered stable outside the gate. One was a deep emerald hue, and smaller than the other. Elena guessed that it was either very young, or it was a female. The other, noticeably larger bird, sported shiny jet-black feathers, and gave a very loud _Wark!_ the moment moment the pair approached them. He... and Elena was absolutely certain this one was male... was gorgeous.

She'd always been fond of chocobos. Had even gone to great lengths to talk her parents into signing her up for riding lessons several summers in a row as a teenager, and still rode on the rare chance she had the time to do so, though it had been nearly two years since her last opportunity. But she'd never ridden anything as beautiful as the tall, sleek creature that stood in front of her now.

"Hi there, handsome..." she said softly, slowly extending her hand toward the bird's beak. The chocobo studied her a moment, then trilled and lowered his head, letting her touch him. "Aww... Who's a good boy..."

She turned to look back at Reno... who seemed to be staring at her in disbelief and looking slightly pale.

"Yeah... _You're_ ridin' that one."

That was perfectly fine with her, and she grinned as Reno hesitantly approached the other bird, curious to see just how bad he was at this. He reached out toward it, and had to immediately draw his hand back as the little female snapped at him.

"Hey!" He glared at the bird, muttering something under his breath. "Alright, look, ya fuckin' mutant pigeon... I don't like you, and I can tell ya don't like me, but you're takin' me to Kalm whether you want to or not."

Elena snorted in amusement, and quickly untied the reins of her mount from the post he had been tethered to, leading him out into the open. She held onto the halter, and hoisted herself onto the creature's back with little difficulty. Reno, meanwhile, was trying to do the same... unfortunately, _his_ chocobo was having none of it. The female whistled loudly as he made to climb onto her back, dancing away from him and leaving him stumbling forward.

"I fucking hate these things!" he lamented after the fifth failed attempt. "That's it... Come're ya goddamn featherduster..."

Reno seized the reins, and jumped, landing awkwardly in the saddle with a grimace. The chocobo warked indignantly, and ducked her entire body forward, sending Reno somersaulting back to the ground. Elena couldn't help it. She started laughing hysterically. Her own bird seemed to share her amusement, and the green chocobo looked extremely smug as her would-be rider slowly picked himself up.

"'Lena, I swear to Holy, if you don't knock it off..."

"I-I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she said, trying desperately to get herself under control, "It's just... _You_ of all people. You're usually so graceful..."

The redhead sighed, and brushed himself off. "I'm... not good at this, okay?"

"No kidding..." Elena steered her mount over toward the other chocobo and took hold of the reins. "Here... I'll hold her still."

Reno stepped up to the bird's side and reached for the halter, pulling himself onto her back a second time. When Elena released her to Reno's control, she remained still... for a moment. Then she attempted again to throw him. This time, however, the wiry Turk was ready for it, and held tight to the chocobo's neck.

"Ha! I win!" he cried, triumphantly, when she finally gave up. The chocobo sat down. "Oh, _come_ on!"

As much as she would have loved to watch this little dance go on, it was quite a ways to Kalm, and even farther to Mythril Mine. They really needed to get going. She urged her chocobo back over to where they'd been tied up, and pulled a handful of gyshal greens from one of the feeding troughs.

"Who wants a snack... ?" she said teasingly, holding them out to the other bird. The green chocobo stood immediately, and calmly walked over to her.

"Oh, sure... reward it..." Reno responded, somewhat petulantly. The greens did seem to appease the bird, however, and once she had finished, they were off, crossing the plains toward Kalm.

Reno was unusually quiet for the entire journey, and Elena actually started feeling bad for him after awhile. She wasn't sure if he was terrified, furious, or motion sick... or some unholy mix of all three. The chocobo seemed to be intentionally giving him a rough ride, and she was merciless. By the time they reached the little village, Reno certainly looked desperate to be back on the ground.

"Oh, thank fuck..." he groaned, sliding down from his mount. Elena joined him moments later. "Remind me to make Tseng's life a livin' hell for at least a week once we get back to Midgar..."

"It was _not_ that bad," she teased him. Reno looked at her as though she'd sprouted a second head.

"'Lena, let me tell ya a little something about bein' a guy..."

"Please don't."

The redhead scowled in response, but didn't say anything further until they reached the center of town. "Alright... the guy we're lookin' for is named Anthrin. He was in charge of the Kalm miners 'til they abandoned the place. He's 'sposed to still be in town. I'm thinkin' we start by..."

"E-Elena? And Reno? Is that you?" The voice was familiar, and both Turks turned, seeking out the source. "Oh! It _is_ you! You look so different with blonde hair!" The rookie suddenly found herself in the tight embrace of a young woman.

"Talia?" She wasn't the only one who'd changed a bit since the last time they'd seen one another. Talia was very clearly no longer pregnant. She beamed at the two Turks, and and took hold of Elena's hand.

"It's so good to see you again! What are you doing here? Oh... you _have_ to come and meet Fawn. I thought for sure she was going to be a boy... but nope... A little girl!"

The stark difference between the Talia they'd met over a month ago in Wall Market, and this new, ecstatically happy version was a little hard to reconcile. Reno seemed to be the first to recover.

"Nice seein' you, too, kid. But we're kinda workin' right n-..."

"Oh, Reno, please? Can't we go and see the baby? It'll only take a few minutes..." Elena cut in, grinning excitedly, "Please?"

"I'm not gonna hear the end of it for days if I say no, am I?" he sighed, "... Fine." If nothing else, it would keep him off that damn bird for a few extra minutes. Talia's smile widened and she grabbed him by the hand as well, all but dragging the pair down a side street.

"She's just the cutest little thing... Wait 'til you see..." They stopped in front of a small building who's signage proclaimed it a bakery. Talia led them around the back and into a small living room, calling out as she entered. "Aunt Evelyn? I'm back! And I brought back guests!"

"That's lovely, dear... but more importantly, did you bring back the _eggs_ I sent you for?" a woman wearing an apron and cradling a mixing bowl in one arm asked with a smirk. Reno's mouth watered as the heavy scent of something baking hit him. He wasn't sure what it was, but damned if it didn't smell amazing.

"Oh, of course I did." Talia giggled and pulled the requested item from the bag she was carrying. "You remember Elena, don't you? She was one of the people who brought me here. And this is Reno. They're the ones who rescued me."

"Well, for that, you have my eternal gratitude," the woman replied, eyes falling on the two Turks, "Shiva only knows what would have become of my niece if you hadn't been there. And poor little Fawn..." A buzzer suddenly went off in the bakery's kitchen, and Evelyn disappeared with an exclamation of, "Oh! My cakes..."

Talia giggled again. "Aunt Evelyn has been baking like a maniac all morning. With the festival coming up, she's got more orders than she knows what to do with." She trailed after the woman, carrying the eggs with her, returning moments later, empty-handed. "Come on... Fawn's in here." She hurried the pair through another door and into a quiet, sunny bedroom. A cradle sat in one corner and Talia moved toward it, gently scooping its sleeping occupant into her arms. The baby fussed slightly, but calmed upon seeing her mother.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Talia said softly, smiling as she held the child up. A pair of cerulean eyes stared back at the Turks, framed by a soft halo of honey-blonde hair that matched her mother's.

"Aww... She's adorable..."

"Yeah... real cute. 'Lena, can we-"

"Can I hold her?"

Reno cringed, wondering just how long "a few minutes" actually meant when there were two women and a baby involved. Talia was already enthusiastically handing the infant off to Elena. Annnd... now Elena was holding it. Great.

The rookie cooed at the baby in her arms, cradling her gently. "Aren't you just the sweetest little thing ever...?" Reno stood near the door, watching the abject fawning that was going on over... Fawn.

"Well, at least the kid has the right name..." he mused, though neither woman seemed to hear him. He shook his head in vague amusement as Elena seemed to turn to mush right in front of his eyes. He was about to remind her that they still had a job to do when he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"Reno, you _have_ to hold her..." The redhead's eyes widened in horror as Elena advanced on him.

"Oh, no... Absolutely not," he said, backing away, "I don't do babies..."

He suddenly found himself with his back to the wall.

"Don't be silly... Now just put your arm like this, and... There we go!" Elena placed the little girl neatly in his arms before he could make a break for it. Reno froze, eyes searching for a way out of this... _any_ way out. Unfortunately, there didn't appear to be an escape. He didn't dare move.

Biting back a groan, he looked down at the tiny human resting in his arms. She _was_ very cute... She was also very delicate-looking. And squirmy. And droppable. And... he really didn't want this sort of responsibility.

"Okay... I held it. Now would someone _please_ take it back before I break it or somethin'?"

The two women broke down into giggles, but didn't relieve him of his burden. Instead, Elena pulled out her PHS and snapped a photo.

"'Lena..." His tone was bordering on desperate now, but he didn't care. He was not comfortable with this at all.

"Oh, alright..." Elena took the baby from him, rocking her gently as she carried her back to her mother. Reno leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes for a moment, thanking every deity he could think of that _that_ ordeal was finally over.

"Okay... Great. Now, if you're done losing your mind over the little princess, I'd like to remind ya that we're still on the clock, and we have no idea where to find this Anthrin guy..."

"Anthrin?" Talia repeated as she carefully set Fawn back in her crib. "Oh, he's easy to find. He's almost always at the bar on the east side of town. His wife complains about it constantly."

"I... Well... that makes things a hell of a lot easier... Thanks, Talia."

"Now see? Aren't you glad we came to see the baby?" Elena said, smiling.

* * *

"'Lena, keep up, will ya?" Reno called over his shoulder. The tiny bar was just ahead of them, but Elena had fallen several steps behind him. "What are you doin' anyway?"

"Um... Nothing..." she replied, hastily stowing her PHS back in her pocket. Reno stopped dead.

"Alright... who'd ya send it to?"

"N-no one, really. Just Rude..." Elena said. Reno raised an eyebrow. "Well, okay... Tseng, too. And... um... Lira..."

The redhead had to force himself not to whimper out loud, and prayed the photo wasn't as bad as he was fairly certain it was. "'Lena..." he lamented. "Wait... why do you have Lira's number?"

The rookie shrugged. "She gave it to me. Don't worry... you only look _slightly_ terrified in it."

"Very funny." He turned and continued on his way towards the bar.

Elena snickered. "Oh, please 'Lena... take it back before I break it..." she mimicked. She was enjoying this just a little too much, but she was having a hard time stopping... and since Reno seemed to be taking it in stride, she didn't feel too bad about poking a little fun at him.

"Focus, 'Lena... We're workin', remember?"

"Come on... she was so cute!"

"Yeah, yeah... Cute. And tiny. How the fuck do those things even survive? They _look_ like they'd snap in half if ya so much as stare at 'em too hard..."

"You're really serious, aren't you?" she said, grinning ear to ear, "You wouldn't have hurt her, you know. Babies aren't _that_... um...' _breakable_ '..."

"Don't care. Holdin' 'em still makes me nervous."

"So... just for future reference, which are you more afraid of? Needles? Or babies?"

"Oh, look, we're here."

Elena smothered one last laugh, and followed him through the the door. No more teasing... time to work. Reno paused in the entryway, scanning the patrons of the bar. It was still early in the day, but there were several who seemed to be firmly entrenched on their barstools. The redhead shrugged and looked over at her.

"Might as well see if we can do this the easy way..." He turned back to the small group, raising his voice slightly. "Any of you named Anthrin?"

"Who's askin'?" a heavily-built man with graying hair at the end of the bar shot back. The pair crossed the room, and Reno took a seat next to the man.

"We work for Shinra Company... You him?"

The miner looked Reno over and snorted, turning back to his beer. "Turks, huh? And what if I am?"

"Then, we'd like a little information from ya 'bout the mine."

"Oh ho... the mine!" he laughed, "Plannin' a day trip, are ya? Ain't nothin' in that mine worth riskin' the zoloms for, trust me."

"Tch... Got no argument here. Unfortunately, my boss disagrees... so, here we are."

"You takin' this pretty little filly out to the mine?" Anthrin asked, glancing back at Elena, "She got a death wish or somethin'? Mine ain't no place for a little girl. Zoloms'll make an appetizer outta her."

"Not if I get to them first," Elena indignantly replied. She hated it when men took that sort of attitude with her. Anthrin laughed, slapping Reno on the back.

"This kid's got fire in her veins!"

"And a loaded gun under her jacket... Watch it. Kid's kinda easily offended," Reno said, smirking.

"Well, far be it from me to stand in her way, then." He drained his beer, and motioned for another. "What is it you're lookin' for?"

Reno reached into his jacket, pulling out a photo of a Shinra lab technician demonstrating a piece of equipment. "This. You remember seein' it?"

"The Screamer? Sure... I remember that thing. The boys were like kids on Christmas mornin' when that thing showed up. It was more'n triplin' our production levels right outta the box. Too bad the fuckin' zoloms decided to show up not too long afterwards."

"Ya happen to remember where you left it?"

"Sure do. I was the one runnin' it when the boss said to evac. Level Five, Section H."

"Deep?"

"Pretty deep. Not the bottom, but damn close. Mine goes down six levels, total. Level six was flooded, last I was there, though. Had equipment on the way from Junon to start pumpin' out the water, but the goddamn zoloms shut the place down before it got installed. Mighta even reached level five by now."

"Oh, terrific. This assignment just gets better and better," Reno said, conversationally.

"Been there, son. Been there," he grinned, "No one likes the shit jobs, but someone's gotta do 'em." The bartender set a new glass down in front of him. "Hey, Julien... you still got any of them mine maps sittin' around?"

"Yeah, probably... Hold on, I'll check." He disappeared into the back room.

"Bar was where we met up in the mornings back in the day. Always kept a box of maps on hand for the rookies. Dumb bastards always 'forgot' to bring 'em for their first shift. Stupid little shits. Thought they knew everything 'bout the tunnels without ever seein' 'em," Anthrin laughed.

"Tell me about it." Reno looked back at Elena and winked. She scoffed and folded her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

"Hope your sweet little rookie there's smarter'n some of mine were."

The bartender returned and plunked a map down on the counter. "There ya go. Thought I still had a few."

"Well, now... let's see here," Anthrin said, unfolding the map, and pointing out various landmarks. "This here's your main entrance. And this'un's the entrance over on the Junon side. 'Bout sixty feet in on our side, there's a shaft that'll take ya down as far as level three. Hit some pretty solid bedrock there, though, and had to dig a second shaft over here when we started the lower levels. Once ya drop down to five, the sections are in order startin' with A at the base of the shaft, all the way out to H at the far end of the mine. Lateral sections are numbered... so ya got A-1, A-2 and A-3 all right next to one another, then B-1, B-2 and B-3, and so on. H was one of the last sections were diggin' at the time so there ain't no H-2 or 3 even though they're on the map. That's where you'll find it. Right there." He pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket and circled it, then refolded the map, handing it to Reno. "If you're really intent on doin' this, best take that with ya."

"Thanks." He stood up, pulling a ten gil note, from his wallet and tossing it on the bar. "Next round's on me."

Anthrin raised his glass in salute, as they left. "Try not to die. Ya seem a decent fella."

Once they were outside, Elena punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?"

"'Tell me about it'?" she said, repeating his own words.

"Ah come on, 'Lena... I was just tryin' to keep the conversation going. You know I'd never really call ya a stupid little shit." Elena looked slightly mollified by his response. "Not to your face, anyway..." he added with a grin, and then immediately took off running.

She didn't catch up to him until he'd reached the spot where they'd left their chocobos. She found him leaning smugly against the fence.

"Ready to get this ride from hell over with?" he asked. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. Reno may have gotten in the last word, but she was about to get a repeat performance of this morning. It seemed like an even trade.

"I guess. Are _you_?" she teased.

"Not especially, but there's no sense in puttin' it off." Elena untied her chocobo, and swung herself up. Reno tried to do the same, but the green bird hadn't grown any fonder of him while they're been gone. He growled softly and grabbed the reins, pulling the bird's head down so they were eye to eye.

"You keep this shit up, I will shoot you, I will cook you, and I will eat you."

"Reno!" She was fairly sure he wasn't serious, but still...

"Just try me, ya feathered bastard..." The chocobo trilled warily, stomping it's feet, but finally settled and let him climb on. "That's more like it... Let's go, 'Lena."

* * *

When they arrived at the edge of the marshes, Reno signaled to her to stop. Aside from the fact that the green chocobo seemed to be retaliating against her handler by giving him the roughest ride imaginable – far worse than the journey to Kalm, by the looks of it – the trip had been relatively uneventful. They'd stopped at the Chocobo Farm to feed and water their mounts... and to get some lunch for themselves... and then gone on to the marshes. By the time they arrived, the sun was just beginning to set.

"Better make this quick. We don't wanna be out here after dark..." said Reno, "Be ready to move at top speed. You see that open area on the other side?"

Elena nodded, squinting against the glare of the sun as she looked westward across the marshes towards the mountainous region that housed Mythril Mine.

"Head straight for it, don't stop, don't slow down, and for fuck's sake watch for anything comin' at ya from the water."

"Um... Reno? Are... are zoloms really as big as everyone says they are?"

"Never seen one?" She shook her head. "Yeah... they're pretty goddamn big. And mean as hell, too. I really don't wanna be in the position of havin' to take one on, so get the fuck across that swamp as fast as you can. Ready?"

Elena swallowed nervously. "I'm ready..."

"Go!"

The pair of them spurred their chocobos forward, urging them to run as fast as they could. Elena scanned the gray water of the swamp, looking for the telltale shadows that would indicate they were being hunted by the massive serpents, but saw nothing. The far side of the marsh was drawing close... it looked like they'd lucked out.

"Shit... 'Lena, don't fucking stop at the edge. Don't even slow down... Keep goin' towards the high ground," Reno shouted to her. He was a few paces behind her, just within her peripheral vision if she turned her head slightly. "And don't look back..."

As soon as he said it, she was sorely tempted to do just that... until she remembered what had happened the last time she'd done something when he'd told her not to. Instead, she kept her eyes focused firmly on her destination, hoping that the reason he'd told her not to look back wasn't what she thought it was...

That hope died the moment her bird's feet hit dry land. She heard a splashing behind her, followed by a roar... followed by a terrified squawk from Reno's chocobo. She didn't stop, but she _did_ look back towards the sound, eyes going wide. It was the biggest snake she'd ever even imagined. The creature had to be at least a hundred feet long... and that was just what she could see of it. It was towering above them, fangs bared and ready to strike. The green chocobo surged forward, catching up to her own as they climbed the rocky path that lead away from the marshes and toward higher ground.

Once they were safely out of the zolom's territory, Reno brought his mount to a halt.

" _That_ was a Midgar Zolom?!" Elena said, incredulously.

"I told ya not to look back..." Reno said, snickering at her expression.

* * *

They set up camp just inside the shelter of the mine entrance. Reno had more or less dropped to the ground and remained there the moment he unrolled his sleeping bag, leaving Elena to gather whatever she could find to build a fire.

"You could help, you know..." she said, setting down an armload of wood. The man was stretched out on his stomach, face buried in his arms. He turned his head just enough to look at her.

"'Lena... right now, I'd rather freeze to death than inflict any more pain on myself by movin'. That fucking bird was tryin' to cripple me the whole way out here."

"Poor thing..."

"Ya know, if you're feelin' sympathetic, you could..."

"I meant the chocobo."

Reno glowered at her, and moved his face back into the crook of his arm. Elena smirked.

"Well, if you're not going to help, then can I at least borrow your lighter?"

"Left front pocket," he replied, remaining motionless. She shook her head and slid her hand into his pants pocket, fully expecting some form of thinly veiled innuendo to be forthcoming. Which was why she was more than slightly surprised when she got nothing. Her fingers closed around the object of her search, and she withdrew the lighter without hearing so much as a feigned moan.

She eyed him a little suspiciously as she put a flame to the pile of kindling. It caught easily enough, and she quickly began to pile larger pieces on. A short while later, she had a nice little fire going, and Reno still hadn't moved... but she knew one thing that would definitely get his attention.

She unzipped her travel pack, digging out two of the Shinra military ration packets; Standard issue to the Turks as well, though they seldom actually used them.

"Which do you want? Vacuum-packed pot roast, or vacuum-packed chicken?"

"Oh, I don't know... both just sound _so_ appealing..." He sat up, wincing as his body protested. "Don't care. I'll eat whichever one you don't want."

He was right. Neither sounded tempting. Finally, she chose the chicken, and handed the other packet to Reno. "They can't be that bad, can they? I mean, they feed them to the army..."

Reno snickered, tearing into the outer wrapping. "Well... they're usually a step up from the Shinra Building cafeteria, anyway," he commented. Elena followed suit, and then broke the seal on the one of the smaller packets inside.

"Oh my god..." She found herself looking at a gooey mass of shredded... was that supposed to be meat? It was coated in a thick layer of slimy white-ish sauce. "I really hope this doesn't taste the way it looks..." She took a tentative bite, and immediately gagged. Reno burst out laughing.

"There _usually_ a step up... 'cept for the chicken. That shit's just all around nasty."

Elena groaned and hesitantly speared another bite with the plastic fork from the package. If she hadn't been so hungry after such a long ride, she wouldn't have dared, but her stomach had been growling angrily for the last hour. Maybe if she held her nose... and didn't chew too thoroughly... or at all...

Reno reached over and grabbed her wrist before she could give it a shot.

"Fuck, I can't watch ya do this to yourself," he said, grinning. "Here... I'll trade ya." He plucked the packet from her hand, and surrendered his own.

"A-are you sure?" she asked. She really didn't want to make another attempt at swallowing that... whatever it was. She refused to refer to it as 'food'. But she _had_ willingly chosen it over the other option, and given the other to Reno.

"Ah, go ahead... I've choked down worse."

"... When?" she asked, disbelievingly, "And more importantly, why?"

"Ever heard of slum slurry?"

"No... but I have a feeling that I should be glad I haven't..."

"Be _very_ glad. I'd tell ya what's in it... but I'm assumin' you'd kinda like to keep your dinner down..." He took a bite, and much to his own surprise, nearly gagged as well. "Wow... that really _is_ vile... Think they may have actually found a way to make this shit worse than the last time I had it..."

Elena slowly opened her new packet, and sighed in relief. This, at least, looked like identifiable food. She took a small forkful of the pot roast, and tried it. The difference between the two was vast. Compared to the chicken, it was _almost_ tasty. Now, though, she really _did_ feel bad for letting Reno trade with her.

"Reno... I... I can't. It's not fair to you. Trade me back..."

"Nope." He shoved four more bites into his mouth in quick succession and swallowed.

"But..."

"Eat, 'Lena. Seriously, I don't mind bein' stuck with it. I was gonna take it anyway... I just couldn't resist seein' you try it first."

She turned back to her own meal, and started in on it in earnest. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, downing the last of the chicken, and poking around in the main packet to see what else Shinra had decided to grace him with.

"You always volunteer to take the worst option so I don't have to."

"Think ya kinda answered your own question, there." He finally came up with another smaller vacuum-sealed bag. "Yes! The one redeeming feature of these things... Please be chocolate chip..." he said, tearing it open. "Eh... oatmeal raisin. That works, too." He shrugged, and popped half the cookie in his mouth, though Elena thought he looked somewhat disappointed.

"But why? You don't do that with Rude. Or Tseng."

"Sure I do... just not quite to the same extent. You're different." By now, he was back to digging through the packet again.

"How? And don't you dare say because I'm a girl."

"'Cause you're a girl," he said, looking up at her and smirking.

Elena narrow her eyes at him, annoyed. She'd never asked for or expected special treatment just because of her gender, and it irritated her that Reno seemed to think she needed it. "Reno! That is just so... sexist!"

The redhead, laughed softly. "Yeah, maybe it is. But look... It's not 'cause I think women are weak, or helpless, or inferior, or some bullshit like that. Particularly you... Believe me, I know better."

"Then why?"

"... 'Lena, when I was a kid, I spent half my time watchin' guys treat my mom like crap. She did her best to keep me from seein' it, but I was a nosy little brat, even at that age and I saw a lot more than a kid really should. And eventually she couldn't take that shit anymore, and I lost her. So fine... if me sometimes treatin' women with a little more consideration than I would a guy is sexist of me, I'm okay with that."

Elena blinked and studied him for a moment. It was kind of hard to hold that against him. It was actually very sweet, in a way, if a little misguided in her opinion. "The more I hear about the slums, the more it sounds like a terrible place to grow up."

"Nah... It's not all bad. Sector 2's really not a great measure of the slums in general. It's... what ya might call the dumping ground for the assholes that get run out of the nicer sectors. And then ya got the halfway decent people who can't _afford_ the nicer sectors. Kind of ashamed to say it, but that's why I didn't try and talk Lira out of goin' to work for Corneo back then. I hated to see her do it... but..." He trailed off with a shrug and opened up another pouch, this one filled with dried fruit.

"So... I guess your mom was one of those people who couldn't afford to get out, then..."

"Not for lack of tryin'. Gettin' stuck with a kid you weren't plannin' on, though... that's sort of a drain on your finances. She could've taken the easy way out and just got rid of me soon as she found out. Would've made her life a lot easier... not that I'm not grateful she didn't."

"What about your father?"

"What about him? If she knew who he was, she sure as hell never told me. But to be honest, I've always just assumed she didn't know."

"Why automatically assume that?" Elena asked. It struck her as odd that Reno, who seemed to hold his mother in such high regard in just about every other sense, would think _that_ about her...

Reno stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "'Lena... for fuck's sake, I know I've never come right out and said it, but haven't ya figured out by now what my mom did to support herself?"

"I... What? Um... No, I-I guess not..."

"She was a prostitute, 'Lena..." he said, spelling it out for her. Reno chuckled to himself, studying her fondly. He was definitely going to have to work on getting her to better assimilate the information she picked up. She could be shockingly oblivious at times, and surprisingly insightful at others... It was kind of a crap shoot, and she needed to be more consistent.

He cocked his head to one side, watching her. She didn't seem to know what to say, though he was pretty sure she was running through several options in her head.

"I... I'm sorry. I have really got to stop prying into your personal life. Every time I do, I seem to dredge up something... like this," she said at last, ducking her head to avoid looking him in the eye.

Reno decided that he had better deal with that before she got the wrong idea. "Okay... stop right there. Let's get one thing straight. I have never been ashamed of her, and I never will be. And you're welcome to pry... I really don't mind. There's very little that's off-limits with me. Truth is... I kinda like that you do."

"You... _do_?"

"Sure... I'm a total attention whore, remember? I love talkin' about myself." He smiled and laid down, arms behind his head in lieu of a pillow. "Especially when someone's actually _listening_ instead of just waitin' for me to shut up. Finish up, and get to bed, 'Lena. We're gonna have to get up at a seriously ungodly hour tomorrow if we wanna have a chance of findin' the stupid thing and gettin' all the way back to Midgar by tomorrow night."

Elena looked into the packet. There was only one sealed pouch left... she'd been so hungry, she'd devoured the rest in the short time they'd been talking and hardly realized it. She tore it open and grinned.

"Oh, hey... forgot to ask. What kind of cookie'd you get?"

Elena stood up and walked over to where Reno was trying to make himself comfortable. She wordlessly set the pouch on his chest and turned back to climb into her own sleeping bag.

"It's chocolate chip... Good night, Reno."

* * *

The following morning, Elena woke shortly after dawn. The fire was still going, though it had burned quite low by then. She set a few for branches on top, and coaxed it back up a bit. Reno was curled on his side, head resting on his arm and apparently sleeping peacefully... a fact for which she was glad. She hadn't questioned him any further about his nightmares since witnessing one first-hand, so she didn't have the faintest idea how often he had them. Not every night, it seemed, and she was relieved by that knowledge. She hated to think about him suffering like that every time he closed his eyes.

She really didn't want to wake him... in fact, if she hadn't been freezing when she'd woken up herself, she wouldn't have risked disturbing him by tending to the fire. There was something very endearing about him like this, and she was hesitant to ruin it.

"You watchin' me sleep is turnin' into a habit, 'Lena..."

She let out a soft squeak of surprise at the sound of his voice and nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Don't _do_ that!" she cried, pressing a hand to her chest. Reno snickered, and rolled onto his back, stretching. "How long have you been awake, anyway?"

"I dunno... Hour maybe? Been diftin' in and out. Stupid birds woke me up awhile ago fightin' over what was left of those damn sylkis greens you insisted on gettin' 'em at the farm, then I think it was the zoloms down in the marsh, and then _you_ started movin' around... So what's for breakfast?"

Elena grabbed one of their packs, and found the next set of packaged meals. "Omelets..."

"Sweet... those actually aren't half bad when ya heat 'em up a little. If ya can ignore the texture, I mean."

Elena groaned and began to wonder how hard it would be to make it through the next twenty four hours without eating...

* * *

"How could anyone work down here?" They'd only descended to the third level of the mine, and already Elena was beginning to feel uneasy. The tunnels were narrow and only dimly lit by strings of bare bulbs along the ceiling – and they were lucky for _that_ light. It had taken several attempts to get the rusting generator at the entrance started. In fact, the only reason they'd succeeded was because Elena had remembered an old trick her father sometimes resorted to when they visited Nana in Veraheim and her generator was being uncooperative.

The deeper they'd gone, the more her discomfort grew. She couldn't remember ever feeling so claustrophobic in her life, and knowing that there were thousands... maybe even millions... of tons of rock above her wasn't helping. Reno didn't seem to be enjoying it any more than she was.

"Beats me," he replied. "Don't think _I_ could do it... Ready for another elevator ride?"

The first one hadn't exactly been relaxing. The equipment was old and unmaintained... it creaked and groaned every inch of their first descent to the point that she'd been halfway convinced the cable would give out before they made it. Now they were standing at the second vertical shaft that would take them even deeper into the mine, with an even more dilapidated-looking elevator car waiting for them.

"Like we have a choice?"

Reno shrugged. "Could always climb it if we had to. 'Course that access ladder doesn't look much more inviting than the elevator..."

He shoved the gate open, cringing at the horrific squeal of protest the metal gave as he did so.

"Ladies first?" he offered, teasingly.

"After you... I insist..." Elena dryly responded. Reno snorted softly and cautiously stepped into the car. It groaned ominously under his weight. "Reno... I'm not so sure this one's safe..."

"Think we better go one at a time... just in case." He hesitated a moment, but finally pulled the level, setting the elevator in motion. Elena waited, tense and straining to hear any sounds that might indicate Reno was in trouble. After about a minute, the hum of the motor stopped. Seconds later, it started up again as the car reversed directions and stopped in front of her, empty.

"Good news! I'm not dead! Come on down, 'Lena..." Reno's voice called up to her from the depths of the shaft.

Elena rolled her eyes at the proclamation, and nervously stepped aboard. Maybe it was her imagination, but the car seemed to protest even more with her weight, and in some detached corner of her mind, she briefly wondered if she was actually heavier than the skinny redhead who'd preceded her down. She held her breath as she pulled the lever, sending herself deeper still into the planet.

She didn't release that breath until she stopped the car again at the fifth level of the mine and found Reno waiting for her. The air was damp and cold down here, with moisture beading on the walls... but despite Anthrin's warning back in Kalm, it didn't look like this level had flooded after all.

"How far in do we have to go?" she asked, glancing down the main tunnel.

"Heh... all the way." He pulled out the map they're been given in Kalm, spreading it on the floor of the tunnel. "Good news is, it looks like it's a straight shot right down this tunnel. Not quite sure what this is, though..." Reno pointed at a fairly large empty section on the map, at the far end of the mine.

Elena tilted her head, studying the diagram. "It looks like open space... maybe they ran into a natural cave or something..." Whatever it was, it seemed to connect the fifth and sixth levels of the mine at the end of the main tunnel.

"Well, whatever... it's not our problem. What we're after is 'sposed to be right here," he said, finger landing on the chalk mark that Anthrin had made. "Let's go."

The two Turks began walking... Elena soon discovered that the map was a little deceptive. The scale of the mine was significantly larger than the neat little diagram had implied. They'd gone several hundred yards and still had not reached the end. Reno suddenly froze, and as Elena started to ask what was wrong, he clapped a hand over her mouth, silencing her and slowly pulling her backwards, into a side tunnel they'd just passed. As he did so, she saw why... in the shadows ahead of them, something was moving.

"What _is_ that?" she whispered once he released her. Reno shook his head.

"Dunno... Couldn't see it very well," he replied, just as softly. "Stay here and cover me. I'm gonna see what we're dealin' with."

He drew his mag-rod and slipped back into the main tunnel, staying close to the wall as he made his way toward the movement. Elena watched, gun ready, even though, for the moment, she didn't have a target.

"Oh, shit..."

The curse was followed by the familiar crackling of electricity from the EMR, as Reno struck out at something. Elena heard a pained squeal, and then silence.

"All clear... for now, anyway," he called back to her. The rookie hurried to Reno's position, stopping dead as she saw what had been waiting for them.

A snake, some twenty feet long, and as nearly as big around as her thigh, lay dead at Reno's feet.

"That's a big snake," she commented.

"That's not a snake. That's a zolom. A real young one."

"W-what? What's a zolom doing down here?" She wasn't an expert, but she'd never heard of zoloms living underground. They were water serpents...

"Let's hope he just wandered away from mommy and got lost..." His tone, though, didn't sound too confident of that. "Take it slow, and keep your eyes peeled. And don't put your gun away."

They moved along the tunnel, side by side, checking side tunnels as they went. Eventually, Elena became aware of a soft sound echoing through the mine, and when the tunnel suddenly opened up, she discovered what it was.

Ahead of them, a wide cavern stretched out into darkness. The lower portion, which the map said extended at least as far down as the sixth level of the mine, had flooded, creating an underground lake... and in that lake, something was moving... undulating slowly beneath the water. Something very, _very_ big.

The floor extended outward from the mouth of the tunnel, leaving a wide ledge around some of the perimeter of the flooded section. There were numerous crates stacked along the wall to their right, and to their left...

"That's it..." Reno said in hushed tones, nodding in the direction of a piece of equipment laying on the ground some seventy-five feet away from where they were standing. He took a step towards it.

"Reno..." She pointed toward the water, and the shape moving lazily in the darkness.

"I know. Just keep an eye on it. I'm gonna make this quick. In and out before it knows we're here."

He hoped. He'd always heard that zoloms sensed vibrations... it was how they tracked their prey. He took a deep breath and set off, keeping his steps as light as he could, and never taking his eyes off the water... which was probably why he didn't notice where he was standing until the first eggshell crunched loudly under his boot.

Reno froze and looked down, and felt his heart hit his throat. The floor was covered in bits and pieces of broken eggs the size of his own head. Not just broken... hatched. He swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He was standing in the middle of a zolom nest.

Eyes wide, he stole a glance over his shoulder at Elena. She was still by the mouth of the tunnel, which, worst case scenario gave her a place to find cover if she needed it. There was no way a fully grown zolom could fit down there. The babies, though... where were _they_ hiding, he wondered. By the number of shells just in his range of vision – which was admittedly limited in the darkened space – there were a lot of them.

He forced himself to keep moving, in spite of every instinct he possessed screaming at him to get the fuck out of there. With an almost silent sigh of relief, he finally reached the abandoned sonic drill.

It consisted of a power pack, with straps to allow it to be worn on one's back, and a cone-shaped hand-held unit that housed the drill itself, which was attached to the pack by a thick cord.. He really hadn't followed much of the explanation of how it worked during the briefing yesterday morning. Something about sound waves and oscillating frequencies, and any number of other long, scientific-sounding words that he'd have had little luck pronouncing correctly, let alone explaining to someone else. The short of it seemed be that the thing used sound to vibrate shit apart. Why the rep from R&D couldn't have just said that to begin with, he'd never know.

He picked it up, slipping a strap over one shoulder.

"Reno!" Elena's voice came in a hissed whisper... probably as loud as she dared call out. The redhead turned and immediately saw why she broken her silence. It was another baby, and it was headed straight for him, head back, fangs bared. Forget quiet... Reno ran, darting past the creature and narrowly missing being hit when it tried to strike. Electro mag-rod in hand, he lashed out before it could try again, sending it back several feet with a jolt of electricity. The zolom squealed in pain.

"Reno, run!" Elena shouted. There was no attempt to keep her voice down this time, and Reno didn't have to stop to wonder why. Mommy was angry.

He saw the head first, rising out of the water. The adult zolom roared, the sound shaking the walls of the cavern around him. He took off at top speed, sprinting toward Elena. This was not good... He heard gunshots, and realized that the rookie was firing at the serpent... though it didn't even seem to phase it.

"Fuck this," he muttered and dropped the drill. He wasn't going to die for a piece of tech, and it was slowing him down. For a moment, he thought he was going to make it... and then he saw the tail.

He had no way to avoid it... it was massive. It slammed into him mercilessly, knocking the wind from his lungs, and sent him flying backwards. The last thing he was aware of was pain as he struck the stone wall of the cavern. After that, everything went black.

* * *

Elena watched in horror as Reno sailed through the air, hitting the wall hard and dropping limply into the water below. He floated, face-down and unmoving, as the zolom turned its attention on her instead.

Her weapon wasn't doing anything against it... except perhaps making it angrier. She had to do something. Reno didn't stand chance like that. If the zolom didn't finish him off, he'd drown for sure. She adjusted her aim, targeting the creature's eyes. If she couldn't kill it, maybe she could blind it. Elena fired, and the zolom roared again in pain and anger as her shot hit home. She put four more bullets in it before it turned away from her, shielding it's remaining eye.

When it did, Elena turned to look at Reno... he hadn't moved. Her gaze dropped to the sonic drill, and she saw her chance. Figuring that if the thing could cut through rock, it could cut through a zolom, she ran for it, hoping it still worked after all this time. Elena stumbled, landing painfully on her knees next to the drill, and scrambled to seize it, only to realize that she had absolutely no idea how it actually worked. As the zolom recovered and began to charge her, she silently prayed that it was as simple as aim and shoot... and pulled what she could only assume was the trigger.

An ear-splitting shriek rent the air, and it took her a moment to realize that it was coming from the drill. It vibrated almost painfully in her hands, and she watched in awe as the zolom stopped its attack, writhing in the water as if in agony. Moments later, its head and upper body burst apart, exploding in a rain of blood and flesh, the rest of it sinking below the surface of the water and disappearing.

Elena stared, dumbfounded... she'd never seen anything like it. No wonder Scarlet wanted this back...

"Reno!" she gasped out, as reality caught up to her. She staggered to her feet and raced toward the edge of the pool. She didn't have time to hesitate or worry about how deep it was, – and given there was half a dead zolom somewhere down there, it had to be pretty deep – she dove. Awkwardly, but it got her there. The water was freezing and her clothes were weighing her down, but she somehow got ahold of him. Elena lifted his head out of the water, and began pulling him back to the edge, her own head slipping beneath the surface several times before she managed it. She lifted herself back onto dry land, panting, and dragged Reno's limp body out behind her.

"Reno..." she tried, kneeling beside him. Elena leaned down, setting her ear by his mouth, listening for any indication he was breathing, but heard nothing. "No... Please, Reno... Don't..."

She pressed her fingers to his neck, searching for a pulse, and her heart leapt when she found one. It was sluggish, and fading, but it was there, and at that moment, she had never been more grateful for Reno's insistence when they'd started her mandatory swimming lessons that she also practice for her CPR certification.

She tilted his head back, pinching his nose shut, and pressed her lips against his, slowly forcing air into his lungs. She did it again, and again, checking each time for any sign that it was making a difference.

"Reno, please..." she whispered desperately, and tried again. This time, she was met with success. He coughed, choking on the water that came up as he did so, and she hurried to roll him to one side so he could finally take a breath on his own. Reno instinctively curled in on himself, as more coughing wracked his body for a moment before he lay still, panting harshly.

"R-reno?" she tried again, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. He flinched slightly at the sudden physical contact, but turned to look at her.

"'Lena?" His voice was weak and somewhat strangled. His eyes widened. "The zolom..."

"It... It's dead. It's okay. We're safe."

"Fuck, 'Lena... You killed a zolom?" She nodded. "Remind me to try not to piss you off anymore..." He laughed weakly, but gasped moments later in obvious pain. "Ow... 'kay, definitely shouldn't do that for awhile..." He let his head rest on the ground, closing his eyes.

"H-how badly are you hurt?" she asked. They were close to a thousand feet underground. Their phones would never find a signal through all that rock... and if he was too injured to risk moving him, she couldn't leave him to go and get help. The adult zolom may have been dead, but who knew how many more of the little ones were lurking down here. And if one adult could get in, that meant others could as well. Probably, the water in the chamber had come from the marshes. There could easily be an underground cave leading from there to here farther down in the mine.

"Bad enough that the Doc's probably gonna have me on bed rest for a few days," Reno groaned, "Shoulder's fuckin' killing me... so's my head. And my chest. And my back feels like one giant bruise right now. Fuck, I musta hit that wall hard... Help me sit up, will ya? If I don't pass out, I can probably manage well enough that you won't have to drag me outta here by yourself."

She wasn't sure she liked his plan, but did as she was asked.

Reno groaned as she helped him upright, raising a hand to his temple and squeezing his eyes shut as he bit back the threatening nausea and tried to wait out the sudden onslaught of vertigo. For a moment, he really wasn't sure he could do this... the dizziness calmed slightly, though, and he dared to open his eyes again. He still felt, very much, like he was going to vomit, but his grip on consciousness seemed to be holding, at least. He could practically hear Dr. Ward's voice already telling him he had a skull fracture... or at the very least a concussion.

"Reno?"

"Yeah, I'm okay... just gimme a second."

He tried to move his shoulder, and gritted his teeth against the pain _that_ sent lancing through him. "Broken collar bone," said his mental projection of Ward, "Or, maybe if yer very lucky, just a dislocated shoulder." The good news was that his legs seemed to be relatively unscathed. He might just manage to walk out of here after all.

"Alright... let's see if I keel over when ya get me on my feet," he said at last.

He was starting to shiver now, and he realized, for the first time, that he was drenched. He remembered hitting the wall. Landing in the water, though... that was news to him. As Elena helped him stagger to a standing position, he noticed that she was similarly soaked. He finally had the presence of mind to scan the area, and was a little shocked by the carnage. Whatever she'd done to kill the zolom, he hoped she never had cause to try it on him.

"'Lena... when we get outta here, you're gonna tell me exactly what the hell I missed..."

Most of his weight was still resting on the rookie. He slowly shifted it to his own two feet, relieved when he found he could mostly support himself. The annoying dizziness still plagued him, however, and combined with the fact that he was now trembling uncontrollably from his unexpected swim, he was fairly sure he wouldn't make it very far without her help.

"Alright, let's get the fuck outta this hole... and make damn sure ya grab that drill on the way out. After all this, I am _not_ leavin' empty-handed."

* * *

It took them almost two hours to make the trip back to the surface. Reno had nearly lost consciousness twice on the way, and had ultimately failed in his valiant battle against the nausea his concussion – he still held out hope that's all it was – was inflicting on him. His stomach was still roiling even after he'd emptied it and clawed his way back to his feet, clinging to the rookie just to stay upright. By the time they reached the mine entrance, he so exhausted and chilled even her support was only just barely keeping him standing.

Elena lowered him to his knees beside the remains of the fire. Reno edged closer to the warmth of the embers, shivering violently as, with her help, he painfully stripped off his damp clothes and crawled into one of the sleeping bags.

"I'll contact Tseng..." she said, pulling out her PHS and almost laughing when its screen sprang to life at her touch. She'd never had cause to test out the R&D's claims that it was waterproof to a depth of a hundred feet – and was glad that it apparently didn't matter that said water was also a quarter mile underground.

"Call Rude first. He's closer, and he's got the helicopter."

Elena tried to dial out, but soon discovered she had no signal. "I think the mine's blocking reception..." She'd have to try outside... maybe even down by the marsh where she wasn't quite so thoroughly in the mountain's shadow. She really didn't want to leave him on his own, but he was in no shape to be moved any farther. They were lucky he'd made it as far as he did. Elena pocketed her phone and began piling wood onto the fire, coaxing the embers into a flame. She moved Reno as close to it as she dared, and made sure he was tightly ensconced in his sleeping bag before placing the other one over him for good measure.

She ran her fingers tenderly through his hair, prompting him to look up at her. The dazed look in his eyes worried her. "Reno? I need to go find someplace with a signal."

The redhead gave her a weak smile. "Think I'll just stay here..."

"Don't fall asleep, okay? You're not supposed to sleep when you've got a head injury..."

"Heh... trust me, 'Lena... I know the routine. Doc's got that shit drilled into me at this point. I'll be alright."

Elena stroked his hair one more time before she rose and hurried out of the mine.

Out from beneath the cover of rock now, she tried her PHS again, to no avail. So she began walking... she was halfway down the trail to the marsh before she finally picked up a weak cell signal. She opened her contacts list, and dialed Rude's number.

"Rude here," the other Turk answered, though the connection wasn't great.

"Rude! It's Elena... Reno and I are at Mythril Mine. Reno's hurt. We need you to come and get us..."

"Elena? I can barely hear you... Did you say Mythril Mine?"

"Yes, the mine. Please... hurry. Reno's really not doing so well. Rude? Rude, can you hear me?" She looked at the screen and found that her call had dropped. She groaned in frustration, and tried dialing again, but the signal was gone. She rushed farther down the trail, hoping to pick it up again, but even when she reached the edge of the marsh, there was nothing. She couldn't go any farther without one of the chocobos... and even if she went back and got one, she wasn't sure it was wise to risk it. One close call with a zolom was enough for one day, and besides that, she didn't want to leave Reno alone for too long if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

Elena started back up the trail, checking her phone constantly on the off chance that the signal might come back. She saw the indicator flicker a few times, but it never held long enough for her to even dial, let alone reach anyone.

The chocobos warked loudly when she returned, and she checked that they had food and water before returning to Reno. Inside the the mine entrance again, she hurried over to him, finding that he done exactly what she'd told him not to do and fallen asleep.

"Reno?" She frowned when he didn't respond. She was hesitant to try shaking him at all, given how battered he was. On the bright side, though, he seemed to have warmed up at least. Elena gently pushed aside the sleeping bag, taking stock of his injuries... what she could see of them, at any rate.

His chest was already turning a deep purple in several places... probably where the zolom's tail had struck him. She carefully ran a hand across his ribs. Nothing _felt_ broken, but that certainly didn't mean that was the case, and small fractures wouldn't be apparent without an x-ray, so it really told her nothing. His right shoulder, on the other hand... that definitely didn't feel – or look – quite right... whether something was broken, or just out of joint, she wasn't sure. She very gently eased him onto his side, looking over his back. There was even more bruising there... ugly, dark bruises that patterned his pale skin from his shoulders all the way to his waist. In short... he looked terrible, and the fact that he hadn't even stirred the entire time she'd been poking and prodding him scared her.

There really wasn't anything else she could do for him. She tucked the sleeping bag back around him, and settled herself by his side, drawing her knees to her chest. Her own clothes hadn't yet dried completely, either, and the air was cool. On top of that, she was so tired...

She didn't realize she'd drifted off, her arms wrapped around her knees and her head resting on top of them, until the familiar thumping of helicopter blades startled her awake... though she didn't recognize it for what it was until Rude was walking toward her. She slowly... stiffly... uncurled herself, and rubbed at her eyes, wondering how long she'd been out.

"How bad?"

"I-I'm not sure... Bad, I think. He fell asleep while I was outside trying to get a decent signal to call for help, and I haven't been able to wake him up..."

"You hurt?"

"No... I'm okay. Just cold and tired."

"..." Rude knelt down, gently prying open Reno's eyes one at a time. Elena wasn't sure what he was looking for, but whatever it was, it seemed to concern him. "... Let's go." He picked him up carefully, sleeping bag and all. Meanwhile, Elena grabbed the equipment they'd been sent after. Reno would kill her if she left the drill behind after all the trouble they went through to get it back. She also collected Reno's weapon and clothes, stuffing them into one of the mostly empty travel packs. Everything else, she abandoned.

Following Rude to the helicopter, she saw that the chocobos had torn themselves free of their tethers... probably frightened by the aircraft's sudden appearance. She hoped they made it home safely. Rude loaded his partner into the helicopter, and Elena climbed in beside him to watch over him during the flight.

* * *

Elena found Tseng at Midgar General Hospital, at Reno's bedside, a file folder in hand... None of them wanted to leave him alone right now. In the end, they'd decided taking it in shifts would be easiest way and the least disruptive to their regular duties. It was Elena's turn again.

"Sir?" she called out, quietly.

"Elena..."

"How is he?"

Tseng shook his head. "The same... though Ward tells me the swelling has gone down quite a bit. He hasn't woken, however."

Reno had been comatose since Rude had picked them up... nearly a week ago. A skull fracture and the accompanying swelling were the obvious reasons for it. His other injuries were minor by comparison. A dislocated shoulder, eight badly fractured ribs, and a plethora of bruises. Six days he'd been unconscious... A healing sleep, Dr. Ward had called it, though given that no one yet knew when – or, Odin forbid, if – he would wake, didn't really make the term any more comforting than "coma".

Tseng closed the folder he'd been reading from, and stood. "You are to..."

"Call you immediately if there's any change. Yes, sir. I know... I will." He had given her the same order every time she'd relieved him. It bothered her a little that he felt the need to keep reminding her, but chalked it up to the man being worried and tried not to take it personally.

He paused, studying her for a moment, and shook his head, laughing softly. "Have I been really been that repetitive?"

"Er... yes, sir. You kind of have..."

"My apologies. I fear this is beginning to test even _my_ patience. Reno and Rude both have certainly been badly hurt on occasion over the years... even _you_ have already had your share injuries in your short time with us. But none of you have ever gone so long without regaining consciousness before. It's... upsetting."

"It's alright, sir. I'm worried about him, too."

"After reading your report, I'm not surprised," he said, nodding toward the folder, "It was a narrow escape. For both of you. Elena... That was exceptionally well done. Reno owes you his life – several times over, I think."

"I-I really think it just makes us about even, sir..." She felt an uncomfortable heat rise in her cheeks. Reno didn't owe her anything. She would have done the same for any of them... as they would have for her.

Tseng chuckled softly and turned to leave. "Regardless... I'm grateful to you. I've seen entirely too many Turks lost in my time. I'm glad to not be adding another name to that list. Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight, sir," she called after him. Left alone with Reno, she settled into the chair Tseng had vacated moments earlier. She couldn't help but wonder how many names were on that list, and for just how many of them Reno and Rude had been around to share in Tseng's loss. She could hardly bring herself to imagine one of them suddenly not being there.

The clock on the wall read 11:15... It felt much later. She had napped for an hour or two after work, in the hopes that it would be easier to stay awake until Rude took over at five in the morning. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure it had been such a good idea. When she'd woken up, she'd felt like all she wanted was to go right back to sleep... it had been hard to get up and moving again. Now, she felt like a bit of a zombie.

It probably didn't help that she hadn't had a full night's sleep since her return. At best, she managed to grab a few hours here and there between work and the hospital. It was wrecking her sleep cycle, and the weekend, when she might at last have a chance to catch up, was still another full day away.

Elena leaned forward and let her fingers rest on the back of Reno's hand. "Come on, Reno... You can't sleep forever. I know you're not _that_ lazy..." she teased him, though it was a half-hearted effort. The fact that there was no retort from the redhead left her feeling dejected. "I brought a book tonight... I'll read to you if you want. Maybe... maybe I should have brought one of my romance novels instead. You hate those so much. You'd probably wake up just to tell me to stop."

She sighed, and flipped to the story she'd marked earlier that day, glancing at Reno one more time before she started reading.

* * *

Elena whined softly in irritation and tried to squirm away from whatever it was that kept poking her in the ribs. It tickled, and she wasn't in the mood to be tickled. She wanted to go back to sleep, and it wasn't letting her. It prodded her again.

"Mmph... quit it..." she murmured, swatting at the nuisance, her hand smacking awkwardly against something solid.

"Ow. Hey, watch it... pretty sure least some of those are broken..."

Elena burrowed her cheek against her arm, and groaned. "Trying to sleep, Reno... leave me alone..." Suddenly her eyes snapped open, as she realized what she'd just said. She jerked herself up, into a sitting position, and stared. The redhead laughed at her befuddled expression, and then immediately cringed, his uninjured arm wrapping around his ribs, protectively.

"Owww... Fuck, laughing was a bad idea..." he moaned.

"R-reno?"

"Yeah?"

"You... You're awake," she said, a smile spreading across her face. Her first instinct was to hug him, and she'd already begun to move to do so, before realizing just how much pain that would probably inflict on him right now. Reno, meanwhile, had apparently noticed and braced himself for it. She quickly restrained herself, still grinning madly. "We were so worried!"

Reno relaxed, glad he wasn't about to be crushed by an overly enthusiastic rookie.

"Tch... so worried ya couldn't even stay awake?" he taunted her. He seemed a little weak, but in surprisingly good spirits.

"You've been unconscious for _six_ days..."

"Oh..." Reno replied, considering the new information, "Huh... In that case, guess I'm lucky you didn't just get bored waitin' on me and go home..."

She gasped suddenly, and went for her phone. Tseng was at home. And Reno was awake.

Reno groaned, not having any trouble guessing what she had in mind. "Ah, come on, 'Lena... Don't call now. It's the middle of the fuckin' night."

Elena ignored his protests and dialed, but barely even had the chance to open her mouth once Tseng answered.

"Sir, Reno's – "

"Go the fuck back to bed, Tseng," Reno cut in, raising his voice to ensure he'd be heard on the other end of the line. Elena smothered a slightly hysterical giggle. Between the lack of sleep, and the elation at seeing Reno conscious and alert, she was feeling a little out of control at the moment.

"Yes, sir." she said, and ended the call, grinning at Reno. "He says he'll be here in ten minutes."

* * *

Reno was supposed to have spent the next week in the hospital under observation for his fractured skull... By the fourth day, he'd threatened so many of the doctors that only Dr. Ward was willing to go anywhere near him. She had grudgingly agreed to have him released, on the condition that he go home, and _stay_ home until she personally decided he was healed enough to do anything more strenuous than play video games all day.

Which was precisely what he was doing when Elena dropped by on Saturday. The door was answered by Rude, who looked at her with such a measure of relief she almost laughed.

"... You staying awhile?" he asked.

"W-well... only if he wants me to. I wasn't sure if he was trying to get some rest or not..."

Rude snorted derisively. "The closest I've come to getting him to do that, is letting him watch me get shot in the head... repeatedly."

"Uhh... What?"

"Rude, for fuck's sake... I'm gettin' my ass kicked here. Whoever it is, tell 'em to either sit down or fuck off, and help me take these guys out!" The sounds of combat could be heard from Reno's living room, and as Rude ushered her in, she spotted him on the couch, eyes locked on the television screen. The bottom half was stationary, a shot of some war-torn building's exterior. The upper portion of the screen displayed a wildly panning view as Reno's avatar charged through the interior. It made Elena dizzy just watching it. Gunfire and the occasional explosion reverberated from the speakers. "No... no... ah, crap! No!" The top screen turned red and displayed the words "Fatality: Headshot", and Reno threw up his arms in frustration... only to almost immediately cry out in pain, reflexively gripping his injured shoulder, and then moaning as the rest of his battered body protested _that_ movement as well.

Elena snickered at the sight. "At this rate, you're never going to heal..."

"'Lena!" Reno said, grinning as he turned back to look at her. "Tch... I'm fine."

"Except for screaming in pain every time you move too much, you mean?"

"I don't scream... And it's better than layin' around flat on my back in bed all day. Seriously... Ward was here half the damn day yesterday, and she would hardly let me up to take a piss. Thought she was never gonna fuckin' leave..."

"Hmph... Speaking of leaving. I said one more round. That was three rounds ago. If you want to eat, I need to go pick up some supplies..."

"Ah, just order a –"

"No. No more takeout. You need real food once in awhile." Rude smirked, and added, "Elena's gonna take over babysitting duty while I'm gone."

Reno glared at him as the bald Turk turned and strode out the door. "Well... Guess, you're also takin' over player two, then, 'Lena... You any good at Tides of War?"

"Tides of... um... sorry, Reno. I'm not really big on video games."

He groaned and tossed the controller onto the coffee table.

"Couldn't we do something a little... quieter? You're supposed to be taking it easy," Elena continued, hoping to head things off before his mood could sour.

"Yeah, I guess... And why the fuck ya just standin' there? Come sit down." She circled around the end of the couch and settled in next to the redhead. Reno fidgeted a moment. "So... I read your report. Tseng brought it by last night. I... um... I owe ya."

"You... You don't. Not really."

"'Lena, do you realize how monumentally fucked I'd've been if you hadn't been there? You vaporized a goddamn zolom, saved my ass from drowning, hauled me out of a thousand foot deep hole in the ground, _and_ got me back to Midgar in one piece. You're really gonna sit there and tell me I don't owe ya for that?"

"You'd have done it for me. You _have_ done it for me," she pointed out, and then snickered teasingly, "Well... I guess you've never done anything quite as amazing as taking down a zolom by yourself..."

"Don't downplay that, 'Lena... that was some fucking impressive quick thinking."

"It was more desperation, to be honest..." she admitted, "My point is, you don't get to have a monopoly on looking out for the people you care about."

"Alright... fair enough, I guess. But I'm still gonna say thank you for it. So... Thank you," he said. Elena beamed in response. Reno eyed her somewhat warily, and sighed. "... You wanna hug me now, don't you..."

"I'll be gentle... I promise."

"Tch... Fine..." he said, smirking, "Just watch the ribs... And then I'm teachin' ya how to play Tides of War. Rude kinda sucks at it."

~fin~


	24. When Things Fall

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 24: When Things Fall**

 **by Desha**

Elena knocked lightly on the door. The sun was barely up, but she was supposed to have been expected... even though Reno loathed getting up early. It was entirely because of Tseng. After nearly three weeks of recovery time, the Turk leader had declared that his lieutenant needed a little physical therapy before returning to full duty – by which he meant that, starting on Monday, Reno's hours in the field were going to be cut out until he was back in fighting form.

Today was Saturday, and Elena had invited him along on her morning run to get a head start... and, to her surprise, he'd actually accepted. The redhead was definitely not looking forward to desk work in between training sessions if he was willing to break his weekend routine and do something productive.

When there was no answer from within, she knocked louder.

Moments later, the door opened a crack, and she found herself face to face with someone who very obviously was _not_ Reno.

"Elena!" The door flew all the way open and she was suddenly being enthusiastically – and bodily – dragged into the apartment by a raven-haired woman dressed in what almost had to be one of Reno's uniform shirts... and by the looks of it, not much else.

"H-hi, Lira! Er... Where's Reno?" In retrospect, it was kind of a pointless question. She didn't have to try too hard to figure out what he been up to last night, and was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

Lira ran her fingers through her short hair, flattening the stubborn strands that insisted on sticking up in back, in an effort to make herself more presentable. "Oh... he's still in bed. Think I kinda wore him out last night. You know... if he ever decides to get out of this whole Turk business, he could make a killing in Wall Market. 'Specially as pretty as he is," she said, grinning somewhat lewdly.

"I... um..." Elena could feel her cheeks reddening. That was a little more information than she'd planned on receiving... but she'd asked. And she knew from experience that Lira was about as shy as the redhead was.

"'Course I'd never actually tell _him_ that. Not a lot of things Reno takes offense to, but suggestin' that he sell himself... Well, I'd imagine ya know by now why that might rub him the wrong way. If you'll pardon the pun."

"Uh..." The rookie wasn't sure if she should respond to that or not. Or, for that matter, what to say if she did. And the woman was still talking...

"Hell, he's been tryin' to get _me_ off the Market for years. He's a doll... but I've got my reasons for stayin'. Doesn't mean I can't pay him a visit up here every now and then, though." She winked at Elena and made her way into the little kitchenette, opening the fridge. "It's nice to be with someone who cares what _I_ want for a change. Don't really get that sort of attention from payin' customers..."

"I... uh... can come back later... i-if that would be better..." Elena stammered, subtly backing towards the door. This was beginning to get awkward, and while Reno might not be especially bothered that she'd shown up before his... guest... had left, _she_ was having a hard time coming up with any sort of small talk at the moment that didn't threaten to turn her a deeper shade of pink than she already was.

"Please... Don't be silly. Have you eaten yet? I was just getting ready to make breakfast... Just as easy to cook for three as it is for two..."

"Y-yes... I've already eaten. Um... Reno was supposed to go running with me this morning, but... if he's still sleeping, m-maybe I should just go ahead and go on my own?"

"Oh, he was, was he... ?" Lira said, grinning. "Hmph... Figures he'd be lazin' around in bed, then. Elena... how would you feel about helpin' me give our sweet little Reno the wake-up call of his life?"

"... Why do I get the feeling this is going to involve me doing something I'll end up hoping no one ever finds out about?"

"Now, Elena... would _I_ make you do somethin' you're not comfortable with?" she teased. Given that the last time they'd seen one another Elena had spent the day dressed as an over-sexed honeybee, she didn't dignify that with an answer. "Besides... I _know_ what a joker he can be. You really gonna stand there and tell me you wouldn't like to get him back a little for all the stuff I'm sure he's done to you?"

"Well..." When she put it that way... she supposed she could at least hear the woman out.

Which was why, a few minutes later, she found herself standing hesitantly just inside Reno's bedroom, stripping off her sweatshirt to reveal the tank top underneath. Lira stood behind her, urging her forward. She glanced back at her unexpected cohort, and Lira shooed her toward the bed. Reno was stretched out on his back, his arm resting over his eyes to block out the early morning light.

She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. As if it wasn't bad enough she'd agreed to stoop to _his_ level and try something so childish... she was even using his _own_ joke. Elena lingered for a moment at the side of the bed, and then slipped carefully under the covers and waited.

Reno almost immediately stirred slightly and rolled over, giving a contented sigh as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She tried not to think too much about the fact that he was currently completely naked as he gently nuzzled his cheek against her neck, eyes still closed, peacefully half-dozing.

"Mmm... You smell nice, 'Lena..." he murmured sleepily. Suddenly, she felt his entire body tense against her. He sat up, eyes wide as he backpedaled to the other side of the bed. "' _Lena_!? What the fu– _AHH_!" His shocked query was cut short as he reached the edge of the mattress without realizing it. The redhead tumbled to the floor with a loud grunt, pulling most of the covers along with him.

Elena burst out laughing, and was immediately echoed by Lira, who was still in the doorway.

"That was _not_ funny..." he said from the floor.

"The hell it wasn't..." Lira snickered.

"What's wrong? You can dish it out, but you can't take it?" Elena added, emboldened by her ally's obvious enjoyment of the results.

"Poor baby... You really shoulda seen the look on your face..."

Reno's eyes appeared, peeking over the top of the bed and glaring at both women in turn. "Yeah? I 'spose that was _your_ idea, then. Ya know, you'd be a little freaked out, too, if ya went to bed with one woman and woke up with another... 'Specially since I'm pretty sure I was relatively sober at the time."

"Never really been into women, myself... How 'bout you, Elena?" Lira quipped as she crossed the room, and offered a hand to the fallen Turk. Reno responded by rolling his eyes and pulling himself to his feet... at which point Elena quickly shifted her gaze to the far more interesting wall on the opposite side of the room. Lira giggled when she noticed. "Oh, come on... I know you're a little on the shy side, but you're not really _that_ shy, are ya?"

"I... n-no, I just..."

" _He_ doesn't care if ya look... Personally, I think he kinda likes it."

"Would ya stop? One traumatized Turk's enough for one mornin', Lira," Reno cut in, reaching for his bathrobe and pulling it on, "Ya got her to play along, now quit."

"Oh, fine..." Lira laughed, and kissed him deeply, letting him go several long moments later.

"I'm gonna go clean up a little, and then we'll go for that run, 'kay, 'Lena? You two play nice while I'm gone." He pointedly looked at Lira who did her best to feign innocence.

"Oh, Reno... I _always_ play nice..." she purred suggestively, prompting a groan from the redhead. He shook his head, but said nothing. As soon as he disappeared into the bathroom, Lira broke down into giggles.

"Elena, honey... that really was priceless. I think we damn near gave the poor thing a heart attack..."

Elena grinned, and climbed out of bed, following her back into the kitchen. She sat down at the table while Lira put on a pot of coffee. It _had_ been pretty funny to see Reno on the receiving end of his own favorite prank for once. She just hoped she hadn't inadvertently pushed him to up his game...

"Sure you don't want anything?" Lira asked, cracking several eggs into a skillet. Elena shook her head.

"No thanks... I'm good." She sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes while the woman made breakfast. Finally, Lira carried a plate over to the table and joined her.

"Look... Sorry for the teasin'. I guess I just figured that he'd've corrupted ya by now and it wouldn't bother ya," she said with a wink, "Didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable."

"That's alright..." Elena said with a laugh, "I'm kind of getting used to living in a constant state of embarrassment. Reno's done far worse..."

"Ya know what'd put an end to that real quick, though?" she said, with a cat-like grin, "Take him to bed sometime. You won't be disappointed..." She sing-songed the last, playfully elbowing the female Turk.

"I... It's really not like that between us. He isn't any more interested than I am."

"Please. Reno's _always_ interested, even if he doesn't always act on it. Name me one woman he's never at least _considered_ sleepin' with..."

"I'll name two. Me... and Scarlet," Elena said, with a soft giggle.

"For Ifrit's sake, please tell me you _didn't_ just compare yourself to Scarlet..." Reno's voice interrupted. He meandered into the kitchen, dressed in sweats, his hair slightly damp from the shower, and grabbed a fork from the drawer and a cup of coffee. Elena rolled her eyes when he picked up the entire skillet and brought it over to the table, skipping the plate altogether. "Thought I told ya to leave her alone, Lira..."

"I was just tryin' to convince her that she should think about seducin' you..."

Reno immediately choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken. It took him a minute – and several deep breaths – to recover.

"Still alive there? Okay, good. I'm gonna monopolize your shower for a bit, and then I'm takin' off. Go on your little run. I can let myself out." She lightly ruffled his hair and then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Last night was fun." She strode off toward the bathroom, calling over her shoulder with a wink, "Don't play too rough with him, Elena! He's already had a hell of a workout!"

* * *

"Sorry 'bout her, 'Lena... Lira's almost worse than _I_ am when it comes to sayin' whatever's on her mind." The two Turks had already gone several blocks at a light jog. "Plus she's got it in her head that you 'n me should be a thing..."

"Don't worry abo– Wait, what?" Elena stopped dead, trying to process that. Reno slowed to a stop as well and turned to look back at her, laughing.

"Just ignore her... She's way off base. I know you're not lookin' for anything like that from me." He grinned teasingly, and added, "Course if you ever change your mind on that..."

"Reno!" Elena rolled her eyes and groaned. This was going to be her payback for this morning's little prank. He'd probably be slipping in comments like that for their entire workout.

"What? I'm just sayin'... You ever give your dreams of settin' down with an attractive Wutaiian a rest and decide you're up for something purely physical with no strings attached, don't count me out just 'cause we're friends..." Reno snickered loudly at her annoyed expression. "Ah, I'm only jokin' around. 'Sides... you're a romantic at heart, 'Lena. I'm... _definitely_ not. The day you show up at my door lookin' for a one night stand is the day Rude finally decides to make a move on that bartender he's got a thing for down in Sector 7. Never gonna happen."

"So... But... you've _thought_ about it? Like... legitimately thought about it," she clarified. Reno shrugged dismissively.

"Thought crosses my mind for just about everyone once in awhile." He paused and shuddered, "Even Scarlet... and I really wish it wouldn't."

Elena sniggered and resumed their earlier pace, waiting until Reno fell into sync beside her. "So... you're not _really_ interested..."

"Not gonna lie to ya, 'Lena... it wouldn't take much to persuade me if you ever lost your mind and offered," he replied, grinning lewdly, "At the risk of soundin' like kind of a slut, it's just not that hard to get me into bed. Unless your name is Scarlet."

"Come on, Reno... I want a _real_ answer."

"Relax. I'm not spending my nights fantasizin' about you, if that's what you're worried about... I just happen to have a filthy mind and very little control over which direction it strays in from time to time. So if the idea bothers ya, forget I ever said anything. I'm not lusting after you, no matter how much I might tease ya about it..."

She almost laughed... Reno was probably the only man alive that she'd take at his word when he said he'd be more than happy to sleep with her one moment, and then the very next sentence tell her he wasn't actually trying to bed her. It was weirdly flattering, to be honest.

Elena turned, jogging backwards for a moment. "At least no more than you lust after Scarlet, you mean... ?" she asked, with a smirk.

"Oh... you're gonna pay for that..." Reno lunged for her, but Elena twisted away with a squeal and took off at a dead run. The redhead kept pace with her for two more blocks before falling behind. By the time she noticed, he'd stopped entirely and was leaning with his back against the wall of a building trying to catch his breath, one hand pressed to his side.

"Reno? Are you alright?" She hurried back to him, concern apparent on her face.

"Yeah..." he said, panting softly, "A couple ribs are still kinda tender, though. Think I might've overdone it a little chasin' you like that. Uh... Don't mention that to Tseng, though. I'll be on desk duty for a month if he thinks I'm still too injured to start trainin' again."

Elena mentally berated herself... Reno bounced back from injuries so quickly, it was entirely too easy to forget just how badly hurt he'd been just a few weeks ago. She hadn't even considered the possibility that she might have been pushing him too hard.

"Tch... Don't gimme that look."

"W-what look?"

"That look that says you're blamin' yourself for _me_ doin' something dumb." He pushed himself away from the wall. "And anyway... it's fine now."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Come on... we still got another two miles. If I can't at least make it that far, I'm screwed come Monday. Tseng's evaluating me personally." They were just about to set off again when Elena's PHS interrupted. Reno stole a peek at the number displayed on the screen and raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she answered. Speak of the devil...

"Elena here."

"I'm sorry to intrude upon your weekend, but I'm afraid I need to speak with you as soon as possible... in person. I'm at your apartment now, but I can certainly meet you elsewhere if you're not nearby," Tseng's voice addressed her. Elena felt herself tense as she wondered what could be so bad that he wouldn't want to tell her over the phone.

"N-no, sir... I'm not far. Reno and I were just out running. I can be home in about five minutes..."

"I'll be waiting."

Elena stared at the phone for several moments after Tseng ended the call.

"Somethin' wrong?" Reno asked.

"I'm... I'm not sure," she said hesitantly, "Tseng wants to talk to me. In person. Right now..." She looked up at Reno, swallowing harshly, "I'm not in some kind of trouble, am I?"

"Doubt it." Reno placed an arm around her shoulders, and began leading her back in the direction of her apartment. "Rookies are my department, remember? He'd've called _me_ first if that were the case." His own phone chimed softly, alerting him to a new text message. Reno pulled it up as they walked, biting back a groan as he saw that the message's contents appeared to be nothing more than a string of random letters and numbers. Unfortunately, he was well aware that there was nothing random about them, and felt his stomach turn as he mentally translated the short note. Tseng obviously didn't want to have to worry about Elena seeing that message before he had the chance to talk to her himself... it was a code she didn't yet have clearance for, and wouldn't until she was officially off of probationary status.

"What?" Elena asked, as Reno quickly pocketed the phone.

"Nothin'... don't worry about it." He had a feeling she knew he was lying, but she didn't question him any further about it. Nor did she question him when he picked up the pace. Reno, meanwhile, was left to his own thoughts... which largely consisted of wondering just who's death Tseng was preparing to inform Elena of.

* * *

Tseng was, indeed, waiting for her at her apartment. Not just at... but already inside and seated on her couch. She vaguely wondered why she hadn't just given them all their own keys. Reno certainly didn't seem to think twice about picking the lock on occasion. Nor, apparently, did Tseng. Not that she wasn't guilty of the same herself. He rose as they entered.

"Sir? What's going on?" she asked, as she and Reno made their way inside. The moment she saw the look on Tseng's face, she knew something was terribly wrong.

"Please... Sit down, Elena." His voice was gentle, and under normal circumstances probably would have been comforting. All it seemed to be doing now, though, was reinforcing the notion that, whatever had happened, it must be bad. She somewhat numbly obeyed the command, taking a seat on the couch.

"Should I... ?" Reno began, taking a step back towards the door. The Turk leader gave him a firm shake of his head, before settling himself beside the rookie. Reno wordlessly stayed put.

"Elena... I received some intelligence this morning that affects you directly. I have no doubt the authorities in Mideel will be notifying you soon enough, but... I thought it might be better if you heard it from me first."

Elena felt herself go cold at the mention of Mideel. The last time she'd heard from Belane – barely a week ago – that was exactly where he was heading. There was no other reason for anyone in Mideel to contact her. She swallowed sharply.

"Is... is it my brother? Did something happen?"

Tseng sighed, and seemed to brace himself before answering. "Yes... I'm afraid so. There was a collapse of some sort at an excavation site in eastern Mideel. Shinra was behind the funding, so the company was notified shortly after it happened. The report was flagged for the Turks as well because of one of the names on the casualty list." He paused briefly, casting her a deeply apologetic look before he went on. "Three people were killed. Belane Brewer was among them. I truly am sorry, Elena..."

She felt sick... Her first instinct was to tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he was wrong. Bel wasn't stupid. Kind of a selfish asshole with a tendency to get into dangerous situations at times, but not stupid. He wouldn't just go and get himself killed like that. There had to be some mistake. A moment later, she realized that Tseng had taken her hand in his own, and it was suddenly clear that no amount of denial was going to change this.

"If there's anything I can do, you have but to ask."

"T-thank you..." she said quietly, blinking back tears.

"Goes for me, too." She hadn't noticed that Reno had slipped behind her until he spoke. His hands gently kneaded her shoulders. "And I'll just go ahead and speak for Rude, since he's not here, and tell ya that he's say the same."

She was trying very hard not to cry, but between the two of them, they were making it extremely difficult. She would not break down in front of Tseng. She absolutely would not. Reno, she could handle seeing her in tears... but not Tseng. She hated the idea of him seeing her so... weak.

A part of her just wanted to be left alone. The rest of her desperately wanted someone to make it better.

"I... um... would you both please excuse me..." she all but whispered, "I have some calls to make..."

"Of course," Tseng replied, rising. Reno frowned, but released her and followed as the Turk leader made his way to the door. "Please don't hesitate if you need anything."

"Call me later, 'kay 'Lena? Just so I know you're alright?" She nodded in reply, and the two men left, closing the door behind her.

And then, she sobbed.

* * *

"Don't."

Reno had turned back to her door the moment he'd heard Elena start crying.

"You're fuckin' heartless sometimes, Tseng..." he said, a bit more coldly than he'd intended.

Tseng sighed softly and pulled him away, prodding him down the hall toward the elevator... which drew a baleful glare from the redhead.

"Odd... I've always been under the impression that you yourself prefer to flee in terror from distraught women." He caught the younger man firmly by the elbow and kept him moving away from Elena's door.

"Stick to playin' the straight man, boss. Your jokes suck."

"Hmm... noted." He released his captive with the unspoken understanding that the redhead would continue accompanying him. "Reno... do you honestly think that Elena is unaware that _neither_ of us would hesitate for an instant if she asked us to stay?" Tseng pointed out.

"... No." he conceded. The Turk leader nudged him into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

"She's understandably upset... but if she wanted company right now, I think she _would_ have asked, don't you? Perhaps not me, as there's still a fair amount of formality between us, but you, certainly. In fact, I think she would turn to you before _anyone_ else." Reno folded his arms over his chest in irritation, but grudgingly inclined his head, acknowledging the point. "That said, I doubt very much that Elena would feel any better if someone were there watching her fall apart. I strongly suspect that might actually make things worse for her. Allow her some time alone. You can check in on her later this afternoon, once she's had time to process this."

The redhead shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to force his presence on the rookie when he wasn't wanted... but that sound. He truly hated the sound of a woman crying. The fact that it was Elena, somehow made it a thousand times worse.

"And what are _you_ gonna do in the meantime?" he said at last, surrendering.

"I'm going to see if I can't dredge up a bit more information about what happened."

"You think there was something more to it than what was in the report?"

Tseng smirked. "You of all people should know by now that I always suspect something untoward. But no... Nothing struck me as particularly odd about it. I simply want the whole story for Elena's sake. I doubt it's her primary concern at the moment, but she may eventually want a more detailed account of the events leading to her brother's death. I would like to be able to provide that, if necessary."

"Need a hand? You know I'm not fond of sittin' around and waitin'."

"I think I can manage on my own. Though I'd appreciate it if you would inform Rude of what's happened for me."

"Yeah, no problem, boss..." As they exited the building, Reno glanced up at Elena's window. "You sure I shouldn't..."

"Reno... If I had just told you what I had to tell her, would you _really_ want company right now? Even well-intentioned, somewhat obsessively protective company?" Tseng asked, smiling lightly at him. Reno snorted derisively.

"Hell, yes... that's exactly what I'd want."

Tseng chuckled and placed a hand on Reno's shoulder. "Hmm... in your case, that may well be true, come to think of it. But Elena isn't you... You crave attention, no matter the situation. She, much like Rude, generally prefers to avoid it. Though perhaps not quite to the same extent... Rude can be downright anti-social at times like this. I'm sure you haven't forgotten his reaction when his father died."

"He was a fucking mess..." Reno sighed, "I finally had to break into his place just to get him to talk to me..." He narrowed his eyes at the Wutaiian Turk. "But he fucking _needed_ to talk to someone by that point, even if he didn't want to."

"And so will Elena. But right now, she needs time to compose herself and I'm quite certain you know it."

"... You ever get tired of bein' right all the damn time, Tseng?"

"No. Now, come on... I'll drop you off at home."

* * *

Elena set her PHS down, and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. She'd spent nearly every moment of the past five hours on the phone, and she was sick of it. The last thing she wanted right now was to deal with yet another conversation about Bel. First, it had been a call to Veraheim... to the bar, since it was the only phone service the area had. She'd left a message for Del or her grandmother to call her urgently... Simone, the current proprietress, had promised to send her son out to them as soon as possible.

Then, it had been someone from the site in Mideel calling her, officially informing her of her brother's death and offering boilerplate condolences while asking for instructions on what to do with the body. By the time it was over, she was grateful it was Tseng who'd broken the news to her, and not the bored-sounding voice on the other end of the line. It had been painful to hear it from him... but she was certain it would have been devastating to hear it from a stranger who seemed more interested in crossing her name of his list of people to contact than anything else.

After that, it had been calls to a number of Belane's friends... the ones she knew he still kept in contact with, despite not having been back to Midgar in nearly five years... and a few more they had directed her to.

Finally, near noon, Del had called her back. He was quiet after she told him... and then angry, demanding answers she didn't have herself. He'd calmed down eventually, and though she could tell he was fighting back tears, he managed to hold himself together. In the end, she was glad it had been Del, and not Nana who'd responded to her message. Hearing her oldest brother's voice had helped more than just about anything else could have, albeit temporarily.

And there was still so much to do. Arrangements had to be made. She'd have to request time off work... plan things she hadn't had to plan since her mother's funeral years ago... deal with the coming deluge of flowers and condolences and sympathy... find space for Del and Nana when they arrived – and they would. Traveling from Veraheim to Midgar was tedious, but this was too important not to. Her spare bedroom wasn't even furnished yet. She simply hadn't gotten around to it.

It was already overwhelming her, and she hadn't even made it through half the day yet. Which was probably why, when her PHS rang yet again, she burst into tears instead of answering it.

* * *

Reno growled in frustration as his call went through to Elena's voicemail again. He'd been trying for almost an hour now, and at this point he wasn't sure if she was simply busy making other calls, or just not taking them.

Letting Rude into the loop on what was up had taken him all of five minutes. Since then, he'd been trapped in his least favorite pastime... waiting. His patience was rapidly nearing its end. Tseng had said he should hold off on checking in on her until later this afternoon... Well, it was later, and it was about fifteen minutes after noon. That was close enough. The redhead set off determinedly toward her apartment.

He used the time spent on the four block walk to wonder what he was going to find when he got there. People reacted so differently to death.

He himself tended toward melancholy, though beyond that, it varied so wildly even he didn't know what to expect. Sometimes, he desperately wanted to be around other people, and sometimes he utterly hated the very idea of being social. Sometimes, he was talkative to an extreme, bordering on manic... other times, he hardly said a word as depression took hold. Ultimately though, as Tseng had pointed out, he craved attention; even on the occasions when he was inclined toward isolation, that desire never lasted long before he sought out the company of friends. When it came right down to it, Reno disliked solitude, and thrived on companionship.

Rude, on the other hand, was very much Reno's polar opposite in that respect. Where Reno shunned seclusion, Rude actively sought it out. He wasn't so inclined toward depression as his partner was... rather he trended more toward brooding anger. And the more he cared for someone, the angrier their loss made him. Finally allowing it to boil over seemed almost cathartic for him.

Tseng, in grief, was inscrutable as always. The man became noticeably more quiet and reflective, but seldom let any cracks appear in that poised and polished demeanor he put forward every day. Tseng was a consummate professional, even in his personal life, and only someone who knew him extremely well would have even known he was mourning. There had been only one exception to the rule in the decade Reno had known the man... and that was when his sister had died. It had been such a drastic departure from the norm it had actually frightened the redhead.

But with Elena... he didn't really know what to expect. He'd come to know her fairly well in the relatively short time they'd worked together. She'd become as much a part of his family as Tseng and Rude were... but she'd hadn't yet had to deal with loss since becoming a Turk. The most upset he'd ever seen her had been when she'd accidentally destroyed Mr. Foo-foo and briefly convinced herself she'd ruined their friendship... it was hardly comparable to what she was going through now.

He found himself at her door before long and knocked. On the bright side, he didn't hear crying... though what that might signify, he couldn't say. The door opened a crack, and red-rimmed eyes met his own.

"Hey, 'Lena... Can I come in?"

Elena stepped back from the door, allowing it to open the rest of the way. "Fine..."

That was good... At least she wasn't locking herself away. He closed the door behind him, following the rookie into the living room.

"I'd ask ya how you're doin', but it seems like kind of a stupid question right now."

The woman shrugged noncommittally, and sniffled. Reno crossed the short distance between them, and placed a hand on her shoulder, only to be quickly shaken off.

"What is it you want, Reno? I'm not really up for visitors right now," she finally said, and he could hear the tremor in her voice.

"'Lena... You can't just–"

"Please just leave me alone." He forced down the urge to sigh. Tseng was – irritatingly – right. As usual. Elena _was_ a bit like Rude... though not nearly as brooding. He caught hold of her again, spinning her gently to face him.

"Come on, 'Lena... let me help."

Her eyes narrowed, and more tears rolled down her cheeks. "How can you _help_?!" she shouted, and Reno immediately realized that had been exactly the wrong thing to say. It just figured. He was terrible when it came to this sort of thing. He knew he was terrible at it, and he'd jumped in anyway. "Bel is gone, and there's _nothing_ you can do about it!" When she shoved him backwards, he simply let her. "There's nothing _anyone_ can do about it!" She pushed him again, towards the door. "So just... just go away, Reno!"

Her final demand was punctuated with another hard shove, which the redhead still made no attempt to block. This time, though, her hands made contact with the still-healing ribs on his left side. If he'd been _expecting_ the sudden jolt of pain, it probably wouldn't have been nearly so bad. As he hadn't been, however...

Reno yelped and he sucked in a sharp breath... which frankly only served to make things far worse. He staggered back a step, and found himself leaning against the wall for support and forcing himself to take shallow, panting breaths to avoid any further aggravation of the injury.

"Reno?!"

He couldn't find his voice right away. The sharp, stabbing pain had taken him completely by surprise, and though it was quickly fading, he hadn't quite recovered from the shock. "I'm fine," he finally managed to get out a few seconds later, though he didn't think he sounded particularly convincing at the moment. Elena had him on the couch before he could say anything further, hastily tugging his shirt up and probing the injured area as if to assure herself she hadn't _re_ -broken anything.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she whispered.

"'Lena... I'm fine. Really. I'm okay." By then, however, Elena had dissolved fully into tears, and Reno wasn't even sure she could hear him. He pulled her against his chest, and let her cry, trying to ignore the heart-rending murmurs of "I'm sorry" interspersed between the sobs. Reno lost track of how long they'd been like that before it finally stopped.

He prodded her gently, but the only response he received was a quiet whimper. She was asleep on his lap, he realized – somewhat fitfully, he noted as she twitched against him, but definitely sleeping. He couldn't blame her... she'd probably spent half the morning in tears and the other half desperately trying to hold them back. She was an emotional wreck at the moment, and likely rapidly approaching exhaustion on top of everything else.

He wasn't overly concerned that Elena wasn't herself right now... who would be? In fact, the only real problem lay in the fact that her hands had twisted themselves so tightly into the fabric of his t-shirt, that he couldn't move her into a less awkward position so she could be comfortable... though the current arrangement didn't seem to be a problem for her. Finally, he shrugged and sank down onto his back on the couch, pulling her along with him. Apparently, he was presently required for use as a pillow. That, at least, was something he could handle without screwing up.

* * *

Elena, gave a quiet moan as she woke. Her head ached, and she felt as though she hadn't slept in days, in spite of the fact that she was quite certain she'd been asleep just moments ago. She was laying on something soft and warm, and aside from the slightly damp spot where she'd obviously been crying, it was comfortable. She hugged it as something brushed along her back – slow, languid stokes up and down her spine. It was almost enough to lull her back to sleep.

She shifted slightly, loosing one hand and then the other from the soft fabric she seemed to have clasped in something of a death grip, and opened her eyes... suddenly becoming very aware what – or rather, who – she was laying on.

"Reno?" She moved to push herself upright.

"Watch it!" he gasped, urgently, his body going rigid. Elena blinked, confused, until she realized she'd been moments away from leaning most of her weight right on top of the same injury she'd already so badly abused. Her stomach twisted into knots as she pulled her hand away, and she carefully scrambled off of him.

"Oh, no... oh, Reno..." One hand rose to her mouth, horrified. The pain had been so clearly etched on his face when she'd shoved him back that last time. And then she hardly even tried to help... all she'd done was sob apologies into his shoulder until she'd finally passed out. How had she managed to have so completely forgotten that he was still healing? Forgotten it for the _second_ time in less than twenty-four hours, no less, and she'd almost just done it a third time.

She felt sick thinking about how he'd come by those injuries to begin with. She'd come so dangerously close to losing him. She thought about the days she'd spent with the others taking turns looking after him in the hospital, worrying. And then she'd just... let it all slip her mind like it was nothing.

She'd couldn't believe she'd told him to go away. After all that time they'd spent hoping he'd come back to them, she'd _actually_ told him to go away... simply because he'd had the nerve to be worried about _her_ , now. Elena hadn't realized just how much she took Reno for granted sometimes. He'd become such a constant in her life that it had seemed almost inconsequential at the time to dismiss him as she had.

"Stop." Reno's voice jarred her from her rapidly spiraling thoughts. She looked up at him. "Whatever the hell you're thinkin' right now, stop. I don't know exactly what's goin' though your head, but you're lookin' at me like you've decided you're the worst person that ever lived."

"I think I might be..." she whispered.

Reno groaned and stood up, pulling her into a tight embrace. "No you're not. You're just pissed off at the world 'cause you lost someone close to you and I make very a convenient punching bag."

"I swear I wasn't trying to hurt you..."

"Tch... I know that. Least ya didn't throw me into a wall."

"W-what?" she asked. Where had that come from? She hadn't really seemed _that_ angry, had she?

"Uh... yeah. Nevermind. Long story. Feelin' any better?"

"Not really," Elena replied. Though, as soon as she said it, she realized it wasn't entirely true. She'd spent hours feeling like her whole world was slowly collapsing in around her. That, at least, was gone now. Reno's presence was solid and comforting, and seemed to be keeping it at bay, even though she still keenly felt the ache of loss. He sighed softly, and let go of her.

"Look... I'm sorry, 'Lena. I don't mean to be such an asshole. Tseng told me to leave ya alone for awhile, and I should've fucking listened to him. I'll... just go."

Elena nearly tackled him as he turned to leave... only the knowledge that he'd probably wind up in pain yet again if she did stopped her. Instead, she grabbed for his arm with both hands, fingers coiling around his wrist.

"No!" In the back of her mind, she knew she had to be coming across as completely out of her head right now. First she'd yelled at him to leave, and now she was desperate for him to stay. She'd thought she wanted to be alone, but now that she wasn't, the prospect of an empty apartment seemed almost terrifying. Reno couldn't leave. She'd be swallowed whole by sadness if he did... she was sure of it.

"Alright... Okay... I'm not going anywhere," he said, smiling. He walked her back to the couch, and sat her down. "Can I have my arm back, though? Startin' to lose feeling..."

Elena glanced down, and realized her fingers were locked so tightly around his wrist that her knuckles were turning white. "O-oh... right." She flushed slightly, and forced herself to release her grip, flexing the stiffening joints as she did so.

"Now... tell me what I can do."

Elena shook her head. "I don't know. I really don't. I hardly know where to start, myself."

"Personally, I'd start with whatever's worryin' you the most."

"I guess... I guess that would be finding someplace for Del and Nana when they get here."

Reno smirked. "Don't tell me... you _still_ haven't done anything with your spare room. Hate to break it to ya, 'Lena, but ignoring it isn't gonna make furniture sprout from the floor."

"I know..." she replied, a ghost of a smile flickering across her face.

"Alright... tell ya what, just leave that one to me. I'll take care of it. What else?"

"I... don't think I'm going to be much use at work on Monday... and I don't know yet what day the funeral will be..."

"Tch... Tseng's not expectin' you in the office 'til Wednesday at the earliest, and neither am I. You'll be hearin' from him on that probably this evening... Unlike some people, _he_ actually follows through when he says he's gonna give a person some time alone. And don't worry if you need to take longer... short of a major catastrophe, I think we can get by."

Elena opened her mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by loud growl from her stomach. Reno raised an eyebrow.

"When the hell's the last time you ate anything?"

"This morning," she admitted, ducking her head in embarrassment as her stomach made its displeasure at being empty known again. She glanced at the clock... it was only a little after three in the afternoon, but she'd been awake since before dawn, and had eaten breakfast before the sun was even up so she'd be on time to go running. It had been light... she hated exercising on a full stomach.

"Yeah... Time for an early dinner." Reno was heading for the kitchen before she could say anything.

"There's... um... not much in there right now," she called after him, "I was planning on going shopping today, but..."

"... Well, that's depressing," Reno commented when he opened the fridge. There was a little bit of leftover tuna salad she'd made almost a week ago... though to be honest, she wasn't sure she wanted to take the risk at this point. It was destined for the trash. There were a couple of apples that were likewise past their prime but significantly less likely to cause food poisoning, some eggs, and maybe half a cup of milk if she was lucky. Beyond that, only condiments and bottled water decorated the shelves. The freezer wasn't much better. "Huh... So I guess your choices are scrambled eggs – which, to be honest, is the only thing I know how to do with eggs – or we find a takeout menu."

Takeout didn't sound very appetizing... but then, neither did eggs. Or anything, really. She knew she should, but she just didn't feel much like eating. A knock at the door prevented her from responding, and she internally groaned. She almost told Reno to ignore it, but he was already reaching for the knob, pulling it open.

"Or... we could just open the door and dinner will magically appear," he said, casting her a grin. Reno turned back to the hallway, and opened the door fully. "Nice timing, pal... thought _I_ was gonna have to cook for a second there."

Rude scoffed as he entered. "Her day hasn't been bad enough?"

"Hi, Rude..." Elena said, somewhat wearily. It was alright having Reno around, but she really didn't want any more visitors yet.

"Don't worry... I won't stay long. I brought food." She hadn't initially noticed the large cooler he'd been pulling along behind him. Reno was already lifting the lid to peek inside. The bald Turk smirked and slammed it back down with his foot. "That's not for you."

"Fuck, man... I was just _lookin'_..."

"Oh... Thank you, Rude. That was really sweet of you..."

"Just figured you had more important things to deal with than cooking. Should get you through a few days, anyway."

Rude stayed just long enough to unload the various dishes he'd prepared into her refrigerator.

"Take care," he said, hugging her. He glanced over at Reno. "Want me to take him with me?"

The redhead shot him a somewhat indignant glare. "I already offered to leave her alone, ya know... She _wanted_ me to stick around."

Rude snickered and placed an arm around Reno's shoulders before shifting slightly and pulling him down into a loose chokehold. "Knowing you, there should probably be an 'eventually' somewhere in that sentence..." He looked up at Elena and cocked an eyebrow.

"It's alright... I really did ask him to stay." She couldn't help but giggle a little, and added, "Eventually."

"Told ya so..." Reno shook him off and grinned at Rude. "Think we're cheerin' her up, or just makin' ourselves look stupid?"

"A little of both." Elena's reply was quiet, but she was smiling. Rude nudged the other man with his elbow, and left with a slight wave.

"So... Let's try this again." Reno walked over to the fridge, pulling it open and shaking his head. "Swear the guy's obsessive compulsive sometimes..." Everything was arranged in containers, labeled with what they were and instructions if they needed to be heated or otherwise prepped before serving. It was obvious Rude had been at it for quite some time. "Fuck... I think you could name just about anything and it's here somewhere. So what sounds good?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't know... Anything, I guess. I don't really have much of an appetite right now."

The redhead scanned the contents of the containers, and grinned, pulling one out. "You'll like this... It's one of my favorites. Musta had it started before I even let him know what happened. It's kind of an all-day thing... has to cook for hours or some shit."

Reno spent a few minutes heating up whatever he'd picked out before returning to Elena, and setting a bowl in front of her. She had to admit, it looked good. Vegetable soup, with generous pieces of carrots, celery, and potatoes. As she stirred it, she also found chunks of what she was fairly certain was beef, along with beans and corn, and chopped onion. She took a cautious sip, testing the temperature before getting too carried away. It was hot, and delicious, and really just what she needed at the moment.

"Since when are you a fan of vegetables?" she asked, as Reno sat down across from her at the table. Something like this certainly wasn't his usual fare. Granted, the man would happily eat just about anything you put in front of him, but left to his own devices, he seemed to gravitate more toward greasy and coated in cheese.

"Tch... I'm a fan of _food_. Just 'cause I don't usually keep 'em around doesn't mean I don't like 'em. I do eat more than just pizza and sugar, ya know."

"You're not going to have any?"

Reno shook his head. "Rude made that for _you_ so you wouldn't have to mess around in the kitchen for awhile. I can fend for myself." He smirked teasingly. "'Sides... tempting as it is, he'd kick my ass if he found out." He let her eat in silence for a few minutes, simply watching her. At last, she couldn't take it any longer.

"What's wrong? You're never this quiet..."

He shifted somewhat awkwardly in the chair, and leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand. "Yeah... Kinda too scared to say anything, to be honest. I don't wanna fuck things up and make ya cry again." He sighed softly. "I hate seein' you so upset, 'Lena. I try to do my best to look after you, but I can't do shit to fix this. I wish I could."

Elena looked down at her soup, and finished off the last few bites, sniffling almost imperceptibly. She didn't want to start sobbing again any more than Reno wanted her to, but her emotions seemed to be all over the place... and what he'd said had been so sweet. Apparently, the redhead had still managed to hear it. Reno groaned, and let his head fall forward, hitting the table with a soft thump.

"I knew I was pushin' my luck. You were fine and then I had to go and ruin it... I suck at this."

"No you don't... I'd be crying even if you weren't here," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I'd probably be crying more."

* * *

Elena woke the next morning to the sound of rain. She didn't remember going to bed... in fact, the last thing she remembered was laying on the couch with her head on Reno's lap while he ran his fingers through her hair. She'd somehow talked him into watching old Shadow & Sword reruns with her. For once, she couldn't have cared less about the show... it was really just an excuse to sit quietly and enjoy the comfort of having him nearby.

Though, in retrospect, it had probably been one step away from actual torture for Reno. He _hated_ Shadow  & Sword, and they'd watched for hours. She clearly recalled seeing the credits roll at least four times, and she had no idea when she'd finally drifted off for good. It must have been late... it was almost eleven a.m. now, according to her alarm clock. She'd slept nearly half the day.

She shoved aside the covers and sat up in bed, noting that she had changed into her pajamas at some point. Or, more likely, she realized, had _been_ changed into them. She must have really been out of it if Reno had managed to do that without waking her. Though she was nowhere near as light a sleeper as the redhead was, Elena was fairly sure she wouldn't normally have slept through something like that. She was a little surprised to discover she wasn't at all bothered by the thought of Reno doing so, either. If anything, it left her with a warm feeling she tried to cling to for as long as she could.

Her PHS was on her bedside table, its message indicator flashing, and she groaned wondering how many messages were waiting for her, and why she hadn't heard the phone ring. She flicked on the screen as she made her way into the living room and flinched... sixteen missed calls. On top of that, she discovered that the phone had been silenced. No wonder it hadn't disturbed her.

Elena sighed, and opened her voicemail. At least not every caller had left a message. She was seconds from listening to the first of seven, when...

"Ow! Ah! Stupid pain in the ass!" The voice was muffled, and it took her a moment to figure out that it was coming from the hallway. It was followed by a loud thud against her door. She hurried over to open it.

As soon as she turned the knob, the door swung inward, nearly knocking her over... she barely had time to step back out of the way. His support suddenly gone, Reno gave a startled cry and fell backwards, landing flat on his back at Elena's feet.

"Okay, ow..."

"Reno?!"

The redhead winced as he righted himself. "'Lena... take my advice. Never lean against a closed door."

"Are you alright?" she asked, "What were you doing out there?"

"Haulin' up one last load..." He nodded to the hallway, and Elena peered through the door. A mattress lay slumped against the wall. "I was takin' a little break when you decided to invite me in." He grinned and scrambled to his feet.

"One last load?"

"Heh... told ya I'd take care of your spare room for ya. Thank fuck these fit in the elevator. It's pourin' outside, so the copter's out, and I don't think I could handle draggin' 'em up the stairs on my own..." Reno grabbed hold of the mattress, and pulled it into the apartment. "I didn't wake you up, did I? I was tryin' to keep it down so you could get some rest... You were kinda dead to the world when I put you to bed last night." He suddenly cringed. "That... was probably not the best choice of words. Sorry."

"W-wait... You've been dragging furniture up to my apartment all morning?"

Reno shrugged and hefted the mattress, carrying it towards the second bedroom. "Not _all_ morning..." Elena followed behind him, blinking in shock as she walked into the room. There were two twin-sized beds, with a nightstand between them, along with a dresser. The first of the beds had already been made up, and a stack of linen sat on top, waiting to go onto the second. Reno shoved the mattress into place and flopped down on top of it.

"Good enough?"

"How in the world did I sleep through you doing all this?" she wondered aloud.

"You were pretty beat. I mean ya forced yourself to stay awake for hours, like you were afraid to let go. You finally caved around five in the morning." He smirked slightly. "Wouldn't let go of me for anything, either, even _after_ ya drifted off. Took me a few minutes to get loose so I could take you to your room."

"I... oh..." She was blushing, she was sure... she hadn't done that since she was little. Anytime she was scared as a child, she'd creep into her brothers' room and curl up with one of them. Del had always hated waking up to her latched onto his arm or leg or waist. Bel had been far more tolerant of her, but no less annoyed.

"Ah, don't worry about it, 'Lena... I didn't mind. So... think this'll do for now?"

"Oh! It's perfect... I... Thanks, Reno."

"Great..." he said, with a soft laugh, "'Cause now that you're awake, I think I'm finally gonna go to bed. If you're gonna be okay by yourself, I mean. I'll stick around if you really want me to..."

"Wait... you haven't slept at all?"

"Nah... by the time I got you settled, there didn't seem to be much point. I just went home, showered, and changed clothes."

Elena shook her head and wrapped her arms around him. "Go home. Go to bed. You've done more than enough..."

* * *

Del and Josephine arrived Monday afternoon, as the persistent rain that had begun on Sunday started to taper off into a light drizzle. Elena was grateful for the company... her apartment had felt horribly empty once Reno had left, but she hadn't dared disturb him even long after he'd had time to get some rest himself... and today he was otherwise occupied at work.

In spite of having spent half of it in bed, Sunday had turned out to be a very productive day. She had finally distracted herself from her grief by tending to the tasks she been too overwhelmed to deal with on Saturday. Tseng had stopped by briefly to check in that evening, and had seemed surprised to find her alone... though he hadn't explicitly asked after the redhead. When she'd mentioned how she'd sent him off to bed, Elena had the distinct impression that she wasn't the only Turk Tseng would be looking in on.

Now, it was just before noon on a dreary Monday. She and Del had been playing a half-hearted game of checkers, and reminiscing about their brother while Josephine looked on from the kitchen.

"Elena, honey, who in the world made all this?" The old woman was painstakingly going through the contents of Elena's fridge. "You're a fair sight more capable than Delion in the kitchen, but I've never known you to have the patience for anything like this..."

"Rude did, Nana," she responded, "He said it was so I wouldn't have to worry about food, but really, I think he was more concerned about what I'd end up eating if he _didn't_ do something. Reno's been helping out a lot, and his idea of cooking usually involves finding the phone number for the nearest pizza place, so..."

"Well, you definitely need to introduce me to your resident gourmand. And speaking of Reno... how is that sweet boy? Keeping himself out of trouble, I hope... I'd hate to think there'd been a repeat of the mess he got himself into on my account."

"Er... for the most part," she said, guardedly, deciding it was probably better that her grandmother _not_ know about their recent run-in with a very angry zolom. Del quirked an eyebrow, recognizing that tone... it was the same one she used to use on their parents when she was only telling them part of the story. He was about to call her on it when Elena's PHS rang for what had to have been the hundredth time in the last seventy-two hours.

"Hello?" she answered, "Oh... yes. I see. Yes, this afternoon will be fine. Thank you." She set the phone down on the coffee table and sighed.

"El?"

"I... They need someone to... identify and claim Bel's body." She looked up at her brother, suddenly feeling miserable all over again. Elena had known that call was coming, sooner or later... she hadn't been looking forward to it.

Josephine trundled over to the pair, resting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Well... No sense putting it off, my dears. I'm afraid it doesn't get any easier if you wait."

"You're right... I'll be back in a little while."

"I'll come with you, dear girl... It's not something you should have to do on your own," Josephine said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"No, I'll do it, El," Del offered, "You've been stuck handling everything else for days. All I've done since I got here is sit around playing checkers. You stay here with Nana."

"I should go with y–" Her reply was cut off by a sharp knock.

"Oh, I'll get it, sweetheart." Josephine hurried to the door, pulling it open, and gave a soft cry of excitement before seizing whomever their visitor was and pulling them into a tight bearhug. " _There_ you are, you dear little thing..."

Elena stood and peaked around the open door, and spotted a flash of red. She had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at Reno's decidedly shocked expression as he suddenly found himself being thoroughly squashed in the woman's arms.

"Nana, be careful with him," she said, once she'd gotten ahold of herself. "He's still healing from an injury..."

Josephine released him from the embrace, but kept his wrists firmly in her grip, holding him at arm's length and looking him over.

"Tch... I'm fine, Josephine. Nothin' to worry about."

"Now what did I say the last time I saw you? You call me Nana. And _I'll_ be the judge of just how 'fine' you are, young man. You're still much too thin for my liking. Now what's all this about you being hurt?"

Reno caught Elena out of the corner of his eye shaking her head.

"Ah, no big deal... couple of broken ribs is all. They're mostly fine by now. Just a little tender."

Before Josephine could delve any deeper, Elena changed the subject. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright at work?"

"Nothin' to complain about. It's lunch time... thought I'd get the hell out of the office and stop by and make sure you were doin' alright. Guess I didn't need to, though. Looks like ya got plenty of company now. Oh... and Rude says to tell you not to worry if ya missed..." He hesitated a moment. "... that show I can no longer bring myself to speak the name of ever again. He DVR'd it for ya."

Del gently elbowed her and subtly glanced at Josephine.

"Umm... Reno? Could I ask you a favor?"

"Name it."

"Del and I... We have to go take care of some things for the funeral. It shouldn't take too long, but... could you maybe stay and keep Nana company while we're gone?"

"Oh, for pity's sake... I hardly think I need looking after," Josephine chastised them, before turning to the redhead, and looking at him thoughtfully, "Though, I'll admit, I wouldn't mind a bit of catching up if you can spare the time... I don't want you getting in trouble at work, though, so don't you _dare_ say yes if you have to get back."

"Not a problem... Tseng knows I'm here. Won't upset him too much if I'm gone a little longer than planned. Kind of a slow day anyway."

"Thanks, Reno... we'll try to make it quick."

He shrugged, and gave them a casual wave as the pair slipped out the door.

"Well, now... I guess that means I've got you all to myself for a bit. Come and sit you down." Josephine took him by the arm and led him over to Elena's couch, pulling him down beside her. "Now... how badly were you _really_ hurt?"

Reno smirked. "Not much gets past you, does it?"

"No, it most certainly does not. Let's hear it."

"Eh... It wasn't _that_ bad. I was a little comatose for awhile, but I've got a hard head. Coulda been a lot worse. 'Lena saved my ass."

"Well now, that seems to be something that needs quite a bit of saving. Last time it was buried alive. This time... What, dare I ask, happened to it _this_ time?"

The redhead grinned. Josephine had a hell of a sense of humor. "Zolom got pissed at me for disturbin' her kids... You ever seen one of those things angry?"

"No, and I don't think I care to," Josephine said firmly, pulling him against her side. "You poor thing..."

"Tch... I survived. Only 'cause 'Lena made sure of it, but... yeah. Enough about me. How are you doin'?"

Josephine gave him a slightly sad smile. "Oh... I've been around long enough to be old friends with Death. Don't like to see him visit any more than the next person, but it doesn't hit me quite so hard these days. Still... It's a terrible thing to lose a grandchild." She sighed softly. "Though as much as I hate to admit it, I'm not really surprised. Belane was a kind-hearted boy, but he liked to live dangerously, that one. It was only a matter of time before it finally caught up to him. Elena's the same way, after a fashion, but a bit more common sense in her head... and she's got friends like you looking out for her, so I don't worry nearly as much about her. Belane was always a rather solitary creature. Preferred to go it alone, never wanted to rely on anyone but his own self."

She still hadn't let go of him, and Reno found himself in no particular hurry to be released. He was fond of the woman, in spite of only having met her once before... it was hard not to be. She was so over-bearingly grandmotherly, a person got sucked right in.

"Heh... Trained 'Lena outta that mindset first chance I got. Turks who refuse to trust their allies don't tend to last long in our line of work."

"Good... Because I don't care to outlive any _more_ of my grandchildren. _Or_ anyone who's as good as a grandchild, for that matter, so you'd best not go poking around any more zolom nests 'til _I'm_ dead and in the ground if you know what's good for you."

Reno chuckled quietly. "I'll do my best."

"See that you do," the woman commanded. Her arm loosened its grip on him, sliding up to his neck, gently kneading at the tension points. "Now tell me... how's my girl really handling all this? She's been putting on a brave face, but I get the feeling that it's been a lot rougher on her than she's let on..."

He sighed contentedly and had to stop himself from immediately answering her inquiry. "Josephine... If you were a few years younger, I'd be recommendin' ya for the Turks. You're a natural at interrogation."

"It's Nana... And you're darn right I am. Now spill it."

"She took it pretty badly," he found himself saying. "Kind of a mess the first day, and slept most of the next. She seems to be a lot better now that you two are here, though. I did what I could, but I guess nothin' beats havin' family around."

"Now I know I recall you telling Elena that you consider her family. Seems to me you're selling yourself a little short."

"Sure... 'Lena's _my_ family. The Turks have been the only family I've known since my mom died... But 'Lena's already got you guys. Don't really expect her to prefer a substitute when she's got the real thing..."

"Now you listen to me. Every letter she sends me talks about you somewhere along the line. She adores you, and it's no mystery why. You treat her like she's your own flesh and blood... and by the sound of things, it doesn't much matter to you that she's not. You're so much more than just a commanding officer, or a mentor, or a guardian to her. That girl loves you like a brother." Josephine snickered softly and added, "A slightly obnoxious and perverted brother that she sometimes finds herself wanting to slap upside the head... but believe me, she wouldn't change a thing about you for the world."

"You think so?" he asked, a little skeptically. He would never question that Elena cared about him... she'd more than proven that. And, much like Rude and Tseng, she'd come to at least tolerate his, at times, quirky personality... even when it drove her nuts. Apparently, he'd slightly underestimated just how accepting of him she really was. Still... he was having a little trouble wrapping his head around the idea that she'd merged him into her own definition of family as thoroughly as he'd done with her.

"I know so." She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and the pair settled into a comfortable silence.

* * *

"Would ya quit fuckin' with it already...?" Reno muttered with a scowl.

"It won't hurt you tolook presentable for once." Tseng gave one more sharp tug on the tie around the redhead's neck, twitching it straight. Reno grimaced and looped a finger behind his collar, loosening the accessory yet again, much to Tseng's annoyance. He hated the damn things. Really, he hated anything that tight around his throat... it always felt so suffocating.

And it was coming right back off again just as soon as this was over...

Tseng shook his head, and fixed it again. When Reno's hand instinctively reached for the knot, he narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't touch it."

"Shut it, Rude..." he growled at the quiet snickering to his left... but he _did_ lower his hands, shoving them into his pockets. He sighed, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Neat was just not him. He'd never felt comfortable in a tie... or, for that matter, with his shirt tucked in, his hair combed back, jacket closed, and standing up straight. When he'd been much younger, Tseng had tried, unsuccessfully, to instill in him the expectations of appearance befitting a Turk. Eventually, though, he had recognized it as a losing battle and accepted him as he was. It was simply too ingrained in Reno's nature to be anything but a bit of a slob.

Some occasions, however, required sacrifice...

The three of them approached the small gathering. They were near the edge of the Sector 5 plate... It was early yet, the sun only just rising. When they reached the group, Elena turned, smiling sadly.

"Thank you for coming, sir. All of you..." she said quietly. "You really didn't have to..."

"Of course we had to," Tseng responded gently. "None of us would have felt right simply abandoning you today."

"Yeah... what he said." Reno commented, and Rude nodded in agreement. Elena's gaze shifted to the redhead, and her jaw dropped slightly as she took stock of his unusually put-together appearance. He had to try very hard to resist the urge to adjust his tie again. "Yeah, yeah... I know. Don't say it. And don't get used to it, either..."

* * *

The funeral had been a short, simple affair. Elena had managed to keep herself together right up until the end... at which point she'd found herself in tears once more. The finality of it all had been too much. It had been Del who'd finally pulled her away from the little memorial he and Nana had arranged – Belane's ashes had been scattered to the wind, in accordance with his final wishes – and passed her over to Reno while he took over accepting condolences and well-wishes from Bel's friends.

For a time, she was so deeply lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't even noticed that she'd been loaded into Reno's car. When she finally did, she hurriedly wiped her eyes, trying to find some shred of dignity she could hold onto.

"Figured you'd feel better away from everyone else for a little while."

"I feel ridiculous." She sniffled softly and dug through her purse, cringing when she realized she's left her handkerchief at home. Reno reached across her and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a box of tissues and offering it to her.

"I came prepared," he said, smirking slightly. Elena flushed pink, and took one. "You're allowed to be upset, ya know. Death sucks. No one's judging you, 'specially not me."

"No one else had to be carted away from the group before she humiliated herself..."

"No one else had this sprung on 'em outta nowhere and got stuck handlin' things almost entirely on her own for three days, either... Give yourself some time to breathe, 'Lena. Speakin' of..." He frowned and pulled the knot of his tie loose and let it hang. "Don't know how the rest of you can stand these things..."

Elena snorted a soft laugh in spite of herself. "Oh, so that's why you volunteered to babysit me..."

"Yep. No other reason. Couldn't fucking take it anymore," the redhead said, grinning, before turning serious. "Listen, 'Lena... I know I joke a lot, but believe me when I tell ya no one's expectin' you to be feelin' like yourself again right away. We've all been there."

"Thanks..."

"Don't mention it. Feel like headin' back out there? Looks like people are startin' to take off. Think Josephine's lookin' for ya..."

The corners of her mouth quirked upwards. "You know... If you don't start calling her Nana soon, she's going to very upset with you."

~fin~


	25. The Games We Play

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 25: The Games We Play**

 **by Desha**

"I swear to Ifrit, 'Lena, if ya don't cut it out..."

It was probably the most threatening tone of voice he ever used with the rookie... which is to say, it wasn't especially threatening at all... but at the moment, he was pretty sure she couldn't even hear it over the sound of her own hysterical laughter anyway. Reno's eye twitched as he ground his teeth in irritation, and he clamped down on a few choice profanities just begging for release. The fact that he couldn't actually say them at the moment only served to annoy him farther.

"Yeah, yeah... laugh it up." He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorframe. "Did ya actually want somethin', or are you just here for the free entertainment?"

The chime of the elevator sounded and Reno cringed. Crap... neighbors. He grabbed Elena by the arm and dragged her through the door and into his apartment, slamming it shut behind her.

"I just c-came by to return the movie I borrowed from you last week. What in Shiva's name h-happened to you?" she managed, breathlessly.

"Careful, 'Lena... You'll insult my stylist. You wanna leave here with your shins in one piece, I'd watch it... She kicks pretty hard."

Elena took a few deep breaths, composing herself enough to speak. "What are you talking about? And _why_ do you look like that?"

Reno sighed. He couldn't exactly blame her for laughing. If he'd come upon himself looking like this, he'd be rolling on the floor, too. The pigtails were bad enough... the long, narrow braids that sprouted from them just made it more ridiculous. And it certainly didn't help that each braid was decked out in pink and sliver heart-shaped beads, or that several had silvery ribbons woven into them. At least he'd been man enough to draw the line at glitter. There was no way in hell he was going to be washing _that_ out of his hair for the next... forever.

And besides... it was nice to see Elena laughing again. For the past couple of weeks it had been harder than hell just to get a smile out of the rookie sometimes.

"Because at some point, I forgot how to say no..." he muttered.

"Wait... you really let someone do _that_ to your hair?"

"Ya think I did it to myself?" he asked, incredulously. "Fine. Come on... I'll introduce ya..."

He led her through to the living room, having to step over any number of dolls, toys, and coloring books to do so. The television was on, cartoons playing at a louder than comfortable volume. Nestled on a chair in front of it was a little girl, perhaps six or seven years old... who's mousy brown hair was styled very much like Reno's currently was. She looked up at the new arrival in curiosity, deep brown eyes going wide.

"'Lena... this is Mirian. Mir... 'Lena."

"Hi," the girl said, smiling widely.

"Er... Hi there." Elena blinked, slightly confused as to why Reno was, apparently, taking care of a child. "Umm... Something you'd like to tell me?"

Reno snorted softly. "I know what you're thinkin'. She's not mine. Far as I know, I've never gotten anyone knocked up. I'm just keepin' an eye on her for the day. She's Kel's kid."

"Kel has a daughter?"

"Yep. Mir lives with her mom. He gets her on the weekends... but he got dragged into work today, and her mom's visiting someone in Kalm, so I kinda got roped into emergency babysitter duty."

Elena giggled softly, and tugged at one of the braids.

"And this is the result?"

Reno's eyes narrowed. "I _don't_ spend a whole lotta time around kids, ya know. I ran outta shi– _stuff_ do to with her and I was desperate for somethin' to keep her busy, okay?" He shrugged. "Kid wanted to play with my hair."

"Did... you just stop yourself from swearing?" Elena asked, eying him strangely.

"He's not allowed to use bad words while I'm here," a little voice said at her side, "Daddy said. Uncle Reno? I'm hungry." She held her arms out, looking up at him expectantly. The redhead sighed and picked her up as requested. Mirian promptly wrapped her arms around him.

Elena couldn't stop herself from snickering. " _Uncle_ Reno?" That might very well have been the most adorable thing she'd ever heard.

"Ugh... Gimme a break, 'Lena. I'm kinda out of my depth here. Either help, or leave me alone in my shame..." he replied, though Elena had the feeling he was only half as annoyed as he sounded. Reno carried the girl into the kitchenette and set her on the counter. "What do ya feed these things anyway?"

* * *

Elena yawned as she approached the elevator. She hadn't slept very well last night. It had been almost two weeks since her brother's funeral, but she still occasionally woke in the middle of the night, thinking she had things she'd forgotten to take care of. And every time it happened, it took her forever to get back to sleep. This time, it had been so close to morning she hadn't even bothered trying.

As time went on, the raw sense of loss had begun to fade... only to be replaced with a deep-seated feeling of regret at not having made more of an effort to keep in touch with Bel on a regular basis. The last time she'd spoken to him was shortly before he'd left the Great Glacier for Mideel. Before that, she hadn't heard from him in months, and hadn't _seen_ him in well over a year.

She shook her head, and stepped into the elevator car. There wasn't much sense in dwelling on it... after all, there was nothing to be done about it now.

"Hey, wait up!" a familiar voice called out as the doors began to close. Elena instinctively blocked them from sliding any farther, holding the elevator. Moments later, Reno slipped inside with her.

"You're on time..." she commented.

"Tch... Come on, 'Lena... I'm almost always _mostly_ on time. Usually just barely, but I'm not habitually late. By more than a few minutes."

Elena snorted in quiet laughter. One nice thing about working with Reno... no matter how bad a mood she was in to begin with, it didn't take long for him brighten it.

"So... did ' _Uncle Reno_ ' have a nice afternoon after I left?"

"Yes, Uncle Reno had a very nice afternoon," he said, rolling his eyes, "Mir's actually kinda cool to hang out with... long as ya keep her away from your hair. And loaded weapons."

"... I'm not even going to ask."

"Probably for the best."

"You know... I'm a little disappointed, Reno." She teasingly grasped his ponytail, and gave it a gentle pull. "I was kind of hoping you'd keep the braids for awhile... Rude would've loved them."

"You breathe a word of that to Rude, you're gonna be doin' extra training in the pool this week. And next week. In fact, you say anything about it and I'm not lettin' ya _out_ of the pool 'til you're part fish."

The elevator chimed at their destination and opened. Before either of them had taken more than two steps into the hallway, however, they were waylaid by a rather unwelcome visitor.

"Kya ha ha ha! Looks like I finally get to spend some quality time with my favorite Turk!"

Reno only just managed to resist flinching away from the hand that shot out and caressed his cheek. It was harder still to avoid shuddering at the touch, but somehow he did. The woman's heavily lacquered nails trailed somewhat threateningly over his skin as she drew her fingertips along his jawline. Scarlet placed a hand on her hip and assumed what Elena could only assume was meant to be a sultry pose. The thinly veiled look of disdain on Reno's face seemed to go unnoticed.

"See _you_ later..." she purred. Her long, red dress brushed against him as she strolled past and into the elevator the two of them had just vacated, heels clicking sharply on the tile. Even as the doors closed, she was still staring at the redhead with a decidedly predatory look in her eye.

"... What was _that_ all about?" Elena wondered aloud, staring after the executive. If that was how she always treated Reno, it was no wonder he avoided Scarlet like the plague... The fact that she was easily twenty years his senior made it especially disturbing. Reno didn't answer her, and she turned to look back at him, growing concerned at what she saw. He looked slightly horrified and maybe even a little pale. "Reno?"

"Fuck."

He took off at a sprint for their main office, shoving the door open and skidding to a halt just inside. Elena caught up to him several seconds later.

"Tseng... please tell me you didn't do what I think you just did..."

The Turk leader sighed and cast him a deeply apologetic look, handing him a cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry, Reno. There was no way to avoid it. I've been requested personally to accompany Rufus while he tours lower Junon this afternoon, and even if I recalled Rude from looking into that incident at Icicle Inn immediately, he wouldn't be back in time. It was the only option."

"Sir? What's going on?" Whatever had happened, neither man seemed happy about it.

Reno groaned loudly, and sat down on the couch beneath the window, fingers coiling around the mug as he stared into the dark liquid. "He gave me to Scarlet..."

She looked to Tseng, questioningly.

"Scarlet requires an escort. Reno is the only one available," he clarified.

"Oh, is _that_ all..." Elena sighed in relief. That wasn't so terrible.

"'Is that all'? 'Lena, do you have any idea what she's gonna do to me?"

"Do you?" she asked, curiously.

"Tch... You saw her out in the hall. Now imagine an entire day of that shit and worse."

"... or more."

Reno's eyes widened. "What the fuck do you mean 'or more'?" he asked, evenly.

"Dio of the Gold Saucer has an item in his museum she's interested in. She's going there to attempt to negotiate the purchase. And I'm sure you're aware of the man's attachment to the items under his curation. It make take some time... though I doubt Scarlet is too concerned about the time required, considering."

"Concerned? Hell, she'll probably try to draw it out as long as she can, just to keep me under her clawed thumb."

"I know. And that's why Elena is going with you. Hopefully her presence will dissuade Scarlet from attempting anything too inappropriate."

"Don't 'spose I could call in sick?" he asked hopefully. Tseng smiled.

"You could... but then I'd have to send a rookie Turk out on her own and hope Scarlet isn't feeling too vindictive."

Reno glanced over at Elena in resignation. "Fuck that. Scarlet'll tear her apart if she shows up without me..." The redhead set his coffee aside and rubbed his eyes. "Fine. I'll do it. But if I come back permanently traumatized, it's on you." He stood up, looking less than thrilled. "Come on, 'Lena... let's go pack. Better bring shit for at least a few days..."

As Reno trudged out of the office, Tseng caught her by the wrist.

"A word, please."

"Yes, sir?" He released her, and gestured toward his own office. She hurried to follow him, taking a seat.

"I believe the only executive you've ever had to deal with directly is Hojo, correct?"

"I've had a few run-ins with Heidegger, as well, sir."

"Mmm... but not as a matter of assignment. I want you to be careful around Scarlet. She's well-known for pushing the limits of her authority... and she unfortunately has a great _deal_ of authority. And I realize it probably goes without saying, but though Scarlet's security is your primary concern, I also want you to look out for Reno. That woman is... relentless. And she has a disturbing habit of regarding people under her as company property for her to do with as she pleases."

"Sir?"

"Put simply, she's been harassing him for years... and because of her rank, the best I can do is to keep them as far apart as possible. On occasion, however, I'm unable to even do that." He gave an annoyed sigh picked up a sheet of paper Elena recognized as an official request. "The last time I had to pair them up, he came back with nail marks down his back. I'll spare you the details on how they were acquired..."

"You don't mean they... um..."

Tseng smirked. "No... I very seriously doubt Reno would ever allow her to take things quite that far, regardless of the consequences." At her questioning glance, he elaborated. "Physically, Reno is more than capable of fending her off, of course... Professionally, however, is another matter. She and Heidegger have an alliance of sorts. As a result, we've had to step somewhat carefully around her, and for the sake of peace, Reno tends to be... permissive... around her to keep her placated. Though I rather wish he wouldn't. Personally, I think it only encourages her further."

"So... really, I'm going along as Reno's chaperone, sir?" It was difficult not to laugh at the thought, and Tseng seemed to share her amusement.

"Essentially. Please just try and keep him out of her clutches... and for Leviathan's sake, out of her hotel room. I don't envy Reno at all should she manage to corner him somewhere."

"Sir?" She had just remembered something Reno had mentioned some time ago... and she couldn't resist asking.

"Yes, Elena?"

"Reno told me once that... Sir, did you really stuff Scarlet into the trunk of your car after she passed out drunk at a Christmas party?"

Tseng snorted in laughter. "Yes. I did," he replied, "And should I ever have such an opportunity presented to me in the future, I will be only too happy to do so again."

* * *

Later that morning, Elena found herself on the rooftop helipad with Reno waiting for the arrival of their assignment. The redhead seemed far quieter than usual, and not the least bit happy.

"Hey... 'Lena?" he finally prodded, breaking the silence. "Do me a favor... don't leave me alone with Scarlet. She usually behaves herself when there are witnesses around, and it really is kind of a pain to have to dodge her attempts at grabbin' my ass every five seconds.

Elena started to replied, but was quickly silenced by a shrill voice.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Scarlet stormed across the roof towards the pair of Turks, obviously not pleased to see that Reno wasn't alone.

" _She's_ our newest rookie, ma'am. That means she goes where I go. Training, ya know?"

"Well, I don't want her. Send her back to your office."

Reno shrugged and Elena got the distinct impression he was enjoying the fact that Scarlet was so put out. "Sorry... Can't. Tseng's orders."

Scarlet narrowed her eyes at the rookie and whipped out her phone. "We'll just see about that..."

"You wanna argue this with Tseng, fine. You're gonna be at it for awhile. Let me know when you're ready to leave. Come 'on, rookie... we've got time to grab some lunch while we wait." His expression turned somewhat lecherous, and he fixed Elena with a leer as he snaked an arm around her waist and let his hand come to rest on her backside. "Or... _somethin'_..."

Scarlet looked like she wanted to murder her.

"Ugh... nevermind. Let's just go." She stormed past them, and boarded the helicopter. Elena glared at the redhead and elbowed him hard in the ribs, and the hand quickly withdrew.

"Seriously?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah... Sorry. But if she'd started in on Tseng about it, he probably woulda had to give in and keep you here. 'Specially if she bitched to Heidegger." He followed the petulant executive toward their transport before glancing back at her with a somewhat maniacal grin. "Oh... by the way. You're piloting. Try not to kill us, 'kay?"

* * *

"You!" Elena winced as Scarlet's nails dug into her arm even through her jacket as she grabbed her roughly and spun her so they were face to face. "I'll be speaking to Heidegger when we return... You can kiss your pilot's certification goodbye!"

The woman released her, shoving her back into Reno's arms, and walked away, anger radiating from her in almost visible waves. Reno, in contrast, was shaking in silent laughter, as he guided her along behind the executive.

"'Lena... That was some of the worst flying I've ever seen. Dunno what the hell Tseng's been teachin' ya but you desperately need more practice," he said. Once Scarlet was far enough ahead of them, he fixed her with a smirk, "Nice job."

Elena rubbed at her bicep where Scarlet had latched onto her and returned the smug look. "You're welcome."

"She hurt ya?"

"Not really... but I do think she might've left a bruise."

"Be glad your uniform was between you and those claws of hers. Those things are wicked."

They trailed along behind Scarlet as she headed into the Gold Saucer. The omnipresent music that blared cheerfully from the loudspeakers at the entrance was already beginning to grate on Elena's nerves. It had been a number of years since she'd last been here. She'd forgotten just how obnoxious the theme park could be. Reno, though, didn't seem to mind.

"Too bad we're workin'. I love this place," he grinned.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me..."

"What? You're not a fan?" They started toward the tunnel that would take them to the Ghost Square. Scarlet's meeting with Dio wasn't until that evening... plenty of time to get themselves checked into the hotel and secured.

"It's just so... gaudy and overdone."

"Yeah... It's great..." he responded, looking around at the sights. Elena snorted in contempt, but didn't argue. It seemed fitting that Reno would thoroughly enjoy a place like the Gold Saucer. He really was kind of a big kid sometimes.

They arrived in the faux graveyard that welcomed guests to the Ghost Square hotel. She'd never understood the appeal of _this_ , either. The somber, spooky décor didn't exactly scream "good night's sleep"... On top of that, at the moment, the stroll through the tombstones was making her think a little too much of her brother. She shook her head and forced herself to pay attention to the task at hand. She was on duty, and letting her mind wander like that was hardly professional.

As they entered the hotel and approached the front desk, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. The whole setup was creepy. And when the hotel manager suddenly dropped from the ceiling hanging from a noose, she instinctively went for her gun. Thankfully Reno had the presence of mind to subtly grab her arm before she could aim. _That_ was definitely something that had been added since her last visit.

Checking in didn't take long. They'd been given two rooms... one for Scarlet, and one for the two Turks. Before long, Scarlet was safely tucked away in her room, taking stock of the minibar in the corner, while Elena and Reno set about taking care of standard security protocols. This consisted largely of motion sensors in the hall and on the door to Scarlet's room and a small camera accessible from either of their phones to monitor the corridor. That done, they, too, retreated to their room.

"Remind me never to throw you a surprise party... jumpin' out at you might be a little too hazardous to my health," Reno snickered, as he flopped down on one of the two beds along one wall. Elena flushed slightly.

"Oh, shut up."

"Hell, maybe I shoulda let you shoot the guy. Add a _real_ ghost to this place. They'd probably love ya for increasing their revenues."

Elena shot him a dirty look and sat down on her own bed, opening her bag. She set a few things out on the nightstand.. her hairbrush, the charger for her PHS... before tucking the bag alongside the bed. There wasn't much sense in unpacking completely. Odds were they wouldn't be here for more than one or two nights.

"So..." Reno prodded, lifting his head off the mattress and looking across at her, "You alright?"

She glanced up in surprise. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged. "Kind of a morbid place to be stayin'. And it's only been a couple of weeks."

"I'm fine..." she said firmly. The last thing she wanted was to be handled with kid gloves. Reno had been very kind and attentive in the days following her brother's death, and she was grateful, but she didn't want, or need, to be coddled forever.

"Relax, 'Lena... Wasn't tryin' to imply anything. I was just checkin'. Kinda got the feeling this place might be draggin' up some unpleasant thoughts."

Elena sighed and smiled a little. "Yeah... It kind of is," she admitted, "I'll be okay, though." She paused a moment, looking at him curiously. "How is it you always seem to know when something's bothering me?"

"I'm good at readin' people. Always have been." He sat up, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "That's actually how I caught Tseng's attention in the first place. Not the _only_ reason he recruited me, but it's definitely what got me a second glance."

"How _did_ you get recruited, anyway? Rumor has it you went straight from the slums to the Turks and skipped recruit training all together..."

"I did, for the most part... but it's not quite as impressive as it sounds. We were short on recruits at the time and they _needed_ new personnel, so Tseng managed to talk Veld into lettin' him train me in the field. And you already know he had his hands full when I was startin' out... That's kinda the reason why. Honestly, though, I probably woulda washed out of the recruiting program. I was a real shit at sixteen. Tseng put a hell of a lot of time and effort into me to make sure I'd be around for awhile."

"So how'd he even find you?" Tseng never seemed to spend much time in the slums these days... though maybe that was different earlier in his career. Still, tapping a sixteen year old as a potential Turk on a random visit to Sector 2 seemed like an awfully big coincidence.

"Heh... Well... at the time I was–" His PHS, much to Elena's dismay, chose that exact moment to ring, and she recognized the ringtone as the one Reno had set for calls that couldn't be ignored. Which meant it was probably Scarlet. "Yes?" he answered, "Yes, ma'am..." He scowled and ended the call. "Scarlet wants to go visit some of the attractions before her meeting and demands an escort."

"Well... that _is_ kind of what we're here for..." Elena pointed out.

"Yeah... but on the whole, the Gold Saucer's a pretty secure place, and she knows it. In fact, I'm fairly sure the only reason she requested a security detail in the first place was because she somehow found out both Tseng and Rude were otherwise occupied, and she'd definitely end up with me. Usually she doesn't bother at all, unless there's a known threat. Even I have to grudgingly admit she can handle herself in a fight." He dragged himself off the bed. "Come on... the longer we keep her waitin', the more this is gonna suck."

* * *

Less than fifteen minutes later, Reno and Elena found themselves in the short line for the gondola ride at Round Square. She couldn't help but think that maybe this wouldn't be so terrible after all. The gondola was one of the things she really enjoyed at the Gold Saucer... the view was amazing.

Scarlet had sidled up to Reno more and more the longer they waited, and the redhead had to continuously twist away from her attempts to grope him. It might have been funny watching Reno so desperately trying to avoid her advances – had it been anyone else, he'd most likely have been enthusiastically encouraging it – were it not for the fact that the woman seemed utterly incapable of taking the hint that he wasn't enjoying the attention. Tseng hadn't been exaggerating. She really was relentless, and Elena felt a little sorry for him.

They reached the front of the line and the next gondola car swung into place. Scarlet more or less dragged Reno inside with her, then slid the door closed before Elena could follow.

" _You_ can stay here and make sure the station stays secure," she said, fixing the female Turk with a coldly smug, and thoroughly insincere, smile. Elena was left speechless as the car began it's trip along the ropeway, and she could see the somewhat resigned look on Reno's face as they disappeared around the first bend.

"Great..." She moved off to a narrow bench to wait, wondering what Scarlet had in mind for her captive audience. It was only a ten minute or so ride. There was only so much she'd have time to do to him... Reno would be fine. She was sure of it.

Still...

She hadn't liked the way Scarlet had looked at her. As ridiculous as it sounded – to her at least – Elena had the sinking suspicion that in Scarlet's mind, she had inadvertently become the woman's arch-nemesis in the quest for Reno's affections. She sat down, irritated, and checked her watch. Scarlet's meeting was scheduled for twenty minutes from now. At least they would be free of her for awhile once the pair got back... they could foist her off on Dio for a few hours and finally have some peace. Maybe get some dinner while they had the chance to actually enjoy it... she was starving. And if _she_ was starving, Reno was probably about to faint from hunger.

Elena sat back for awhile, watching as each gondola returned. The Square wasn't crowded, but there was a steady stream of riders coming and going. A car never left the station empty. Finally, she spotted a couple she recognized disembarking... they'd been ahead of her in line, which meant Reno and Scarlet would be returning momentarily as well. She stood and made her way over to meet them. The next gondola arrived, and the operator opened the door. Elena's jaw dropped slightly, and the man at the controls loudly cleared his throat. Scarlet looked up at him with a slightly shocked expression.

She'd had Reno pinned beneath her on one of the benches, her knee pressed firmly between his legs as she claimed his lips. One hand was behind his head, giving him no room to pull away from her. The other... well, Elena couldn't see what it was doing, and given the way the redhead was squirming, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

Scarlet gave one last teasing nip at his earlobe and released him, standing up and stepping calmly back onto the station platform.

"We'll have to continue this later," she said, snidely smirking at Elena as she walked past. "You're both dismissed while I attend to business matters."

Reno staggered out after her and shuddered violently. "I think I need a shower..." he muttered under his breath. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, grimacing at the streak of red lipstick left behind. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"How bad was it?" She fell in step beside him as they made their way back toward the hotel.

"Let's just say if someone had tried doin' that to you, I'da beat the shit out of 'em, executive or not..."

"I-I'm sorry... I should've tried to get in ahead of her. I didn't mean for you to get stuck alone with her." Elena said. Reno was decidedly pissed off, and she couldn't blame him.

"Nah... Not your fault. I wasn't expectin' her to pull that shit either. Probably shoulda been, though..." He paused and tilted his head to one side, revealing a deep purple bruise at the junction of his neck and shoulder, just below his shirt collar. "She leave a mark?"

"Umm... yeah. Kind of a big one."

"Dammit. I was afraid of that..."

Elena frowned and followed as they headed through the Ghost Square's graveyard and up the stairs to their room. "You shouldn't just let her get away with that..."

"Oh, _real_ nice..." Reno muttered as he studied the hickey in the mirror. "Eh... It's easier than tryin' to argue. Give in a little and she's satisfied for awhile. Stops her from trying to take things too far. Hell, I wouldn't even _mind_ that much _,_ really, if she didn't cause so much damage every time she gets ahold of me."

"You... wouldn't _mind_?" she said in disbelief. Reno shrugged and sat down on the bed.

"Okay, yeah... that might be trivializin' it a little. I don't enjoy havin' her all over me like that. But to be fair, I don't _dislike_ bein' pursued. I don't even mind things gettin' a little rough... within reason. I _do_ mind bein' intentionally injured, disrespected, and treated like property. Fuck, if she acted like she actually thought I was a human being, she probably coulda got what she wanted by now." He laid back and rolled onto his stomach, grabbing a pillow, and burying his face in it with a groan. "This is gonna be a _long_ fuckin' assignment."

Elena sat down next to him, and placed her palm between his shoulders. She stroked downward along his spine, all the way to his waist, and back up, drawing a soft moan from the redhead.

"Mmm... Don't remember ever tellin' ya I like that..."

"I saw Tseng do it when you had chocobo pox... It looked like it was helping." She repeated the motion, falling into a slow rhythm. "And you've done it to me a couple of times. I just thought there was probably a reason."

He raised his head minutely, turning to look at her. "It always calmed me down as a kid. Mom used to do that when I had trouble fallin' asleep. It just... feels nice, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. When I was really little my dad used to tickle the bottoms of my feet... I used to love that. It was really soothing..."

Reno snorted a laugh. "Huh... Whaddya know... Rookie's got a foot fetish..."

"It is _not_ a fetish, you perv!" Elena said, trying not to laugh. She seized the pillow he'd nestled against, pulling it out from under him, and brought it down on his head with a loud _whapp_. Reno rolled over and caught hold of it before she could hit him a second time.

"Geez, 'Lena... I've already been assaulted once today. Gimme a break," he said, snickering. "Anyway... you hungry? 'Cause nice as that felt 'til ya started beating me, I'm about ten minutes from passin' out..."

"Starved."

"Good... Tonight's couples night at the Event Square. Dinner and a show, and if ya bring a date, it's free. You good with tellin' people you're my girlfriend?"

"Sure, why not? How'd you know about couples night, anyway? I haven't seen anything about it..."

"Scarlet mentioned it... right before she started gnawin' on me. Kinda got the feeling she was plannin' on me takin' her to it. Guess she didn't realize it was the same time as her meeting with Dio. Pity." He smirked and climbed off the bed.

"So naturally, your first reaction is to take me instead... Are you sure it's such a good idea to antagonize her like that? I think she might already be a little... um... jealous of me. Because of what you did on the helipad before we left..." More than a little, if that look she'd gotten at the Round Square was anything to go by.

"Oh yeah... she's jealous as hell," Reno said, grinning. "I might be kinda limited in what I can do to piss her off while I'm on duty, but she's got no say in what I do when I'm off the clock. She officially dismissed us... that means we're not working right now. And _that_ means I can mess with her..."

"Reno..."

"Ah, come on. What's the worst that'll happen? She's already gonna make this assignment a living hell for me. Might as well have a _little_ fun while I'm stuck here... And, seriously. Free food. Let's go."

"Alright, fine," she sighed. For some reason, though, the phrase "famous last words" kept running through her head on a loop as they left the hotel.

* * *

When they entered Event Square's massive theater, they were greeted by a pair of knights in armor.

"Welcome to Couples Night! An evening of delicious food, spectacular entertainment, and, of course, _romance_..." one of them said, rolling the 'R' with a flourish.

"And all for but the price of true love's kiss," the second added, motioning Elena towards Reno. She shook her head, laughing, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Dear lady... that was hardly worthy of true love," the first knight chastised her. "Perhaps your beau can do better..."

The redhead gave her an impish smile, and grabbed her around the waist, bending her backwards as he kissed her full on the lips. She should have known... Reno wasn't about to let free food – or the chance to repay her for laughing at him the other day – get away. She decided to just go with it and let him. Though when an approving cheer went up from the audience moments later, she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.

That is... until Reno broke the kiss and pulled her gently back to a standing position, allowing her to catch sight of the stage. She very nearly groaned out loud. The huge screen at the back was showing a photo of the two of them, surrounded by hearts, with the word 'Steamy' emblazoned across the top.

"Ah... now _that_ is surely true love's kiss!" the second knight cried, ushering them into the Square. Reno looped an arm around her, escorting her to an empty table.

"You know I'm going to have to kill you for that, right...?" she whispered.

Reno snickered. "Fine... but murder me _after_ dinner, alright? No sense in letting public humiliation go to waste..." He pulled her chair out for her with an exaggerated bow. Elena took her seat, and her 'date' quickly joined her. "Not a bad act, though... you weren't nearly as stiff as you were in Costa del Sol."

"I'm... more used to you doing things like that now, I guess." She smirked. "Besides... as many times as I've woken up in bed with you, a little kiss hardly seems like a big deal at this point."

"Smartass," he said, grinning widely. "Rude's right. I'm a terrible influence on you."

* * *

The show had been more than a little silly – and, thankfully, they'd narrowly escaped being recruited for the audience participation portion – but dinner was delicious, and some time later... after assuring themselves that Scarlet was still occupied with whatever it was she was discussing with Dio... the two Turks found themselves wandering around Wonder Square. Reno had talked her into playing a few games against him... she had beaten him several times, though he was quite a ways ahead of her by the time they'd grown tired of the competition.

"Not big on the arcade, huh?" he asked.

"Not really... I like the rides and the chocobo races better."

"Ugh... chocobos. No thanks."

Elena giggled softly, thinking back to her introduction to Reno's aversion to the avian creatures. "You know, if you gave them a chance, you might end up liking them."

"Tch... Right. Those feathered bastards hate me the second they set eyes on me. Every last one of 'em. Feeling's mutual, too."

"But they can be so nice..."

"Sure, if they like ya," Reno replied, leaning back against the railing that overlooked the surrounding area. "If they don't, they're mean, obnoxious, and... bitey."

"Bitey? Reno, that isn't even a word..." Elena snickered. "And come on... chocobos don't bite. They'll _kick_... and they might snap at you a little if they're annoyed, but I've _never_ seen one bite."

"Oh yeah?" Reno rolled up his left sleeve a little ways, revealing a faint scar on his forearm. "First one I ever got near gave me that. Don't try and tell me those fuckers don't bite."

"What did you do to make it bite you?!" she asked in disbelief.

"What'd _I_ do? Nothin'! Not a damn thing," he said, pouting slightly. "I just wanted to pet it... all the other kids got to."

"Wait... how old were you when this happened?"

"Six? Seven, maybe? Somethin' like that. It was a real little one. Not even as tall as I was, and I was a pretty shrimpy kid. Guy had three or four of 'em and was tryin' to sell 'em as pets. Stopped where me and some other kids were playin' around. I thought they were kinda cute... at first."

"T-that's awful..." Elena said... unfortunately, she couldn't quite keep the amusement out of her voice. It was a terrible thing to laugh at, and she was a terrible person for doing so... but for some reason, she couldn't stop picturing poor Reno – the Reno _she_ knew, not the motherless little boy all alone in the slums – with a miniature chocobo latched on his arm.

"Oh, yeah... thanks. Laugh at my childhood trauma."

"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..." she managed, forcing herself to stop. "I just... I have no idea what you looked like as a child, so all I can picture is you now..." She snorted as her self control deserted her. "... with a tiny chocobo chewing on you..."

Reno scowled and looked away, arms crossed over his chest. Elena finally sobered.

"I'm a horrible person. I know... Please don't be mad."

He glanced at her sideways, and let his lips curve into a smirk. "Please... my sense of humor's way more warped than yours. I've laughed at worse..."

Elena joined him at the rail, gently shoving him. "Jerk."

"We still got some time before Scarlet's back to orderin' us around. Anything you wanna hit up? Besides the chocobo races..."

"... Well... I _do_ sort of want to go on the gondola..." she replied, hesitantly. She loved the views from the cable car, but she wasn't sure Reno would be too eager for a repeat of earlier, even without the pushy executive along.

"Really?"

"It's... um... kind of my favorite. But if you don't want to go, that's alright."

"Nah, it's fine with me. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"You didn't exactly have a good time the first time around," she pointed out. Reno grinned.

"Yeah. 'Cause Scarlet was tryin' to molest me at the time. Sure, I'll go with ya... might be nice to ride it without worryin' about having to keep someone's hand outta my pants." He paused and eyed her suspiciously. "I _don't_ have to worry 'bout that... right?"

"Ugh..." Elena rolled her eyes, ignoring the redhead's snickering.

He took her by the hand, leading her towards the tunnel to Round Square, and they soon found themselves hanging high over the desert below. Elena leaned out the window slightly. The view at night was beautiful... the sky over Midgar was never this clear, and there seemed to be no end to the stars above her. Reno joined her moments later.

"Probably shouldn't be surprised you like this sorta thing. Fits right in with those stupid romance novels of yours..." He hoisted himself onto the sill so he could hang even farther out than Elena was.

"You know... I don't make fun of any of _your_ hobbies," she said, grabbing him by the belt and pulling him back through the window. His precarious perch was making her a little nervous.

"That's 'cause none of my hobbies involve phrases like 'the sweat glistened on his manly chest as Ricardo parted her voluptuous thighs and caressed h– '."

"Okay! Fine... so they're a little cheesy..." she said, laughing as she quickly cut him off.

"Cheesy? They're ridiculous. 'Lena, _please_ tell me that's not _really_ what you're lookin' for in a guy. It's such bullshit. The guys in those books hardly have to touch 'em and the chick is screamin' in ecstasy. Then they're at it all night long." He flashed her a teasing smile and added, "I mean sure... that's totally what _I'm_ like in bed, but come on... How many other guys can legitimately make that claim?"

"Sure, Reno... totally legitimate..." she replied with a shake of her head, "You know... for someone who thinks they're so absurd, you seem to know an awful lot about the plotlines..."

"Said they're ridiculous... didn't say I've never read that shit." He smirked as he noted her suspicious expression. "What? _You_ try getting' your hands on decent porn as a pre-teen slum rat. Had to make do with what I could find. Books sucked, but at twelve, they got the job done. Not that it takes a whole hell of a lot when you're twelve and really, _really_..."

"Okay... Stop," she groaned, raising a hand to cover her eyes, "First of all... way too much information. And second... how do you manage to get so many women to go out with you when you say things like that?"

Reno's grin widened, and he pulled her down along with him onto the bench. "Easy... You're the only woman I say shit like that around. 'Cept maybe Lira, but she's just as bad as me."

"Oh, great... I feel so special," she deadpanned.

He put an arm around her, and pulled her closer. "You should. I do it 'cause I know I can get away with it around you without makin' you hate me. I love that about you, 'Lena. You might not _like_ it when a take things a little too far into the gutter, but you don't hold it against me, either. I can just be myself around you."

"Aww..." Elena smiled, and leaned her head on Reno's shoulder.

" _And_ you turn an awesome shade of red when you're _really_ embarrassed..." he added.

" _You_ are impossible..." She snickered quietly as she sat up. The station was coming up just ahead of them, and she stood, pulling the redhead to his feet. He didn't have the chance to answer, as his PHS began to ring. He sighed and fished it out of his pocket.

"Sounds like our break's over."

* * *

Scarlet was still speaking with Dio outside of his office when the two Turks turned up. They stood to one side, waiting for her to finish the conversation. Going by her expression, though, the meeting hadn't resulted in obtaining her goals. Reno groaned internally... that meant at least another day here. Finally, the woman broke away from Dio and walked toward them.

"You," she said, looking directly at Elena, "will return to the hotel and... do whatever it is you do when _I'm_ not around. I don't want to see you for the rest of the night."

"Y-yes, ma'am..." She glanced over at Reno, uncertainly but didn't dare disobey, and headed for the elevator. She could still hear Scarlet, however, and flinched at the tone she adopted as the woman turned to Reno.

"And _you_ ," the executive purred, "will accompany _me_ to a special encore of tonight's Event Square show that Dio has been kind enough to arrange for me... and later, we'll..."

Whatever Scarlet had planned for 'later' Elena missed as the elevator doors closed, cutting her off from her friend. She wasn't sure which was worse... knowing what was in store for the redhead now, or _not_ knowing and letting her imagination run rampant at the possibilities. Regardless, she was sure she'd hear all about it when Reno got back.

* * *

Nearly three hours later, she was beginning to wonder if he was _coming_ back.

It was close to midnight, and there'd been no word from the redhead. The show they'd seen at dinner had only gone on for about forty minutes. The performers couldn't possibly have stretched it much longer than that... which begged the question... just where _were_ they?

When the proximity sensors she and Reno had set up earlier went off a few minutes later, it was a relief. She considered peeking into the hallway, but Scarlet had been very clear about not wanting to see her again tonight. She was hesitant to test just how literally she'd meant it. Instead, she pulled up the tiny wireless camera they'd positioned outside on her PHS... and laughed out loud.

Reno was supporting the executive as she staggered towards her room... Scarlet, meanwhile seemed to be trying to kiss... or lick... his cheek while she slipped a hand inside his shirt, rubbing his chest. There was little he could do to stop her, as all of his effort was currently directed at the attempt to get her down the hallway. He did _not_ look amused. He did, however, glance pleadingly up at the camera, apparently hoping that Elena was watching.

Elena set her phone down and hurried to the door, pulling it open. The smell of alcohol was so strong, it hit her from several feet away.

"Thank Odin... 'Lena, do me a favor and go unlock her room, will ya?"

"What's _she_ doing here?" Scarlet slurred, "I told her to go'way... Go'way you stupid Turk whore! He's mine t'night!"

Reno's eye twitched, but he refrained from commenting. Elena, meanwhile did as he'd instructed, opening the door to Scarlet's room ahead of the pair, and turning on the lights. The redhead hauled the executive in and tossed her onto the bed.

"Goodnight, _ma'am_ ," he muttered, clearly annoyed, "Come on, 'Lena..."

"Oh, no... you get back here..." She snatched at him, grabbing the edge of his jacket, and pulling him back, before turning a glare on Elena. " _You_ get out!" Reno waved her off with an 'I'll deal with it' expression, and Elena turned to go...

"Ahh! What the hell!?" The cry was followed by a loud ripping sound. "Goddammit... 'Lena, gimme a hand here..."

When Elena looked back, Scarlet was all over him. One hand had seized hold of his ponytail, yanking his head back and exposing his throat... which she was enthusiastically nuzzling... while the other gripped a fistful of his torn shirt. Elena was at his side moments later.

"What should I do?" she asked, not sure where to begin. Reno winced.

"Pry her fucking hand outta my hair, for starters... preferably before she rips it out."

Elena began untangling the woman's fingers from Reno's hair... which was no small feat, given that she seemed to have twisted and knotted them into it as deeply as she could, pulling loose the elastic band that held it for a better grip.

"S-she won't let go..." No matter how much she tried, Scarlet's grip was ironclad. Suddenly, it loosened.

"Get your filthy hands off of me, you little guttersnipe!" she bellowed. Reno seemed to have been forgotten for the moment, as Scarlet shoved him away and turned on Elena instead. Neither of them had been ready for the drastic change in focus, but while Reno landed safely on the bed and scrambled to his feet mere moments later, Elena suddenly found herself directly in Scarlet's crosshairs.

The executive cocked her arm back and swung, delivering a stinging slap to the rookie's face before Reno could stop her or Elena could duck. Elena felt the woman's nails rake across her skin. Reno finally wrapped his arms around the Scarlet's waist, dragging her away as she continued to attempt to lunge for the rookie.

Scarlet was a woman possessed. She wanted so badly to get her hands on her self-imposed 'rival' that Reno was taking quite a beating simple by restraining her.

"Oh, the hell with this..." he muttered as her elbow caught him in the ribs, and he slipped his forearm around her neck, applying pressure. Elena watched wide-eyed as Scarlet's expression turned from rage to fear, before she passed out from lack of oxygen.

"You... you just... choked out an executive." She stared at the redhead in utter shock.

"She'll live." He set Scarlet's limp form down on the bed.

"Reno..."

"Don't fuckin' lecture me 'Lena... I'm gonna catch hell for this from Tseng as it is. Assumin' Heidegger lets me live that long..." He stood up, and Elena realized just how disheveled he really was. His shirt was torn open exposing angry red scratches across his chest, though it didn't look like Scarlet had drawn blood. His hair was loose from it's ponytail and hung over his shoulders in a wild cascade of crimson, and he was rubbing gently at the back of his scalp.

"Well... Are you okay, at least?"

"Yeah... I'm–" he began, before looking up at her, "Shit..." His eyes narrowed angrily. "That bitch..."

Elena blinked, confused. "What's the matter?"

"You're bleedin', that's what."

Her hand immediately went to her cheek, and she flinched as the contact made it sting even more. Her fingertips came away coated in red.

"Help me with Scarlet, then we'll go getcha cleaned up."

The pair of Turks left Scarlet more or less tucked into bed to sleep off both her drunkeness and the results of Reno's chokehold, and then returned to their own room.

"Sit down... I'll see what I can find to fix ya up," he said, disappearing into the bathroom. Elena crossed the room and looked in the mirror above the dresser. Four deep scratches marred her left cheek, three of which were bleeding freely. She pressed the sleeve of her jacket against the injury and took a seat on her bed.

"This is the last fuckin' straw," Reno grumbled as he emerged moments later with wet cloth. "Bad enough she doesn't give _me_ a moment's peace any time I'm around her... now she's goin' after you, too. Fuck it. I don't give a shit anymore... knockin' her out was worth it." He gently lifted her chin and turned her face away from him so he could get a better look at the scratches. Elena closed her eyes as he began to wipe away the blood. "Couple of these are deep... I'm takin' you to see the Doc soon as we get back. Hopefully she'll be able to do somethin' to keep 'em from scaring."

"R-reno... What are you going to do when Scarlet wakes up?"

"Probably whatever the hell she wants me to..." he muttered. Elena felt her stomach turn.

"Reno..."

"Kidding. Don't worry about it. I got myself into this mess... I'll get myself out." He finished cleaning the cuts, and went for his bag, digging through it until he found small first aid kit. "Hold still, 'kay?" She flinched as he applied an antiseptic, trying her best to ignore the painful stinging sensation. That done, he added a large square bandage to her cheek to keep the injury protected. "Best I can do... How's it feel?"

"Okay, I guess... Reno, _seriously_...you're not really going to...uh..."

The redhead shrugged. "Nah... I'm not _that_ desperate. I'll figure something out. She's gonna be pissed though, so to be fair, it might be the easiest way to make her forget about this little... incident. Kind of a small price to pay, really." He tossed his torn shirt aside and laid back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head. Elena leaned over him, and touched the marks Scarlet's nails had left on his chest.

"I don't think you mean that... I think it'd be a lot harder for you than you're letting on."

Reno didn't answer right away. Instead, he curled up on his side and laid his head on her lap. "You surprise me sometimes, 'Lena..."

"Why?" She toyed with a few strands of his hair for a moment before tucking them back behind his ear.

"'Cause every once in awhile, you'll get me so completely, even _I'm_ not sure how ya picked up on it."

* * *

When Elena woke the next morning, Reno had already disappeared. She'd finally gone to bed around one, as had Reno... though he'd been restless right up until she'd drifted off, and probably long after. She had a feeling he hadn't slept well. A hastily scrawl note left on the nightstand let her know that he'd gone to deal with the consequences of subduing Scarlet.

A glance at the clock also told her that he'd shut off her alarm. It was almost an hour past when she _should_ have been up. She groaned and hurried to get cleaned up and dressed... though she had no idea what she was supposed to do once she was done. It wasn't as if she could be of much help at the moment... in fact, her presence would probably only make Scarlet angrier. In the end, she opted for checking on the various security devices they'd installed, and ensuring the helicopter had remained unbothered overnight before wandering off for a quiet breakfast and returning to her room... only to find that Reno still wasn't back.

She briefly considered contacting Tseng and telling him what had happened... and in fact, got as far as pulling up his number on her PHS when the subject of her concern at last turned up.

Reno all but burst through the door, grinning madly. He closed it behind him, and didn't say a word until he was barely two feet away from her.

"'Lena... I am officially the luckiest bastard on the face of the planet," he said in a slightly hushed, and obviously excited, voice.

"Umm... okay?" She blinked in confusion, wondering just what had happened to so drastically change his outlook. "So... you talked to Scarlet, then...?"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and she could literally feel the lack of tension in his body. Whatever had happened, all of his worry over 'fixing' last night seemed to have evaporated. "Yep. I'm officially off the hook. Turns out Scarlet was so fucking hammered last night she doesn't remember a damn thing. She actually _thanked_ me for makin' sure she got back to her room in one piece. Course that was right before she tried to fondle me into a corner, but hey... given the alternative, I'll take what I can get."

"Oh, thank Shiva..." Elena sighed, relieved for him, "Um... Where is she now?"

"Back in talks with Dio. Hungover as all fuck, too. Bet _that'd_ be an interesting meeting to watch." He suddenly smirked and and tightened his grip on her. Elena squeaked in surprise as she found herself being ushered insistently out of the room. "Meantime, though, you 'n me are gonna go celebrate the fact that I'm not havin' to consider bein' Scarlet's personal whore tonight. We're hittin' up every ride in this place... my treat."

* * *

"Oh, god... no more... please, Reno..." Elena groaned as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, stopping the redhead from dragging her into yet another line. Between the rides and Reno's unyielding desire to stuff her with everything from cotton candy to chocolate-covered peanuts, she was certain any further 'fun' would bring her to her knees.

The redhead paused in his bid to get to the front of the line, and studied her for a moment. "Heh... Sorry. Guess I _might_ be gettin' a little carried away. You okay?"

She'd lost track of how long they'd been at it. When Reno had promised her every ride in the Gold Saucer, he'd meant it... multiple times, and with plenty of high-sugar snacking while waiting their turn. The marathon of binge-eating and constant motion was beginning to wear on her.

"I'm fine... I just need a break." Elena was quietly guided toward a bench and urged to sit. She leaned her head back against the wall. "I can't keep up with you," she said, smiling slightly.

Reno grinned and pulled her head down against his shoulder. "Yeah... I tend to overdo it a little here. I can't actually get him to admit it, but I think Tseng has privately vowed never to come back to the Gold Saucer with me for any reason other than business."

"You talked him into coming here for something _other_ than business once? What'd you do? Blackmail him?" she chuckled. The Gold Saucer was definitely not somewhere she'd picture Tseng spending his free time. Not voluntarily, at any rate.

"Nah... It was a birthday present when I was seventeen. He lasted a lot longer than you did... but only 'cause _he_ was smart enough not to join in on the junk food buffet. Still ran him pretty ragged, though..."

"No kidding, if he never dared come back..."

Reno nudged her playfully with his arm. "Hey, in my defense, that was the first time I'd ever been in a place like this. I was kinda excited. So... ready for another ride?"

Elena moaned at the mere thought.

"That a yes?"

"You know... you still haven't told me what you and Scarlet were up to last night before you came staggering back into the hotel with her."

"You're stallin'..." Reno accused her, grinning widely.

Yes, it was an attempt at stalling. The roller coaster still wasn't looking too appealing to her, even if Reno was eager to get in as much entertainment as he possibly could before they had to go back to work.

"N-no, I'm not... I really want to know!"

"Hmph... Sure ya do. Fine, I'll humor ya. Let's see... First she dragged me to the show in the Event Square. Same one you 'n me saw earlier... Lucky for me, we weren't the only ones there, so she _mostly_ behaved. Still had to put up with her hand on my thigh the entire time, though. _Then_ she insisted on goin' to watch the chocobo races... Mostly 'cause they serve alcohol up there, and I'm pretty sure she was hopin' to get me drunk enough I might be a little more... uh... compliant."

Elena couldn't help but snicker a little at the redhead's sour expression.

"Course what she didn't realize is that one, I don't drink when I'm workin', and two, I'm not that fuckin' stupid. Gotta hand it to her, though... Scarlet can really slam 'em back. She was hittin' the hard stuff, too. It was actually pretty funny to watch... 'til I had to haul her back to the hotel. I got a very detailed description of _exactly_ what she wanted to do to me while I was tryin' to get her up the stairs." He smirked and leaned back against the wall, cupping his hands behind his head to cushion it. "And people call _me_ Shinra Company's resident pervert... I'm kinda ashamed to admit it, but I may have to relinquish the title."

"Oh, come on..." she said, her tone skeptical. Reno had the filthiest mind of anyone she knew. It was a little hard to believe someone might actually have him beat.

"Not exaggeratin'. I mean, I'll try just about anything at least once, but _that_ was a bit much... Hell, I'm not even sure some of it would be physically possible unless I were double-jointed. Which I'm not, by the way. Just in case you were wonderin'. You want details?"

"No."

Reno smirked and pretended he hadn't heard her. "She was dead fuckin' serious, too. Said she'd brought handcuffs. As if I'd ever let that woman restrain me for any reason... much less so she could –"

"Seriously, Reno... I _really_ don't want details."

"You sure? Might give ya a new perspective on company leadership." Elena fixed him with a glare. That sort of 'perspective' she didn't need. "Tch... fine. Be that way. One of these days, though, I'm finally gonna pull you outta that sexually repressed mindset you're stuck in," he said, with a teasing grin.

"I am _NOT_ sexually repressed!" she shouted at him, offended... moments later turning beet-red as all eyes in the Square suddenly turned toward her, and several parents covered the ears of their young children. Reno, naturally, was laughing hysterically. "Sometimes I really do hate you, Reno..." she added, lowering her voice to avoid any further embarrassment.

"Yeah, I know... but even when you hate me, you can't help but love me. Admit it..." he finally managed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Elena started to voice a half-hearted denial of that, only to be silenced by a sudden shrill voice.

" _There_ you are! I've been looking for you for twenty minutes because _you_ didn't bother charging my phone last night!" Scarlet growled, looking pointedly at Elena. The rookie blinked, not entirely sure what the appropriate response to that would be... it was hardly her part of her job description to ensure that the woman's PHS was charged.

"But... it's..." Reno suddenly kicked her, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw him subtly shake his head. His meaning was clear... It wasn't worth the argument. Better to just smile and nod. For a moment, the rookie simply froze. Scarlet cast her a final contemptuous glance before turning her attention to Reno.

Unfortunately for Scarlet, – and frankly, Elena wasn't sure if it was the copious amounts of refined sugar she'd ingested, or the fact that her cheek still stung from the claw marks the executive left behind the previous night, or the disgustingly simpering look she was giving Reno at the moment and everything she'd watched her put him through – something about that glance pushed her over the edge. Elena did something she wouldn't normally have thought herself capable of.

"Ma'am, that isn't my responsibility."

Scarlet stopped mid-sentence in whatever she was saying to the redhead and rounded on her. "What did you say?" she hissed dangerously.

"Our job is to make sure you return to Midgar alive. We're not your servants, and we're not here to amuse you... and we're certainly not here to cater to your bizarre fetishes, so stop trying to feel Reno up every time you're within two feet of him! For Ifrit's sake, take a hint... He's not interested!"

Reno stared at her, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, clearly wondering if the rookie had just lost her mind. He moved to separate the two women, only to be firmly shoved back by Elena.

"How dare you... You'll be answering to Heidegger for this. Just you wait... When I'm through with you, you won't even qualify for a secretarial position in Shinra..."

"Well then, since I have nothing to lose... You're a bitch. You're a vindictive, cruel, power-hungry slut who's so desperate for a little attention she throws herself at a guy half her age who's way too good for her anyway. You're a pathetic excuse for a human being, and if you weren't lucky enough to have slept your way onto the executive board, you'd probably be working for Don Corneo in Wall Market!"

By the end of her rant, Elena was breathing heavily, and fighting the impulse to slap the woman for good measure. People had stopped to watch and, she noted, at some point Gold Saucer security had arrived and were lingering at the edge of the crowd. Reno took advantage of the momentary pause to finally step between them.

"Get her out of my sight..." Scarlet ground out, apparently becoming aware of the sudden scrutiny. Reno seized the rookie by the shoulders and propelled her toward the tunnel that led to the hotel as subtly as he could, trying to ignore the cold feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He said nothing until they were safely in their room.

"... 'Lena?" The woman was still practically vibrating with anger... He'd seen her mad before, but this was a whole other level of pissed off. She looked up at him, visibly calming. For a moment. And then she went so pale, that Reno was afraid she was going to pass out then and there.

"I-I didn't just do that... Did I?"

"Not that I don't appreciate you comin' to my defense 'n all, but... what the hell were you thinkin' 'Lena?" he asked, gently guiding her over to the bed and easing her down onto the edge of the mattress.

Elena shook her head, looking dazed. "I don't know..." She swallowed harshly. "I just... I've been watching you put up with her... her _bullshit..._ this entire time, and I just – I couldn't stand there and watch it anymore. I'm in a lot of trouble... aren't I?"

"Yeah... Pretty safe bet..."

"... I'm going to be sick..." Elena shot from the bed straight into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. It was an understandable reaction, Reno mused. The rookie had potentially just derailed her entire career. He was feeling a little queasy himself on her behalf. He took a steadying breath and pulled out his PHS. This was more than he could handle on his own. He pulled up Tseng's number and pressed the button to dial. The Turk leader answered on the fourth ring.

"Tseng here... Problem keeping Scarlet off of you?" The teasing note in the man's voice normally would have calmed him. This time, however...

" _Bigger_ problem, boss..." he replied, "Ya know how 'Lena can be a little timid 'round people in authority sometimes?"

"Yes..." came the guarded response.

"Yeah... well... I'm kinda wishin' she'd stayed that way. Apparently Scarlet pushed her a little too far."

Violent retching could be heard from the direction of the bathroom.

"What happened and how bad is it?"

"Eh... Long story short, Scarlet's been her usual oh-so-pleasent self around me, and 'Lena finally flipped out and told her off... pretty spectacularly, actually. If I hadn't been so worried about her bein' torn limb from limb, I'da been impressed. Never woulda thought 'Lena of all people would have the balls to call Scarlet a bitch to her face. It was like all thoughts of self-preservation just evaporated. It... uh... obviously didn't go over so well."

"... Put Elena on. Now."

"I would, boss, but she's kinda busy comin' to grips with the reality of the situation at the moment."

"Meaning?"

"She's pukin' her guts out. Think she's gonna be awhile." He paused looking in the direction Elena had disappeared, and gave serious consideration to joining her in the effort. It was rare these days that he felt so unsure of his next course of action, that he had to appeal to Tseng for guidance before he dared act. Rarer still that he was at a complete loss. "... So what the _hell_ do I do?"

"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea." It was all Reno could do to keep from groaning out loud. "Whatever you do, keep her away from Scarlet. In fact... I think it best that Elena return to Midgar as soon as possible. There's little sense in tempting fate any farther. I'll arrange transport immediately... You stay and continue with your assignment. Do _nothing_ else."

"Yeah, got it..."

"I mean it, Reno. Don't believe for a second that I don't know exactly what you're thinking..."

"Always knew you were psychic..."

"Reno..." Tseng's tone was warning.

"Yeah, okay. No tryin' to fix this by offerin' myself to the demon lady. I got it," he said, "... You know I'd do it for 'Lena in heartbeat, though." 

"Which is why I'm specifically ordering you not to. Let _me_ sort this out."

* * *

Elena stepped out onto the runway in Junon. The tiny plane that had delivered her, turned and taxied back to a take-off position, the gruff pilot giving her a grudging farewell wave. She hadn't been much for conversation during the flight... which had seemed to suit him just fine. She got the impression that Cid Highwind wasn't overly fond of the Turks... or any other Shinra department that siphoned off funds from the space program. He was one of Palmer's staff, from Rocket Town. Why Palmer still had staff at all was anyone's guess – the space program had been defunct for years, and everyone but the man himself seemed to know it – but Highwind's proximity to the Gold Saucer _had_ made him convenient when Tseng had needed to call for her quiet extraction, so it was a little hard to complain. She watched as the plane picked up speed, lifting into the air and vanishing into the glare of the sun.

She hadn't wanted to leave Reno on his own, but Tseng had insisted... and she could see the logic in it. The farther she was from Scarlet, the better.

When she had finally calmed herself down... or at least emptied her stomach to the point that she was capable of standing up again... Reno had informed her that she was being recalled to Midgar, effective immediately. He'd stayed with her for a short while, but ultimately had no choice but to answer Scarlet's summons.

Left alone with her thoughts, Elena couldn't help but visualize the worst. Facing Tseng seemed almost more terrifying than facing Scarlet again... she could just imagine his disappointment in her. And then there was the horrifying feeling of loss that threatened to subdue her completely. It was entirely too similar to how she'd felt after Bel had died.

It was likely that she'd no longer be a Turk in the very near future. That meant that the people she'd come to depend on and care about would stop being a part of her daily life. She'd still see them, of course – surely they wouldn't simply desert her altogether – but things would change drastically.

Her ride to Junon had arrived before Reno returned. Leaving the Gold Saucer without saying anything to him left her feeling empty and alone.

"Elena."

The rookie jumped, startled out of the jumbled train of thought that seemed to have enveloped her. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag as she turned, slowly, to face the Turk leader. She hadn't expected him to come and collect her personally...

"Sir... I... I'm sorry... I –" Tseng held up a hand, silencing her.

"You needn't explain yourself. I've wanted to do the same thing to that nightmare of a woman for years." Tseng gently gripped her arm, escorting her away from the runway and through a narrow alleyway between the tightly packed buildings. "I trust, however, that you realize the consequences of your actions..."

"Yes, sir," she said softly. He paused a moment, tilting her chin upwards and studying the bandage on her cheek.

"What happened here?"

"Oh... that. Scarlet slapped, me, sir. Her nails got me pretty good."

"Reno didn't mention the confrontation had become physical..." he said, frowning.

"I-it didn't, sir. It happened last night, before Reno could... um..." she stopped herself, suddenly realizing that Tseng obviously hadn't been told about their drunken struggle with the executive in her hotel room the previous evening. Apparently, Reno had decided to leave that out. Tseng's eyebrow arched curiously.

"Before Reno could what... ?"

"He... uh... S-scarlet was drunk. Er... _very_ drunk, sir. I was trying to help him with her and she... came after me. She got in one good slap before I could avoid it and Reno grabbed her and... um... _subdued_ her."

"Define 'subdued'."

"He kind of... knocked her out. Well, choked her out, really..." Elena admitted. Tseng groaned and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. She quickly added, "She didn't remember any of it the next morning..."

"Thank goodness for small favors..." he sighed, continuing down the alley and emerging on the next street. He ushered her through a door, and Elena was more than a little surprised to find herself in a tiny, and nearly empty, bar.

"Sir?"

"Given recent events, I think you need something a bit stronger than your usual camomile. And given what you just told me... so do I. Sit." The pair of them took a seat at a table in the corner. "I always knew he'd eventually drive me to drink..." he added, plainly joking, but straight-faced nevertheless, as he requested two scotch and sodas from the waitress.

"Sir? What's going to happen to me?" she asked, grimacing as the strongly alcoholic beverage burned the back of her throat on the way down.

"Nothing, if I have anything to say about it." Elena looked up in surprise and Tseng smirked. "You didn't really think I was simply going to stand by and let Scarlet make an example of you, did you?"

"But... What can you do to stop her?"

"I don't intend to stop _her,_ per se... I intend to stop Heidegger from cowing to the demands she will inevitably make. In fact, I've already begun working toward that end."

"I'm not sure I understand, sir... I thought you told me they had some sort of alliance."

"Mmm... That's true. But as you may have noticed, Heidegger is something of a pompous egomaniac. I think planting the idea in his head that Scarlet is the one with the real power in their relationship will discourage him from acting too... rashly." Tseng smiled over the rim of his glass. "And failing that, I _do_ have alliances of my own, as well as favors owed to me. I will call in every one of them, should the need arise. I have no intention of losing you, Elena."

Elena couldn't say anything for a moment. She was used to Reno going out of his way for her... he did it constantly, and often for no other reason than that he felt like it. But when Tseng did it, for some reason, it always caught her a little off-guard. She supposed it was because, in many ways, she felt as though she still had something to prove to him. Somehow, she frequently seemed to forget that the Wutaiian Turk was easily just as protective of his fellow Turks as Reno tended to be... if, perhaps, a bit less openly demonstrative of the fact.

Tseng's calm was contagious. She found herself relaxing for the first time in hours.

* * *

Scarlet was still fuming. Reno had endured more than three hours of her alternately berating Elena and swearing to anyone in range of her temper tantrum that the rookie would be out on her ass the second the executive set foot back in Midgar. It was starting to give him a headache.

On the plus side, she seemed to be far too angry to be interested in _him_ for once _._ Reno wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a very, _very_ bad thing.

Tseng had assured him that he would take care of the matter, and the redhead knew better than to doubt Tseng's word. Still... he couldn't help worrying. He sighed softly and tried to push it aside. Worrying wouldn't do Elena any good, and he still had Scarlet to wrangle. And, this time, without the rookie to help keep her at bay.

A slight grin crept over his face as he thought back to the scene that had unexpectedly unfolded in front of the roller coaster. At the time, he'd been silently begging her to stop before Scarlet drop-kicked her over the railing, but now... now he _almost_ wished he'd been the one to say it. The executive's expression when Elena had accused her of sleeping her way to the top had been too perfect. He hadn't even known Elena was aware of that particular rumor. He couldn't recall it ever having come up... though he could hardly be considered the office gossip.

Rather ironically, that title sat squarely on Rude's shoulders. If there was gossip to be had, Rude knew about it... He specialized in intelligence gathering, and that extended to the Shinra rumor mill. He didn't actively spread that information around... but he wasn't shy about sharing with his fellow Turks if asked. And of course, Odin only knew what he and Elena talked about when they got together for their Shadow & Sword fix every week. Reno strongly suspected the subject must have come up between them at some point... and wondered what _other_ rumors she might have heard from him.

The rookie's comment about him being too good for Scarlet hadn't slipped by him unnoticed, either. He didn't exactly _need_ the ego boost, nor was he under the impression that Elena had a low opinion of him in general... but he wasn't going to deny that he'd thoroughly enjoyed hearing her say it.

"Are you even listening?!" The sudden screech interrupted his quiet musings and Reno shifted his gaze to the executive.

"Yes, ma'am... Every word."

"Oh, really..." she challenged, "Then what did I just say?"

Reno resisted the urge to sigh. "You affirmed that my colleague will regret ever having crossed you. You called her a skinny little whore, questioned how exactly she managed to get promoted to the Turks and listed a few possibilities – none of which were very flattering – and made several comments against her parentage, her appearance, and her intelligence... Would you like me to go on?" He'd opted to use what Rude referred to as his 'professional voice'. It was certain to irritate her, and he himself was far too annoyed with the executive to want to placate her in any way. Really, it was just his impression of Tseng... though he could never seem to get the cadence quite right.

Just because he hadn't acknowledged the diatribe didn't mean he hadn't been listening. Considering her volume, it would have been difficult not to. And in any case, he seldom allowed himself to tune out entirely from a conversation, even one as one-sided as this.

Scarlet scowled at him and stormed off to the other side of the conference room. Dio was late, and it wasn't improving her mood... not by a long shot. Reno wasn't entirely certain why she'd ordered him to join her this time. Probably as a not-so-subtle threat to use in her bargaining, but with Scarlet, one never knew... though she _did_ seem anxious to finish her business at the Gold Saucer so she could exact her vengeance on Elena as soon as possible.

Reno leaned back in the plush leather chair, propping his feet up on the table. Intimidation was one role he was intimately acquainted with. If that's what she wanted him for, he was only too happy to deliver. It beat having to avoid her constant groping.

She hadn't even attempted to make a pass at him him the entire time they'd been alone together. At this point, he was almost willing to admit that he _preferred_ having Scarlet pissed off... would have admitted it, too, had her ire not been directed at Elena. Having the woman's focus shifted towards one of his best friends didn't sit well with him.

Reno sat up as the door opened, ready to move if needed. Dio stepped inside, closing the it behind him. Time to go to work...

* * *

"If you don't mind me asking, sir... Why didn't you ever call in one of these favors to get Scarlet off Reno's back?"

They'd hitched a ride on one of Shinra's massive airships that was bound for a supply transfer in Midgar. At the moment, the two Turks were on the upper deck, looking out over the railing towards the ocean.

"I tried once. And it did grant him a short reprieve," Tseng replied, "Unfortunately, Scarlet is _very_ interested in Reno. Eventually, she was back to her old ways again. There is a limit to the lengths to which my allies higher up in the company will go for me, I'm afraid. After that, Reno agreed that avoiding her was a far simpler option, and for the most part, it's quite effective. Every once in awhile, however..."

Tseng sighed and shook his head. It was a problem they'd had for years. He could clearly recall the first time Scarlet had cornered Reno. It was sheer luck that Tseng had come upon them when he had... and the look of panic in the redhead's eyes had plainly told him that he had absolutely no idea how to handle the situation.

It had, of course, been the very incident Elena had asked about before leaving for the Gold Saucer. For Tseng's part... it had been one of those rare moments when his self-control had nearly failed him. He'd come dangerously close to doing far more than merely stuffing the unconscious woman into the trunk of his car...

The situation had ultimately resulted in Tseng taking Reno home with him rather than dropping him off at his own apartment once the rest of the party-goers had been dealt with. The eighteen year old had casually brushed off his concern, but it was obvious he was more than slightly shaken and he hadn't even pretended to argue against the idea of sleeping in Tseng's guest room that night. Reno really hadn't been quite himself for days afterward, and it was only due to the long holiday break that it hadn't affected his job performance... beyond being extremely hesitant to ever have anything to do with Scarlet again, of course. Over the years, Reno had come to be more annoyed by her attempts than traumatized by them... though it didn't make Tseng wish any less that she would simply leave him be.

"Sir?"

Sending Elena along had been a mistake. He had hoped she would deter Scarlet's more obnoxious behavior... instead, it seemed to have given the executive a perceived rival to compete with.

"Sir? … Tseng?"

His own name pulled him back to the present. "I'm sorry, Elena... I was a bit lost in thought. I hate forcing Reno to deal with that woman. It feels almost cruel. And I really should have known better than to get you involved. In hindsight, it was bound to end badly."

"You... um... You don't think Reno will try and fix this himself, do you sir? I mean, after he knocked her out he kind of joked about... um... doing whatever she wanted him to do. He wouldn't _really_... would he? Even if it got me out of trouble?"

"Absolutely not," Tseng said, without hesitation. Elena blinked, clearly surprised by the decisiveness of his tone.

"Oh..."

Tseng chuckled softly. She sounded like she wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. "He won't, because I explicitly ordered him not to do anything so unbelievably foolish. Don't doubt for a moment that he wasn't perfectly willing to allow Scarlet to have her way with him in exchange for forgetting about your little... outburst. And was giving serious consideration to doing just that."

The rookie looked vaguely horrified just by the idea.

"I knew I should have talked to him before I left. I'd rather be out on my ass than let him do that."

"You needn't worry about it. I was very clear with him... I'm sure it remains, in his mind, an option, and probably will until he's thoroughly convinced Scarlet no longer poses a threat, but he _will_ trust me to handle it before he resorts to anything too idiotic."

"It's funny, sir... I thought you'd be furious with me. I was a little afraid I wouldn't even have to worry about Scarlet once _you_ got through with me..."

Tseng snorted in contempt. "For defending one of your own? Hardly." He glanced sideways at her, smirking. "To be honest, I'm far more annoyed that I wasn't there to witness it. Incidentally, we'll be paying a visit to Dr. Ward. I want your injuries documented."

"I was going to see her anyway... Reno was worried about it scarring, and I think he'd be upset if I didn't."

"Is it that bad?"

"One of the scratches _is_ pretty deep... I'm not really that concerned about it, though. I think _he_ was more angry than I was, actually."

"Then I had better have Ward standing by when we arrive..." Tseng commented, chuckling, "I certainly don't want Reno angry with me, as well, for delaying treatment."

* * *

Elena squinted as her head was turned toward what must have been one of the brightest lights she'd ever seen.

"Hmph... worried over nothing, if yeh ask me. That little thing doesn't even warrant stitches. It's a nasty scratch, but I think yer going ta heal just fine, long as yeh keep it clean and don't go picking at the scab."

"Reno will be relieved, I'm sure," Tseng responded from just outside Elena's current line of sight.

"Typical... no problem at all demanding I take of scraped knees and bloody noses for the rest of yeh, but try 'n get that little troublemaker in here for the simplest thing, and he'll fight yeh tooth and nail," the aging doctor groused good-naturedly. She released her grip on Elena's chin and shut off the overhead light. The rookie blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots it left behind from her vision.

"I simply want documentation of the injury, should I need to prove provocation," he added.

"In a bit of trouble, are yeh?" Ward prodded her, in a teasing tone, "I probably shouldn't be surprised. Yeh spend entirely too much time with my favorite little headache. Next thing yeh know, it'll be the _both_ of yeh making my life miserable..."

Elena moved to reply, but Tseng beat her to it. "Doctor... unless you wish to procure a second patient for yourself today by driving me to a nervous breakdown, please don't give voice to my greatest fear in life. One Reno is all I can handle..."

Dr. Ward laughed, and turned her gaze on the Turk leader. "And here I thought yeh _had_ no sense of humor, Tseng..."

"Who says I was joking?" he replied, in mock seriousness.

* * *

Reno leaned back in his seat as the helicopter touched down on the roof of the Shinra Building, and rubbed his temples.

Four hours.

Four hours of listening to Scarlet bitch and moan and brag in excruciating detail about just how fucked Elena was going to be for crossing her. Even when they'd set down to refuel in Junon, she hadn't stopped for more than a few minutes. His head was throbbing, and he was beginning to wonder if perhaps Elena hadn't had the right idea. The temptation to just turn around and tell the woman to shut the hell up was strong, consequences be damned. Maybe he and Elena could start their own mercenary company when Heidegger canned them both.

He bit back a groan and climbed out, dutifully opening the door for the executive.

"And you're coming with me!" she said, punctuating her rant.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, yes... you're going to confirm every last thing I say to Heidegger. And I'm going to make sure that little tramp is there to hear you do it!"

Reno's PHS vibrated silently in his pocket... probably Tseng confirming that he had received his text regarding their return to Midgar. He'd sent it as soon as the city was in sight and then silenced his phone, not wanting to give Scarlet any reason to think he'd given the Turk leader a heads up. The executive crossed the roof to the elevator, Reno trailing behind her. Moments later they were on their way down.

When they stepped out, it was onto plush carpeting instead of the usual tile floor – the executive offices were a hell of a lot cushier than what they were stuck with on the lower floors. The sound of Scarlet's heels was muffled by it, and Reno vaguely wondered just how often that carpet had to be replaced because of her footwear.

A short walk brought them to the door of Heidegger's private office. Scarlet didn't even pause. She simply reached out and shoved the door open... and nearly walked straight into Tseng.

"Ma'am. I trust you had a good trip."

"Out of my way," she hissed, pushing past him. Reno cocked an eyebrow questioningly at the Wutaiian Turk, who responded only with a somewhat sly smile before quickly taking his leave.

* * *

Elena was sitting restlessly in the Turks' private lounge with Tseng, enjoying a cup of Wutaiian tea made from the Turk leader's personal stash. She'd been on edge since he'd told her Scarlet and Reno were back.

Tseng had been busy. She wasn't sure what he'd been up to, but once they'd left the medical suite, he'd deposited her in their offices, and disappeared for hours. Then he'd returned just as suddenly as he'd vanished, looking decidedly pleased with himself, but unwilling to discuss the matter. All he'd told her was that he had just run into the pair outside of Heidegger's office. Then he'd made them both a cup of tea and begun discussing the weather, as though nothing were out of the ordinary. When she'd tried to pry more information out of him, he'd simply told her she'd have to wait and see, changed the subject.

But waiting was just making her more and more tense... which was probably why she nearly jumped a mile when Reno suddenly staggered through the lounge door, laughing hysterically.

"Fuck, Tseng... I don't know what the hell you did, but that had to be the funniest damn thing I've ever seen!" he finally managed, "They're _still_ at each others' throats..."

The redhead collapsed onto the couch next to Elena.

"Ah... Good. I was hoping things would work out as intended. Plan B was a little questionable, and most certainly against regulations."

"W-what?"

Reno smirked and draped an arm over her shoulders. "It was fuckin' beautiful... You shoulda seen it, 'Lena. Scarlet walked in ready to lay into Heidegger about you, and the second she opened her mouth, he's accusin' her of trying to undermine him. Said he wasn't gonna tolerate anyone questioning his authority... 'specially not a lowly weapons researcher. Oh... she was ticked about that. Best part was when she tried orderin' me to tell Heidegger what had happened at the Gold Saucer and he's basically screamin' at the top of his lungs that the Turks are his responsibility and no – and I quote – 'token female' is gonna tell him what to do with 'em. Always figured Heidegger for kind of a misogynist, but damn... When I finally walked out, they were in a no-holds-barred pissing match over who's department was more valuable to the company."

She blinked and looked over at Tseng. "But... how did you..."

"Elena... Let's just say I didn't get where I am by being a model employee _all_ the time. In fact, Plan B may still go into effect just for the sake of retribution."

"And that's why ya don't fuck with Tseng. Ever..." Reno added.

* * *

By Friday, it had become clear that Scarlet had more important things to worry about than her petty grudge against Elena. All sorts of things seemed to be going wrong for the executive... everything from an unannounced security audit of every one of the research labs under her supervision, to her car being impounded while it was parked outside of her condo by the Midgar city police one morning. She was far too busy putting out the fires to concern herself with attempting to bring up any sort of reprimand for the rookie with Heidegger again.

Elena had finally begun to relax by the time the weekend rolled around, but still couldn't shake the nagging thought that eventually the other shoe was going to drop. Which was probably why she cringed when her PHS rang early Saturday afternoon and she saw Reno's number come up on the display.

"Elena here."

"Uh... 'Lena? You doin' anything right now?"

"No..." she said, a little hesitantly. Reno didn't sound concerned, really... though something was definitely up.

"Could ya maybe come over? Now? I... kinda need some help."

"Oh... Um... Okay, sure. What's up?"

"... You'll see when ya get here. Just... ya know... hurry." With that, he hung up, leaving Elena wondering what in the world was going on. It was a short walk, but the subtle note of desperation in Reno's voice made her grab her car keys on the way out. A few minutes later, she was stepping out of the elevator on Reno's floor.

She hurried down the hallway, knocking sharply on the door. It opened a crack, and for a moment she wasn't sure how it had managed to do so. No one seemed to be there.

"Hi!" an excited voice cried, and the door opened all the way, revealing a tiny girl with mousy brown hair... this time tied up in a pale pink ribbon rather than dozens of little braids.

"O-oh... Hi Mirian. I guess Uncle Reno's watching you again, huh?" Elena responded, curiously, "Er... Where _is_ Reno?"

"'Lena?! Oh, thank Ifrit..."

Mirian giggled and pulled her inside.

"Reno? What's going... on?" Her eyes fell on her friend at last, and she snickered. "What are you doing?"

"He's stuck like that..." the little girl helpfully supplied. Elena bit down hard on her lower lip as she calmly circled around the trapped redhead. Reno's head was currently wedged between the decorative posts at the end of the counter separating the living room from the apartment's little kitchenette. Judging by his expression, the man really _was_ well and truly stuck.

"Why?" was the the only thing she could think to ask... and still couldn't do so with a straight face.

"Mir dared me," Reno responded, sheepishly.

"And... that somehow seemed like a _good_ idea?"

"Just get me out."

"Reno... if I ever have kids, you are _definitely_ not going to be babysitting them."

~fin~


	26. Tis the Season

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 26: 'Tis the Season**

 **by Desha**

"Reno?" Tseng prodded, attempting to get the attention of his lieutenant, who was currently perched on a ladder in the middle of the Turks' private lounge.

"Yeah, boss?"

He didn't look down. He was much too busy trying to keep his balance in his present awkward position as he placed a star on top of a slightly-too-big-for-the-space pine tree.

"Do we really have to have this discussion _again_ this year?"

The redhead snickered quietly, but kept his focus locked firmly on the task at hand. "And what discussion is that?" he innocently queried.

"Work-appropriate décor," Tseng returned, roughly pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. It was going to be one of those days. Reno plus any given holiday inevitably required copious amounts of supervision on Tseng's part. And at Christmas, the man was always at his most over the top. Last year, he'd come in three hours early one morning and wrapped every piece of furniture in the Turks' main office in festive holiday-themed paper... which wouldn't _really_ have been more than a minor inconvenience were it not that, once Tseng had taken a closer look at it, he'd discovered that it was covered in mating reindeer. Thankfully Heidegger had opted not to grace them with his presence that morning... Tseng could only imagine the fallout.

"Last year, you only said things have to be PC in the _office_ ," he replied, "Unless you've moved things around on me overnight, this is the _lounge_."

It was only with great effort that Tseng managed to suppress the long-suffering sigh of exasperation. Trust Reno to find a loophole... particularly if doing so meant inflicting his warped, and often more-than-slightly perverted, sense of humor on the entire team.

"Take them down. Now."

"Aw, but Tseng..." he began, only to wobble dangerously on the ladder as he at last turned to look down at his superior. The Turk leader moved quickly to steady him.

"And try not to break your neck doing it, please," he admonished. Not that such an occurrence was very likely... his second in command tended to be far too nimble for so short a fall to cause any permanent damage. But he certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility of a fractured arm, or leg, or collar bone. The absolute last thing Tseng wanted for Christmas was to see Reno in a cast over the holidays. Again.

"But Tseng..." Reno repeated, pouting this time.

"No, Reno. _No_ naked Santa ornaments. I mean it..." Tseng said in his most foreboding tone. He had no idea where the man had found them... or why he'd bought enough to fill the entire tree with tiny ceramic phalluses... but there was no way in the nine hells Tseng was going to let this one slide. Reno frowned, and climbed off the ladder before continuing the conversation.

"... Not even one?" He gave the Wutaiian Turk a pleadingly sad look. Tseng's eye twitched. He hated it when Reno did that. It was obscenely hard to deny him his fun around the holidays... he'd had so few happy ones before Tseng had found him. He invariably saw visions of a sixteen year old boy thoroughly enthralled with everything Christmas outside of the slums had to offer. "Pleeeeeease?" Reno intoned.

The Turk leader's shoulders drooped in defeat. He'd never even stood a chance... this was a battle Reno was entirely too well-equipped for and couldn't have lost if he'd tried. The puppy-dog eyes had sealed it for him.

"One," Tseng relented, but quickly added, "On the side facing _away_ from the door, on one of the lower branches. Leviathan help you if Heidegger still manages to find it there."

Reno grinned, and began removing the excess ornaments.

"Can I have a Mrs. Claus, too?"

Tseng's gaze turned to a second box that sat next to the one Reno was placing the ornaments into as they came down. He lifted the lid and groaned. Sure enough, it was filled with at least a dozen female versions of the inappropriate decoration.

"Same rules apply," he sighed, "And should Elena take offense and decide to finally beat some sense into you, I'm not going to stop her. In fact, I may just join in."

Tseng knew full well that he'd been played. Reno never had any intention of leaving the tree in such a state. He'd simply gone to great lengths to make what he really wanted look mild by comparison... and now the Turk leader had actually granted sneaky son of a bitch _permission_ to keep a set of the ornaments on the tree. And judging by his smug expression, Reno was perfectly aware that Tseng had figured out his game.

He shook his head and decided he didn't really care. There was little danger of it actually being seen by anyone who would make a fuss, and it made his friend happy. He could live with it.

"Just tell me one thing," Tseng requested.

"What's that?"

"What in the world are you going to do with the rest of them?" he asked with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, they're goin' on my tree at home," Reno said, happily, "My year to host the party, remember?"

"Of course." The Wutaiian sighed in resignation. 'Party' was, perhaps, an overly generous term for their annual get-together. It was really just the three of them – four of them, this year, he amended – for dinner and a gift exchange... and on years when Reno was hosting, an excuse to put a rather significant dent in his stockpile of liquor.

When the redhead threw a party, it was always memorable. Or at least the aftermath was... much of the party itself was often lost in an alcoholic haze. The last time Reno had entertained for the holidays, they had somehow ended up playing strip-Monopoly... though Tseng had, mercifully, passed out long before enough property had been purchased and hotels constructed to make things interesting, leaving Reno and Rude on their own in a head to head grudge match. He'd found Reno, wearing nothing but a sock, asleep under the tree the next morning, cuddling with an empty bottle of vodka and clinging tightly to a Get Out of Jail Free card. Rude had been in an equal state of undress, clutching a fistful of play money and muttering about Park Place in his alcohol-induced slumber.

He never _had_ figured out which of them had actually won the game.

Reno finished removing the lewd ornaments, save his permitted set of two, and set about redecorating the tree with more normal holiday imagery, primarily including actual candy canes which Tseng suspected wouldn't last more than a day or two. In fact, the redhead was already all-too-enthusiastically sampling one... in each hand. He left him to it and headed back to the main office.

"... You stopped him, right?" a voice asked as he entered. The Turk leader raised an eyebrow, silently asking for elaboration. "The Santas... You stopped him?" Rude clarified.

"For the most part," he replied. At Rude's questioning gaze, he sighed. "I let him keep one. And Mrs. Claus..."

Rude smirked, knowingly. "You're getting soft, Tseng..."

"And I suppose _you_ could have told him no?" Tseng retorted with a slight smile. He shook his head and sighed quietly. "It was the eyes..." Rude gave a soft snort of laughter and turned back to his screen.

"Good morning, sir... Good morning, Rude!" a cheerful voice greeted them from the door, "Why exactly are we letting Reno decorate the tree with candy? It'll be bare by tomorrow afternoon..."

"Believe me, Elena... It's better than the alternative."

"Sir?" she questioned, not sure what to make of that comment.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll see them at some point before the day is out. I doubt Reno will be able to resist," Tseng replied, heading for his own office.

Elena sat down at her desk and turned to her computer to log on... only find herself blinking in surprise at the sight that greeted her. Two little ornaments, not much larger than the palm of her hand, lay on her keyboard. One an entirely too pleased – and... er... excited... – looking St. Nick, the other a very well-endowed Mrs. Claus. Neither figure was wearing any clothing, save for their festive holiday hats, and they'd been positioned rather compromisingly over the arrow keys. Elena rolled her eyes and picked them up.

"The alternative?" she asked, holding them up so Rude could see. The bald Turk chuckled and nodded. "Where does he even _find_ things like this?"

"... Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Good point," she said quickly, "Um... so since Reno's busy decorating himself into a diabetic coma, I was just wondering... Do you have any idea what he'd like for Christmas?" She'd been struggling with that question for weeks now, and didn't seem to be getting anywhere. It irked her to no end that she somehow didn't know a man she considered herself so close to well enough to decide on a decent gift idea.

"He'll love anything you give him," Rude said, shrugging.

"That was... unexpectedly sappy, Rude," she teased, smiling a little.

"Meant it literally," he replied, "Reno doesn't really care much about what the gift _is_. He's just happy to get something."

"It's quite true, unfortunately," Tseng added, apparently having overheard the conversation and deciding to weigh in, "The last real Christmas he had as a child was probably when he was around five. I'm not even certain he remembers much of it. His first real Christmas after that was when he was sixteen, not long after I recruited him. Gifts and celebration between the two were decidedly lacking. Not to sound too lachrymose, but frankly all he _really_ wants is to know that people care about him enough to remember him. He spent far too many years forgotten and overlooked as a child."

"Oh..." Elena said softly. The thought never would have even occurred to her if Tseng hadn't brought it up. For her, the holidays had long been associated with family, food, and fights over who got to open the first present. Even after she'd gotten older, and she and her siblings had gone their separate ways, they always got in touch this time of year. And, of course, Nana always sent her something special. It hurt to think that Reno had largely missed out on things like that until so much later in his life... almost as much as it hurt to think that this would be her first Christmas not hearing from her brother, Bel.

"Besides... Tseng and I are in the same boat," Rude admitted, "He never asks for anything. Doesn't even drop hints. He'll know exactly what _you_ want, though... every damn time."

"It _can_ be a little frustrating," Tseng agreed with a sigh, "I've come to the conclusion that he simply enjoys being surprised. Spending the holiday with those he cares for is far more important to him. Just do us all a favor... don't give him anything alcoholic. There will be _more_ than enough of that sort of thing at the party already. I see no need to add to the surplus."

"Party?" This was the first she'd heard of any party. Tseng cocked an eyebrow for a moment, before realization hit.

"My apologies... I suppose I just assumed Reno would have invited you himself by now," he said, looking slightly taken aback that no one had mentioned it to her, "We've always opted to spend Christmas Eve together. And usually Christmas morning, as well... particularly when it's Reno's turn to host, as none of us are in any condition to drive by the end of the night. When we're still conscious, that is."

"You've... always done that?"

"It's a rather long-standing tradition, yes. Far preferable to being alone."

"Reno doesn't have any family other than us," Rude supplied, "I have an aunt somewhere in Mideel... only ever met her once, when I was a kid. Had my dad up until last summer, but we hadn't be close in a while. Tried going home a couple of times years ago, but it was... awkward. So I stopped." He shrugged.

"And I'm not on speaking terms with most of my family," Tseng admitted, "Thus, the annual party. We switch off hosting duties every year. It's Reno's turn."

"S-sir? You don't speak to your family at all?" she asked. Tseng had never mentioned anything about that, and it was a little shocking to hear, given the deep concern he had always seemed to hold for his little surrogate family.

"It would be more accurate to say that they don't speak to me," he replied, "It's... not something I enjoy discussing." There was a finality in his tone that very quickly staved off any impulse Elena had to further question him on the subject for the moment. Instead, she filed it away for later. "Of course, if you've already made plans, you needn't feel obligated to make an appearance. Reno would have only himself to blame for waiting so long to extend his hospitality."

"Oh! No, sir," she said grinning, "To be honest, I was just going to curl up with a book like I usually do. It's much too late in the season to try and visit my grandmother and Del... Veraheim will be completely snowed in by now."

"Then I hope you'll decide our company is preferable and join us," Tseng said, smiling, "I really _am_ more than a little surprised Reno hasn't already mentioned it to you, actually. It's something he looks forward to all year, and I can't imagine him being content without everyone there."

As if on cue, the Turk in question poked his head into the room.

"Hey... goin' out for more decorations."

"Meaning he's eaten most of the candy canes before they could make it onto the tree," Tseng, somewhat needlessly, translated for the group.

"Yeah. That," Reno replied, hurriedly, "Back in a few..." He disappeared from view, and the Turk leader turned to resume the previous discussion. Before he could say anything, however, Reno returned, grinning widely. "Oh, yeah... 'Lena... party, my place, Christmas Eve. Don't make other plans." He was gone again before she could even open her mouth to respond.

"... How many of those candy canes do you think he's had?" Rude asked.

"Entirely too many, I suspect," Tseng replied.

* * *

Nothing seemed quite right. Elena groaned and planted herself on a bench. She'd been wandering the shopping district for nearly her entire lunch break, looking for a gift for Reno. For someone that, as Rude claimed, would literally like anything, she was finding it impossible to choose something for him.

Rude and Tseng had been downright simple by comparison, even though she'd agonized over those purchases as well earlier in the week. She had ultimately decided on a book on Wutaiian cuisine, filled with recipes, examples, and descriptions of regional techniques and styles, for Rude... It was something he'd mentioned wanting to try his hand at, but hadn't gotten around to researching. The book had come highly recommended, and seemed to go far beyond the average cookbook. For Tseng, she'd chosen – with Reno's expert help and a vow not to spoil the surprise – a bottle of cognac, which she knew was secretly one of the man's favorite spirits.

But for Reno himself? She just couldn't make up her mind. Everything looked like it had potential, and yet nothing did. She really wanted him to love her gift.

"Elena?" A somewhat familiar voice jarred her from her thoughts, and the rookie looked up. "Ha! Thought that was you!"

"Kel!" She smiled in recognition, as the hotel concierge took a seat beside her.

"Stayin' outta trouble?" he grinned, "Haven't been wanderin' around down in Sector 2 anymore, have ya?"

"I definitely learned my lesson about that place..." she said seriously. That was _not_ an experience she cared to repeat. She was just glad Reno hadn't found out how close a call she'd really had. He'd probably have never let her out of his sight again if he had.

"Good," he laughed, "Doin' a little Christmas shoppin'?"

"Yeah. Trying, anyway."

"Got someone hard to buy for on your list, I take it..."

"Just the opposite," Elena said with more than a hint of frustration, "Someone who's supposed to be so easy to buy for I have no clue which of the half a million ideas I've had to go with."

"Don't tell me. Lemme guess... Reno," he said, smirking.

"Guess everyone has that problem," she said, giggling softly.

"Nah... I just go with booze," Kel replied with a grin, "Can't go wrong with that. But I see your dilemma. Ya don't wanna get him just anything... even though he'd like anything ya get him. Can't blame ya... Reno's a real decent kinda guy. Always nice to see him happy."

"I don't suppose _you_ have any idea what he might want?" she asked.

"Eh... Don't waste your time tryin' to figure out what he wants," said Kel, "For you? I think there are two good options. Either find somethin' that'll make him laugh – though knowin' his sense of humor, that might be a hell of a shopping trip for ya – or find somethin' that'll make him think of you. I'd go with option two if I were you... I know how he is 'bout his fellow Turks. Unless, of course, you'd really like me to show ya where he found those ornaments he said he was takin' in to work the other day..."

"Uh... no. No, I don't think so," Elena said, with a laugh, "I think the less I know about those the better."

"Suit yourself. Well, if ya need any help getting' ahold of somethin' once you _do_ come up with an idea, come find me at the Swan. Keep it to yourself, but, uh... I run a little bit of a side business. You name it, I've got a supplier for it," Kel said with a wink, "Anyway, I gotta run. Gotta pick up my little girl's gift and get back to work. Merry Christmas, Elena!"

"Merry Christmas!" she called after him as he disappeared into the crowd of holiday shoppers. Elena sat back on the bench, mulling over what Kel had told her. Getting Reno something personal seemed almost as bad as getting him something random in some ways. What if it was _too_ personal? Though she had her doubts as to whether or not there was such a thing as 'too personal' where Reno was concerned... but what if he just thought it was silly?

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and placed her chin in her hands, sighing. She was at a complete loss. Elena stayed like that for a short while, watching the shoppers go by, rushing from store to store – until one woman caught her eye... or more precisely, the little boy clinging to her hand, and what was tucked under his arm, caught her eye.

A grin spread across the rookie's face. Forget buying something... she would make him something. And she knew exactly what that something was going to be. All she needed were a few supplies. She just hoped she had enough time... Christmas Eve was only a little over two weeks away, and her sewing skills weren't exactly expert level.

* * *

Elena grimaced as her finger came down a little too hard on the F key on her keyboard. Forget 'not exactly expert level'... her sewing skills were damn near remedial. She could clearly remember Nana teaching her the basics when she was little... but, judging by the sheer number of times she'd managed to stab herself last night, her fingers had a disconnect from her brain. Three of them on her left hand were bandaged, as was her left palm where she'd somehow managed to slip with a pair of scissors. And she'd only been practicing! She hadn't even started on the project itself yet.

"What the hell you been doin', 'Lena?" Reno asked, catching sight of her, "Lettin' Snuffy use you for a chew toy?"

"Sewing," she said, flexing her fingers and wincing.

"Ya tryin' to sew your hand _to_ something or what?" Reno snickered. Elena glared at him... though she had to admit, it sure as hell felt like that's what she'd been attempting last night. "Anyway... Tseng wants you in the lounge. He's kickin' me off decorating duty."

Now it was Elena's turn to laugh. "I can't imagine why..."

Reno had no self-control around sugar. None.

His brilliant plan to decorate with real candy canes had resulted in a mostly bare tree for the past two and a half days... and a slightly-more-hyperactive-than-usual redhead to go with it. Which, given Reno's _normal_ energy level, was saying something.

Both Turks jumped as the door suddenly flew open, banging against the wall with a loud crack. They were both at full attention as Heidegger entered.

"Where's Tseng?" their unexpected guest growled at them, as he eyed the door to the Turk leader's empty office. "The president is going Christmas shopping, and I want him to see to his security detail personally."

"In the lounge, sir," Reno replied evenly. Heidegger glared at the redhead, as if sizing him up.

"He'd better be," he threatened, "Or you're going to be on holiday duty for insubordination."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out. The two Turks could plainly hear him stomping down the hall, and Elena jumped a second time as another door... the lounge, she assumed... banged open.

"Well, bah humbug to you, too, ya pompous, arrogant fuckwit," Reno muttered. Elena stared at Reno for a moment, and then slid back into her chair, laughing so hard she began to cry. "'Lena, you are not to ever repeat that. To anyone," he said, grinning, "I kind of enjoy living, and if Heidegger didn't kill me, Tseng would for sayin' shit like that while Heidegger's in our offices."

Elena didn't answer him right away, as she was valiantly attempting to get herself under control. She was still giggling a little madly when Tseng returned to the office, sans Heidegger.

"Reno, I'm going to be..." he started, before peering curiously at the rookie. "What's wrong with Elena?"

"N-nothing, sir," she said, quickly sobering, "I'm fine..."

Tseng eyed her a little strangely, but made no further inquiry. "I'm going to be gone most of the afternoon," he continued, "Rude should be checking in in an hour or so, and if you could manage to finish the writeup of yesterday's interrogation, I would greatly appreciate it."

"No problem, boss," Reno replied.

"And Elena... please take over decorating before _someone_ eats what's left of the decorations..."

"Yes, sir," Elena said. Tseng turned and headed for the door. Elena couldn't help but start laughing softly again. The Turk leader paused and turned back.

"Alright... What's going on?" he sighed, looking directly at the rookie.

"S-sorry, sir. Heidegger came in here first and Reno... It's just... I'm under orders never to repeat it," she giggled, eyes shifting toward her redheaded cohort. Tseng rolled his eyes.

"Reno... What have I told you about commenting on the executives?"

"I know, I know... not while one of 'em's on the floor. 'Specially Heidegger..."

"Try and remember that _before_ you start running your mouth next time, hmm?" Tseng stressed. He suddenly smirked at him, "Or we will be reverting to our old training regime."

Reno froze, eyes going wide. "I-I... You... Tseng, you wouldn't _dare_. You haven't done that to me in... somethin' like nine years!" he stammered, "I'm not a fucking teenager anymore!"

"And what's more, I'll let Elena watch, just so she can see what will happen to her should she decide to mimic you in regards to Heidegger. I'm sure she'd quite enjoy seeing the faces you make. I know I always did..." Tseng added.

"Okay... okay... Message received. I'll watch it. No need to get all threateny..." Reno replied, holding his hands up in defeat. Tseng nodded and left.

"What 'old training regime' was he talking about?" Elena asked.

"Uh... Well, see, the short of it is that Tseng managed to find somethin' even _I_ can't tolerate the taste of," he replied, "I was pretty bad about not watchin' what I was sayin' and who I was sayin' it around back when I first got promoted... so every time I slipped up, that's what I got. Drilled that lesson in pretty quick, actually."

"There's something _you_ can'teat?!" Elena gasped.

"Not exactly. I didn't have to actually eat it... Just... keep it in my mouth until Tseng said I could spit it out," he said, nervously scratching the back of his neck, "And believe me, he took his sweet time with that..."

"What was it?" the rookie asked, somewhat incredulously. Reno muttered a reply so softly she couldn't hear it. "What?" she prodded.

"Soap," he said, a little louder.

"W-what? Did you seriously just say..."

"Soap, okay? He fucking washed my mouth out with soap," Reno groaned, "... You ever had someone do that to ya? Takes for-fucking-ever to get that shit off your tongue... and nothin' tastes right for hours afterwards."

"I can honestly say I never have," Elena giggled, "But I'm not sure it really worked all that well... you still swear every other sentence."

"Ah, Tseng doesn't give a crap about _that_ ," Reno replied, rolling his eyes, "He was more concerned about me sayin' somethin' that'd get me in deep shit with Heidegger or one of the other executives. Like you did with Scarlet not so long ago. 'Cept with me, there was never any build-up... I kinda just ran my mouth constantly with no filter."

"Reno... the more I hear about you as a rookie, the more it makes Tseng sound like the proud parent of the world's biggest pain in the ass," she teased him.

"Yeah... well... you're not so far off," Reno admitted, with a soft chuckle, "He was kinda the closest thing I _had_ to a parent at the time, ya know? Hell, as far as that goes, he still is, really. Tseng's been lookin' after me almost since the day we met. And I was _definitely_ the world's biggest pain in the ass back then."

"Back then? Are you trying to claim that you're still _not_?" the rookie said, sniggering.

"Ha, ha... So very funny," he deadpanned, "Go decorate the tree, will ya?"

* * *

Elena returned home that night to find a huge package waiting for her. Once she finally managed to wrangle it into her living room, she sliced through the packing tape and opened it. Inside, she found gifts. She grinned to herself and picked up the note on top, recognizing the gently sloping script immediately.

"Dear Elena," it read, "I hope you're having a wonderful holiday. Veraheim is beautiful this time of year... You really should at least try to make it out here to see the snow before it all melts. And be sure to bring that redhead of ours along, too! I miss him, the sweet little thing..." Elena snickered softly. Nana really _was_ enamored of Reno. Not that she could really fault her for it. "You'll find gifts from Delion and I enclosed... and I've included a little something for Reno, as well. You be sure that he gets it, and tell him Merry Christmas for me. Take care of yourself, dear, and Merry Christmas. All my love, Nana."

Elena smiled, carefully folding the note and setting it aside before turning back to the box. The two on top were for her. The one from Nana was neatly wrapped in deep crimson paper. The second had been – very obviously – wrapped by her brother in green. She giggled and shook her head. Del was never very good at 'neat', but he'd tried...

She lifted the two packages out and set them under her little tree. It was more of a shrub, really... small enough to set on an end table. She hadn't wanted to deal with the hassle of a full-sized Christmas tree this year, though she was certain Reno and Rude would have been more than happy to give her a hand getting one into her apartment if she'd asked. It was so much work, though... and she wasn't even going to _be_ in her apartment on Christmas to enjoy it, anyway. She'd be at Reno's place... something she was really looking forward to.

The remaining gift was much larger than either of hers, and wrapped in the same crimson paper her grandmother had used. As she hefted it out of the box, she had a pretty good idea what it might be. She remembered getting hers years ago, and it had felt about the same. Oh, yes... Nana had definitely adopted Reno, if she was sending him something like this. She set the gift on the floor beside the tree's table and hauled the box everything had come in over to the door to deal with later.

An impatient rattle from across the room got her attention before she could do anything else.

"Oh, alright..." she chuckled, walking over to Snuffy's cage. The ferret was standing on its hind legs, pawing anxiously at the door. Elena quickly opened it, and let the furry creature run free. He sprinted immediately to the tree, stealing an ornament and racing off toward the bedroom with it.

"Snuffy!" Elena shouted after him, "You come back here with that!"

She hurried after him, hoping to reclaim her ornament before it disappeared into his stash... she still hadn't managed to locate his most recent hiding place, and was missing a few pairs of earrings as well that she'd have liked to have had back. Not to mention her spare car keys...

A knock at her door interrupted her. Elena sighed and gave up on her ferret hunt for the time being, moving to answer it.

"Hey, 'Lena!" Reno said, grinning widely as she opened it. Elena returned the smile, and stepped back so he could come in.

"Hi," she replied, slightly surprised. Reno usually called to let her know if he was coming over, in spite of her continued insistence that he was always welcome.

"Sorry for just showin' up," he said. I was pickin' some stuff up for the party on the way home. Thought I'd see what you and Snuffy were up to tonight since I was out anyway."

"Well, I just got in, actually, so not much yet..." Elena replied, "Snuffy, though, has pulled off yet another daring heist and gone into hiding."

Reno snickered. "What'd he take now?"

"An ornament. And he's got at least three pairs of earrings... that I know of," she said, sounding a little put out.

"Want me to see if I can find 'em?" Reno asked.

"If you're not doing anything else," she said, gratefully. She wasn't sure why, but Reno seemed to have a knack for locating Snuffy's hiding places, even when Elena thought she'd covered every inch of the apartment during her own search. Reno shrugged off his coat. "He was heading for my bedroom, last I saw him," she added, taking it from him and hanging it on one of the hooks by the door.

For the next five minutes, the pair of them hunted through Elena's bedroom for the fugitive rodent with no luck. Even Reno seemed to be losing hope.

"He's gettin' better at this..." the redhead commented, "Where the hell is that little –" A soft scratching was suddenly heard from across the room. "Gotcha..." Reno said, smirking. The next thing Elena knew, he'd dropped to the floor and wriggled his way under her bed.

"But... I already checked there. Twice!" Elena protested. Reno laughed, his voice muffled slightly by his current position.

"Ya didn't look hard enough," he informed her, "The little thief pulled some of the fabric loose from the boxspring. He's not under the bed... he's inside it. Come're Snuffy..." A moment later, Reno slid halfway out, the thieving furball securely in his hands. "Here, take him... Gimme a minute and I'll get your stuff back, too."

Elena took the ferret, holding him firmly in her arms as Reno disappeared back under the bed. It took a few minutes, but soon he returned, stolen loot in hand. Snuffy chirped indignantly at having his stash stolen from him.

"Heh... let's see. Three pairs of earrings, one Christmas ornament, a set of keys, a lock pick, and about four gil in change," he said, grinning as he handed over the items, trading them for the ferret.

"Ugh... so _that's_ where my favorite pick went... Thanks, Reno," she said, then turned to Snuffy, "As for you... _you_ are on Santa's naughty list, you little troublemaker..."

"Aw, don't say that," the redhead replied, petting Snuffy gently before letting him climb up to his shoulder, "You'll make him feel bad... He just likes shiny stuff, that's all."

Elena shook her head, and set the earrings and assorted other items on her nightstand. The ornament, she took back to the living room, Reno following her, and returned it to the tree.

"Nice Christmas twig..."

"Oh, be quiet," she said, smiling, "I suppose you've got some ridiculous monster of a tree that barely fits in your apartment..."

"Nah," Reno replied, "It's about the same size as the one in the lounge at work. Tried the giant tree once... it didn't quite work out as planned. Broken windows in the middle of winter kinda suck." His eyes fell on the large package beside the tree. "Wow... someone must like you. New boyfriend you haven't told me about?" he teased before Elena could interrogate him about his previous Christmas disaster.

"Actually, that one's for you. Nana sent it, and I'm supposed to tell you Merry Christmas and that she misses you." Reno looked up in surprise.

"Nana... uh... Josephine sent me somethin'?" he asked, sounding a little shocked. Elena had to giggle softly at Reno correcting himself.

"You might as well just call her Nana," she said, "You know she insists on it anyway, and you don't argue with Josephine Marie Brewer, if you know what's good for you. And yes, she sent you something."

Reno trailed a hand over the smooth, red paper and gold ribbon.

"Go ahead and take it home with you." Elena watched him. The look on his face reminded her of her brothers when they were little, waiting desperately for permission to open their gifts. Being the youngest, she was _always_ allowed to go first on Christmas morning, and she could clearly picture the expression of longing and impatience both Del and Bel wore for those few minutes. Reno's current expression was nearly identical and she couldn't help but smile.

"Uh... actually... would it be alright if I left it here 'til the party?" he said, a little sheepishly, "I'll never be able to resist opening it early, otherwise... I'm kinda bad about that."

"Sure," she said, giggling. Somehow, that didn't exactly shock her. "I'll bring it over then. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"... Do you even have to ask?" he replied, smirking.

* * *

Once Reno had left, Elena settled herself on the couch... _after_ making sure her fuzzy bandit of a roommate was securely locked in his cage for the night. She pulled out the basket with her sewing supplies, and picked up the first of the pieces she'd cut for her project. Practice was over... it was time to start on the real thing.

"Well, Snuffy... wish me luck," she said, as she threaded the needle. She decided to work slower than she'd done the night before in the hopes of inflicting fewer injuries upon herself, and quickly found that it made a huge difference. She laughed a little, as she realized that that was exactly what Reno so frequently told her... that she had a tendency to rush and things would be easier if she slowed down and showed a little patience.

By the time the clock read midnight, she hadn't gotten very far, but she was fairly pleased with what she'd done. Maybe she really could pull this off on time. It was going to take several long nights at this rate, but she was going to try her best.

Elena carefully packed her project away for the night, and yawned. It was late, and she had to work tomorrow. She stood, and switched off the lights before heading toward her bedroom.

"Good night, Snuffy," she called over her shoulder.

* * *

A week later, the entire building seemed to be growing restless as the holiday drew ever closer. It became blatantly obvious just how anxious most people were to be done with work and enjoying their time off. There were only three days left until the weekend... and after that, Shinra would be shutting down, save for a skeleton crew of necessary personnel, for an entire week. Thankfully, barring any emergencies, the Turks were not among those stuck working.

Elena's gift for Reno was nearing completion. With luck, she'd have it done even before the weekend. It was turning out quite nicely... better than she'd thought herself capable of, in fact... and she really hoped Reno would like it.

"Elena... I realize that the general mood around the building is one of utter desperation for the week to end, but could you at least pretend to be productive?" a voice behind her gently chastised. Elena squeaked in surprise and sat up straight at her desk. She hadn't realized she'd been daydreaming.

"S-sorry, sir," she said, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

Tseng chuckled. "It's alright," he assured her, "Believe me, I can relate. I'm looking forward to a nice long break as much as anyone. Well... except Reno, perhaps. I doubt there's anyone in Midgarwho's looking forward to Christmas quite as much as he is..."

The aforementioned Turk chose that precise moment to put in an appearance, bursting through the door in a Santa hat, with a large sack slung over one shoulder.

"Ya need me for anything, boss?" He was grinning ear to ear, and looked extremely eager to get to whatever it was he had planned.

"Not at present," Tseng replied, "Making the rounds?"

"Rounds?" Elena asked, glancing over at the two men.

"Reno's annual bribery of the women of Shinra with candy and gifts," Tseng explained, rolling his eyes, "Shall I put the secretarial pool on alert that you're on your way down?"

"Tch... don't _tell_ 'em. Ruins the surprise. And it's not bribery... it's just spreading a little Christmas cheer," Reno corrected him, before conceding, "And... ya know... if someone wants to maybe spend a little time outside of work with me, who am I to say no?"

Tseng waved him off. Reno vanished into the hallway.

"Sir? How is it that we're not constantly swamped with sexual harassment complaints?" Elena jokingly asked once he'd gone. Tseng chuckled in response.

"Because Reno is generally quite careful not to persist if his advances are truly unwelcome," he replied, then smirked, "Present company excepted... I seem to recall several such complaints from you after you first joined us."

"Er... I..."

"And not undeserved, by any means," Tseng quickly added, smiling, "He did come on quite strong with you at times. Purposefully... I might add. He was trying to provoke a reaction. And he _can_ be a bit relentless when he puts his mind to it. But normally, he'll back off fairly quickly if his efforts aren't positively received."

"What reaction was he going for? A slap to the face?" She gave a soft laugh, which Tseng echoed.

"Not specifically," he explained, "But yes, that would probably have been one he'd liked to have seen. You have to admit... that little incident with Scarlet aside, you do tend to bow to authority rather easily. Reno wanted to see just how far he could push you before you'd stand up to him. That was, perhaps the one thing he was most concerned and uncertain about when you were promoted. Reno was quite adamant about you joining us, you know. In fact, I think he made up his mind about you the first time he ever saw you in training. Even so, he was afraid you'd end up being pushed around too much by anyone of higher rank. He didn't want that to happen, and he chose to make it a priority to ensure that you ultimately wouldn't allow it, even though it meant making a few painful sacrifices on his part."

"He... did?"

"Indeed," Tseng replied, "He hated doing that to you, by the way."

Elena snickered softly. "Sir... You'll have to excuse me if I find _that_ a little hard to believe..."

"Oh, he loved every minute of _making_ those comments, and teasing you, and slowly driving you out of your mind," Tseng assured her, "I won't deny that for a second, and I'm fairly certain it's _still_ one of Reno's favorite pastimes. But he hated the fact that you disliked him for it. That wasn't easy for him, you know... he's so used to being well-liked. He's much happier now that you laugh at his jokes instead of cringing the moment he walks into the room."

"I still cringe on occasion," she pointed out, grinning.

"Yes, but only because so many of his jokes are, in fact, cringe-worthy," Tseng said, smirking slightly, "Not because he intimidates you or makes you uncomfortable."

"You know... It's strange to think he ever did, sir. I can't even imagine feeling uncomfortable around Reno now. Not really, I mean. Not even when when he's intentionally _trying_ to embarrass me..."

"He would be overjoyed to hear that, I think," he said, "For a time, he was terrified he was alienating you too much. Your first few months as a Turk were rather hard on him. He desperately wanted you to enjoy _his_ company as much as he enjoyed yours, but he couldn't let you yet... and he was always deeply upset any time you were truly angry with him for something he'd done. It took quite a bit of effort on my part to reassure him that everything would work out." Tseng smiled warmly. "He worried that he would fail with you... which in turn meant that he would ultimately fail _you_. You're his first, you know. There's a certain amount of insecurity and personal attachment that goes along with that."

"Sir?"

"The first rookie he's ever taken full responsibility for," Tseng clarified, "There were two others since he was made second in command five years ago, but he only assisted me in their training. You're different. You're entirely his. My roll is merely advisory this time."

"And the other two? What happened to them, sir?"

"Among those killed by Istev when we were tracking him from Junon," the Turk leader replied, sadly, "One had been with us only a month, and was even younger than you are now. We had hardly even gotten to know him."

She felt distinctly chilled by the revelation. "He must have taken that hard..."

"We all did," Tseng said, "But you're right... Reno was particularly distraught. And angry. That's why he tends to be rather more protective of you than is strictly required, I think. Istev targeted our ranks specifically, and had no qualms about taking down the most inexperienced among us in a very sudden and brutal way. The Shinra board ultimately decided to keep our numbers smaller after that in the hopes of minimizing losses. That's the reason it had been so long since anyone was promoted before you were." He shook his head and forced a smile. "But I believe this conversation is veering a bit towards the depressing side of things. In any case, Reno was ecstatic when I told him to make selections for a promotion. I actually expected him to resist, to be honest, but he was much more eager than I anticipated. I suppose enough time had simply passed that he was ready for it."

"He told me awhile ago you that weren't sure about me," Elena said, snickering quietly when Tseng looked a little uncomfortable.

"Did he?" the Turk leader said, sounding vaguely annoyed with the redhead, "That's, admittedly, not entirely inaccurate. Please don't misunderstand... you were more than qualified in terms of skill. But you were very guarded as a recruit, and hesitant to let yourself trust your safety to anyone but yourself. I was concerned that you might not be ready to deal with the team dynamic and level of trust in your allies required of a Turk. Reno strongly felt otherwise. I'm quite pleased to have been thoroughly proven wrong on that point."

Elena smiled, a little triumphantly. It wasn't often Tseng was proven wrong on much of anything.

"So... if you don't mind me asking, sir... who was your first rookie?"

"Really, Elena..." he said, lightly teasing her, "I would have thought _that_ was fairly obvious, given how much I let him get away with."

"Yes, sir... I suppose it probably should have been," she sniggered.

* * *

The next morning found Elena and Reno alone in the Turks' main office. Somehow, she'd let herself get talked into working her way through the redhead's rapidly growing pile of incident reports... despite Reno being perfectly capable – and available – to do it himself.

"Hey, check it out!"

Reno's jubilant tone pulled Elena's attention away from the report she'd been typing up. She turned to find him pressed against the window, looking out at the city below and yelped as a sudden chill shot across the room when he pushed it wide open.

"Reno! What are you doing? You're letting all the cold air in... it's freezing outside!" she said, shivering. The redhead looked over at her and grinned.

"Hell yeah, it is... Finally cold enough for some snow!"

"Please don't tell me I'm going to have to put in a complaint with Maintenance about the heat again this year..." Tseng lamented as he stepped through the door and noted the drop in temperature. He caught sight of his lieutenant seconds later, who, by then, was hanging halfway out of the opening, hand extended to catch the falling flakes. "Reno... for Leviathan's sake, close that before we all freeze."

"Ah, come on, boss... It's snowin'!"

"Yes, I can see that. What I fail to see is why you feel it necessary to bring a similar climate into the office and subject poor Elena and myself to frostbite and hypothermia." He smirked and pulled the redhead back inside, shutting the window. "You can play in the snow later, Reno. There should be plenty of it by this afternoon. Right now, I need you to meet Rude at the Sector 4 station. He's heard a rumor that Avalanche may be using the trains – and the crowds of holiday shoppers – to move explosives onto the Plate. See if the two of you can confirm it... and if you do, put a stop to it."

"On it."

Tseng chuckled as the redhead streaked out of the room to meet up with his partner.

"You'd think he'd never seen snow before..." Elena giggled.

"He hadn't until he became a Turk, actually. It doesn't snow in the slums... save perhaps in parts of Sector 6 where the Plate has yet to be completed. He's... fond of it. At least until he grows tired of being cold and wet. _Myself,_ on the other hand..." He suppressed a shudder and turned up the temperature via the thermostat on the wall. "I don't think I'll ever become entirely acclimated to Midgar's idea of winter. Wutai's climate is far milder."

"Sir? May I ask a personal question?"

"Certainly."

"Do you miss Wutai?"

"On occasion," Tseng responded, "Though at this point, I've actually lived in Midgar for nearly as long as I did my homeland. Seasonal differences aside, I've been quite content here."

"You... don't miss being close to your family?" she ventured. She knew it was probably a mistake to bring up his family again after his vague response the first time the subject came up... but she couldn't help her curiosity.

The Turk leader frowned, and sat down on the corner of her desk. "I've been wondering when you would get around to asking about that..."

"They really won't speak to you, sir? At all?"

"It's goes a bit deeper than that," he said, sighing. "They have, essentially, disowned me. Or at least my father has... and he ultimately has the final say in the matter. Were anyone to to disobey him in this, they would be risking the same fate. And given how proud my father tends to be, it's a fairly substantial risk. Though to be fair, a number of them are just as angry with me as he is."

Elena was left speechless for a moment, wondering what could possibly have made a father so upset that he would sever all ties with his own son.

"Sir..."

"You wish to know why." It was a statement, not a question. Elena nodded silently. "I suppose I may as well explain. Reno and Rude are both aware of the circumstances. There's little reason to keep you in the dark. But I would ask that you do not question me any further about it once I finish. It's... not something I'm proud of, nor something I enjoy recounting. I deeply regret what happened, but what's done is done."

"Y-yes, sir..."

Tseng nodded. "I had a younger sister... the youngest of my siblings, and the only girl born to my parents. Her name was Mayu, and she was a very generous and kind young woman. And... I killed her. Or, as Reno has always insisted to me... I didn't save her. Which sounds slightly less cold-blooded, but, sadly, doesn't alter the end result."

"She was here to see me... That was the _only_ reason she was here. I'd left Wutai some years before and she missed me. We had always been very close as children, and remained so even as we grew older. I was still only second in command at the time. Reno had been a Turk for less than a year, and Rude only slightly longer. The war with Wutai had not yet begun, but it was more than clear what was coming. We learned that a small terrorist group planned to make an example of Shinra by bombing the Sector 3 Pillar. It would have killed tens of thousands if that were allowed to happen, both on the Plate and below in the slums... but we had not been able to identify the members of the group. We knew approximately where they would be and when they would be there, however... so Veld made the recommendation to call in a military strike on the Sector 3 train station. A few hundred lives would be sacrificed to save thousands of others, and it would be done in a such a way that Wutai would be blamed for the carnage. President Shinra approved it almost immediately."

"And... your sister?

"Was right in the middle of it. She was preparing to leave for home. I had plenty of time to warn her, but Veld ordered a complete communications blackout, rather than risk any information leaking. I could have disobeyed. I chose not to. And because I didn't, Mayu died. I took her home myself. When I confessed what I had done to my father, he turned his back on me, and told me I was no longer his son. At least two of my brothers, and several cousins, supported him fully. My youngest brother and my mother were not so condemning, but could do nothing. I've had no contact with my father, or any other member of my family, since."

Elena swallowed sharply against the lump that had formed in her throat. For Tseng to have done something like that... it seemed to go against everything she knew about the man. He gave her a sad smile, seemingly reading her thoughts.

"I was a very different person then. As I said... the choice I made that day is, and probably always will be, my greatest regret in life. I came very close to resigning over it."

"What changed your mind?" Elena asked.

"Reno, naturally..." Tseng said with a soft and somewhat self-deprecating laugh, "He was still so young, and so very... Reno. I was afraid of what might happen to him if I simply abandoned him, and I couldn't live with that on my conscience as well. So I stayed... and in the end, I was glad I did."

"I'm glad you did, too, sir. It wouldn't be the same here without you."

* * *

When a certain pair of Turks trudged back into the office shortly before the end of the day, Rude looked nearly frozen. Reno, in contrast, was grinning from ear to ear as he shook the droplets of melted snow out of his hair while he made his way to his desk... 'accidentally' showering Elena with a cold spray of water when he passed her.

" _Reno!_ " She glared at him, annoyed, and did her best to blot the moisture off of her – now significantly smaller – stack of reports without smearing the ink. The man's handwriting was hard _enough_ to read _._

"Hmph... Be glad that's all you got," Rude commented, shivering, "He wanted to bring you back a snowball."

"I just didn't think it'd be fair if you were the _only_ one who got one," the redhead smirked, "Anyway... Where's the boss, 'Lena? Got good news for him. Nothin's blowing up for Christmas."

Rude's rumor of explosives had turned out to be just that... a rumor. He and Reno had found no evidence of Avalanche, or anyone else, for that matter, transporting anything more dangerous than fruitcake in Sector 4. It had come as something of a relief. Apparently, even terrorists preferred to take the holidays off.

"He had a meeting with Reeve. I would have thought he'd be back by now, though."

"Yeah? Huh... Wonder where he's fucked off to now..."

"I had a small errand to run on the way back," a voice said from the door. Reno turned, only to promptly receive a face-full of packed snow. The sudden shock of cold and wet sent him staggering backwards. He landed on the couch with a soft thump. Elena snickered as the redhead wiped the snow from his eyes.

"What the hell was that for?!"

" _That_ was in anticipation of inevitable deluge of snowballs that will be coming my way for the remainder of the week, as you are undoubtedly still under your yearly delusion that you can actually hit me with one."

"Shots fired," Rude commented from his desk, smirking. Reno's eyes narrowed as he clambered to his feet.

"Yeah? Tch... not fair to catch me off guard before we've even officially started, boss. Next time I'll be ready for ya."

"We shall see..." Tseng returned, shrugging slightly as he crossed the room toward his own office. He paused just inside the door. "Oh... and Reno?"

The redhead looked up from brushing snow off his jacket... and was immediately struck by a second perfectly aimed throw. He whined in distress as some of the icy-cold snow slid down behind his collar, leaving a trail of near-freezing water trickling down his chest.

"You weren't ready."

Tseng calmly took a seat behind his desk, leaving his lieutenant desperately trying to shake the snow out from under his shirt as Rude and Elena looked on, laughing.

* * *

By Friday, most of the building had their eyes glued to the clock, willing it to move faster towards five. Elena was no exception, and even Tseng and Rude seemed far mores restless than usual. Reno, of course, was practically bouncing off the walls.

"Hey, 'Lena... we're headin' to the Phoenix Nest soon as we're off. You comin'?" the redhead asked as the clock was ticking down the last few minutes.

"Oh... um... I can't, actually," she said, "I have plans tonight." Which wasn't a complete lie... she intended to finish Reno's gift. It was almost done, and she wanted it finished before the weekend, because she still had to find something else for him.

She'd realized, somewhat belatedly, that she absolutely couldn't give it to him in front of the others. But she couldn't very well show up for the party with nothing for him. Which meant she needed a decoy gift until she could give him his real present in private... which, unfortunately brought her right back to her original dilemma. Finding something for Reno that didn't seem like it had simply been chosen because she had no idea what else to get him. She had a feeling it was going to take her most of the weekend.

"You sure? They're servin' half-price peppermint vodka shots tonight..."

"Is that supposed to make me _want_ to go?" she asked, snickering. He knew she wasn't a fan of vodka... or most other hard liquors, for that matter. And she'd been turning down his offers of candy canes all week because peppermint always made her stomach ache terribly. In spite of the many times she'd heard it claimed that peppermint was supposed to be 'soothing', it usually just made her feel slightly ill.

"Alright, fine..." he grinned, "See ya at the party, then. Officially, we're startin' at five... but don't be shy about turnin' up early. I don't mind. Oh, and plan on stayin' the night. Trust me, no one's gonna be in any shape to make their way home by the time I'm through with you."

"And again I have to ask... Is that supposed to make me _want_ to go?" she shot back, drawing a laugh from Rude across the room. Reno gave her a half-hearted glare, but a moment later, his grin returned.

"Rookie's turnin' into kind of a smart ass," he commented to his partner.

"Wonder where she gets it from?" he responded dryly, as Tseng strode into the main office.

"I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that it's five o'clock... we're officially free to go."

Reno cheered, grabbing his coat and all but flying out the door. Rude rolled his eyes and followed, planning to join him at the bar.

"Not going with them?" Tseng asked, holding the door for Elena, and walking her to the elevators.

She shook her head. "Not tonight."

"Well, at least one of you is sensible." They stepped into the car and Elena pressed the button for the parking deck. "We'll all probably have alcohol poisoning by Christmas morning as it is. There's little sense in getting a head start."

When the elevator dropped them off, she bid Tseng good night and headed for her car. The drive was uncommonly long... everyone in Midgar seemed to be trying to head home at the same time. She finally made it nearly a half hour later than usual.

Walking into her apartment, Elena first let Snuffy out, and refilled his food dish. Then she hastily made herself a sandwich – she wanted to get straight to work, but knew if she didn't eat something, she'd be starving in an hour – and devoured it at a speed even Reno would have found impressive.

Immediate needs taken care of, she hurried to pull her project from it's hiding place, looking over the almost-done gift with a grin. She re-threaded her needle and got to work.

* * *

Saturday morning dawned, cold and bright. Elena woke to find herself still on the couch... and still in uniform. She'd fallen asleep sometime around two in the morning – or at least that was the last time she recalled looking over at the clock. Much of the night after that had become a bit of a blur, and she really had no idea when she'd finally nodded off. She glanced down at the item in her hands and saw just how close she'd been to finishing... it just needed one more thing.

She dug through the basket of sewing supplies and came up with the two shiny black buttons she'd been saving as the final touch. A few more stitches, and it was done. Elena smiled happily as she held it up, looking over her work.

"Not bad," she said to herself, a little impressed with what she'd managed to accomplish. Not a professional job, by any stretch of the imagination, but it had turned out well. Nana would be proud.

Elena set Reno's gift into the box she'd already prepared for it, carefully blanketing it in tissue paper before placing the lid over it. She'd wrap it later. Right now, she needed a shower and breakfast. And then it was off to the shopping district, to see about a present she could give Reno in front of Tseng and Rude.

* * *

At four o' clock Tuesday evening, Elena loaded the presents into her car and set off for Reno's apartment. Heeding Reno's warning that she wouldn't be returning home until tomorrow, she'd also packed a small overnight bag – in which, along with pajamas and her toothbrush, she'd also stashed Reno's real gift.

The party wasn't meant to start until five, and she was barely going four blocks... if it weren't for the gifts, she'd have simply walked. But the sky was looking ominous with the promise of more snow, and the redhead had said he didn't mind early guests... and she had to admit, she was looking forward to it with the sort of nervous energy she couldn't remember feeling since Christmas Eve as a child.

In the end, she was glad she'd left so early. The snow began to fall before she'd even made it out of the parking lot, and by the time she'd pulled into a parking space at Reno's complex, it was coming down in earnest, adding a fresh layer to the several inches Midgar had received the over the past few days. The roads were still slick and partially snow-covered from the last round of precipitation... Had she waited much longer, she might've had to go on foot after all, or else risk having to abandon her car on the street halfway there.

Elena hurriedly retrieved her bag and the gifts from the back seat, struggling awkwardly to juggle the oversized package from Nana with the rest of her load. As she was wondering if it might be better to just make two trips, the largest parcel was suddenly lifted from her arms. Elena looked up, surprised to see Rude standing next to her.

"... Saw you pull in from upstairs... Thought you might need a hand."

"Thanks," she said, smiling. The two Turks made their way inside, lodging themselves and the pile of packages into the elevator. "Been here long?" she asked.

"Most of the day," Rude replied, smirking, "Who do you think made dinner?"

"I thought this was Reno's party... He's not cooking for us tonight?"

"Reno doesn't cook," the bald Turk said seriously, "He inflicts suffering and despair on unsuspecting people's stomachs..."

Elena burst out laughing at the dire description of Reno's culinary skills. The one time he'd ever cooked for her, she'd been too hung over to even dare _attempt_ eating anything. Surely, though, it couldn't be that bad...

"So I guess that means dinner won't be six different kinds of take-out, either, then," she replied.

"Sorry to disappoint," Rude chuckled.

The pair of them entered Reno's apartment and were greeted by the sound of hard rock renditions of Christmas carols playing on the stereo and Reno hovering over the counter in the kitchen.

"Step away from the radicchio," Rude said firmly, causing the redhead to jump violently in surprise. He turned around, grinning, and slowly backed out of the kitchen, hands up in surrender.

"I was just lookin'..." he said, innocently. His eyes fell on the rookie, and his interest in Rude's efforts at dinner seemed to be forgotten momentarily. "Hey, 'Lena! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," she said, smiling at him. Reno relieved Rude of the large package, leaving the other Turk to return to his culinary exploits, and carried it over to the tree. Elena followed with her other presents... though she stopped short when she saw the decorations. "... Really?" she asked, torn between laughing and wondering about the man's sanity. The tree was decorated top to bottom with the same naked Santa and Mrs. Claus ornaments she'd found on her desk nearly two weeks ago.

"Come on, 'Lena... Are you surprised?"

"... No, not really," she stated, setting down her gifts. She giggled, looking the man over for a moment. She hadn't even noticed it when she'd first walked in, but Reno was wearing a truly garish Christmas sweater. It was largely emerald green, and decorated with knitted strands of Christmas lights.

"Ya like it? Only time of the year I can get away with wearin' green..." he said, following her gaze. "You haven't even seen the best part..." He pressed what must have been a concealed switch in the sleeve and the whole thing lit up. Elena snickered loudly, shaking her head. "Come on.. sit down and get comfortable. Dinner'll be ready in..."

"Twenty minutes," Rude supplied from the kitchen.

"You heard the man," Reno proclaimed, coaxing Elena down onto the couch. "What do you want to drink? We're pretty much fully stocked tonight, and I'm bartending... 'long as I'm sober enough to do it, anyway... so just name it."

"Just a beer, for now," Elena said.

"Ugh... 'Lena... You're killin' me. I could open my own fuckin' bar with everything I've got in here right now, and all you want is a beer?" he said with an exaggerated groan as he retrieved the requested beverage from the fridge, and handed it to her.

"Some people know how to pace themselves," a voice commented from the direction of the door. Elena glanced up and saw that Rude had let Tseng in at some point during the conversation.

"Alright, finally! Everyone's here," Reno said happily, "Tseng?"

"Scotch and soda," he replied, taking off his coat.

"Not exactly adventurous, but at least there's some decent alcohol content there..." The redhead moved off to the central counter that was lined with a multitude of liquor bottles to mix the drink.

Tseng carried his own gifts over to the pile growing under the tree, pausing to roll his eyes at the decorations as he did so. "I should have known he was actually serious about that..."

"Merry Christmas, sir," Elena said as he sat down.

"And to you as well," he replied, "I hope your trip over was less eventful than mine. Drunk or not, I won't be going home tonight. I'm not sure I'll be leaving at all until they've cleared the roads a bit better."

"Gettin' bad out there?" Reno asked, handing him his drink.

"Very," he replied with a nod, "And it's started to snow again."

"Eh... well, you can all stay as long as you want. Or at least 'til you're so sick of me you're fightin' each other to get to the door..." Reno said, hopping over the back of the couch and landing neatly between the other two Turks. He longingly eyed the gifts. "So..."

" _After_ dinner, Reno... You know the rule," Tseng admonished him. The redhead sighed dramatically.

"Fine..." He stood and wandered back towards the makeshift bar to make himself a drink.

"I swear, you turn into an overgrown eight year old this time of year," Tseng teased him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Reno returned, "Last year you called me an overgrown six year old. So, seriously... how 'bout just _one_ before dinner?"

"No," both Tseng and Rude chorused. Reno pouted, but didn't press the issue any further, and meandered off to watch Rude put the finishing touches on the meal.

"Why not?" Elena asked curiously. Tseng chuckled as he sipped his drink.

"Because it's absolute agony for him."

"Sir!" she gasped, giggling.

"With everything I put up with from him at the office, I think I'm allowed the occasional minor retribution," he said, smirking, "Have you heard from your family?"

"My grandmother sent gifts from her and Del," she replied, "They're kind of cut off out in Veraheim, so we don't often get the chance to talk unless its in person. It's... strange to think I won't be hearing from Bel this year, though. It was the one time I could always count on a phone call, at the very least."

Tseng rested a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "As I understand all too well. It gets easier with time, but it's never quite the same." Elena smiled a little shyly. It wasn't often the Turk leader was so open with her. "Reno mentioned your grandmother sent _him_ something, as well," Tseng added, "She seemed quite fond of him when she and your brother were here."

Elena motioned to the large red box by the tree. "I have a feeling I know what it is... she made one for each of my brothers and I ages ago, and she sort of unofficially adopted Reno while we were in Veraheim, so..."

"Quite fond indeed," he said, arching an eyebrow.

Elena giggled. "That's just how she is. If she'd stayed in Midgar much longer, I'm pretty sure you and Rude would have eventually been inducted into the family, too... Whether you liked it or not."

"So... who's hungry!?" Reno called from the kitchen, as Rude began moving dishes to the table.

* * *

Rude had outdone himself. Dinner would have put even one of Nana's holiday spreads to shame. The rookie wasn't sure how many people Rude thought he'd be feeding, but not even Reno was able to put much of a dent in the massive banquet... though he'd certainly given it his best effort. There was ham and pulled pork, roast chicken and beef short ribs... mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, sweet potato fries, stuffed peppers, three different kinds of salad – the man had even gone so far as to make his own dressings for them – and several offerings of various vegetable dishes.

And dessert. Dear Holy, the desserts. Reno had looked like he'd died and gone to heaven when Rude had brought those out. He hadn't even known where to start, and Elena was fairly certain he'd sampled every one of them at least twice.

She herself was stuffed, having been unable to resist the offer of seconds. And thirds. In fact, she'd have gone back for more if she hadn't thought she might ultimately eat herself sick if she didn't take a break. Tseng appeared to be in much the same condition... Even their resident bottomless pit seemed thoroughly satiated for the moment. Three of the four Turks had collapsed onto the various pieces of furniture that surrounded the tree. Reno, however, didn't appear to be suffering the same effects of the collective post-Christmas dinner food coma, and was anxiously hovering near the presents.

"Shall we wait a bit to open gifts?" Tseng wondered aloud. Elena and Rude both tried, and failed spectacularly, at repressing their laughter at the expression of pure dismay that spread across Reno's face.

"... Quit torturing him, Tseng. You don't let him open _something_ soon, he's liable to explode," Rude said at last, taking pity on his friend. The redhead flashed him a grateful look.

"Alright... hand them out."

Finally granted permission, Reno dove for the pile and began sorting. Moments later, each of them had their own stack of festively wrapped parcels in front of them. "I think..." Tseng began, as Reno was reaching for his first gift, "... that, seeing as this is Elena's first Christmas with us, we should break with our tradition of beginning with the host and let her go first..."

Reno audibly whined in frustration, but sat back. "You enjoy doin' this to me way too much, Tseng."

"Doing what?" he asked with an innocent smile.

"Oh, it's alright, sir. I don't mind waiting," Elena piped up. She couldn't help but take pity on the eager redhead. Reno grinned maniacally and reached for the large box from Elena's grandmother.

"And so the carnage begins..." Tseng commented, as the redhead gleefully tore into the paper. The box was opened and the tissue paper tossed aside, and Reno paused in his attack, carefully reaching in and withdrawing a beautiful hand-made quilt. It was done in deep red and pale cream, with accents of gold embroidery.

"She made this for me?" he asked, somewhat in awe. Elena nodded. Reno ran his fingers gently over the patterns in the stitching for a moment, before cocooning himself in it and settling back into his chair.

"I think she picked the perfect colors for yours. She did mine in green, ivory, and silver," Elena said, causing Reno to peek out from the confines of the quilt.

"You have one, too?"

"Sure... you've seen it. It's the one on my bed. Nana made them for all three of us when my brothers and I were little, and they're all completely different," she said, giggling, "Nana says you should never make the same quilt twice, so that each one is special. Told you she really likes you..."

Reno grinned and wrapped himself tighter in the quilt.

"Elena..." Tseng prodded, "Your turn."

Elena reached for the topmost box on her stack, looking at the tag and seeing that it was from Rude. She carefully loosed the ribbon, and then started on the paper. A quiet sigh came from the still-enveloped redhead.

"You really areone of _those_ people, aren't you?" His face was hidden behind the folds of embroidered fabric, but she could practically hear him rolling his eyes at her.

"He won't be satisfied unless there's shredded paper everywhere by the end of this," Tseng informed her.

"Damn right..."

"Oh, fine," she huffed, and tore through the wrapping, tossing it aside.

"Better," Reno stated. She turned her attention back to the gift and her jaw dropped.

"I... I've been looking everywhere for this..." she said, looking up at Rude. The Shadow & Sword behind the scenes art book from the first season had been out of print for years and was nearly impossible to find. She'd all but given up on ever getting her hands on one. "Where in the world did you ever find one?!"

Rude chuckled. "Had some help," he said, nodding towards Reno.

"Kel," Reno elaborated, "Anything ya need, he can get. You're up, partner."

Things continued in much the same vein for some time, until the last of the gifts were unwrapped and the last of the thank yous delivered. Tseng had given her an utterly beautiful silk scarf, patterned in green and pale blue. From Reno, she'd been a little shocked to receive a bottle of her favorite perfume. Where he found it and how he'd even known she liked it so much – it was certainly no lucky guess – was a complete mystery to her. She'd been carefully rationing out the last little bit she had for months because the scent had been retired more than a year ago. No one sold it anymore.

Reno himself seemed extraordinarily content with his own gifts... a rich leather wallet from Tseng, and a decidedly violent-looking video game, that apparently had been on his list for some time now, from Rude. He'd been equally pleased with the omnibus edition of "The Best of the Worst of Horror" on DVD that Elena had presented him with, having only seen a handful of the twenty plus titles in the compilation. She hoped desperately that he would be just as happy with her more personalized gift later.

Snow was still piling up outside, as Reno returned to bartending duties.

"So who wants what?" he called out, eager to share his collection, "'Lena?"

"I'm good," Elena replied. Despite Reno's best efforts, all she'd had thus far was a beer and two glasses of wine with dinner.

"Oh, come on, 'Lena... How am I 'sposed to get you good and wasted if you won't drink anything?"

"Easy... You're not," she retorted, "The last time you managed it, I drunk-dialed Tseng and woke up so hungover I thought I was going to die. If you think I'm going to let you do that to me again, you're insane."

"Aw, that just means you need more experience," he said, grinning, "So, come on... live a little. Costa del Sunrise? Mako Cannonball? Ifrit's Revenge?"

"Reno... Enough," Tseng intervened, "If the last time was that bad, I'd hardly blame her if she didn't trust your judgment of her limits. You forget entirely too easily that not everyone has your tolerance."

Rude looked up from the shot he was pouring himself. "Gotta build that up over time," he agreed.

"Okay, okay... How about somethin' a little lighter, then? A Banora White Appletini?"

Elena sighed. "Reno, I said..."

"Cosmo Candle."

She paused in her refusal. She actually loved those, though she rarely ordered them locally. No one in Midgar seemed to serve a really good one. "Well..." she said, a bit indecisively.

"I'm damn good at 'em," Reno tempted her.

"Though I hate to add to the pressure, he's not just saying that to convince you to accept," Tseng interjected, "About the only place you'll find a better one is Pub Starlet in Cosmo Canyon. And on that note... Reno, you're welcome to make one for me..."

"Oh... Fine, me too," she relented.

"Yes! Two Cosmo Candles comin' up," he happily replied, mixing the cocktails, and presenting them to his two guests with a flourish. He made something for himself – Elena wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed to have a truly obscene amount of vodka in it – and rejoined the group.

"... So what's the game this year?" Rude asked. Reno opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by Tseng.

"Bearing in mind that no one wants to play strip- _anything._ "

"Well, it was gonna be strip-Truth or Dare..." the redhead said, "But apparently you're not drunk enough yet."

"I will never be that drunk again... And judging by her expression, neither will Elena."

"Standard rules?" Rude asked, looking at the redhead, who nodded. He shrugged, "Could still play, then. Just replace having to give up an article of clothing with doing a shot."

Reno laughed and wrapped an arm around Rude's shoulders. "That's why I love ya, Rude," he declared, "You always have a solution. Get some more glasses..."

Rude smirked and headed for the bar, retrieving three additional shot glasses and a bottle of single malt whiskey. He set them down on the coffee table in front of the couch and took his seat. Reno, meanwhile, had vanished into his bedroom, returning a moment later with a small black bag.

"So for those who may not know the rules," he said, looking pointedly at the rookie, "When it's your turn, the person to your right draws a card from the bag. Each card has a question and a dare. You choose one. If ya end up not likin' what you chose, you can do a shot and try your luck with the other option on the card... but if ya go that route, ya can't go back to the first option. If you _still_ can't stand to do it, you can pass, but ya gotta do two more shots. Last man standing wins... first one unconscious has to live with the shame 'til my next Christmas party. Isn't that right, Tseng?" He grinned wildly at the Turk leader.

"And, as always... the _host_ goes first," Tseng smirked, as he drew a card for Reno, "Which would you like?"

"Dare, of course," he replied.

"Mmm... Who wrote these? This isn't your handwriting..." the Turk leader commented, "I can actually read it."

"Heh... Neighbor used 'em at a party a while back. Let me borrow 'em. I haven't looked at them, either, so I don't know what's on 'em." he said. Tseng glanced at Rude, snickering.

"In that case... this is going to be a very interesting game," the Wutaiian said, "because it says you have to let the player of your choosing paint your nails."

"Pity I don't keep nail polish on hand." Reno grinned smugly at his superior.

"I'm sure I have some," Elena said, hurrying to get her bag. She dug through it, coming up with a tiny bottle of fiery red polish. Reno's eyebrows rose.

"Never seen _that_ on ya..."

"Oh, I don't _wear_ it..." Elena explained, "It's the same color as the paint on my car. I had a scratch awhile back, and this was much easier than taking it in and having someone retouch it for me."

"Resourceful," Tseng commented, chuckling at the sour look on Reno's face, "Well?"

Reno sighed and held his hands out to Elena. "You do it. Don't think either of _them_ have much experience with this shit. Plus you're still mostly sober," he said, "Meanwhile... Tseng's turn."

The Turk leader tossed the bag to Rude as the rookie got to work on the impromptu manicure. Rude selected a card and glanced over at his superior.

"Truth," he requested. Rude snorted a laugh.

"... What do you call your boss when he's not around?"

"Several things I almost certainly shouldn't," Tseng replied. Elena had to pull the tiny brush away from Reno's nail before her laughter made her hand slip.

"... Not really an answer," Rude pointed out.

"I've become rather fond of the term 'fuckwit' lately... though I can't really take credit for it," he said looking pointedly over at Reno, who was trying desperately to contain his mirth and hold still for Elena.

"It does fit Heidegger nicely," the redhead agreed.

"Done," Elena said, placing the brush back in its bottle. Reno glanced down at his nails, and shook his head.

"'Least it matches my hair..."

Rude passed the bag over to Elena. "Dare," he said, before she even drew a card.

"Tell the group where you are ticklish and let another player tickle you," she read. Rude's eyes went wide behind his shades and Reno cackled loudly.

"Oh... bad luck there, partner," he said with a maniacal grin. The bald Turk hurried to grab the bottle and pour himself a shot. "NO!" Reno cried. Rude smirked and downed it.

"Truth."

"Dammit! I _really_ wanted 'Lena to see that..."

"What is you're most embarrassing phobia?" she read, and Reno's grin quickly returned. Rude glanced at the bottle a second time, debating, but finally groaned.

"Clowns," he said awkwardly. Reno choked on a mouthful of his own drink.

"Clowns?!" he sputtered, "Rude... you're not serious..."

"... There's just something... wrong... about them."

"Clowns..." Reno repeated, disbelievingly.

"Says the man who' afraid of..."

"OKAY! Okay..." he said, quickly cutting his friend off, "You're totally right, clowns are creepy as fuck. Movin' on..."

"Wait, is this one I don't know about? I want to hear what he was going to..." Elena started to say.

" _Movin' on_..." Reno interrupted, and motioned for the bag. She held it out to him. "Uh..."

"What's wrong now?"

"... My... nails aren't dry yet," he muttered, drawing a laugh from the entire room. "What? If I gotta have 'em painted, I don't want 'em to look like crap."

Tseng reached into the bag and drew a card, holding it up for the redhead.

"Truth or dare, 'Lena?"

"Er... Truth, I guess." Reno looked particularly pleased by her choice... which, in turn, worried her greatly.

"Tell the person to your right what their best physical attribute is," he read, then snickered, "... Oh! I guess that's me, isn't it?"

"Oh, for Odin's sake..." Elena groaned, "This game has to be rigged..."

"Nope... totally legit," Reno assured her, "Tell the truth, or do a shot and take the dare. You'll _really_ like the dare..."

"I... um..." she began. It wasn't a difficult question... it was just that her answer seemed so cliché. He was going to laugh at her. She sighed, and decided that, given the look on the redhead's face, the dare wasn't worth the risk. "I like your eyes," she answered, "I've always thought you had really pretty eyes."

To her surprise, he didn't laugh at all. He actually looked rather... touched. Tseng pulled a second card.

"Reno?" he prodded the man.

"Huh? Oh, dare... come on. You know me." He eyed his superior with a challenging look.

"All other players must roll a die. Allow the player with the lowest number the option of either kissing you or slapping you in the face."

Reno snorted in laughter, and glanced at the bottle for a moment. "Ah, what the hell..." he said after a moment's thought, "Go ahead and roll. Think there's some dice in the cupboard next to ya, Rude."

Rude shuffled through the small cabinet, which Elena noted was filled with various games, decks of cards, poker chips, and the like. It took a minute, but he eventually located the needed article and handed it to Elena.

"Ladies first," he chuckled. Elena rolled... and groaned loudly as the die landed on a two.

"Oh, good..." Reno sighed, "I didn't really wanna get slapped."

"What makes you think I won't?" the rookie quipped.

"You're too nice to do somethin' like that... 'least not if I don't actually deserve it, and I don't think I've managed to insult ya, humiliate ya, or torture ya to quite that extent tonight. Yet."

"I'd suggest holding off on your victory celebration until the rest of us have rolled, Reno," Tseng cautioned him, giving the die a roll himself. Reno laughed as it came up on a six.

"I'm not real worried."

Rude picked it up next, and tossed the die onto the table. Tseng quickly fixed Reno with an I-told-you-so expression. The redhead stared at the lone dot shown on the die and groaned loudly. He and stood up, walking over to Rude.

"Just try not to bruise me, huh, pal?" he said, somewhat pleadingly as Rude rose as well, moving into prime slapping position. Rude smirked, and cocked his arm back. Reno visibly cringed when he began his swing, and instinctively shut his eyes. Rude's hand stopped barely an inch from the other man's face, as he unexpectedly grabbed the redhead in a hug, and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

Rude released him back to his seat on the couch. Reno was speechless for a moment, as the other three Turks sniggered quietly at his shocked expression. Eventually, however, he recovered.

"What the hell was that?" he managed, at last, with a laugh.

"Not gonna hit my best friend on Christmas," Rude replied, shrugging nonchalantly, and pouring himself a shot of whiskey just for the hell of it.

The game went on for nearly three hours. Tseng had been forced to go an entire round, prefacing everything he said with "Praise be to the golden chocobo".

Rude admitted to once having woken up in Reno's bed with a set of triplets, the worst hangover of his life, and no memory of the previous night – including the whereabouts of the aforementioned redhead – which had resulted in him swearing off Mideelian Absinthe for as long as he lived. Mysteriously, Reno hadn't been willing to divulge his own memory of that night... though Elena got the distinct impression that he did, indeed, remember it.

Reno had consistently chosen 'Dare' for the entire game, only opting out once when his task would have been to lay on the floor and let one of them sit on his back until his next turn. He'd dismissed it as being entirely too easy, and instead had answered a question about losing his virginity... in far more detail than anyone had really wanted to hear, to the point that Tseng finally had to intervene and put a stop to the increasingly lurid descriptions. Naturally, the very next round, the redhead was dared to give the player of his choice a lap dance, and had happily repaid Tseng for the interruption... Elena was fairly certain she'd noticed Rude surreptitiously aiming his PHS at the spectacle.

Elena had chosen a shot over answering the question about her most embarrassing date... She wasn't _about_ to hand any one of them that kind of ammunition. Instead, her dare had been to give another player a piggyback ride. Reno had been the only choice by default, since she wasn't entirely sure she'd even have been able to manage it with one of the other two men. Even with the light-weight, slender redhead, it had been a struggle... though that might have been more due to the fact that she was starting to feel just a little tipsy following her second Cosmo Candle of the night than any real difficulty at carrying him around on her back.

By the time they finally ran out of cards, Rude was barely clinging to consciousness, and Tseng had passed out entirely four rounds earlier. Reno was decidedly drunk, having been drinking steadily throughout the game in addition to the occasional shot, but still seemed relatively lucid... if a bit uncoordinated. Of the group, only Elena remained largely sober. She'd overwhelmingly lucked out with her cards – with a handful of exceptions, nothing had pushed her too far out of her comfort zone – nor did she make of habit of downing drinks one after another in between turns like _some_ people – and so she hadn't imbibed nearly as much as the others.

Reno yawned and glanced over at the clock, which currently read 1:22am.

"Huh... Guess you 'n me are gonna have to call it a tie," he said, slurring a little as he dragged himself off the couch and walked – far less gracefully than usual – over the the closet, "Gimme a hand, will ya? Or 'least make sure I don't fall over..."

Elena joined him, and he began piling pillows and blankets into her arms. Between the two of them, they quickly saw to it that their fellow Turks were both warm and comfortable for the night where they'd fallen asleep. Reno carefully tucked a blanket around Tseng and tossed a third pillow onto the couch.

"You can have my room, 'Lena," he said with a tired, but very happy, smile.

"I... what? Reno, you don't have to do that. I'm fine out here. Really..." She hated the idea of kicking him out of his own bed for the night.

"I know I don't _have_ to do it... I wanna do it," he replied, "So just let me, okay?"

"Reno..."

"'Lena, come on. I may be tired as hell... and _very_ drunk..." he said grinning, "But I'm not gonna be able to sleep knowin' you're stuck out here on the couch listenin' to Rude snore when you could have my nice soft bed all to yourself." He wrapped an arm around her, staggering slightly, and began leading her toward his bedroom, grabbing her bag along the way. He gently coaxed her through the door, and turned to head back to the couch.

"Wait... Reno..."

"I'm not gonna argue this with ya," he firmly stated.

"Okay, fine... but, wait. There's something I still need to give you."

Reno turned back to look at her, an eyebrow rising in curiosity as he watched Elena rummage through her bag and pull out a carefully wrapped box.

"What's that?" he asked, walking unsteadily back into the bedroom.

"It's... um... your _real_ Christmas present..." she said, blushing a little, "I didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone, because it's kind of... well, just open it..." She thrust the box into his hands.

Elena swallowed nervously as he ripped into the wrapping paper. "I hope you like it... I worked really hard on it... but I-I don't do that much sewing anymore..." she said as he lifted the lid off of the box. As he pushed aside the tissue paper, he went silent, and for a moment, very still, before reaching in and slowly lifting out the little stuffed bunny she'd put so much effort into for him. He let the empty box drop from his fingertips to the floor.

She waited for him to say something, but he didn't. A moment later, when Reno took a shuddering breath, Elena suddenly realized why.

"R-reno...?" she said softly, concerned, as she gently tilted his face up to look him in the eye, and saw the tears. "Oh... oh, no... oh god, Reno, I-I'm sorry... This wasn't what I wanted. I never meant to..."

She was quickly cut off, as Reno threw his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest.

"Don't apologize..." he said, laughing softly, "Do _not_ fucking apologize _._ I'm not upset... I'm just way too plastered right now to keep my feelings in check."

"So does that mean you like it?" she asked, "I know it can't replace Mr. Foo-Foo... but..."

"'Lena..." Reno pulled away from her and smiled. He wiped his face with his free hand, though it didn't do much good. "Of course I like it. I love it..."

Elena gave a relieved sigh, and then grinned.

"So _now_ will you let me sleep on the couch?" she teased, "Unless, of course, you really want to explain why you're cuddling a stuffed bunny to Rude and Tseng in the morning..."

"Heh... fine. You win," he agreed, "Do me a favor and grab my quilt for me, though?"

"Sure," she replied, and hurried off the retrieve it. When she returned, Reno was curled up under the covers, the new bunny hugged lovingly against his chest. For a moment, she thought he was already asleep, but he roused himself as she spread the quilt over him, tucking him into bed.

"Thanks," he murmured sleepily, "'Night, 'Lena... Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Reno," she said softly, before jokingly adding, "Good night, Mr. Foo-Foo Junior..."

Reno snickered. "Nah... pretty sure this one's a girl," he replied, yawning. Elena shut off the light and turned to leave him to sleep... but not before she heard him add, "Think I'll call her El..."

* * *

Christmas morning, Elena woke to the sound – and smell – of bacon frying, and muted conversation. She yawned and opened her eyes, finding herself staring directly at Reno's Christmas tree and its ridiculous x-rated ornaments. It seemed she was the last one awake, because neither Tseng nor Rude were where she'd left them last night.

"Don't even think about it," Rude's voice warned, a bit louder than the background conversation had been previously.

"Alright, geez..." Reno responded, "You're always so touchy about anyone tryin' to help ya in the kitchen... And keep it down, will ya? You'll wake up 'Lena..."

"I trust you didn't go _too_ overboard with her after I finally passed out?" Tseng's voice commented, "I distinctly recall reminding you to be considerate of other people's alcohol tolerance at some point in the evening."

"Ah, relax... Fuck, you'd think I'm in the habit of pourin' booze down people's throats against their will. She was practically still sober when we finally went to bed. Hell of a lot more sober than me, anyway. Or either of you two. I'm sure she's fine."

Elena heard the sound of ice clinking in a glass.

"You want another?"

"God, yes," Tseng replied, "And some aspirin."

Reno snorted softly. "Ya know, if you did this more than once a year, the next morning wouldn't be so bad..." There was a quiet shuffling, and Elena heard what must have been the freezer door being opened because a second later came the sound of more ice being added to the glass.

"I'll keep that in mind," he dryly replied. Reno seemed to be back to bartending this morning... liquids being poured and mixed could be clearly heard from her position on the couch. There was a soft thunk as something was set down on the table. "Thank you."

"Bacon's done... you gonna wake her up so she at least has a chance of getting some before _you_ steal it all?" Rude asked. The question was followed by a loud smack. "… Put that back."

"Ow..." Reno whined, rather unconvincingly, and Elena couldn't help but giggle.

"I believe we have an eavesdropper in our midst," Tseng observed. She heard one of them cross the room, pausing behind the couch. She glanced up, and found Reno leaning over her smirking.

"Yep, she's awake," he called back to the others, chuckling lightly. Elena sat up, faintly blushing as all eyes in the room were suddenly on her while she stretched. She was surprisingly stiff after a night on Reno's couch. "Mornin'," he said, in a teasing tone.

"Um... morning," she replied, a little embarrassed, as Reno rounded the couch. She shrieked in surprise when he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, carrying her to the kitchen, and setting her down at the table. "What was that for?" she laughed.

"Rude's not servin' breakfast 'til everyone's at the table, and I'm fuckin' starved." He took the seat next to her and looked over at Rude expectantly. "Well?"

The bald Turk made a soft sound of amusement, and set down the plate of bacon he'd been holding out of Reno's reach.

"If you want some, I suggest you take some before it's inhaled," Tseng advised her. He looked more than a little rough this morning, not at all his usual pristine and polished self, and was nursing a Bloody Mary.

"You're not having any, sir?" she asked, picking up a slice and nibbling at it, unable to resist taking the opportunity to poke a little fun at the normally dignified Wutaiian. She'd never seen Tseng in such a state, and strongly suspected it was a truly rare occurrence.

"I think I'll stick with eggs and toast for the time being," he replied.

"Tseng's hungover," Reno supplied, smirking. The Turk leader rolled his eyes.

"I'm fairly certain she's figured that out by now."

"Yeah, but seriously... How often do I get the chance to say it?" the redhead pointed out. Rude, meanwhile, had brought scrambled eggs, toast, and sausages over to the table, finally sitting down himself. "Tch... _I_ coulda made all of this, ya know."

"And if I wanted food poisoning for Christmas, I'd have let you," Rude replied.

"For fuck's sake..." Reno groaned, "It was _one_ time. And it was almost eight fucking years ago," He glanced over at the rookie. "Geez... Ya accidentally make a guy puke his guts out for twelve hours straight, and he never trusts your cooking again."

"Suffering and despair," Rude murmured ominously, looking directly at Elena, and she snickered as she served herself some eggs, remembering their brief conversation the previous afternoon.

* * *

It was early-afternoon before Tseng deemed the roads clear enough – and himself recovered enough – to make the trip home. In the hours prior, the four of them had cleaned up most of the mess from the night before, and Reno's apartment was probably as neat as it had ever been.

"Sure ya don't wanna stay awhile longer?" Reno asked.

"Much as I'd like to, Midgar is expecting more snow shortly. Unless you'd like me to simply move in for the next few days, I think it would be wise to take the opportunity while it's still viable," Tseng replied.

"Yeah, alright," Reno sighed, "Guess that means you two are takin' off, too, then."

"Probably better," Rude commented, as he gazed out the window, "Looks like it won't be long."

Elena joined him. The sky had darkened considerably, and the wind was picking up, causing the snow already on the ground to drift.

"Hey, so if we're snowed in on Monday, that means we don't have to come in, right?" the redhead mused, as he handed Tseng his coat.

"In the unlikely event that actually happens," Tseng chuckled, "No, I will not expect you at work." He turned to the door, heading out. "Otherwise, I'll see you all bright and early Monday morning."

"Heh... See ya, Tseng," said Reno.

"Goodbye, sir," Elena piped up, and Rude nodded a farewell to him.

"... I'm out of here, too," Rude said once he'd gone, collecting his coat and his gifts, "Phoenix Nest as usual on Friday?"

"Long as we can get there," the redhead returned with a grin.

"You coming, too?" Rude asked the rookie.

"I think my liver needs a nice long rest after last night," she replied, "But we're still on for the Shadow & Sword new years special on Sunday, right?"

"Of course," he nodded, "Later." Rude slipped out the door, leaving Elena the last to depart.

"Can't talk _you_ into stayin', either, I 'spose..." Reno said. She laughed softly.

"Someone has to feed Snuffy soon or he'll gnaw through the bars of his cage," she said, "Besides... aren't you sick of all the company yet?"

"Me? Please," Reno smirked, "I love havin' people around. 'Specially you guys. People get sick of me long before I get sick of them. There is _one_ thing I gotta do before you leave, though..."

"What?"

"Just come're..." he said, leading her over to the couch, and gently urging her to sit. Reno disappeared into his bedroom, and a moment later returned with his new bunny and joined her. He pulled out his PHS and wrapped an arm around her. "Smile," he said, grinning widely. Elena giggled, and he snapped a picture of the three of them.

"I'm surprised you're willingly allowing photographic evidence," she teased him.

"Makin' an exception, just this once," he replied, "I used to have a photo like that from the day I got Mr. Foo-Foo... but I was stupid and lost it when I was little. Thought it'd be nice to finally have a new one." He held the stuffed bunny in his lap, looking it over, as if memorizing every detail. "I still can't believe you went to so much trouble. Ya coulda just bought one..."

"It wouldn't have been the same. And... you're worth it," she said, hugging the redhead, "You really mean a lot to me, Reno, and I wanted you to know that."

"Fuck, 'Lena... You're gonna make me cry again, and this time I can't just write it off as bein' drunk," Reno snickered. Elena joined him, giggling.

"So... You're not really naming it El, are you?" she wondered aloud.

"Would it bother you if I did?" he asked, seriously.

"No... I guess not. I just thought you'd pick something more... I don't know... special."

"Yeah, well... At the risk of soundin' like one of those ridiculously sappy holiday shows, you _are_ special, 'Lena," he said, "So she's getting named El, and that's final." Reno glanced out the window, where the sky was growing more ominous by the minute, and sighed. "I don't think that snow's gonna hold off any longer. Unless you're gonna walk, better get outta here while ya still can."

"I suppose you're right," she said, following his gaze. She stood up and hurried to shrug on her coat and collect her things. Reno escorted her to the door.

"See ya, 'Lena. Do me a favor and call me when you get there so I know you made it in one piece, okay?"

"I live like four blocks away. And I don't remember you demanding that Tseng or Rude check in," she teased.

"That's 'cause they already know I expect 'em to do it," he replied, grinning, "Just humor me, huh?" Elena returned the smile, and turned toward the elevator, leaving Reno behind. She made her way to her car, and looked up at the sky as the first snowflakes began to fall. Elena climbed in and started the engine, and as she did so, her PHS chimed softly.

She pulled it out, thumbed open the notification, and laughed. Reno had sent the picture he'd taken to her phone... along with the mostly-joking message, "Not to be used for blackmail purposes.".

Elena tucked the phone back into her pocket and put the car in gear, pulling out of the parking space and heading for home. All in all, it had been one of the best Christmases she'd ever had.

~fin~


	27. Plans Derailed

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 27: Plans Derailed**

 **by Desha**

She finally manged to get her head above water, sputtering and coughing as she tried to sort out what direction she was supposed to be moving in. Below her feet, a streamlined figure circled once and then surfaced behind her. Elena felt his hands on her shoulders and suddenly, she was plunged back into the depths. She screamed in frustration under the water and twisted away with a sharp kick of her legs, propelling herself upward again.

"Would you stop _doing_ that!?" She was out of breath now, and beginning to tire, even as she worked at treading water. Reno, on the other hand, floated effortlessly nearby.

"Nope," he said, grinning. "I keep tellin' ya, 'Lena... Best way to learn to fight someone off is to actually fight someone off. If someone's tryin' to kill ya, they're not gonna be polite about it and let you keep your head above the water."

The rookie glared and sent a wave of pool water at his face in retaliation. "Well, if you're going to keep being a jerk, can we at least take a break?"

Reno glided toward her, slipping behind her again. This time, though, his arm wrapped around her waist instead, gently supporting her. They were in the middle of the pool, in deep water... holding her up was easier than than helping her all the way to the side, which he was fairly certain he'd have to do. Elena looked exhausted. "You really gotta stop workin' so hard to stay afloat and let yourself relax," he said, taking her weight easily, "You're wearin' yourself out a lot faster than you need to be."

"Easy for you to say... You don't even have to try."

"That's kind of my whole point," he snickered, "Quit tryin' and fucking relax. The water'll hold ya up if you let it." He nudged her legs upwards, forcing her to float, but kept hold of her just in case.

She'd improved markedly over the past few months. Her first swimming lesson hadn't gone much better than the Hell Week evaluation that had prompted the lessons in the first place. In fact, for the first three or four weeks, Reno was almost afraid he'd gotten himself in over his head, so to speak. Swimming had always seemed to come naturally to him for some reason, and he'd had a hell of a time trying to convey to Elena what she was doing wrong when he couldn't quite fathom it himself. Eventually, though, something had clicked with the rookie. Now, though she still struggled, he was no longer concerned about her drowning herself every time she went near the water. Even panicked, Elena could at the very least get herself to the surface and stay there.

Elena leaned her head back on Reno's shoulder, letting him do all the work while she caught her breath. "Ready for the next round yet?" he prodded her, and she groaned. "That a yes?"

"Reno... we've been at it for over two hours already..."

The redhead smirked at the near-whining tone. It had actually been barely more than an hour. It seemed his rookie was starting to get a little cranky.

"Tch... Alright, fine. We'll call it a day," he acquiesced, and Elena moaned softly in relief. It was short-lived. Reno suddenly released her without notice and fled. The rookie flailed slightly in surprise for a moment, but righted herself casting him an annoyed glare. "Race ya..." he teased in response, and took off toward the side of the pool.

"That's _not_ fair!" she yelled after him, but the man either didn't hear her or chose to ignore the complaint. Elena huffed in irritation and followed suit, catching up slightly, but having little chance of actually beating him to the edge. By the time she arrived beside him, she was out of breath again. Reno, meanwhile, didn't seem phased in the slightest, grinning as he hoisted himself out of the water. He offered her a hand, which she quickly accepted, letting him pull her out as well.

"Same time tomorrow?"

"Do I have a choice?" Elena deadpanned.

"Nope." His grin widened noticeably. The rookie calmly placed a hand in the center of his chest and shoved. Reno didn't bother trying to counter it, and simply let himself fall backwards into the pool behind him with a splash. By the time he surfaced, chuckling to himself, Elena was already on her way to the locker rooms.

* * *

Wednesday found her at her desk. Things had been almost mind-numbingly slow for her all morning, owing in large part to Reno and Rude having been sent off the deal with an issue with the security scanners along the Midgar rail system. Someone had been very busy over the last few days, and the tampering had become obvious early that morning. What was less obvious was who had done it – though the Turks certainly had their suspicions – and how they had gained access.

Her assistance, however, had not been requested. Instead, she'd been left with yet another fairly substantial pile of reports from the backlog. She hadn't minded helping out with mundane clerical work at first, but the more reports she entered, the more all _three_ of her cohorts seemed to take advantage of the fact that she never really complained about it. Even Tseng was guilty of leaving more than usual in the folder for her lately. She really didn't appreciate being treated like their private secretary... but it never seemed to be a good time to protest.

"Elena? I'll be leaving for Kalm in a few minutes. Are you busy this afternoon?"

Elena looked up from her computer screen.

"No, sir... Not especially. Was there something you needed me to do?" She hoped desperately that it wasn't more data entry. She was _almost_ caught up again... finally.

"Yes, and no," Tseng replied, smiling slightly, as if reading her mind, "I was actually wondering if you would care to get some additional flight time in."

A grin spread over her face. "Absolutely!" She hadn't had the opportunity since well before the holiday break. Elena rose and followed the Turk leader down the hall, snatching her coat off of the hook by the door on the way.

"What's in Kalm?" she asked, curious as to why they were headed for the sleepy little hamlet.

"At the moment... Rufus," he responded, sounding vaguely irritated.

"The vice president?" Her eyes widened slightly. Rufus Shinra spent the majority of his time in Junon, these days. According to rumor, it was a punishment doled out by the president himself... apparently, the young man had gotten on his father's bad side over something in recent months, though no one seemed to know what had actually happened. What business he had in Kalm, however, eluded her.

"From what I gather, he's decided to take a little day trip – without any security – and gotten himself stranded." Tseng sighed in a long-suffering sort of way. "And to be honest, I'm finding it _very_ difficult to be particularly shocked. He usually has far more common sense than that, but he's been bored out of his mind in Junon. Were it anyone else, I would have been expecting something like this, but Rufus isn't usually so impetuous."

"So... it's true, then?" Elena ventured, "The president really exiled him?"

Tseng snorted softly, laughing as they boarded the elevator to the roof. "I suppose you _could_ call it an exile of sorts. It's really more the equivalent of sending him to his room to think about what he's done. He'd be bound for home within the hour if he'd simply apologize, but he can be... stubborn. As can his father. They seem to be waiting to see who will blink first, and both are thoroughly determined to emerge the victor."

"... So... What did he do?" She suddenly found herself dying to know.

The Turk leader smiled knowingly. "I'm afraid you still lack the necessary level of security clearance. Suffice it to say... Rufus has an arrogant streak, and it's gotten him into trouble in the past. Unfortunately, _this_ time, it's gotten him in trouble with the one person who can put him in his place."

They stepped out onto the windy roof of the Shinra Building, making their way across the snow-covered platform to the helicopter. Tseng, with some effort, pulled away the tarp that had been shielding it from the wintery weather, before climbing in beside Elena.

"You've not yet been introduced to Rufus, I believe," he commented, as the rookie went through the pre-flight checklist.

"No, sir... I haven't had the pleasure."

Tseng chuckled, and pulled the co-pilot's harness across his chest. "I'm not sure 'pleasure' is the word most people would use."

Elena looked up, resisting the urge to groan. Great... another full-of-themselves executive. "Sir?"

"You needn't be concerned... Rufus is a far cry from Heidegger or Scarlet," the Wutaiian said, with a subtle shake of his head, "But he can be very... ah... brusque at times. It's no simple task to earn his respect, and he's not shy about showing his contempt for those who haven't."

The engine whined to life, the rotors set spinning in the icy air.

"It's no act, either... He really can be quite cold," Tseng continued, "Though he does bear a certain level of respect for the Turks, even if he doesn't particularly like _all_ of us on a personal level."

"... Reno?" she ventured, noting the inflection. She pulled up on the controls, sending the craft airborne and hovering for a few moments as she compensated for the strong winds blowing out of the north.

Tseng snickered. "Naturally. Though to be fair, there's no _real_ animosity between them. Reno simply tends to get on his nerves, and Rufus isn't especially tolerant of it... but they can be civil enough when they have to be. Even friendly, under the right circumstances. Actually... the younger Shinra was frequently a target for Reno's pranks. And I can assure you, he gave as good as he got."

"Sir? Is Reno completely insane?" she asked, forcing a serious tone... though the thought of the mischievous redhead locking the vice president out on the roof over lunch or super-gluing all of his pens to his desk _did_ make it difficult to keep a straight face.

"Sometimes I _do_ have to wonder..." Tseng replied, off-handedly. "But that was quite some time ago. Reno was only a rookie, and Rufus was still two years away from becoming vice president of the company. Once his father made the position official, and Rufus began taking business matters more seriously, Reno had little choice but to back off. Though he still tries from time to time when he's certain he won't get caught in the act... and I _do_ know of at least one incident when Rufus thoroughly outdid him, and was never found out. I'd prefer you not mention that to Reno, though. I'm quite certain he's still convinced the fourteenth floor is haunted."

" _WHAT?_ " Elena nearly let go of the controls altogether as she turned to look at her commanding officer in shock. Memories of _that_ incident were still deeply etched in her mind. She'd been so completely unable to fall asleep that Halloween that she had ended up watching infomercials until five or six the next morning in a effort to calm down. From what Reno had told her when they'd returned to work the following Monday – and he hadn't said much, apparently preferring to never mention it again – he hadn't fared much better.

Tseng hurried to seize the co-pilot's controls on the off chance his revelation had distracted the rookie enough to accidentally send them into the side of the building. He smirked almost imperceptibly.

"Oh, yes... That was him up there with you two. I'm sorry to say, I wasn't in on it until nearly the end... but your expressions when the pair of you launched yourselves into the elevator were extremely entertaining, none the less."

Elena blinked, processing the new information. "B-but... if that was just Rufus playing a trick on us... then why is fourteen _really_ abandoned and sealed?"

Tseng began to laugh. "It's not really sealed, Elena. Merely locked," he said, once he'd regained his composure. "Oh, the story I told you was true enough... with some minor embellishments on my part... but that's not why there isn't anyone on fourteen. The entire division was moved to Junon about a year after the murders for the sake of efficiency. Shinra has simply never gotten around to repurposing the space. It requires an access code because if it didn't, it would almost certainly become the location of choice for anyone wishing to slack off during the workday. I've actually been trying to talk Heidegger into commandeering it for the Turks for training purposes."

"I can hardly wait to see Reno's reaction to _that_ ," she said with a quiet giggle. The Turk leader relinquished control to her again, satisfied that she was no longer too distracted to pilot the helicopter safely.

"Mmm... I'm still not certain of the best way to break the news to him should I be successful... Perhaps sending him downstairs on his own to take inventory of any hazards on the floor."

"At night," Elena suggested, grinning a little maniacally, "... and unarmed." The redhead had it coming. Monday afternoon had only been the beginning. He'd been torturing her in the pool all week. Tseng raised an eyebrow, glancing over at her.

"Just what has Reno done to incur your wrath now?" he asked, bemused.

* * *

"How the fuck'd they get in here?" His voice echoed off the cold concrete tunnel walls. Every access point they'd passed thus far had been secure. Those that weren't actively guarded were at least under surveillance, and had a plethora of deterrents – a number of which were fairly lethal if you ignored the initial warnings – in operation. Much farther down the tunnel, Reno could just barely make out the screech of train wheels braking to a halt at the Sector 4 station. He tapped his electro-mag rod against his shoulder, agitated. The tunnels were a terrible place to end up in a fight... especially if you happened to be outmatched. You could only run in one of two directions, and the odds of running straight into a train were entirely too high for his taste. It was much too easy to find yourself trapped.

Rude glanced up from the terminal he was looking at. "Don't know. System isn't showing any breaches." He shrugged. "Missing some log files, though, so who knows what they really did down here."

The monitoring system truly was a work of art. It was capable of tracking someone right down to which car they were in on any given train. It could scan for IDs belonging to specific individuals... for example, those who may have been of interest to the Migar police force – or the Turks – and would notify the stations of any passengers who had somehow boarded _without_ an ID. It monitored the comings and goings of every person who used the trains to get around... which was a pretty significant percentage of the city's population. And it did it all so unobtrusively that most people forgot it was even there.

But apparently someone had found a blind spot... because _someone_ had gotten into the tunnels and tampered with the system. Station engineers hadn't discovered it until four days after the fact, and when they had finally realized something wasn't right, it had turned into a commuter's worst nightmare. Heidegger, in one of his rare moments of not being completely useless, had recommended clearing the passengers and shutting down all travel on the network until every train had been searched for potential threats and the monitoring system was back online. It had come back online less than an hour ago, though only half the usual number of trains were running at present, because of the Shinra personnel still working in the tunnels.

Reno was just glad he wasn't the one in charge of coordinating the transportation disaster that had to be unfolding at the stations as the lunch time rush hour approached. Half the trains meant they'd be twice as packed. And they could get to be pretty packed to begin with... not to mention all the re-routing that would have to be done to avoid running trains through areas where people were still working.

No, thankfully, the Turks had instead been tasked with assisting in locating the saboteur's point of entry and determining who was responsible. It had seemed fairly straightforward when Tseng had given them their orders that morning. Now Reno wasn't so sure. Whoever it was had covered their tracks as well as anyone could have. There wasn't so much as a grate out of place, and he and Rude had been walking the tunnels for miles by now.

The redhead sighed, and leaned against the wall. "Come on, man, hurry up with that piece of crap... time to take a break and get something to eat. I'm starvin'. And freezin'. And starvin'. In that order."

"You're always starving," Rude said, smirking at his partner, "And we've got six more access point to check on this line." But he logged out of the terminal, and joined the younger man at the side of the tracks. Reno had barely opened his mouth to reply to the remark when they were suddenly plunged into total darkness as every light in the tunnel blinked out.

"Oh, terrific... Now what?" he muttered, fishing his lighter out and flicking it on. Rude snorted softly and switched on a flashlight, its beam hitting Reno squarely in the face. Reno squinted in the harsh glare and pocketed the lighter. "Huh... 'least one of us is prepared. Well, no power means no way to check the terminals. Guess this means I get lunch now after all."

The pair made their way down the tracks, toward the nearest exit. At first, the only sounds in the tunnels were the echos of their own footsteps. They'd gone several hundred feet when that changed.

"Umm... You hear somethin', Rude?" Reno asked, straining to catch the low rumbling noise.

"... Yeah."

Unfortunately, neither man could determine whether the source was ahead of them or behind them. One thing Reno was certain of, however... it was getting closer.

"They fuckin' know we're still down here, right?" The tunnels here were narrow... a man could stand to one side and avoid being pulverized by a passing train, but it would be by a frighteningly close margin. The passage widened up ahead at the junction where the Sector 4 line joined the Sector 5 line, but until then, the safe zones along either side of the tracks were minimal. "Uh... maaaybe we better pick up the pace..."

Rude nodded, and both men broke into a run towards the junction.

Reno felt it long before he could see it. The rumbling sound quickly became a physical vibration, a tremor shaking the ground beneath his feet. Rude stumbled beside him as it intensified, and the redhead slowed his pace to let him catch up. When he looked back, a bright light broke the darkness as one of Midgar's trains rounded a curve in the tunnel. Reno's eyes widened, and he shoved Rude hard to one side as the engine rushed toward them.

Rude hit the wall with a grunt, his flashlight falling from his hands and dropping to the ground with what probably would have been a fairly loud crack, had his ears not been filled with the sound of the passing train and the woosh of the air as its cars careened past him. In any case, the light went out, leaving him reliant upon the flicking illumination from the train car windows to see by.

" _Reno?!_ " he shouted, though his voice was lost to the din. His partner wasn't beside him, and dread flooded his veins, as he began to fear the worst. Reno had still been on the tracks when he'd pushed him. Even Reno wasn't _that_ fast.

* * *

Elena eased up on the controls, bringing the helicopter close to the ground. The skids bounced, and she instinctively pulled back again, and scowled. Despite his assertions to the contrary, landing was a lot harder than Reno always claimed – and made it look – and _hers_ still needed a lot of work. She tried again, touching down more softly this time, but still sending a rough jolt through the craft that sent both herself and Tseng forward in their seats.

"S-sorry..." she said, flushing in embarrassment.

"I think, perhaps, you should ask Reno to work with you on landings. I hate to admit it, but he might be able to convey the more subtle aspects better than I." He smirked slightly, and added, "Of course, that's assuming you can coax him into a helicopter with you again."

"Oh, I think he's over that, finally... Didn't he tell you he made me fly Scarlet to the Gold Saucer just to scare her?" she replied, snickering as the churning blades slowed and finally stopped. Prior to that mission, she'd tried a few times to talk him into resuming her lessons when Tseng had been too busy... but each time, the redhead had sidestepped the subject with a thinly-veiled excuse and run off to perform some other all-consuming task that would keep him occupied for at least an hour or two... or until he was confident she'd forgotten about it. But she hadn't asked him again since the Gold Saucer.

"No, he never mentioned it," Tseng replied, looking mildly surprised. He slipped out of his harness and moved to the back of the craft to pull open the door. Elena hurried to follow as he started towards the town center. He scanned the signs that hung over the various businesses for a moment, before finally settling on a small cafe. "Ah... That will be where our missing executive is hiding out, I'm sure."

"He didn't say where he'd meet us, sir?"

Tseng snorted derisively. "The entirety of his call was 'Tseng, I'm stuck in Kalm. Come and get me.'..." he replied, shaking his head, "Everything else I got from the security detail he managed to elude back in Junon. He simply assumes I know him well enough to find him without too much effort. Which I suppose I do, but frankly, I'd prefer he not make a game out of his personal safety."

The two Turks entered the little cafe, and Elena glanced around. It was lunch time and a lively crowd filled the space with conversation and the clatter of tableware. She didn't see vice president at first... in fact, she missed him entirely, seated at a table off to one side, until Tseng started moving toward him moments later. It seemed he'd forgone his usual style of dress for this trip, and, though she was a little embarrassed to admit it, she really didn't know his face well enough to recognize him from a distance without his trademark white suit.

Tseng calmly came to a halt next to his table. "Sir."

"It certainly took you long enough," the blond man replied, taking a sip of coffee. He was seated casually, one leg crossed over the other, with his back to the wall, affording him a view of the entire restaurant. Elena wondered, briefly, if that was a matter of vigilance, or if the man simply preferred to be able to observe those around him for entertainment's sake.

"Yes, sir. Shall we go?"

"Not yet. I'm not quite done enjoying my little outing. Sit down." He gestured to the empty chair across from him, and Tseng obeyed the command, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers before him. Elena's eyes flickered to the other chair at the table, wondering if she should join them... but as she hadn't been invited, she chose to err on the side of caution and clasped her hands behind her back, standing stiffly beside the Turk leader instead.

"This was not a wise choice, sir." His voice was calm, but Elena could hear a distinct undercurrent of irritation in his tone. Rufus waved him off, unconcerned.

"I was bored. And sick to death of those useless grunts you've got following me around in the name of 'security'." His eyes turned toward Elena. "They have about as much personality as your little minion over there."

Elena quickly bit back the retort that threatened to slip out at the not-so-subtle slight. Tseng chuckled lightly. "Have a seat, Elena. There's no need to stand on formal protocol for the time being."

"Er... yes, sir..." she replied, flushing a bit, though she wasn't quite sure why, as she awkwardly claimed the seat between the two men.

Rufus eyed her again, and she could almost literally feel him appraising her value as one of Shinra's Turks. "Leave it to Reno to pick a woman," he scoffed and Elena felt her eye twitch. "Did she qualify based on any actual skill or simply by what she was willing to do for the promotion? She certainly looks like she'd be his type... though his type seems to include anything that could even remotely pass as female, and I'm not entirely convinced even _that_ is actually a requirement."

It took everything in her not to openly glare at the man. "I _earned_ my promotion... _sir,_ " she ground out, finding it increasingly difficult to keep her tone civil.

"Oh, of that I have no doubt," Rufus shrugged, "I'm just curious as to whether you did so on merit or on your back."

That was _almost_ enough to set her off... it was only the memory of what had happened the last time she'd lost her temper with an executive that kept her in her seat and her lips firmly pressed together, albeit with thoughts of showing him exactly how qualified she was flashing through her mind.

"Clam down, Elena." Tseng's voice pulled her from her violent fantasies. "He's only interested in seeing how much abuse you're willing to take."

The vice president regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Why did you have to ruin it?"

"Because I have no desire to explain to your father why I'm returning you to Junon in several pieces," he responded, smiling slightly as some of the formality between them dropped. "Elena can have quite the temper when provoked... and she is, after all, armed."

"So am I," Rufus commented, though his tone seemed lighter now. Elena was beginning to get the feeling that Tseng and the younger man were on much friendlier terms than he'd initially let on.

"She's a better shot, sir."

* * *

" _Reno!_ "

It had taken less than two minutes for the train to pass by completely... to Rude, it had felt like an eternity. Once it had thundered off down the track and out of sight, he'd been left in darkness again with a sense of hopelessness threatening to overtake him. He swore softly as his hand blindly groped alongside the tracks for the fallen flashlight... though he wasn't entirely certain being able to see again would bring him any comfort, given what might be waiting for him a few short feet away.

"Still alive..." a disembodied voice responded, somewhat tremulously, from the direction of the tracks, and Rude sighed in relief just about the same time his fingers grazed the metal casing of the flashlight. He seized it, switching it on and illuminating the area around him. "Never thought I'd be so glad to be such a skinny little twerp..." Reno stated, with a nervous laugh. He was lying in between the rails, flat on his back.

"... You didn't really..."

"Hell yeah, I did." He sat up, and Rude helped him to his feet. "Didn't have time to get the fuck outta the way. All I could do was hit the ground and hope for the best. Just so ya know... not a lot of clearance under those things. You alright?"

"Fine."

Well... if feeling slightly dizzy from the sense of elation at seeing his friend in one piece could be considered 'fine'. Rude had never been more ready in his life to hit the nearest bar. The redhead looked like _he_ wouldn't have minded such a respite, either. He was unhurt, but clearly more than a little shaken.

"In that case, let's get the hell out of here before the 12:15 comes through... I _really_ don't wanna do that again any time soon."

The tunnels remained dark. By the time the pair reached the junction, and the emergency access hatch that would take them back to the surface, both were beginning to suspect that the blackout was more than just a coincidence.

"Just realized somethin', partner..." Reno said with a groan, as Rude was was pulling on the handle that would open up their exit route. "No power means we can't disengage the locks on that hatch. How far are we from the station again?"

The hatch swung open in Rude's grip. "... Don't think that's supposed to happen."

"Yeah... It's not," the younger man responded, eying the opening suspiciously and moving toward him. "Power cuts out, those things are 'sposed to lock down tight and not open up 'til they get power again. Think we better give the boss a call. I don't like this."

* * *

Rufus polished off his coffee and leaned back in his chair, regarding the two Turks with what Elena could only guess was mild amusement. She found herself growing increasingly annoyed at the young executive's careless attitude... Surely there were more important things she and Tseng could be doing than collecting the president's wayward son. Well, she amended, Tseng, at least, had better things to do. _She'd_ probably still be typing up reports right now if the vice president hadn't decided to go sight-seeing.

"If you're finished... ?" Tseng prodded.

"You never were any fun, Tseng. But then, neither was that mentor of yours, so I suppose it's only natural. It's a pity Reno tends to be such an annoying little idiot. He's much more entertaining than _you_... if only I could tolerate his presence for more than five minutes at a time."

Elena couldn't help but scowl slightly. Thus far, Rufus had managed to insult not only herself, but Tseng andReno _and_ – she assumed, at any rate – Tseng's predecessor, Veld, in the space of about five minutes. It wasn't the best of first impressions, in her book. She was shaken from her thoughts by quiet laughter to her right.

"I strongly recommend caution, sir," said Tseng, "I think Elena is already quite annoyed with you, and she happens to be very fond of Reno. You've no doubt heard about her recent run-in with Scarlet. _That_ incident was precipitated by a slight against him as well..."

"Indeed I did hear about that..." Rufus said. His lips quirked upwards into a small, self-satisfied smirk. " _You_ were the one who made sure of it."

"I have no idea what you mean, sir. You're well aware that your father has forbidden discussing company business with you until he says otherwise."

"And yet I have still somehow managed to stay in the loop..." This time, Rufus' smile was far more genuine. Elena blinked in surprise – she had the distinct impression that the executive had just subtly thanked the Turk leader – and suddenly realized that he had turned to look at her directly. "Did you really tell that cow she ought to be working for Corneo?"

"Er... I..." Elena stammered, "I-I may have, sir..." To be honest, she couldn't recall most of the conversation itself. Just how thoroughly fed up she'd been with the woman and her disgusting behavior. She _did_ vaguely recall Corneo's name having been mentioned, though, along with one or two choice rumors she'd heard about how Scarlet had gotten to be an executive in the first place.

"Hmm..." Rufus continued to study her intently, and Elena shifted awkwardly under his gaze. It was several moments before he saw fit to release her from it. "Alright, Tseng. I believe I've kept you from your duties long enough. You may return me to Junon now."

Tseng nodded and stood, and Elena quickly followed suit. As the trio made their way out of the cafe, the Turk leader's PHS began to ring. He drew it from his inside jacket pocket, and thumbed the accept button. "Yes?" Tseng frowned as he listened intently to whoever was on the other end of the line, slowing his pace toward the helicopter. "I see. Elena and I will meet you at headquarters. Have any remaining Shinra employees pulled out of the tunnels immediately."

"Problems at home, I take it?" Rufus inquired as Tseng ended the call and tucked the phone back into his jacket.

"If you consider a malfunctioning security grid and two Turks nearly being run down by a train on what was supposed to be an inactive route a problem..." he said, darkly.

"I suppose that would qualify. Are they're both still in one piece?"

"No one was hurt," Tseng confirmed, "But apparently it was much closer than either of them would have liked. It would appear your day out will have to be extended briefly. Reno seems to think things are about to get worse, and I'd like to be there in the event that he's correct."

"Father won't be happy to see you've brought me back with you," Rufus said, smirking, as they boarded the aircraft. Elena was only too happy to relinquish the pilot's seat to Tseng. She was improving... but not to the point that she really wanted to demonstrate her flying skills in front of the vice president.

"Not if he finds out, no... which is why you will be remaining at Turks headquarters. With Elena."

The rookie turned toward him at the mention of being left out of the action, intending to protest.

"I hardly think someone of my position in the company should be expected to babysit your new recruit," the vice president replied. Elena frankly couldn't tell if he was being serious or not, and Tseng's apologetic glance didn't give her any further insight.

* * *

"Come on, already, move it..."

Most of Shinra's people were present and accounted for... at least those working in the general area of the Sector 4 station. Reno had sent Rude on ahead to Sector 5 to make sure everyone there got out safely. Sectors 2 and 3 would have to be handled by their respective stations' personnel. They were lucky the work had been staggered... pulling their people out of the tunnels in all of the city's sectors would have probably gotten ugly.

As it was, the crowds of passengers in the station were getting restless. He couldn't blame them for being more than a little irritated with him for ordering the trains halted and blocking off half the platforms as the inspection teams began returning. He'd have been pissed, too. There were ten groups of two wandering around down there, though... twenty people, all of whom he was temporarily responsible for. The majority of them were milling about behind him at the moment, the ninth pair being the ones he was impatiently urging along. He was just glad he didn't have to manage crowd control, as well. Station security was taking care of that.

The redhead glared at the darkened tunnel, wondering where the hell that last group was.

"H-help! Someone, please... help!"

"Fucking typical..." he muttered, hopping off the platform and down onto the tracks. He'd just known things had been going entirely too smoothly. Reno took off at a run toward the voice farther down the tunnel. He didn't have to go far.

"Oh, thank Holy," a middle-aged woman in coveralls gasped as he approached. She was supporting a young man – Reno put him at no older than eighteen or so – over her shoulder. He could barely stand even with her assistance, and in the dim light that penetrated the tunnel from the station, Reno could see that his face was ashen. The blood that was soaking the entire left side of his body probably had something to do with that. "Train came through while we were checking out one of the junctions. Missed us, but Aedi here fell onto the switch in the side-track just as it was closing," she said as Reno took him from her, "Closed right on his arm. It's bad."

"I got him... Go on ahead and tell 'em to get some medical personnel down here."

The woman rushed off toward the station. Reno's charge stumbled, moaning in pain, as he tried to hurry him along.

"Fuck, kid... You really did a hell of a job on yourself," he said, as he hoisted the boy off his feet and carried him the rest of the way. Reno grimaced at the way the injured arm hung limply from Aedi's shoulder. He was betting there probably wasn't much left there to be saved, but the kid himself didn't look too far gone just yet. In so much agony he probably didn't even know what was happening, sure... but assuming he didn't bleed out at the station before they could do anything else, Reno was willing to give him pretty good odds of survival. He certainly didn't envy the recovery period, though.

By the time they reached the station, the woman had already shoved her way through the crowd and returned with help.

"Watch it. Kid's in bad shape," Reno cautioned, handing the young man off to waiting hands above him on the platform. He pulled himself up onto the platform as well, watching for a moment as those better trained to deal with such things took over, before turning back to his original task... herding the remaining teams. Now that everyone was accounted for, it was simply a matter of making sure everyone got to where they were supposed to go.

* * *

He was sitting at _her_ desk.

What's more, he knew it was her desk... and he'd taken it over just because he could. Elena had responded only by wordlessly co-opting Reno's workstation for the time being, so she could at least get started on the task Tseng had set for her – monitoring and organizing the reports that were beginning to come in from the Shinra personnel overseeing the inspection of the train system – but it still aggravated her that the vice president had decided that her space was now _his_ space.

"Hope you drove in to work today, 'Lena," a voice called from the doorway, "'cause if you were plannin' on takin' the train home, you're not gonna be going anywhere for awhile. And why are you at _my_ desk?"

Elena looked up just as Reno was strolling through the door, Rude in tow. She gasped softly as she took in the bright red stain that marred his shirt and the damp, dark continuation of that stain that saturated much of his jacket's left sleeve. Before she could either answer him or ask what had happened, however, he had moved on, his gaze falling on Rufus. "Oh... That's why." He grinned slightly. "Someone finally surrender?"

"No... I'm here somewhat under the radar, courtesy of your superior. Is it _really_ necessary for you to bleed all over my building? We pay maintenance too much as it is..."

"Tch... I'm not bleedin' on anything. It's not even mine. Appreciate the concern, though, sir. Makes me feel special." Rude subtly elbowed his partner as he walked past him, to which the only response the redhead gave was an unconcerned shrug. "Annnyway... Where _is_ the boss?"

"Being thoroughly eviscerated, I imagine. Tseng forced me into hiding as soon as he heard him stomping down the hallway, but I gather that Heidegger wasn't exactly happy that he pulled everyone out of the tunnels without approval."

Elena refrained from commenting. 'Wasn't happy' was an understatement. Heidegger had been downright apoplectic when he'd stormed in twenty minutes ago and demanded the Turk leader accompany him to the President's office. She hadn't seen Tseng since... though she very much doubted evisceration was something the Turk leader would stand for, particularly from Heidegger.

"Yeah? Well, I'm pretty sure the kid over in Four who's missin' an arm wishes we'd pulled 'em sooner."

"Now go and say that to Heidegger," Rufus shot back. The executive glanced at his watch.

"You gonna stop him from takin' my head off if I do, sir?" Reno asked, and for a moment, Elena wondered if he was seriously considering it.

"No."

"Then fuck that. Above my pay grade." He settled himself on the corner of his own desk, looking over Elena's shoulder as she scanned through the latest report. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rude shake his head in exasperation, and wondered just where Reno drew the line when it came to interacting with the vice president. Though, to be fair... Tseng had been far more casual around Rufus than he was the other higher ups in the company, too. It didn't seem to anger the vice president... though with Reno, it was met with disdain or a cutting remark at virtually every turn. She found herself wondering whether or not the 'respect' Tseng had claimed Rufus Shinra had for the Turks really existed.

"I thought as much," said Rufus, his tone cool. "Make yourself useful for a change, then, and tell me what's been going on. Your temperamental little secretary over there hasn't been much of a conversationalist."

"Heh... that's above _her_ pay grade," Reno replied, smirking. "Fine. President asks, I didn't say anything either. Scanners on the trains have been feeding fake data back to the stations all week. No one figured it out 'til this morning. Hell of a job, apparently. I'm no expert when it comes to technical shit, but the guys who _are_ say they wouldn't've caught it for at least another week or so if somethin' hadn't needed rebooting or whatever over at the main transport hub. No clue where they got in, either. The computer geeks swear up 'n down it had to have been done from one of the terminals on the line, and not from outside, but we couldn't find any evidence of unauthorized personnel gettin' past the security on the access points. 'Course we lost power 'round lunch time and then damn near got run down by a train that wasn't 'sposed to be there, so we didn't exactly cover every inch of the place... Pulled everyone out after that, and it's a good thing we did. Besides the kid in Sector 4, there are two dead and one missing and presumed dead in 3 and three more injured between 2 and 5."

"At least one of the trains that were still running was being re-routed," Rude added, apparently correctly guessing Rufus' next question, "We don't know if it was random, or if it was being sent down specific lines."

"We've shut down everything, now," Reno continued, "The passengers are just about as pissed off as it sounds like Heidegger is, but not much we can do about it. Fuck only knows where those trains might end up if we just let 'em run. Move over, 'Lena... I need in that drawer."

Elena obediently slid over a few inches to give Reno access. She rolled her eyes when she saw what he was after.

Rufus snorted softly in contempt. "Glutton."

The redhead shrugged and bit the head off a gummy worm. "Hey, I haven't eaten since this morning. I need _somethin'_ or I'm gonna be completely useless pretty soon."

"And that would be different from your normal self... how exactly?"

"Reno?" Elena interjected, "One of the Sector 2 inspection teams found a damaged terminal." The report had only just been entered and forwarded to the Turks.

"Oh, yeah?" He leaned over her shoulder again, scanning through the new report on the screen. "Recent damage?"

Elena shook her head. "It doesn't say. They were recalled before they could do much more than note that it was damaged."

"Well, that figures. Guess someone better go check it out," Reno said, sighing dramatically, "I'm never gonna get any lunch at this rate." Rude stood, moving to follow him out the door, but Reno waved him off. "I got this. No sense tyin' up half the team to go look at broken equipment. If Tseng survives Heidegger's wrath, let him know where I'm at."

"... You sure?"

"Tch... Already been run over by a train once today. What else could possibly go wrong?" he said, grinning.

"W-wait... what? What do you mean you were run over by a train?" Elena asked, horrified. Even Rufus raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"Ah, no big deal. Couldn't move fast enough to avoid it, so I had to hit the deck and ride it out. Nothin' to worry about. Right, partner?" he said, looking to Rude for confirmation.

"No comment."

"Well... clearly, at this rate, you'll be dead before the day is out. Should I just have HR start the paperwork for your life insurance payout now, or wait until they recover your body? I assume, that since you have no family, the company gets to collect on you."

Elena shot the vice president a dirty look, amazed that anyone besides Hojo could be so callous. He either wasn't paying her any attention or chose to ignore it. Reno, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered in the slightest. If anything, his grin widened.

"Sorry, sir. Company's outta luck. Anything happens to me, everything goes to 'Lena 'n Rude." With that, he grabbed his coat and headed out the door. The rookie blinked in surprise. She glanced questioningly over at Rude, who simply nodded.

"Hmph... Not only an idiot, but a sentimental idiot," Rufus said with a quiet sigh, more to himself than to the others in the room. He looked over at Rude. "As... _entertaining_ as the prospect of being sequestered here with the pair of you sounds... I think I'll go and find something else to keep me occupied. I'll be in my office. Assure Tseng that I'll be sure to avoid anyone who might report my presence to my father."

"Yes, sir," Rude responded. The vice president stood and left their offices without further comment, moving, unhurried, toward the elevators. Once he was gone, Elena turned to her fellow Turk, curious.

"Rude?" 

He shrugged. "You're surprised? Who else would he leave anything to?"

"I... guess. But why just you and me? Why not Tseng, too?"

"Tseng asked him not to," Rude said simply, "A long time ago."

"Why?"

Rude shifted a little uncomfortably. As a general rule he tried to avoid these sorts of morbid topics of conversation with his fellow Turks. If he didn't, he tended to dwell on such thoughts. "Tseng was the one who brought him in to begin with. I think it makes him feel responsible for what happens to him, so the idea of profiting if something _were_ to happen to Reno... doesn't sit well with him. "

Elena looked back at the computer screen noting the three new reports that had just popped up in her inbox. "When you put it that way... I don't think I like it much, either," she sighed, opening the first of them.

"It's important to him. Reno's logic is, if something happens and he's not here to look out for us himself, this is the best he can do. It's one less loose end for him. I can't bring myself to talk him out of it... He'd be hurt if I did." Rude smirked slightly. "And he'd never let _you_."

"What makes you say that?" she asked, her gaze snapping up to him in surprise.

"Same as Tseng. He's responsible for you being here."

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's not like he personally recruited me. I _applied_ to the training program, you know... I _wanted_ to be a Turk, and I knew exactly what I was getting into."

Rude gave a soft laugh. "I'm amazed you can say that with a straight face. You had no idea what you were getting into."

"Hey!" Elena glared at him, plainly hurt by the implied insult. She knew she still sometimes came across as naïve, and Reno was occasionally in the habit of pointing it out to her... but Rude was usually a bit more tactful. The bald Turk shook his head dismissively and gave her a small smile.

"That isn't what I meant. Everyone knows it's a dangerous job... but is it really what you were expecting?"

She opened her mouth to assure him that it was... but paused and leaned back in her chair. It really wasn't something she'd given much thought to, but if she was honest with herself... no. Being a Turk was nothing like she'd imagined as a recruit. She'd never expected to find herself part of a family so close that she didn't dare imagine losing one of them. Or being so secure in the knowledge that whatever happened to her, every last one of them would be there when she needed them. She'd never have believed the sheer level of trust she would find herself capable of placing in someone else, or how much that trust would be reciprocated. And she certainly wouldn't have thought it possible that anyone could know her so well... sometimes – like right now, she noted – better than she knew herself.

"I'll take that as a no," Rude said, chuckling softly, as Elena realized that she'd never actually answered him... and had been sitting in silence for a good minute or two. "Things are almost never the way you expect them to be. Not always a bad thing."

"And of course... _no one_ in their right mind would have expected what training with Reno would involve."

Elena squeaked in surprise and jumped violently in her chair as she twisted around to face presence that had suddenly materialized directly behind her. Every time. Every damn time...

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. Reno and Rude are both so used to my tendency towards a stealthy approach, it barely phases them anymore," Tseng stated, as a subtle grin turned the corners of his mouth upwards. She turned back to Rude.

"You could have told me he was there..." she said with a half-hearted scowl.

"Could have," he agreed, not looking the least bit remorseful.

"In any case... do try telling Reno sometime that he bears no responsibility for you. You might find his reaction entertaining. Speaking of..." the Turk leader prodded, forcing the conversation back to the current crisis, "Where is he? And for that matter, where's Rufus?"

"Rufus went to his office, sir," Elena replied, grateful that the teasing over her reaction was being kept to a minimum. "Reno's headed for the Sector 2 station to follow up on one of the inspection teams' reports."

Tseng nodded in acknowledgment. "In that case... Rude, I want you downstairs in the transportation division's offices. As soon as they've figured out what was done, I want to know every last detail."

"On it."

He turned to Elena once Rude had vanished. "Was there anything else of interest in the reports?"

Elena glanced at her inbox again. Nothing new had yet arrived. "Not really, sir. But... um..."

"Yes?"

It was probably nothing... but it had been nagging at her. "It's just... almost every report mentioned there being a train on the inactive routes. Most of them, _after_ the power cut out. I can't help but think... sir, is that normal? For a train to be running at all when the monitoring system is down and they can't track its location?"

"I have no idea," Tseng replied, arching an eyebrow in curiosity, "Send a message to Rude. Have him look into it while he's down there. And then find Rufus and bring him back here. He'll almost certainly be exactly where he told you he would... I doubt he'll do anything to draw attention, but I've already had one angry conversation with his father today. I'd rather not risk a second."

Her stomach dropped. "I... sir... Y-you want _me_ to order the _vice president_ to come back to our offices?"

"Yes. And see that he stays here," Tseng calmly replied. He smiled reassuringly. "Rufus is stubborn, but not entirely unreasonable... In fact, I find him far easier to deal with than anyone else on the executive board. I'm sure you'll manage. Once you've secured his cooperation, keep the rest of us updated as new information comes in. I have a lead of my own to follow up on. If you need me, I'll be on 62, speaking with Mayor Domino."

"Er... Yes, sir."

* * *

Reno squeezed himself through the access hatch for the second time that day, eventually poking his head out into the suffocating darkness of one of the many Sector 2 tunnels. He turned on the powerful flashlight he'd brought with him, driving away the shadows for a short distance, and looked around. The terminal he was interested in shouldn't have been far. He squinted down the dark passageway and smirked when he spotted the niche that held it.

"There you are, you little bastard..."

He headed toward it, sighing as he tried to not to notice the insistent growl his stomach gave. Reno hated skipping meals. He'd always seemed to burn through calories faster than the average person, even as a child. Aside from making him irritable in the extreme, going too long without eating also tended to leave him feeling mildly lightheaded and distracted – which wasn't exactly the best combination when one needed to be on their guard. The candy had staved that off for awhile yet, but it really hadn't made him any less hungry. Though, _that_ , at least, he could deal with without much effort. He'd had plenty of practice ignoring the gnawing sensation of an empty belly.

And for now, that was exactly what he'd have to do.

Reno knelt down next to the terminal. At first glance, nothing looked particularly off about it... until he noticed the loose panel and the scratch marks along one side. He barely had to touch it, and it clattered to the ground, the sound echoing almost painfully in the enclosed space. Flashlight aimed into the opening, he peered around inside.

Beyond his video game habit, computers really weren't a specialty of his – he tended to rely on Rude for dealing with that sort of thing – but, in this case, spotting the out of place component didn't exactly take a systems engineer. It was a cobbled-together mass of wires and circuit boards that had no more right being inside the terminal's case than would a rabid slum rat.

Without warning, the lights overheard came on, bathing the tunnel in their pale orange glow... and it became painfully obvious _exactly_ what he was looking at when, seconds later, the terminal whirred back to life and a tiny LED panel lit up and began counting down from ten...

"Ah, fuck..."

* * *

Elena stood in front of the door to the vice president's office, steeling herself for the task at hand. This wasn't going to end well... she was sure of it. At last, she knocked firmly, and pushed the door open, pausing in the doorway, hands clasped behind her back.

"What is it?" Rufus didn't even bother to look up from the stack of documents on his desk.

"Sir... I've been ordered to escort you back to Turks headquarters."

"I prefer to stay here. And since my authority supersedes that of the Turks in general, and most certainly _yours_ , specifically, I think I'll do just that," he said, glancing at her with a haughty expression. He waved her off, dismissively. "Now leave me alone. I'm busy. Surely you must have someone to kill or maim or torture. It's what we pay you for, after all."

"I'm sorry, sir, but Tseng said..."

"If Tseng is so terribly concerned about it, he can damn well come and get me himself instead of sending one of his little peons to do it for him. You may go and tell him so now," he interrupted, sounding far more angry than annoyed at this point.

"Tseng has more important things to do right now," she replied, nearly cringing at her own words. She was letting him get to her, just like Scarlet had, and she really couldn't afford to royally piss off yet another executive. If Rufus decided to retaliate, not even Tseng would be able to save her this time.

"Oh, he does, does he?" Rufus said, casting her a dark look, and Elena swallowed sharply. He brushed his hair back and stood, slowly making his way over to her, studying her as he did so. It was no small feat for her to meet his gaze and hold it. He suddenly smirked. "Hmph... You're not completely spineless after all..."

Elena slowly let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Fine... If Tseng wants to hide me away, I suppose can let him. I'm not much in the mood for an argument with Father, anyway." He brushed past her, heading for the elevators, and the rookie hurried to follow, relieved that things had gone so relatively easily.

Which, of course, was when she heard the elevator chime, announcing its arrival on the floor.

Rufus was surprisingly quick to react. The young executive ducked effortlessly into an alcove, and was out of sight before the doors had a chance to open. Unfortunately, his sudden departure left Elena completely exposed in the hallway. _Her_ reaction wasn't quite so expedient.

"What are _you_ doing here?" a wholly unwelcome voice intoned. It was a perfectly reasonable question, really... the vice president's office was tucked away from the other executive offices, and given that the man himself was supposed to be in Junon at the moment, there was no legitimate reason for her to have been there.

"I... uh..."

Scarlet advanced on her, glowering. "I asked you a question, _Turk_. This is vice president Rufus' private office. Just what are you up to?"

"Tseng... er... asked me to retrieve some... documents that the vice president requested be delivered to him," she managed, hoping she wouldn't be questioned any farther.

The other woman's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Oh, really? I don't seen any documents. Leaving without them?"

"I... couldn't find them?" Oh, yes... _that_ sounded convincing. Scarlet smiled evilly.

"Well, maybe Heidegger can tell you where they are," she hissed, catching hold of Elena's arm, "Let's go and ask him. Don't think for a second I've forgotten about your insubordination... now we can add corporate espionage to the list."

Scarlet yanked hard on her arm as she backed toward the elevator, pulling the rookie along with her... only to pause at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. The woman spun towards the source of the noise and froze, a look of shock on her face.

"I... Mr. Vice President..." she stammered, blinking somewhat owlishly.

"Stop interfering with my security detail, Scarlet. She's here because I am. This is a brief visit... one that is meant to be secret. And if you know what's good for you, it will remain so," he said, leveling a dangerously calm gaze at her.

Scarlet paled slightly and released her grip on Elena.

"Y-yes... of course..."

He turned to Elena, with a look of disdain. "Well? Don't just stand there. My business here is finished and I have no intention of spending my _entire_ day in Midgar. We're leaving. Now."

"Yes, sir." She scurried past Scarlet and boarded the elevator alongside Rufus.

"Though I do have to wonder..." the vice president said, as the doors were beginning to close, "just what are _you_ doing skulking about outside my office while I'm supposed to be in Junon?"

The woman's eyes widened noticeably. "I... I... was only..."

Whatever Scarlet's excuse would have been, the doors slid shut before either of them could hear it. Rufus snorted in contempt. "That should keep her good and scared for awhile. You're a terrible liar, by the way."

"... Yes, sir. I know..." she said, flushing faintly in mild humiliation. As if it wasn't bad enough he'd had to rescue her – and she was still trying to figure out why he'd bothered – she could have done without him pointing out the obvious.

He said nothing more as the elevator slowly descended, opting instead to gaze out at the view of Midgar through the glass walls of the car. Elena had always liked these elevators... There were only two of them, and they were only accessible from the secure floors of the building – and then, only to reach very specific parts of the building – so she rarely had cause to use them. But when the opportunity presented itself, she made sure to avail herself of it. Seeing that Rufus seemed content to ride in silence, she joined him in enjoying the scenery.

And when, moments later, a massive fireball erupted in the distance, she found herself staring right at it.

The vice president took a reflexive step back, eyes widening, before apparently remembering that the walls of the elevator were reinforced ballistic glass. Even if the explosion _had_ been close enough for the Shinra Building to have felt it, the odds of anything penetrating the car would have been virtually nil. Elena, meanwhile, already had her PHS in hand, dialing Tseng.

"There's been an explosion, sir" she said somewhat breathlessly when he answered.

"Where?"

"Sector 2, I think... It's hard to tell from this angle."

"You saw it? Where are you?" Tseng asked.

"The executive elevators, sir. I was just on my way back to our offices with the vice president," she said. Suddenly another thought occurred to her, and she nearly gasped aloud. "Sir... Reno's in Sector 2..."

"I'll check in with him on my way." He ended the call abruptly, leaving Elena to her own devices as the elevator arrived at its destination. She glanced out at the smoke billowing up from the Sector below, and swallowed sharply, hoping that Reno hadn't been anywhere near that. Rufus, too, seemed somewhat transfixed by the sight. His expression gave nothing away, however, so if the other Turk's welfare concerned him at all, _she_ certainly couldn't tell. "Sir?" she prodded, "If you would?"

Rufus pulled himself away from the view, and followed her lead as she made her way back to the Turks' main office. As she pushed open the door, she half-wondered what to do with him... Information would be coming in quickly in the next few minutes, and dealing with a temperamental executive wouldn't make sorting through it any easier. Rufus, however, didn't appear to be in the mood for interfering, opting instead to take up a position near the window – pointedly out of the way – keeping a wary eye on the smoke plume.

Elena took a seat at her desk. Just as she'd thought, accounts of the explosion were already filtering through to the Turks. It had, indeed, been centered in Sector 2. Moreover, to her dismay, it had originated below the city streets... probably in the train tunnels. She silently prayed that Tseng would be able to get ahold of Reno, and verify that he was safe.

The door opened, and she looked up, as Tseng arrived, PHS pressed to his ear, and a decidedly concerned expression on his face. A moment later he huffed in frustration and ended the call.

"There's no answer," he said, in answer to her questioning gaze, "Do we know yet what happened?" She couldn't answer at first. For a moment, she was certain she'd forgotten how to breathe. Tseng let his hand rest on her shoulder, pulling her, for the moment, from the feeling of trepidation that was quickly settling over her. "Elena... focus."

"I... um..." She turned back to her screen, glancing through the reports. "Not exactly. It definitely came from the tunnels in Sector 2, but we don't know what exploded. The area's blocked off by debris, so our people haven't been able to get in yet. There was a lot of damage topside, too, but no major injuries have been reported."

"Get your coat. We're going to take a look," Tseng said, frowning, as he turned to Rufus. "I think it goes without saying, sir, but I would greatly appreciate it if you remained here for the time being."

"Yes, fine. Go. I'm sure I can find something to keep me entertained," he responded, still looking out at the distant destruction.

Elena had just slipped into her coat and was preparing to follow Tseng out the door when his phone rang. Her heart leapt, hoping that it was Reno finally checking in. It was a hope that was short-lived.

"You have something?" Tseng answered, and the rookie realized it must have been Rude, not Reno, on the other end of the line. She waited as he listened to what the other man had to say. "Alright. Stay there and keep an eye on it. If anything changes I want to know immediately." He pocketed the phone and turned to her. "Change of plans... We're going to Sector 6."

"Sir? What about Reno?" she asked, anxiously. Tseng shook his head.

"I'm afraid he'll have to fend for himself for the time being," he replied, "There's no time. I'll explain on the way."

He was out the door seconds later, Elena rushing to keep up. The Turk leader hit the button for the roof, and Elena blinked... apparently he wasn't kidding. It was, at most, a forty-five minute drive from the Shinra Building to the edge of the plate... and given Tseng's zeal for speed, and his possession of a car that was built for it, she was fairly certain he could accomplish it in significantly less time if he had to. Yet they were going by air... Whatever was going on, it must be big.

"You were right," he said as the floors clicked by on the panel above the door. "When the transit system lost power, there shouldn't have been any trains running. That was a very good catch on your part, Elena."

"What's happening?"

"Rude says the tampering was done to hide the presence of a rogue engine. It's been running for days, circling the city. They're tracking it now in Transportation."

"But... why?"

"Rude isn't sure. A traveling base of operations, perhaps? Or merely a method of delivery for something more destructive... Regardless, it's heading for Sector 6." They reached the roof and stepped out into the freezing cold air. "Or, more specifically, it's heading for the Number 6 reactor via Sector 5. Soldier is already moving in, attempting to take control of the train. Our task is to see that all Shinra personnel are evacuated in the event that they fail to do so in a timely manner."

"Then... the explosion in Sector 2..."

"Was probably a distraction... an insurance policy in case the tampering was discovered early, to keep our attention focused as far from the target as possible."

They boarded the aircraft, and Tseng took them up, beelining for the Number 6 reactor. Elena looked down at the construction below... Number 6 had been online for years, but the Sector 6 Plate was still only partially completed. If the reactor was a target, it was an odd one. Or, she mused, a perfect one, depending on the goal... Of the eight reactors, Number 6 would have the least impact in terms of casualties. If whomever was behind this really _were_ attempting to destroy a reactor, there would be far fewer people near 6 than any of the others. And with the incomplete plate, the slums below would be relatively safe from debris as well. Shinra Company would bear the brunt of the suffering from its destruction, not the people of Midgar.

"When we land, we'll need to immediately start directing people into Sector 5... away from the train lines, obviously. An evacuation order has already been issued, but there's bound to be plenty of confusion. With any luck, reactor security personnel will at least be trying to keep things organized. Nearby residences will need to be evacuated as well," Tseng detailed to her, as the reactor loomed ahead of them, "I probably don't need to tell you this, but should this turn out to be an attack, we don't want to be anywhere near the reactor if it is successful."

"Yes, sir..." Elena said, swallowing sharply, "Safe distance is a minimum of ten city blocks."

Tseng eyed her sideways, smiling slightly. "Most people believe it's only eight."

Officially, the minimum safe distance in the event of a catastrophic failure at a mako reactor _was_ eight city blocks... but that only kept you well out of the blast area. Anyone who happened to work in one of them knew the explosion generated by a failing reactor was only half the danger, and Elena's father had helped construct the city's reactors. Eight blocks would more than prevent you from being killed outright by an explosion... but the danger of serious mako poisoning was still significant within that radius. When she was a child, her father had always cautioned her that farther was better.

"Most people weren't raised by a reactor foreman, sir."

"Ah. I suggest we also route them away from streets the tunnels pass under. Soldier tends to be a bit lax when it comes to avoiding collateral damage. I expect the repair teams will be busy once this is over."

Target in site, the Turk leader set them down just outside the massive mako reactor. An ear-splitting alarm was sounding, and personnel were already fleeing the structure as he and Elena got to work.

* * *

Reno coughed painfully in the smoke-filled air. He wasn't sure what, exactly, was burning, but whatever it was, it didn't seem to be dying out on its own. He could barely breathe.

Which, he mused briefly, wasn't an entirely bad thing given his current predicament.

He'd really only had one option when the countdown had started. The access hatch had been too far away – even at his best sprint, he'd never have made it – and he had no idea if there was any sort of cover in the other direction, though he doubted it. That had made his decision fairly straightforward. If he couldn't go left and he couldn't go right, he'd just have to go down.

Unfortunately, down meant an extraordinarily cramped sewer line. One that was presently filling with smoke from the destruction above him... though at least it made it very difficult to smell what he was currently laying in. Worse still, he couldn't get out. The narrow drain he'd slipped through – just barely slipped through, in fact – was now blocked, and unless he spontaneously learned how to transform himself into a liquid, he wasn't getting through the heavy steel grates that were welded along the entire length of the pipe at fifty foot intervals. Somewhat ironically, those grates were meant to protect people in the tunnels by preventing industrious terrorists from moving through the city's sewer system. For Reno, however, they were looking more and more like a death sentence.

His lunged ached, and he was starting to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen... and he was beginning to wonder if being blown up would really have been so awful. If nothing else, it would have been quick. His instincts for self-preservation, though, had forced him to act... and while he had indeed saved himself from the bomb, it was becoming increasingly obvious that he'd ultimately done nothing more than ensure a slow, and thoroughly unpleasant, death for himself instead.

Reno crawled through the fetid water in the pipe until he reached the closest security grate and leaned up against it. The pipe wasn't even tall enough for him to sit up fully. He was drenched, freezing, covered in Shiva-only-knew-what, and wheezing as he desperately fought to get enough air... It wasn't exactly the most dignified way to go.

He shifted his position a bit and pulled his PHS out of his pocket. The screen had shattered while he was squeezing himself through the drain The whole thing was pretty badly mangled, in fact. But, to Shinra Company's credit, it was still functioning... he just couldn't do a damn thing with it. It had even tormented him, a short while ago, by chirping out a garbled attempt at the custom ringtone he'd set for Tseng... but with the lack of a working interface, he hadn't been able to answer. At least they were looking for him.

He didn't think they'd have much luck finding him in time, though. It was obvious, from the thick smoke, that the fire was still burning, and odds were pretty good that the drain he'd entered through wasn't the only thing the explosion had blocked off.

This was far from the way he'd pictured his end. It had always been his hope that it would happen fast, with no time to think about it... which, to be fair, was not exactly uncommon among Turks. He'd just assumed that was how he'd end up one day. No suffering... no time for regrets or fear. But it looked like that wasn't going to be his fate after all.

Even, so... he didn't really feel afraid. He was too ticked off to be afraid. Mostly, he was angry at whoever the asshole was that put him in this situation to begin with. That bomb could just as easily have taken out the inspection team that found the damaged terminal. Or a passing train full of people.

Or Rude, if he hadn't insisted on coming down here alone. He was glad he'd told his partner to stay behind. If it had to happen, Reno'd prefer _he_ be the one slowly suffocating... not one of the others. He looked down at the damaged phone in his hand. That pissed him off even more. If he had to be stuck here dying, he would have at least liked to have had the chance to say goodbye.

That was the worst part... having to lay there, thinking about never horsing around with Rude again. Never teasing Tseng for his prim and proper habits. Never hearing Elena laugh at one of his terrible jokes. He didn't have to wonder if he'd be missed. He knew he would be... and somehow that made him feel worse. He never liked causing his family pain.

* * *

"I think that's the last of them, sir," Elena called out over the din of the moving crowd. Tseng nodded in agreement. It had taken longer than he would have liked, but they'd accomplished what they'd set out to do. All Shinra personnel, along with a number of residents and workers in the vicinity of the reactor, had been relocated to a safe distance. He pulled out his phone and dialed Rude.

"Anything new to report?" he asked when his subordinate picked up.

"Not yet," Rude responded. "The train is still on course for the reactor, still at full speed. It'll hit in about three minutes. Soldier has been inserted, but I haven't been updated on their progress."

"Understood..." Tseng resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The members of Soldier always _did_ like to wait until the last possible second... but they usually got the job done in the end, even if their efficiency left a lot to be desired, in his opinion. That being the case, all he and Elena could do now was wait... which gave him the opportunity to ask the question that was really weighing on his mind right now. "And... Sector 2?"

"... It's a mess. Something's still burning, and reports have been sporadic. No one from the company seems to be in charge over there right now. It's being left up to Midgar police and fire while we focus on the threat to the reactor."

His shoulders sagged. That wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for. "I see..." What he'd _really_ been hoping for was to be told that Reno had miraculously turned up, complaining about how terrible phone reception was in the tunnels, and wondering which of them was treating him to dinner for his trouble. "Elena and I are nearly finished here. We'll head for Sector 2 as soon as we're clear to retrieve the helicopter."

"... Hold on."

"What is it?" Tseng queried, noting the serious tone.

"You're clear _now_. Soldier reports the train is secure."

"Meet us there."

"On my way," Rude said in lieu of a goodbye, and Tseng heard the relief in his voice. He understood completely... Right now, Tseng, too, wanted nothing more than to go and search for his missing lieutenant, and he had a feeling Elena was just as anxious. But their job had to come first.

"Elena!" he called, waving her over. As she approached, he started walking. "The train is in the hands of Soldier. Reactor security can handle crowd control from here. Let's go."

* * *

The scene wasn't nearly as chaotic as she'd expected it to be. In fact, things seemed to be moving fairly smoothly... the city police had the area cordoned off for several blocks, injuries were being triaged and treated, and fire trucks were pouring water on the large, smoking hole in the middle of the street.

As she and Tseng approached, she spotted Rude already moving toward them, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"No one's seen him," he said once they met.

"Have they searched the tunnels yet?" Tseng asked.

Rude shook his head. "They just got things under control enough to send some guys down a few minutes ago."

Elena was pretty sure Tseng gave some sort of response... but whatever it was, she didn't hear it. She was much too focused on the group of firefighters emerging from the crater. Two of them carried a stretcher between them, its occupant sealed in a black, zippered bag.

"Oh... Oh, no..."

She felt sick. It had always been a possibility, but... somehow she'd never expected it to actually happen. And really, who else could it be but Reno? He was the only one who would have been down there.

This felt so different from the losses she'd suffered before now... It was different from how she felt when her mother had told her about the reactor accident that had taken her father, or the day her grandfather had died. Different, even, from losing Bel so very suddenly. This time, she'd still had hope, right up until she saw them carrying out that stretcher. It seemed to hit her twice as hard, feeling the loss and having those hopes dashed simultaneously. She staggered back a step, and someone caught hold of her, seizing her by the shoulders.

"Don't act so weak," a cool voice chastised her. To Elena, it felt like a painful mockery of Reno's own half-serious taunting, and her eyes narrowed in fury as she roughly shook off the interloper's grip and spun to face him. Rufus Shinra stood, eyebrow raised, waiting for her to say something... and she'd finally had enough of his cold, uncaringly superior attitude. She didn't even think about what she was doing. Her hand clenched into a fist, and she drew her arm back. But before she could let her punch fly, Tseng and Rude had her restrained. It was two against one... a losing battle... but she tried to fight her way loose anyway.

"Elena!" Tseng's barked in a commanding tone. "Stop. Now." Reluctantly, Elena stopped struggling. Neither man dared release their grip on her for several seconds.

Rufus crossed his arms over his chest. "Not much self control, this one," he commented.

"Sir... I respectfully suggest that you stop provoking her. Before my own self control fails me." Tseng said, evenly.

Rufus snorted derisively, and shook his head. "Casualties are unfortunate... but it's not as if you knew whoever that was."

"Sir..." the Turk leader began, only to be unapologetically cut off by the vice president.

"We extracted that obnoxious excuse for a second in command of yours twenty minutes ago. Much to my perpetual annoyance, he's still very much alive," he said, with a casual flip of his hair.

It was right about then that Elena spotted an ambulance several hundred feet behind the vice president... with a very familiar shock of red lingering in the back of it. Rufus fixed Tseng with a somewhat smug glance.

"I _did_ tell you I'd find something to keep me entertained..."

"Oh, thank Ifrit," Elena said with a sigh of relief, ignoring Rufus' commentary. She felt practically giddy as they made their way through the throngs of first responders and injured. Reno looked up as they approached, shivering and clutching a blanket around him, an oxygen mask on his face. He coughed harshly every now and then, sending tremors throughout his entire body.

"What? Were you guys worried about me or somethin'?" he asked, grinning weakly as he pulled the mask away. The paramedic seated next to him frowned and replaced it, as the redhead dissolved into a coughing fit.

"Is he injured?" Tseng asked medic, ignoring the teasing.

"Smoke inhalation and minor hypothermia. They'll probably want to keep him on oxygen for a few hours."

"Assuming they can stand to get near him, with that _stench_ following him around," Rufus interjected, nose wrinkling in disgust, "Hmph... It figures the slum rat's first instinct would be to crawl into a sewer. I had to order a demolition team from Urban Development in to remove him once we locked onto his phone's signal. They had to shut down power to six blocks to do it. _And_ I now have a broken sewer line actively spilling into the slums. Considering the expenses the company is going to incur fixing this mess, I ought to take the cost of your rescue out of your salary."

"That mean I don't get a hug, sir?" Reno shot back, having finally recovered a bit.

"I doubt even _she_ would be willing to get close enough at the moment." He nodded towards Elena, before turning his gaze on Tseng. "If the current crisis is finally over, you may return me to my little prison. I don't believe Father is aware I'm here yet, and it's probably in all of our best interests that it stay that way."

"Of course, sir," Tseng replied, "Rude and I will transport you back to Junon immediately. Elena... accompany Reno to the hospital. And notify Dr. Ward that he's there. She can decide whether or not his injuries warrant her personal attention."

"Yes, sir." She watched the three men walk away, heading for the helicopter, before climbing into the back of the ambulance with Reno. Moments later, they were on their way. The redhead sank down on the gurney, coughing occasionally. He looked thoroughly spent... though he perked up a bit when Elena reached out and stroked his hair.

"No hug from you either, huh?"

"Not until they hose you down..." she laughed. The smell really was pretty bad. They fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, and she briefly lost herself in thought. "I don't get him," Elena finally said, more to herself than to Reno.

"Who? The pretty-boy VP?"

She nodded. "The way he acts... The way he talks to people... And then he goes to great lengths to get you out of there in one piece."

Reno pulled the oxygen mask off again, and propped himself up slightly on one elbow. "Aw, don't let his charming personality get to ya. Rufus is okay," he said, " _And_ he's usually got our backs... you just kinda gotta read between the lines with him. Kind of an asshole on a personal level, and dangerous as fuck to have as an enemy... but I trust him a hell of a lot farther than the other execs. There's a sense of humor buried somewhere under all that ice, too, believe it or not."

"I still don't understand him at all," she lamented, "I mean... I'd have sworn he couldn't _stand_ you. Even Tseng said you two don't really get along..."

Reno laughed, which quickly turned into another coughing fit. It took him some time to recover, but when he did, he was grinning. "I'm not really sure Rufus actually _likes_ anyone... 'cept maybe Tseng, but that's 'cause... well... anyone ever tell ya what happened to _Mrs._ Shinra? The first one, not the current one."

"Not really... I kind of remember my parents talking about it when she died, but I was pretty young at the time."

"Before my time, too. Someone tried to snatch her and Rufus while they were out shoppin'. He was probably only nine or ten at the time. Things went bad, and his mom took a bullet in the head. Rufus woulda, too, but Tseng got in front of it 'n pushed him down. Almost died himself. He's had kind of a soft spot for the boss since then. Heh... Soft as the guy _ever_ gets, anyway."

"So... he saved you because Tseng saved _him_?" she asked, still confused. Reno shrugged.

"Probably doesn't hurt, but to be honest... I think he secretly enjoys havin' me around to bug the crap outta him sometimes. If he didn't, I'd never get away with half the shit I say to him. Rude _still_ thinks I'm nuts for messin' with him like that." He coughed again and sagged back down, nestling his head in the crook of his arm. "Mind if we picked this up later, 'Lena? I kinda feel like I've been kicked in the chest by one of those fucking chocobos you're so fond of."

"And you're always telling me that _I_ talk too much..." She placed the oxygen mask back over his nose and mouth, and let him rest for the remainder of the drive to Midgar General.

* * *

She hit the ground hard – much harder than she'd intended to – and winced as one arm was yanked roughly behind her, a weight settling over her lower back. Elena growled in frustration as she tried unsuccessfully to break the hold. Without warning, her adversary's free hand slid beneath the bottom hem of her sweatshirt, fingers, at first, only grazing her... but then they attacked without mercy.

Elena let out an involuntary peal of laughter, and made a second attempt at escape. "S-stop it, you b-bastard!" When _that_ attempt failed as well, she did her best to curl in on herself, desperate to escape the relentless torture as she gasped for breathe between bouts of hysteria.

"Reno... unless you're seriously advocating tickling an opponent into submission as a viable defense tactic, would you please release her? I think you've won this round."

Her torment finally ceased, and the grip on her arm vanished as Elena found herself panting to catch her breath. She was still pinned, face down, beneath him, however, and he didn't seem to be in any hurry to move.

"I don't know, boss. Seems pretty effective from where I'm sittin'... Maybe we oughta add it to standard training."

Tseng sighed softly and shook his head. Reno always seemed more playful than usual when returning from convalescence, and he was certainly in fine form today. He'd only been out a day... Tseng wasn't sure what had his second so anxious to get back to work. The man loathed being confined to bed, it was true... but there had been no such mandatory confinement this time around. In fact, he'd probably been perfectly fine to return to work the previous day, but Tseng had insisted he stay home. He'd found him that evening surrounded by various snack foods and aggressively targeting some sort of demon hellspawn on the screen in front of him... or what Reno would call a typical Thursday evening. He'd refused outright when Tseng had offered to let him stay home Friday as well.

"One successful takedown is hardly proof of concept."

"Works on Rude, too," the redhead pointed out, "Need a reminder?"

"... Try that on me again and you'll be back in the hospital," the aforementioned Turk deadpanned.

Tseng chuckled at the memory. It had been some time ago, and Rude had never let himself fall for the feint that had lead to the 'attack' again. It _had_ been quite entertaining to see his stoic friend reduced to helpless, hysterical laughter, though. He never would have guessed. "I don't think it would be quite so effective if the opponent weren't ticklish."

"Will you get _off_ of me already?" Elena cut in. She swatted blindly at him from her awkward position on the mat, and he snickered loudly.

"Enough, Reno." Tseng said, firmly, "Let her up."

"Alright, alright... geez..." he muttered, pivoting over her on one knee before fluidly climbing to his feet and helping the defeated rookie to hers as well.

"I think that's enough training for today," the Turk leader continued, "And unless I'm very much mistaken, it's nearly lunch time."

At the mention of food, Reno's eyes immediately lit up. "Finally... Hey, anyone up for skippin' the crapeteria today and gettin' some real food? Heard there's a new Mideelian place over in Sector 3 that's 'sposed to be good..."

"I'm in," Rude said with a shrug.

"Me, too... I've been wanting to try it for ages and never seem to get there!" Elena agreed.

"I'm afraid I have a prior engagement... but I'm sure you'll be only too happy to eat enough for both of us."

"Oooh... Hot lunch date, boss? Careful... you're gonna make 'Lena jealous..."

"Reno!" the rookie growled through clenched teeth, her cheeks reddening. She punched him, none-too-gently, in the arm.

"Somehow I don't think _I'm_ the one who needs to be afraid of our Elena at the moment..." Tseng replied, walking toward the locker rooms. He glanced back him and smirked. "And just for that, _you_ can clean up the practice area today."

Rude followed, sniggering softly. Elena, too, made for the locker rooms, but paused, turning to watch the redhead for a moment.

"What's with you today?" she asked after a moment, eying him somewhat suspiciously. Reno had been decidedly more zealous and hyperactive than usual. Moreover, he'd volunteered for every little task that required more than one of them to accomplish. In fact, she was pretty sure he hadn't let himself be left on his own all day.

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean, you've been acting like you finally found a way to infuse coffee and sugar directly into your bloodstream. And you're almost... _clingy_. What gives?"

Reno paused a moment in his stacking of the practice mats, and she could have sworn she saw him cringe. "I'm fine..." he replied. Elena folded her arms. "Tch... don't give me that look..." he said, shoving another mat onto the pile. The rookie didn't comment. "Fine... maybe I'm not completely _fine_ , but it's no big deal. I just need a day or two."

"For what?" she asked, though she was beginning to think she might have a pretty good idea. Reno sighed and turned to face her, leaning back against the pile.

"You're gettin' to be as bad as Rude," he said, teasingly. " _He_ likes to corner me, too."

"Will you please just tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothin', really... I just almost died, that's all. It's not the first time."

His tone was joking, but the rookie could hear the sincerity behind it.

"Reno..."

He groaned softly. "You're really gonna make me do this, huh?" When Elena didn't budge, he sighed in defeat. "Look... I was stuck in there for close to an hour. Didn't know if help was comin' or not... never woulda got out on my own, either, and I knew it. That's a hell of a long time to think about things. I honestly thought I was never gonna see you guys again for awhile there. It's... kinda makin' me not wanna let any of you outta my sight for too long right now. I was hopin' no one would notice..."

"Oh... Reno... Why didn't you say something?"

"It's hard for me," he admitted. "I _know_ any of you would be there to listen to all the shit that goes on in my head sometimes, but even after all this time, I still feel like a burden any time I end up unloadin' on someone."

"Well, you're not, so stop thinking that," Elena stated, firmly, "Reno, you can talk to me any time. You wouldn't turn _me_ away... I'd never turn you away, either," Reno laughed softly, and shook his head.

"Told, ya 'Lena... I _do_ know that. But I'll try harder to remember it." He tossed the last of the mats onto the top of the pile, and turned back to her. "Ya know... I never did get that hug you promised me. I know I'm kinda sweaty right now, but at least I don't smell like raw sewage anymore."

Elena grinned and wrapped her arms around him. Reno leaned into it, and she could feel some of the tension in his body ease. She didn't let him go until he finally decided to pull away on his own.

~fin~


	28. Snow Day

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 28: Snow Day**

 **by Desha**

Reno groaned loudly as he was pulled viciously from the edge of sweet, glorious sleep. He glanced over at the clock... just after eleven. He hadn't even been in bed fifteen minutes yet. When the insistent knocking that had woken him repeated itself, he swore and dragged himself to his feet, thoroughly annoyed.

It had been a long day. Hell, thanks to his target deciding to take a detour to see his girlfriend before moving on to the sort of activity Reno had been moderately more interested in observing, it had been a long evening, too... he hadn't gotten home until well past ten. Add to that the hassle of having to _rescue_ said target from a bar fight that he almost certainly would have lost had the redhead not intervened, and one could certainly understand Reno's current desire to remain comatose. Once he walked in the door, he had literally done nothing more than strip down on the way to the shower, let the water warm him up after spending hours following the asshole through the snowy streets of the Sector 7 plate, and crawl into bed with the intention of falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

He'd come _so_ close to succeeding, too.

"Goddammit, I'm comin'," he muttered at the sound of continued knocking. His hand found his EMR on the way. Never hurt to be a little paranoid when answering the door in the middle of the night, after all. Reno flipped the light switch in the living room, flinching in the sudden brightness, and made his way to the door, fully intending to tell off whoever the hell had made the mistake of disturbing him.

" _What_ , for Ifit's sake... ?!" he growled, wrenching it open, and glaring into the hallway. He froze, a sudden feeling of deja vu coming over him, as he saw who his late-night visitor was. "... 'Lena?"

"I... er... I'm sorry!" she stammered, her cheeks going red. Reno blinked in confusion as he looked her over. Snuffy's cage was tucked under her arm, awkwardly braced against her hip. The little ferret was snoozing peacefully, curled up beneath what looked like an old sweatshirt. A small bag hung by its strap from the rookie's opposite shoulder. "I... I would have called first, but I couldn't. My battery's dead. Um..."

"Your apartment's not on fire again, is it?" he couldn't help but ask, somewhat concerned. After the last time Elena had turned up at his door, unannounced, in the middle of the night, he was understandably wary.

"Oh! No... nothing like that," she said, hurriedly. She shifted awkwardly, her eyes not quite able to meet his gaze. "I'm not... um... interrupting anything... am I?"

Reno's eyebrow quirked upwards, not quite sure what she was getting at... until he realized exactly why she seemed to be so uncomfortable. He grinned internally, all sorts of ideas for things he could do right now – and probably shouldn't, if he wanted to live to see tomorrow – twisting through his mind. "Just a decent night's sleep. Come on in."

He ushered her over to the couch. "So what's up?"

"I... uh... My apartment," she said, now apparently trying very hard to keep her eyes on his face, rather than let her gaze wander, "The power's been out all day. It's _freezing_ over there. Poor Snuffy was buried under his blanket and wouldn't even come out for dinner when I got home. I was hoping I could... maybe camp out on your couch tonight?" She paused, before casting him a pleadingly look. "Reno, for the love of Shiva, would you please put some clothes on?"

Reno snickered, giving her a small shrug. "What? Not enjoyin' the view?"

Elena set Snuffy's cage down, and glared. "Pervert." The redhead flashed her a lewd smile and took a little bow. "Seriously, Reno... What kind of lunatic sleeps nude in the dead of winter anyway?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Why d'ya think I keep the heat cranked up so high in here? Eh... your loss..." he tossed over his shoulder, as he made his way back to his bedroom. He emerged a few moments later in a black silk robe. "Sure, you can stay. Must be pretty bad over at your place if you can't just pile on the blankets 'n ride it out."

"Believe me... I tried. I didn't want to bother you so late, especially after I heard you were still working after the rest of us all went home for the day, but I just couldn't take it anymore," She set her bag down on the floor and dropped onto the couch. "The power must have gone out right after I left for work this morning for the temperature to have dropped as much as it has. It's almost as cold inside as it is outside at this point. My whole block's dark, too. There isn't even any hot water in my building."

"Got plenty of that, if ya wanna warm up a little."

"To be honest, right now I just want to get some sleep without feeling like I'm turning into an ice cube," she responded, biting back a yawn.

"Suit yourself," he replied, "You can have the bedroom. Just lemme grab somethin' first."

"Reno, you..."

"And don't bother tryin' to talk me out of it this time. I already let ya have your way at the Christmas party," he said, neatly cutting her off and grinning as he disappeared into the bedroom for a second time. "Just let me be a fucking gentleman once in awhile." He poked his head back out and smirked. "Unless you'd like to share?"

"Oh, yeah... you're such a gentleman..." she scoffed, jokingly.

He vanished with a laugh, but wasn't gone long... and when he returned, Elena couldn't help but giggle softly. The stuffed bunny she'd given him for Christmas was cradled in one arm. Now it was Reno's turn for an eyeroll.

"Yeah, I sleep with her," he sighed, "Now quit laughin' at me and go to bed."

Elena giggled again, and shook her head. "I'm not laughing _at_ you... I just think it's cute." The ferret, who up until that point had been happily dozing his his cage, chirred in apparent agreement. "See? Even Snuffy thinks so." She collected her bag from the floor, and got to her feet.

Reno shot the rodent a baleful glare. "You're _not_ helpin' me out here much, Snuffy," he muttered, and planted himself in the seat the rookie had just vacated.

"Well, it's true," she said in a teasing tone. "And besides... It makes me happy knowing I gave you something you really like. Anyway... goodnight. And thanks for putting me up."

"Any time. 'Night, 'Lena."

* * *

Elena sighed softly and rolled over. Sunlight was peeking through the window around the edges of the curtains. She stretched a little as she woke fully, confused for a moment by the somewhat unfamiliar surroundings, before remembering how she'd been driven out of her own apartment last night and sought refuge with Reno. She snickered quietly to herself, a little surprised she wasn't waking up _next_ to him. It would have been kind of a golden opportunity for the joker.

Loathe as she was to vacate the lovely warm bed and the soft sheets she was cocooned in, there was the little matter of needing to get ready for work. She couldn't stay there forever... though her body argued the point admirably. It took her several more minutes to finally force herself to get up.

At last on her feet, Elena crept out into the living room, careful to be as quiet as possible. She wasn't sure if Reno would be up yet, and she didn't want to disturb him right away if he wasn't. She found him exactly where she'd left him the night before... on the couch. He was still sound asleep, half covered by a thick blanket and curled on his side, his head pillowed on one arm. The little bunny he'd so adamantly christened 'El' was clutched in a protective one-armed embrace in the other. It took every bit of self control she possessed not to laugh. He looked like a little kid who'd fallen asleep after trying to stay up too late. She smiled lightly, not quite willing to look away from the sight.

"Take a picture... it'll last longer," a sleepy voice suddenly taunted, and Elena jumped a little in surprise. Reno lifted his head minutely, eyes opening a crack to look at her, and he grinned. "Ok, ya gotta tell me, 'Lena... I mean, not that I mind, but what it is with you and watchin' me sleep?" he asked.

"I don't _watch_ you sleep," she responded, slightly scandalized. "I just... linger a little bit when I happen to _catch_ you sleeping. You just look so content and relaxed... It's sweet."

Reno snorted softly, and let his head drop, closing his eyes again. "Tch... you 'n Lira both..." he murmured, "You'd think I was the only guy on the planet that enjoyed sleepin'..."

"Well... I hate to interrupt something you enjoy so much, but it's after six. And we do have to work today. Don't you think you should get up?"

The redhead groaned and rolled over onto his other side, pulling the blanket over his head as he did so. "Five more minutes..."

Elena sighed in exasperation, conceding defeat. If Reno wanted risk being late in order to sleep in, that was his business. She, on the other hand, intended to be on time, regardless. That in mind, she quietly slipped into the bathroom to take advantage of some of that hot water that had been offered to her last night.

Reno yawned as he heard the door close behind her, and moments later, the sound of running water. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. If he wanted breakfast before he left for the day – and he most certainly _did_ – it was time to get up. He shoved the blanket aside and rolled off the couch, unenthusiastically dragging himself to his feet and tapping on Snuffy's cage. If he couldn't sleep in, neither could the ferret. His wake-up call was answered with a testy bark from underneath the makeshift blanket inside the cage.

"Hey, don't blame me. 'Lena woke me up, so I'm wakin' _you_ up. I'd rather still be sleepin', too..." he said, rubbing his eyes while making his bleary way into the kitchen.

Coffee was the first order of business. He hated the early morning... in fact, Rude occasionally joked that he was functionally on autopilot until at least eight a.m. Or until his fourth cup... whichever happened to come first. Though Reno typically protested the claim, it really wasn't that far from the truth some mornings... and today was looking to be one of those days. It always seemed to take a little extra effort to jumpstart his energy levels after a particularly late night. As his lifeline to wakefulness brewed, he turned to the fridge to see what _it_ had to offer this morning.

He shuddered as the chill from the appliance hit his bare skin... in hindsight, he really should have grabbed his robe first. Just as he was reaching for the pizza box that was wedged at an awkward angle in between a container of leftover chicken and a half-full jug of milk, his morning routine was further interrupted by the sound of his newly replaced PHS. He swore softly under his breath, and hurried to retrieve the device from his bedroom, snatching up the abandoned garment on the way.

"Yeah, boss?" Reno answered, hoping he sounded more alert than he felt... and that Tseng didn't _already_ have an assignment for him today. He was definitely not at a hundred percent quite yet, and had been hoping for at least a slow _morning_ at the office. He set about trying to dress himself with only one free hand, before finally giving up and wedging the PHS against his shoulder in order to shrug his way into the robe.

"I'm surprised."

Reno cocked an eyebrow, wondering just what the hell had managed to surprise the Wutaiian Turk, and why he felt the need to notify him of it at six in the morning.

"And ya just had to share? What... new experience for ya or somethin'?" he asked. He heard Tseng chuckle quietly on the other end of the line as he cinched the robe's belt around his waist.

"Hardly. But, typically, by now you'd have called _me._ "

"Tseng, have a heart," he whined, "I had a hell of a day yesterday. Didn't even get _home_ 'til almost eleven and I just rolled outta bed like two minutes ago. Coffee's not even ready yet. You're gonna have to give me a little more to go on here..."

"Then I suggest you look out the window..."

"Fine... but if I do and the city's in flames or somethin', I'm still not comin' in 'til after breakfast," he replied, meandering across the room and pulling aside the curtains. He immediately squeezed his eyes shut, looking away. "Gah! Fucking sunlight..." At that, Tseng began laughing openly as he patiently waited for his lieutenant to recover from his partial blinding. Reno squinted against the harsh glare, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness. When they finally did, his jaw dropped. "Holy shit..."

"As I said... I was surprised not to hear from you this morning," Tseng taunted him, "Usually, you wake me before dawn if there's so much as a _chance_ of _..._ "

"I was followin' that bastard over in seven all day yesterday. Didn't hear anything about _this_ comin'..." he said, cutting the other man's commentary short, before turning deadly serious. "Don't you fuckin' toy with me, Tseng... If you value your life, the next words outta your mouth damn well better be..."

"Snow day," the Turk leader finished for him. A grin spread over Reno's face. It was rare that the city was at such a complete stand-still that even the Turks were called off work... In fact, the last time he could recall Tseng uttering those words had to be almost four years ago now. But by the looks of the mounds of snow that had appeared overnight, most people probably weren't going anywhere for a good long while. His apartment complex was only a block or two off a main artery for the sector, and he could see that even _it_ hadn't yet been cleared.

"Yes!" he shouted, pressing his face against the glass as he tried to take in just how bad conditions were outside. He debated heading out onto the balcony as he wondered if he was completely snowed in... but given the temperature outside and his current lack of any substantial clothing, decided against it.

"We are, of course, still on call in the event of an emergency..." Tseng added.

"Aw, quit tryin' ta ruin it..." A 'snow day' had been a completely foreign concept to him prior to joining the Turks and moving to the Plate. The slums just didn't get much in terms of weather... it was cold, it was hot, or it was somewhere in between the two extremes... occasionally, it was damp, as well, and sometimes the runoff from above flooded parts of some of the sectors... but with the massive structure shielding lower Midgar from the sky above, rain and snow and wind just didn't happen in the slums. He'd never even _seen_ snow until he was sixteen. The idea that everything could simply stop because there was too much of it had been quite a revelation.

"... and per company policy, we're at half-pay for the duration of our absence..."

"Fuck if I care." A day off was a day off.

"... and you'll be expected to make up lost time on a weekend of my choosing."

"Yeah, yeah..." the redhead began, dismissively, before what his superior had said fully registered. "Wait... What? What the hell, Tseng? That _better_ have been a sad attempt at a joke..."

"Of course it was," Tseng said, and Reno could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Not funny, boss," he replied, though he couldn't help but smile a little.

"It's hardly my fault that you seem to be incapable of appreciating my more subtle brand of humor," the other man jabbed back at him in response. "Enjoy your day off. I'll see you when things thaw out a bit." He laughed softly. "In retrospect, I probably should have informed Elena first... Knowing her, she very well may already be attempting to make it into the office by now."

"Nah... She's still in the shower," Reno said, with a twisted little grin, "I'll let her know we're not workin' soon as she gets out. Later, boss!" He snickered to himself as he ended the call. That ought to raise an eyebrow or two. Though Elena would probably murder him if she ever found out about it...

Speaking of...

At some point while he'd been on the phone, the water had shut off in the bathroom. He tossed the PHS back onto the bedside table, and slipped out into the other room to await the rookie's return. He wasn't kept waiting for long... the door cracked open and Elena peered out.

"Reno... you wouldn't happen to have a..."

Whatever she'd been about to ask for was immediately forgotten, as Reno grabbed her by the wrist, laughing maniacally as he hauled her out and pulled her into a bear hug, then swung her in a wide circle before releasing her into the living room. Elena squealed in shock and clutched desperately at her slipping towel while she found her footing. She glared at the redhead, thoroughly annoyed.

" _RENO!_ "

He grinned wildly, ignoring the expression on her face. "Guess what?"

"You've finally lost your mind?" she deadpanned.

"No more than usual. Come on... seriously, guess."

"Ugh... Reno, I'm not going to play some demented little game with you while I'm standing here in nothing but a damp towel." Whatever had the redhead so excited, it was going to have to wait until she was dressed. She was _not_ going to have a repeat of Hell Week this morning. " Besides, I need to get ready for work, and so do you."

"Just _guess_..." he said, insistently. She crossed her arms over her chest, defiantly. "Come on, 'Lena. One guess... then I'll leave ya alone."

"Oh, alright..." Elena sighed. Apparently she wasn't getting out of whatever twisted little plot Reno had in mind so easily. "You've decided to embark upon a life of celibacy and sobriety?"

"Cute, 'Lena. I _meant_ guess somethin' that might actually happen," he replied with a smirk.

"You didn't specify," she shot back, and turned to march off into Reno's bedroom to get dressed while the redhead snickered unabashedly.

"Geez... Don't think I've ever seen ya so grouchy in the morning..."

Elena rolled her eyes and spun to face the entirely too amused Turk again, standing in the doorway. "I'm not usually ambushed, assaulted, and manhandled first thing in the morning, either. Why are _you_ suddenlyin such a good mood, anyway?"

"Heh... Got a call from Tseng while you were in the shower," he said, finally calming down a bit. "Today's the best kind of day winter in Midgar has to offer... It's a snow day!"

"I... What?"

"Snow day, 'Lena... you know. A day when it snows so much 'bout all you can do is stay home and not freeze? We got dumped on last night. Can't get to the office safely, so we get the day off. Tseng's orders."

"I know what a snow day is." Elena eyed him suspiciously, looking for the punchline. She knew him a little too well not to suspect a prank of some sort. Oddly enough, he seemed to be perfectly serious. "... Really?" she intoned, hesitantly, and Reno laughed.

"Yeah, really... Boss officially cut us all loose for the day. Take a look outside if you think I'm makin' it up."

She moved toward the window, glancing back at the redhead, half-expecting him to snatch her towel while her back was turned. Peering out into the bright morning sunlight, though, it quickly became apparent that this was no joke.

"Wow..." she breathed. Midgar's streets had vanished beneath a thick layer of white. She couldn't tell how deep it actually was until she thought to look down at the parking lot. Even from five floors up, she could see that the drifts came up to the windows of most of the cars parked below. The lower spots probably weren't nearly as deep, but Reno was right. They weren't going anywhere for awhile.

"Told ya so," the grinning Turk said from the doorway to the bedroom. "So? What d'ya wanna do today?"

She smiled sweetly, and strode over to the door.

"Well, for starters... I want to get dressed," she replied, closing it in his face.

* * *

Elena was a little surprised to hear voices as she was emerging from the bedroom, fully dressed now, in her gym clothes... her only real option since she had packed in anticipation of spending the day at work and going home that evening, as usual. It was either sweats, or her uniform... or back into her pajamas again. Sweats had won out.

She poked her head out, looking for the source of the voices, and spotted Reno leaning casually against the doorframe, talking to someone in the hall.

"Sorry, Tessa... already got company for today," she heard him say, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on, as she stepped into the living room to investigate. Finally at an angle from which she could see the visitor, the rookie found herself face to face with a young, olive-skinned woman. A streak of hot pink stood out vibrantly in her dark hair, and Elena could see part of an elaborate tattoo peeking out from beneath the collar of her shirt on one side of her neck. Her nose was pierced one one side with a diamond stud, and several more piercings decorated her ears. Much to the rookie's surprise, she smiled when she spotted her... a little predatorily, in her opinion.

"She can join in if she wants..." the woman purred, more than loud enough to be overheard by Elena. Reno glanced back over his shoulder, suddenly realizing that he wasn't on his own any longer and smirked.

"Don't think she's really into that sort of thing... but I'll ask." Elena quickly shot him a glare, and the redhead laughed. "Pretty sure that's a no. Guess she wants me all to herself."

The woman sighed. "Just my luck. Some other time, then..." She trailed a hand along Reno's cheek before turning to leave. Reno shut the door behind her.

"Really?" Elena asked, as he made his way over to her. He grinned, and draped an arm over her shoulders.

"Well, I didn't wanna be an asshole and just kick her out..."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Do you keep a... a waiting list, or something? Or do women just show up at your door at random?"

Reno laughed and started guiding her into the kitchen. "I wish," he said with a grin, "Nah... Tessa lives two floors up. Got together with her once a while back. She just figured I might be in the market for some company since we're all stuck for awhile. Probably woulda turned her down even if you _weren't_ here, to be honest."

The rookie blinked in surprise. She'd nearly convinced herself that he wasn't capable of such a feat. "You would? Why?"

"Well, for one thing, she likes to bite. _Hard_. In places that are way too sensitive for that shit," he replied, shrugging. "I get that some people like that kinda thing, but I'm not one of 'em... I take enough of a beating on the job."

"And now I'm sorry I asked..." Sometimes, she got just a little too much information from the man in response to a question.

"Yeah, you'd think by now you'd know better," he teased, "Ah, I'm sure she'll find _some_ way to entertain herself without me. Anyway... you planning on goin' for a jog or somethin'?" He plucked at the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"I didn't exactly pack for an extended stay," she replied, taking a seat on one of the barstools that lined the counter delineating the boundary between kitchen and living room. "I'm just lucky I took these home to wash them the other day... otherwise, I'd be spending the day in uniform."

Reno snickered and rounded the counter heading for the coffee pot. "You want a t-shirt or somethin' instead, feel free to grab one outta the closet," he offered, pouring himself a cup and upending the sugar dispenser over it, "So... on to breakfast. I was just gonna finish off some pizza from the other day, but there's other shit in there, too, if you're not in the mood for leftovers. I'd offer to cook, but honestly... I'm only _slightly_ better at it than Tseng. You're fine if ya want eggs or bacon or somethin' else that's almost impossible to fuck up, but beyond that..." He shrugged dismissively.

Elena hopped off the stool and opened the fridge, a little terrified of what she might find, knowing how the man usually ate. To her relief, the contents were almost shockingly normal, if a bit lacking in healthier options. Reno reached over her to grab the pizza box.

"Heh... you know, you shoulda hit up Rude for a sleepover last night, not me. You'd be eatin' better. Hell, if I'd known we were due for a fuckin' blizzard, I think _I_ mighta shamelessly imposed on him, too."

"I definitely wouldn't be choosing between cold fried chicken and cereal with marshmallows in it this morning... that's for sure," she said with a laugh, eying the cartoonishly decorated box sitting on the counter. Though, actually, she mused... cold chicken really didn't sound half bad.

"Aaaactually... you'd find that at Rude's place, too, if ya knew where to look," Reno said, conspiratorially. "Don't tell him I told ya, but he's got a thing for those little marshmallows... Keeps 'em hidden, though. Kind of a guilty pleasure."

The rookie giggled and pulled out the container of chicken, the mental image of Rude, of all people, eating colorful marshmallow bits in secret a little too bizarre to fathom. She carried her breakfast back to the counter with a shake of her head, grabbing a plate from the cabinet on the way. Reno was already downing a slice of pizza, pointedly ignoring the crust.

"Let me guess... you only eat the good part."

"Tch... It's all the good part," he smirked, and walked into the living room, "Just figured Snuffy was probably gettin' hungry, too." The ferret barked and trilled excitedly as Reno opened the door to his cage and passed the crust in to him. He carried it off to one corner, munching happily. Reno looked back over at her. "So ya never actually answered me earlier... what d'ya want to do today? We're sort of stuck with each other 'til someone digs us out."

"Or longer if power doesn't get restored to my building," she pointed out, "I mean... if that's alright. I can always get a room somewhere once the roads are open... or stay at the office for a day or two." Reno wouldn't turn her out, she knew – probably not even if he got to be truly fed up with having a houseguest – but she still felt a little bad just inviting herself like that. He stood up from his crouched position and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Give me a break, 'Lena... Don't pretend like ya _really_ think I'd toss you out into the snow and tell ya to go home. I know you don't believe it for a second," he replied, smiling, "'Sides... you ever spent a weekend in the Shinra Building?"

She shook her head and bit into a drumstick, savoring the crusty, and slightly greasy, skin. It was horribly unhealthy, she knew, but it had always been her favorite part of fried chicken.

She remembered staying overnight at headquarters a handful of times her first month or two on the job, when she'd gotten a little over-zealous trying to make a good impression and ended up staying so late that she just didn't feel up to driving home. The sleeping quarters that were part of the Turks' headquarters were small – not much larger than her walk-in closet, to be honest – but comfortable enough for a good night's sleep. But her previous stays had never been more than a single night.

"Don't ever do it," the redhead said with a laugh, "Learned that lesson the hard way. Hojo likes to prowl around on the weekends."

"Why would he..."

"Lookin' for specimens," Reno said, anticipating the question. "Volunteers, supposedly, but you've met the fucker. I've got my doubts on just how many of 'em are helping him out on a strictly volunteer basis. And just so ya know... he's got access to our office. Parts of it, anyway, including the sleeping quarters. He's technically in charge of the on-site medical staff... Can go just about anywhere in the building in case of a medical emergency."

"Okay, that's... _really_ disturbing," Elena said with a shudder. Hojo was not on her list of favorite people. Not since he'd attempted to, in his own words, euthanize Reno after he'd been injected with an experimental, and very potent, drug.

"Yeah... even more so when ya wake up one a.m. and the guy's starin' at ya in the dark. Asshole's lucky I have a preference for close range weapons, or he probably wouldn't've walked outta there alive... and I'da had a hell of a time explainin' _that_ to Veld."

"You _have_ to tell me that story," she said, sniggering. Reno grabbed the pizza box, and flopped down on the couch with it.

"Bring that over here and get comfy, then..."

Elena set a second piece of chicken on her plate, and returned the rest to the fridge before pouring herself her own cup of coffee and joining him.

"Let's see..." Reno began, "Guess it was maybe six or seven months after Tseng recruited me... before Hell Week, anyway, so I really hadn't been around that long. I... kinda got myself kicked out of the apartment I was living in, and I was too much of an egotistical little shit to take Tseng up on his offer to stay with him for awhile, so I took over one of the rooms at headquarters."

"Hold on... how'd you get kicked out?" Not that she'd ever had much cause to test the claim – beyond her drunken Friday night party with Reno awhile back – but it was a widely held belief that members of the Turks were immune to little things like arrest, vehicle citations, and eviction.

The redhead snickered. " _That_ is a whole _other_ story, 'Lena..." He reached over and opened Snuffy's cage again, this time letting him climb out and perch himself on his chest as he leaned back on the couch. The ferret curled up in a ball while Reno stoked his back. "Anyway, I'd been stayin' there a couple of days already, and it was finally the weekend. Met up with Rude on Saturday, hung out at his place for awhile, then headed back to the office to get some rest. No big deal."

He paused a moment to shove half a slice of pizza into his mouth. "So... I went to bed," he mumbled around the mouthful, before swallowing. "And 'bout one in the morning, I woke up. Which isn't really that unusual for me... I wake up in the middle of the night all the time. Usually just roll over and go right back to sleep. But I just get this feelin' that I'm bein' watched, ya know? Learned a long time ago never to sleep too far from a weapon, so my mag-rod was in pretty easy reach. Must've scared him shitless when it lit up and he realized I knew he was there, 'cause the bastard took off like a fuckin' cockroach. Didn't dare come back rest of the night... and I know, 'cause I sure as fuck wasn't goin' back to sleep after that." He chuckled at Elena's wide-eyed expression and finished off the slice in his hand.

"Did you ever figure out what he wanted?" she asked.

"Nah... Told Tseng about it on Monday. He talked to him, but Hojo just gave him some bullshit excuse about tracking an escaped specimen from his lab. The boss didn't buy it and neither did I, but Hojo's pretty much untouchable 'cause of all his research projects and the cash they bring in. There's actually a rumor he was responsible for a Turk going missing _years_ ago, but no one ever proved anything. Or if they did, it got swept under the rug. Tseng insisted I come stay with him while I looked for somethin' more permanent, and I didn't argue."

"A... a Turk disappeared?" The very idea was more than a little horrifying.

"Yeah, well... That's what they _say_ , anyway," Reno said, shrugging, "Not sure of the guy's name. Vince or somethin' like that. Dunno if there's really any truth behind it or not. Before Tseng's time, and _way_ before mine. Only person who might've known for sure was Veld, and he always kinda brushed me off any time I asked about the specifics. For all I know, it mighta just been some shit he made up to scare the rookies. The guy _could_ have a little bit of a sadistic streak at times. Always made me a little leery of Hojo, though."

He lifted the last slice of pizza from the box... but before he could do anything else, it vanished in a blur of teeth and fur as the formerly-napping ferret latched on and took off across the room.

"Hey!" he shouted after the creature, "Get your fuzzy ass back here with that!" Reno was on his feet seconds later, chasing after him as Elena dissolved into laughter. Snuffy dragged the pizza underneath the fridge and Reno dropped to his knees on the kitchen floor, peering into the space after him. He glared at the ferret, who had moved far out of his reach. A tiny growl emanated from beneath the appliance. "Fine... keep it, ya little bastard. See if I ever share with _you_ again."

He sighed and grabbed a second cup of coffee, noting that, between the two of them, the level in the pot had decreased rather drastically.

"Anyway, we tightened up security on our floor after that. Now, if anyone without a very specific security clearance accesses our space after hours, there's an alarm that goes off."

Elena watched as he downed half the cup and refilled it with what remained in the pot before returning to the couch. "Okay... now tell me how you managed to get yourself evicted..."

"Tch... What is this?" he snickered, arching an eyebrow, "Storytime with Reno?"

"Well... you did ask what I wanted to do today..." the rookie prodded.

"And you wanna listen to me talk about myself? … Talk about easily entertained. I know I'm kind of awesome, but I'm not _that_ interesting..." Reno grinned playfully at her. "'Sides... Just look at all that snow!"

"You're _not_ seriously suggesting we go out in that..."

"Why not? A little while won't hurt anything. I might even hold still long enough for you to hit me with a snowball... Maybe."

Elena gave a derisive snort and shook her head. She may have had exceptional aim, but Reno's speed and natural agility made him an almost impossible target. Both to hit and to avoid. "Oh sure. I get one free hit. And then you'll spend the next half hour pelting me with them in retaliation... No thanks. _And_ it's way too cold to be outside anyway. If you feel like freezing in the name of entertainment, go right ahead. I'll come defrost you sometime next week."

"Fine..." he sighed dramatically, "Well, if we're stayin' in... I just picked up Tides of War 4. And I'm only like... a quarter of the way through that movie collection you gave me for Christmas. Either's gotta be more fun than me talkin' all day," he suggested. Just as he said it, the lights went out. "Annnnd... I just jinxed us." The redhead got up and walked to the sliding doors that led out onto the balcony, opening the blinds to let in the morning sun. "So much for video games and movies."

"And heat..." Elena pointed out.

"Nah, that's no problem," he replied, laughing, "I keep it hot as fuck in here in the winter... it'll be hours before it starts gettin' cold enough to be uncomfortable. And if the power doesn't come back on by then, we can always take Tessa up on _her_ offer. How do _you_ feel about biting, anyway? I'm not big on bein' on the receiving end, but if ya ever wanted _me_ to bite _you,_ I suppose I could be persuaded..."

"Very funny."

"You're gettin' too used to me, 'Lena. A few months ago, that woulda had you blushing at the very least. Now you don't even bat an eye," Reno commented in reply, looking almost proud of the fact. "Think I _will_ go put on somethin' a little warmer, though. Just in case the power really _doesn't_ come back on soon."

He was right, she realized. She really had grown so accustomed to comments like that they hardly phased her anymore. That wasn't to say the man couldn't have turned her an impressive shade of red if he'd really wanted to... but a little suggestive commentary was hardly the worst Reno could do. Elena was fairly certain that she ought to be worried about that... either because it meant that Reno had finally well and truly corrupted her, or because it meant that she was going to eventually find out exactly what the worst he could do _was_. She laughed softly to herself as she realized that she didn't actually find that thought to be all that distressing.

While Reno left to hunt down more suitable clothes, Elena crossed the room and peered under the fridge. Snuffy was still happily gnawing away on the stolen pizza.

"I'd watch it if I were you, Snuffy..." she cautioned him, "Reno might be a lot more forgiving than me when it comes to your kleptomania, but if you make a habit of getting between him and his breakfast, you're _really_ going to be in trouble..."

"Heh... You tell 'im, 'Lena!" the redhead's voice called from the bedroom... and she was fairly certain she heard him mutter something about a 'spoiled little furball' before he finally returned. He'd pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved, black shirt with the image of a zolom among flames emblazoned across the front. Elena snickered softly.

"What?"

"A zolom? Really?" she asked, "After what we went through in Mythril Mine?"

Reno gave her a casual shrug. "It's not a zolom. It's Petrified Zolom. Local group, usually plays shitty little clubs and dive bars over in Sector 5. Been listenin' to them for years... Remind me to take you to see 'em some time."

"Doesn't exactly sound like they'd be my taste..." She could just imagine. Probably screaming, unintelligible lyrics, and the volume cranked up so loud her ears would bleed.

"You might actually be surprised. Yeah, they're hard rock, but they're not _too_ far off mainstream, so they kinda appeal to people like you, too," he said, grinning.

"And just what's _that_ supposed to mean?" Elena had the distinct impression that had been a not-so-subtle dig at her musical tastes... which, admittedly often trended towards the top 40. But she liked other stuff, too, dammit!

"Nothin'... Absolutely nothin'," Reno said, as innocently as possible. "Just sayin'... I've seen your workout playlist."

"There is nothing wrong with my playlist," she defensively replied.

Reno nearly doubled over laughing as she openly glared at him. "I got two words for ya, 'Lena – Jason. Ladue."

Elena groaned in shame. The teenage pop star was disgustingly popular... mostly with pre-teen girls who didn't know any better and over-fifty women teetering on the verge of a mid-life crisis. It was the sort of syrupy-sweet, love-song laden fare that those who were just discovering boys simply ate up. Unfortunately, it was also very catchy and upbeat, which made it great to run to. And – even though it creeped her out a little to admit she thought it – the seventeen year old singer wasn't half bad-looking, either.

Reno shook his head in teasing disappointment. "That shit's almost worse than your romance novel addiction. You're not one of those adult fans that gets all pervy over the kid... are ya?"

"He's _only_ six years younger than _I_ am, you know!" she suddenly blurted out, before clapping a hand over her mouth in disbelief. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. Reno stared at her, slightly shocked for a moment, before resuming laughing hysterically.

Elena growled in annoyance, and snatched a throw pillow from the couch. The redhead was too distracted by his own mirth to see it coming when it collided with his head. "Just... shut up, you jerk! You're hardly one to talk!" she yelled, continuing to pummel him with it, even after he'd dropped to the floor in an attempt to escape her wrath. Seeing her chance at victory, she pinned him, straddling his chest, and forcing his arms against the floor with her shins.

"'Lena... if I made a habit of creepin' on teenage girls like some of you Ladue fans do to that poor kid, I'd probably end up in jail. Or the hospital..." he finally managed, as he tried to free himself from the hold. Elena smirked as she realized that the move was one that _he'd_ taught her himself, and shifted her weight to apply more pressure to his arms.

"Ow! Okay! Okay... I give. You don't have to cripple me," he said, still sniggering, as she raised the pillow threateningly. "Alright... You wanna listen to some kid singin' about how he's always, always, always gonna love, love, love you or however that piece of crap goes, go right ahead. Long as _I_ don't have to hear it."

"Oh yeah? Well... At least I can understand what he's saying. Half of what _you_ listen to just sounds like angry screaming and guitars being tortured."

"One of these days, 'Lena, I'm gonna educate you on the finer points of death metal..." he stated. "But in the mean time... much as I enjoy havin' an attractive woman on top of me... can I get up now?"

The rookie rolled her eyes and slammed the pillow into his face one more time before finally letting him loose. She sat down on the couch in a huff, still a little miffed at him. Reno chuckled and joined her moments later.

"Aw, don't be mad..." he said, gently nudging her with his elbow, "I was just screwin' around. Nice pin, by the way." When she remained silent, he sighed. "Alright, fine... If I tell ya how I ended up gettin' myself thrown outta my first apartment as a Turk, will you forgive me for makin' fun of your horrible, _horrible_ taste in music?"

Elena glanced at him sideways. "Maybe..." she replied, having to force back the smile that threatened to ruin her angry expression, "It depends on how good of a story it is."

"Oh, it's good..." Reno propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back, making himself comfortable. "So... awhile back, there was a senior Turk by the name of Sato who had a thing for... shall we say... homemade ordinance. Which, on a tangentially related note, is also why there's no longer a senior Turk by the name of Sato. Okay guy, from what I knew of him, but _completely_ nuts. How the fuck he ever passed the psych eval, I'll never know. Don't think anyone was exactly shocked when one of his toys took him out... I think Tseng may have actually been more shocked it didn't happen sooner."

He cupped his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling as he tried to recall all of the details.

"Now, there are two things ya gotta know here. One... At the time, me 'n Rude were neighbors." He paused a moment, grinning to himself, and laughed, "And when I'm done here, you'll understand why he lives across town, now. He was on the ground floor. My place was upstairs, right over his. And two, Rude was seein' this girl... eh... pretty regularly. Wouldn't quite call it _serious_ or anything, but... ya know. He liked her. She liked him. She spent the night more than a few times."

Elena's eyebrows rose in curiosity. Rude kept to himself so much... for some reason, she'd never really pictured him dating.

"Anyway... sixteen year old me got this bright idea in his head that I'd play a little joke on 'em. And sixteen year old me was kind of a dick sometimes, so it really wasn't a very _funny_ joke, but... yeah. I talked Sato into buildin' me a little noise maker. It wasn't supposed to do anything more than make a nice loud _boom_. See.. the way the building was arranged, Rude's bedroom was right under my living room. I figure... I shove the furniture outta the way, set it up in the middle of the floor, and scare the ever living fuck outta Rude and his date while they're tryin' to have some fun of their own. No real harm done, we laugh about it at work tomorrow... _maybe_ he kicks my ass a little more than usual during training, but that'd be the end of it."

"Why do I get the feeling things didn't go quite as planned?" Elena asked, trying not to giggle.

"'Cause if they had, this story probably wouldn't be worth tellin'," he reminded her, "Had everything all set. Just had to wait for 'em to be in the right place... and it wasn't _really_ that difficult to figure when they got there. It was a pretty low-budget complex. Thin walls... thin floors. Anyway, once I was sure they were down there, I gave 'em a couple minutes to get comfortable, and then I lit the fuse. Unfortunately, when Sato's little toy went off, it made a hell of a noise, but it _also_ set off a hell of a shock wave. And there mighta been a some flames and shit, too... I don't really remember too well, because the next thing _I_ knew, I was fallin' straight through the floor. Landed right between 'em in bed... couldn't've been more perfect if I'd actually planned it that way. She was screamin' in terror... and Rude looked like he was about to kill me, so I did the only thing I could think of."

"Which was?" the rookie prodded, after Reno's dramatic pause went on a little too long.

"Asked if I could join 'em," he laughed. "It went over about as well as ya might expect. Rude stopped short of actually clobberin' me, but he still booted my scrawny ass out of his apartment with extreme prejudice. So I decided it was better to cut my losses and just went back upstairs to inspect the smoking crater in my living room. Which was right about when the cops showed up. And the fire department. And my landlord."

He shook his head and sighed in feigned dismay. "Apparently setting off explosive devices in your living room isn't something Turks can get away with... Landlord threw me out on the spot. Cops arrested me. Fire department put out the sofa that was starting to smolder."

"W-wait... you were evicted _and_ arrested?" Elena managed, struggling by that point to keep a straight face.

"Yeah... Tseng was pretty pissed off when he had to come bail me out. And _Rude_ was so pissed off, he _wouldn't_ come bail me out... though he did at least rescue all my shit after my ex-landlord tossed it out into the street. Girl broke up with him a couple of weeks later."

"I can't image why," she said, dryly.

"Oh, it had nothin' to do with the prank," Reno said, "Well... not directly, anyway. She already didn't really like me much, 'cause I hung around Rude _constantly_ back then, and... well, let's just say she wasn't quite as okay with me sayin' some of the shit I say as you are. Me endin' up in bed with 'em was kinda the last straw. She gave the poor guy an ultimatum. Me or her."

Elena snorted in disbelief. "And he chose _you_? After _that_?"

"Hey, I mighta been kind of an annoying little prick back then, but... Rude's always had my back," he said, having the decency to look a little ashamed of himself, "Even when I really didn't deserve it." He sat up and looked over at her. "So... that's the story. Good enough for ya?"

"How have you not been brutally murdered by one of your own teammates yet?" she teased him. A wide grin spread over Reno's face.

"Believe me, I've asked myself the same question. Just lucky, I guess. Heidegger came a little too close for comfort once, though..."

If that wasn't bait, Elena didn't know what was. And the moment he said it, she knew she was going to take it. "You know you _can't_ just say something like that and not elaborate."

"Oh, no... You wanna hear another story, you gotta tell me one first." He smirked and resumed his previous position. "What's that phrase? _Quid pro quo_? Power's still out, coffee's gone, and I wanna be entertained, too."

"Oh, so that's your game." She should have known. Elena shook her head. "I... I don't think I really _have_ any good stories, to be honest..." she said, hesitantly. She'd always been a bit of a goody-two-shoes when she was little. And on top of that, her parents had been fairly strict. Aside from a couple of things he already knew about, there wasn't much in her life that could compare to Reno's... which, when she thought about it, was probably why she liked _his_ stories so much.

"Aw, come on... you must've done somethin' incredibly stupid at _some_ point. Anything. Stole a car to impress a date? Got drunk and went home with a guy who was _definitely_ a girl when ya started drinking? Fell off the Plate?" he suggested.

Elena stared at him somewhat incredulously for a moment. "Umm... Reno? Exactly how many of those things have _you_ done?"

"... Purely hypothetical suggestions."

Somehow, she had her doubts. Elena hugged her knees to her chest on the couch, resting her chin on top as she tried to think of something.

"Well... I ran away from home once when I was little..."

"Yeah?" Reno responded, leaning forward slightly, interested, "What happened?"

"It was Bel's birthday... I would've been nine at the time, I guess. I can't even really remember what happened, but I got in a huge fight with him and _I_ was the only one who ended up getting punished... and I decided that wasn't fair, so after they sent me to my room, I started packing." She stopped for a minute, giggling. "I packed really stupid stuff, too... I don't think I took any clothes or food or anything that would actually be useful. I had my favorite doll... and I took some of Bel's toys just to spite him. Oh! And for some reason I thought I'd need my mom's rolling pin wherever I was going..."

"Guess you could consider it a weapon. 'Least ya left armed..."

"It's more likely I was thinking I'd want to make cookies wherever I wound up." She was fairly certain personal safety was the least of her concerns at the time. She hadn't grown up in any of the more affluent sections of the Sector 3 plate, but it had been a nice area, nonetheless. "I ended up going to the park four blocks down the street. I just remember thinking... they'll be sorry when they realize I'm gone."

"Were they?"

"I... don't actually know. Er... I mean... I'm sure they _would've_ been upset and worried. If they'd actually noticed that I left," Elena laughed, "I wasn't supposed to leave my room, and everyone was so busy getting ready for Bel's birthday party that I guess they never checked on me until the party was about to _start_. And by then, I'd gotten hungry and gone home..."

Reno chuckled. "Not exactly committed to it, were ya?"

She rolled her eyes and gave his feet, which were still propped up on the table, a gentle kick... just enough to knock them to the floor. "Oh, give me a break. What nine year old is _actually_ committed to running away?"

"I was. Though, technically, I was ten, so maybe that doesn't count," he said, smiling lightly.

"You ran away from home, too?"

"If you can call it a 'home'. It was more of a handy place to dump kids without parents so they weren't in the way. _Your_ family didn't miss ya 'cause they didn't have the chance to notice you were gone. The assholes in charge of that place didn't miss _me_ 'cause they just didn't give a fuck." He shrugged, and moved his feet back onto the coffee table. "So one day, I just left and didn't go back."

"What do you mean you didn't go back?" she asked, somewhat disbelievingly, "For how long?"

The redhead wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against his side as he laughed. "'Lena... sometimes you really do ask me the weirdest shit, and I gotta remind myself that the way you grew up was nothin' like the way I grew up. I never went back. I found some mostly-abandoned piece of crap building and started livin' there."

Elena couldn't think of anything to say... Her own short-lived attempt at striking out on her own suddenly seemed incredibly petty and naïve by comparison. She'd left home for... what? An hour or two? And over some argument she couldn't even remember now, because her nine year old self had just discovered that things in life weren't always fair.

And now she remembered – though she wasn't sure how she'd managed to forget it – the part of hearing about Reno's life that she _didn't_ always enjoy... not all of it was fun and jokes and silly, drunken escapades that could be laughed at.

"And then _sometimes_ I gotta remind myself that I shouldn't be tellin' you shit like that, 'cause every time I do, you go all quiet and sad on me..." he said, tightening his grip on her a little. "Usually seem to remind myself of that a little too late. Sorry..."

The rookie snaked her arms around him and nestled her cheek against his chest. "Don't stop telling me those things, okay?" she found herself saying. "I don't want you to stop."

"Got a thing for sob stories, now?" he teased, and tucked a few strands of hair back behind her ear.

"No... I just... It _does_ make me a little sad to think about some of the things you've been through. But it also makes me feel closer to you. I think it's worth a few tears to be able to say that." She sighed softly as Reno pressed a gentle kiss against the top of her head.

"'Kay... but no more today. Snow days are 'sposed to be fun."

Elena drew back a bit, and grinned. "Then tell me why Heidegger tried to kill you, instead..." she said, drawing a snicker from her friend.

"I actually already told ya the _why_... I just didn't explain how ticked at me he really was when he walked into the office during my Hell Week and found me standing there naked... Ya ever notice the vein in his forehead when he's _really_ angry? Thought that thing was gonna pop."

"But Tseng wouldn't have really let him hurt you..."

"Nah... 'course not. And I knew that... but when that jackass has you suspended a foot in the air, hangin' by the throat, it's a little hard to keep that in mind. You ever havesomeone pick you up by the throat?"

"No..." she said, eyes going wide. She'd always known Heidegger had a temper, but letting things get as far as actual assault? On a sixteen year old? That was a little extreme, even by Turk standards.

"I don't recommend it. Didn't last long, thankfully. The boss stepped in and put a stop to it pretty quick, and soon as he had the chance, Rude hauled me out of the room while Heidegger was still yellin' at Tseng, and stayed with me 'til he left. I wasn't hurt or anything... mostly just kinda freaked out for a little while. Tseng suspended Hell Week exercises for the day and took me out to lunch. He felt pretty bad about the whole thing, even though it was more my own fault than _his_. Now, though... we both think it was pretty damn funny."

Elena stared, incredulous. If it had been her, she didn't think 'funny' was the word she'd have used to describe it, even nearly ten years later. "One thing I still don't quite understand, though," she said at last, " _Why_ was Heidegger so mad at you? Sure, I guess standing around naked at work is a little... unprofessional... but still... It seems like a pretty massive overreaction."

"Weeeeell..." he admitted, somewhat hesitantly, "I might not've been completely honest when I said I was just _standin_ ' there when he walked in... I _mighta_ also been doin' a pretty good impression of him, talkin' about what he and Scarlet were gonna be doin' that weekend. Mighta been dancin' a little, too. And it's very possible that I mighta been on top of Rude's desk at the time."

Her jaw dropped. "Okay, that's it. You're officially the craziest person I will ever meet in my life."

"And don't you forget it," Reno agreed, grinning widely before sobering a bit, "Truth is, though, I just did shit like that back then 'cause I wanted people to like me. Kinda figured if they were laughin', they had to be enjoying havin' me around, no matter how bad I screwed up. I... was actually really insecure for awhile after I first got brought in. I was so sure that Tseng would decide he'd made a huge mistake recruiting me and toss me back down to the slums, and I _didn't_ want to go back. I was finally out and I wanted to _stay_ out. Eventually got it through my head that he wasn't gonna give me up so easily and calmed down a lot... and Tseng was probably pretty relieved when I did. I never told him... but I think he knew anyway."

"I was worried about that, too," she confessed. "That's why I put in so many extra hours those first few months... _Nothing_ I did ever seemed to impress you at all, and I was convinced that if you weren't impressed, _Tseng_ couldn't possibly have been." She looked up at him with a wide smile. "I was really proud of myself right after I found out I was being promoted... right up until I met you. And then I couldn't figure out why I got picked over the other recruits at my final evaluation, because, literally, the first thing you ever said to me was 'Don't act so weak'."

Reno let his head fall back against the couch and groaned. "Don't remind me of that... I fuckin' hated havin' to do it. And I don't think I've ever _really_ explained why I did..."

"Tseng did..."

"Oh, yeah? When?" he asked, obviously curious.

"Before Christmas... We kind of got to talking about... stuff..." she said, somewhat vaguely. The conversation had actually centered somewhat around Reno's skirt-chasing habits and gone off on a bit of a tangent. She felt a little awkward about it now, talking about him behind his back like that. "He said you wanted to make sure I would stand up for myself when I needed to."

"That... and I needed to do somethin' about that over-confidence thing you had goin' on."

"Hey! I was _not_ over-confident." Elena prodded him roughly in the side, and he squirmed back slightly.

"Like hell," he replied, smirking, "Ya think final evals was the first time I ever laid eyes on you? Please... Unless you were dealin' with a superior or bein' reprimanded or somethin', you were _always_ a little too confident in training... 'specially when you had a gun in your hand. And it put you in the mindset that you didn't need a team and were better off trusting yourself than someone else. Confidence in your skills is one thing... _over_ -confidence'll get ya killed. Had to stamp that outta you."

She felt his hand shift from her shoulder to her back, taking up a gentle, soothing rhythm along her spine, and she relaxed into it. "Best day since we met was when I could finally let you stop hatin' me... You have no idea what a relief that was for me."

Elena suddenly started to laugh and for several moments couldn't stop.

"Oh sure..." Reno said in a mockingly serious tone, "I pour my heart out to ya, and you laugh at me... Typical."

She shook her head, and finally managed to find her voice. "It's not that. It just occurred to me... if someone had told me after that first day that I'd be perfectly happy to be snowed in and curled up with you on the couch, I'd have thought they were nuts."

"I might've, too... I was pretty sure you'd never completely forgive me for all the shit I was about to put you through." He chuckled softly and shifted, reaching into his pocket. "Speakin' of shit I've put you through... Gotta show ya somethin'..." he said, drawing out his PHS. He pulled up his photos and flipped through them for a moment, angling the phone so she couldn't see what he was looking for. "This is my favorite picture of you... Rude took it, and I made him send me a copy."

He turned the phone so Elena could see the screen and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. " _Why_ is that your favorite?" she asked. The photo was of the two of them, looking utterly exhausted, as they rode the train out of the slums. Elena's hair was freshly dyed from the mission in Wall Market. She remembered all too well the aftermath of that little disguise. It had taken weeks to wash out, and she couldn't get a moment's peace the entire time any time she went out in public.

Reno grinned and studied the picture. "Because I can't help thinking of you as my little sister. I always wanted one, ya know. Even as a kid. And you _look_ like ya really could be in this. I've seen you 'n Del next to each other. No one would ever question whether or not you two were related. And I know _I_ look a lot like my mom did, but I don't have any photos of her anymore. I just think it's... kind of nice."

"Not all brothers and sisters look alike, you know..." she pointed out, "I mean, Del and I do, sure... And we _both_ look like our father. Bel looked just like mom, though, and nothing like the rest of us. Really dark brown hair and green eyes. I don't have to look like you to be family."

"Yeah, I know. I still like seein' it, though," he said, smiling at her.

She giggled softly. "Well, you'd better hold onto it, then, because after that nightmare I'm _never_ dying my hair red again..."

"Better not let Lira hear you say that... she'll make it her personal mission. She thought ya looked great as a redhead," he teased her. Without warning, the lights flickered back on, and Elena heard the soft hum of the furnace kicking in to restore the heat lost during the power outage. Reno grinned maniacally. "Oh, good... we're not gonna freeze to death! And, more importantly, I can make more coffee..."

* * *

She really should have stopped him after the fifth cup. No human being needed that much caffeine in their system. Reno, in particular, didn't need it. Elena shivered violently as an icy gust of wind whipped past her, and tugged the hood of her coat up over her head.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this..."

Reno glanced up from what he was doing. "Come on, 'Lena... we can't just waste all this..."

She eyed the snow-covered incline with trepidation. It led straight down into a wide drainage channel that, in warmer weather, carried storm runoff to the edge of the Plate and to other, more interior systems that dumped into the slums. "We're going to die. You know that, right? Or at the very least, end up crippled for life."

"We're not gonna die. I've done this a million times," he assured her, "Now... you want front or back?"

Elena smiled as she sighed in defeat. "Back... that way, when we slam into that wall down there, I'll have some padding between me and the concrete."

"Tch... we won't even make it to that wall. Can't build up enough speed on this little hill to get much more than halfway down the spillway. Now the one over by Tseng's place... _that's_ dangerous. And a lot more fun, but I don't think we'd make it over there right now without havin' to be rescued from a snowbank. Get on."

The redhead climbed aboard the sled himself first, holding onto the railing as it teetered precariously on the ledge of the overhang. It was about a five foot drop onto the 45 degree incline, and then a straight shot of thirty feet or so downward into the channel, ending in a concrete wall and a large grate some forty yards farther down.

"I _seriously_ can't believe I let you talk me into this..." She wedged herself in behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and readying herself for the drop. She remembered seeing a group of kids doing this when she was little and begging her mother to let her try it... only to be rebuffed and informed that it was 'very dangerous' and she'd get hurt and that her mother was going to call _those_ boys' mothers and tell them what they were up to just as soon as they got home. She never knew if any of them had actually been injured, but for some reason, she'd taken the warning to heart.

"Ready?" Reno asked her, turning back and grinning wickedly.

"Not really..."

"Good!" With that, he launched them over the edge. Elena grunted softly as they hit the top of incline and started to pick up speed. The sound was easily drowned out, however, by a joyful cry from the redhead. "See? I told ya this'd be fun!"

Hesitant as she'd been at first, she quickly found herself agreeing with him as they left the incline and continued down the spillway. Reno shifted his weight slightly as they came to a slight curve in the channel, rounding it with practiced ease, and Elena found herself parroting his laughter... right up until she realized that the wall at the end was getting decidedly close. They were definitely more than 'halfway down the spillway' as Reno had claimed, and still going rather fast... probably, she mused, because there was a lot more weight with two of them than what Reno was used to. She felt him tense, as he noticed it, too.

"Oh, crap..."

He jerked the front of the sled to one side, forcing them to skid sideways... which might have effectively stopped them, had they not been launched over a small drift of snow at the same time. Instead, both Turks found themselves tumbling head over heels off the sled and into the snow. Elena rolled to a halt, still a safe distance from the wall, and laid there, staring up at the sky as she tried to find her bearings.

"'Lena?!" She heard a worried voice call out to her, followed by several seconds of swearing as Reno righted himself and hurried over to her. "Fuck... You alright?!"

Elena blinked and sat up.

"Seriously, 'Lena... you okay?" he asked, concerned, as he looked her over.

She grinned widely at him. "Let's do it again!"

* * *

Elena yawned as she pulled into the Shinra Building's parking deck Monday morning. The power in Reno's building may have only been out for an hour or so... but hers remained dark until Saturday evening. It wasn't really a problem, though. Reno had insisted she and Snuffy stay another night. Longer, if she needed to... In fact, he'd actually seemed a little disappointed when they'd noticed the lights on over at her building. So much so that she'd all but dragged him bodily back home with her for dinner and a mini marathon of terrible horror at her place.

She'd woken Sunday morning to find herself wrapped snugly in her favorite quilt. The redhead was still sound asleep next her, propped up contentedly against the arm of the couch, and she'd been curled tight against his side, the remote for the DVD player still in her hand. Elena had waited as long as she possibly could before daring to shift positions and inevitably startle him awake as well.

But Sunday was over. Today was Monday, and that meant getting back to work. She caught sight of Tseng stepping out of his car just as she was pulling into her own space. The Turk leader noticed her as well, pausing in his bid for the elevator to wait for her.

"Good morning, sir!" she called out, hurrying so as not to keep him waiting too long.

"Hmm... as good as it can be after a decidedly carefree long weekend, at any rate," he replied, chuckling softly. "I trust you enjoyed the extra time off as well?"

"Yes, sir. Though I'm surprised Reno wasn't sick of me by the end of it. We spent almost the entire time together."

"Oh?"

Elena nodded as they made their way towards to elevator. "There was a blackout at my place on Thursday. The power was off until Saturday night, and then I ended up inviting him over for dinner, since I'd been imposing on _him_ for so long. We fell asleep watching Death of a Minuteman." She paused, thinking. "Or maybe it was Workout of the Damned..."

"Thank Leviathan that Reno has finally found someone who shares his interest in those movies..." Tseng laughed. "Frankly, I always dread having him ask _me_ to join him. I'm afraid I can tolerate only so much bad acting."

"But sir... that's half of what makes them so great!" she protested.

"Which is precisely the argument Reno always uses when he attempts to recruit me for such things." He shook his head in mock dismay. "If I'd known that he would be training you as a clone of himself, I believe I would have postponed approving any promotions. Indefinitely."

Elena giggled at the obvious joke. At some point, she'd come to the realization that Tseng's somewhat unyielding formality wasn't aloofness. It was just a quirk of his personality. Knowing that somehow made her more relaxed around him... though she still couldn't quite bring herself to call her superior by name most of the time.

Before she could respond, however, Tseng suddenly turned and ducked, pulling her down into a crouch along with him, just as something sailed through the air. It narrowly missed his head and smacked into the elevator door.

"Aw, come on!" a familiar voice lamented from somewhere amongst the parked cars.

Elena shook herself from the minor state of shock she was in at having just been ambushed, and glanced back. The remains of a snowball clung to the metal door.

"Nice try, Reno..." Tseng called back. A head poked out from behind a large truck. Reno sighed in defeat and made his way over to the pair of them.

" _So_ fucking close..." The man was shivering, teeth chattering in spite of the lop-sided grin he wore.

Tseng shook his head and nudged him along towards the elevator, ushering both Elena and the misbehaving redhead inside ahead of him. "Just how long were you out there waiting for me?" he asked, as the car began its journey upwards to their offices.

"Couple hours," Reno responded with a violent shudder, "Thought you'd be in a _lot_ earlier today..."

"Are you crazy?! It's ten below this morning!" Elena cried in disbelief.

"Believe me, I noticed..."

"You were seriously sitting out there in the freezing cold for two _hours_ just so you could hit Tseng with a snowball?" she asked, incredulous, "Reno... what is _wrong_ with you?"

"Obsession," Tseng stated simply, "He's been making the attempt every winter for the past ten years. And failing at it quite spectacularly, I might add." The doors slid open and the trio stepped out into the brightly lit hallway. "I will say, though... it does keep _me_ in practice at dodging ambush attacks. Elena, would you mind making him some coffee before he succumbs to hypothermia?"

"Yes, sir..." She hurried off toward the lounge to fulfill the request. Meanwhile, Tseng and Reno made their way into the Turks' main office.

"Just wait, Tseng... I'm tellin' you, this is gonna be the year I finally getcha."

"Not if you're in the hospital with pneumonia..."

"Ah, you worry too much. 'Sides, I'm already warmin' up. Not even shivering anymore."

Elena reappeared just the words left his mouth, holding a steaming mug in her hands.

"In that case... I suppose you won't want this." Tseng carefully relieved her of the drink, and held it, tantalizingly, in front of the redhead for a moment before taking a sip. He immediately grimaced, and nearly gagged, at the cloying taste of the heavily sweetened beverage. Reno smirked.

"What's the matter? You forget how I like my coffee, Tseng?" he teased, snickering unabashedly at the Wutaiian's expression of disgust. Elena, too, couldn't quite stop herself from laughing softly. Reno preferred a little coffee with his sugar... not the other way around... and she'd just dumped a decidedly unhealthy amount of it into the mug for him.

Tseng shook his head and set it down on the corner of Reno's desk, "I'm not sure this even qualifies as such at this point. It's very nearly syrup."

The redhead shrugged carelessly and reached for the cup, downing half of its contents. "Only way to start a Monday," he said, grinning.

~fin~


	29. Lockdown

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 29: Lockdown**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Some of you might recognize a scene here from Interludes. As it turns out, I got a lot of requests to expand on it. So I am._

* * *

"So... Rude. I hear you're takin' up Wutaiian cooking now..."

"..." Rude shrugged noncommittally and speared a bit of slightly undercooked garlic roasted potato with his fork. One of these days, he was just going to start bringing his lunch from home. The Shinra cafeteria seemed to get worse by the week. A multi-billion gil company, and still, they apparently had chosen to employee the rejects from nearby school cafeterias to handle feeding their personnel instead a trained chef...

"Ya know, if you need someone to test things out..."

The bald man snorted softly. Reno's less than subtle hints about wanting to join him for dinner... or lunch... or breakfast... or any meal in between, if Rude was doing the cooking... had never bothered him in the slightest. Reno always made for good company. But the idea of his best friend 'testing' anything at the table was laughable. The redhead generally inhaled food so quickly that Rude sometimes wondered if he even had time to taste it.

Now Elena, on the other hand, knew how to appreciate a dish... though, she could be a little too complimentary at times. Once in awhile, Rude desperately craved constructive criticism over flattery, especially on new ventures.

Besides which... if anyone in their little circle was an expert on Wutaiian cuisine, it would be Tseng. _And_ he was more than willing to be upfront about it if Rude was going wrong somewhere.

"Really? Nothin'?" the younger man prodded.

"Still working a few things out," he replied, "You'll just have to wait."

Reno scowled and shoved his empty plate aside. "'Lena got to try it..." he muttered, nearly pouting.

"Hmph... You would've, too, if you were more willing to give Shadow & Sword a chance..." Rude needled him, smirking slightly.

Of course Elena had gotten the chance to sample... she'd become his favorite guinea pig, and he loved trying out new recipes on her. Dinner and the latest episode had become an easy tradition for the pair of them, and Rude found that he looked forward to Sunday evenings even more than he used to, now that he had someone to share them with. Reno was willing to do a lot to appease those closest to him, but Rude had never been successful in converting him into a Swordie. And it certainly wasn't for lack of trying... the man just didn't enjoy the show. To put it mildly. The few times the bald Turk had managed to talk him into joining him for an episode or two – usually having lured him in with the promise of feeding him – the redhead had been less then enthralled... though he _had_ seemed to perk up during some of the more elaborate death scenes. Apparently the sporadic carnage wasn't enough to hold his interest, however, and eventually, even a free meal wasn't enough to tempt him into another viewing. Rude had finally given up... more or less.

Reno gave him a dramatic roll of his eyes. "Ugh... don't you dare start in on _that_ again. Rude, you're addicted to that damn show. You and 'Lena both. I'm seriously thinkin' about stagin' an intervention for you two one of these days..." He picked up his discarded fork and reached across the table, stabbing one of the sad-looking strips of baked chicken on the other man's plate and shoving it in his mouth. "Fuck, man... How the hell do they manage to make this shit both dry _and_ greasy at the same time?"

Despite his better-than-average culinary knowledge... Rude frankly had absolutely no idea. The Shinra Building Cafeteria's ability to ruin nearly any food that had the misfortune to pass through its kitchen was a complete mystery to him. To Rude's unending amusement, though, the chicken's questionable method of creation didn't stop Reno from swiping another bite before his partner could respond.

"Don't know... But does it matter? You're going to eat it anyway..."

"Were _you_ plannin' to?" Reno queried, raising an eyebrow. His partner glanced down at his plate. It really was a lot worse than usual today. He'd managed only a few bites before pushing it to one side in favor of the far more appetizing salad and potatoes. Rude shook his head in the negative and Reno smiled triumphantly. "Well... There ya go, then." He pointedly skewered another strip. Rude nudged the remaining chicken off of his plate and onto the empty one his lunchmate had abandoned.

"Enjoy." If Reno really wanted to voluntarily choke down that abomination, he'd happily let him... but personally, he thought incineration would have been far more appropriate.

"You could just go and order more if you're still hungry, you know," Tseng commented as he joined them at the table. "It's not as if they impose a limit. Not even on you."

"Could... but why walk all the way over to the counter again when Rude doesn't want his?" Reno asked with a grin.

Rude chuckled, but really, he knew there was more to it than that. Sure, the slender rail of a Turk could eat more at any given meal than should have been physically possible for a man his size – and Rude couldn't be certain, but it was quite possible he had no viable tastebuds remaining at this point, given some of the things he managed to swallow – but there was also the simple fact that Reno didn't like seeing food go to waste. Not even some of the more questionable things the cafeteria had the audacity to label as such. It legitimately bothered the younger man. Rude wasn't sure even Tseng understood just how much.

Moreover, he knew why, though he didn't like thinking about it. Reno had grown up in a world of not enough. Not enough money, not enough love, and most definitely, not enough to eat. They all joked about the questionable nature of the cafeteria's menu, but some of the things Reno had resorted to eating to stay alive when he was younger turned Rude's stomach in ways the chicken the redhead was presently devouring couldn't even begin to compare to.

When he'd first been recruited, he'd even been in the habit of hoarding food for a brief time... right up until he was finally convinced his being added to the Turks roster wasn't merely a temporary situation. Once, Rude had caught him at it and the teenager had, quite literally, begged him not to say anything – not because he was embarrassed, but because he genuinely feared it would be taken from him if anyone found out. Years of scrounging for meals had made him disturbingly protective of whatever happened to land on his plate. Rude had grudgingly promised to keep silent on the subject, and ten years later, still had never uttered a word to anyone else about it.

Thankfully, those days were well behind them. Though he still seemed to find himself with the strong desire to ensure that his partner at least _occasionally_ ate better fare than simply whatever happened to be offered by the nearest take-out menu.

Tseng shrugged in response and started in on his own lunch as Reno polished off the last of the chicken.

"So where's 'Lena? Haven't seen her since this morning. You're not commandeering my rookie, are ya, boss?"

"Of course not." Tseng gave him an indulgent smile. It had been meant jokingly, but Reno was undeniably possessive of the youngest of the Turks – something for which Tseng really had only himself to blame, Rude mused. He'd been just as possessive of Reno when the redhead had been starting out. Tseng had consistently referred to his young protégé as 'his rookie' right up until he'd been promoted out of probationary status, and Reno had apparently learned the lesson well.

"She volunteered to reorganize the archives," the Turk leader continued, "You have a truly aggravating habit of not putting things back where you find them." Rude snickered softly and Tseng fixed him with a stern look. " _Both_ of you."

"..." He awkwardly cleared his throat and returned his attention to his plate. He hadn't left _that_ many files laying out... And at least _he_ didn't have a tendency to misfile things when he _did_ put them away, unlike a certain redhead.

"Tch... Poor 'Lena. Stuck with the crap jobs just 'cause she the new kid," Reno lamented... rather unconvincingly.

"If you're feeling so sorry for her, you could always go help her out," said Rude, pointing out the obvious. Elena was, in Rude's opinion, a little too accommodating of the rest of the team's laziness sometimes. For instance, she had confided in him just that past weekend that she was getting a little tired of being stuck with everyone else's incident reports all the time. He was forced to admit to himself that he'd been just as guilty as the other two Turks in taking advantage of her general willingness to tackle the unending task of data entry. Until she'd mentioned it, though, he hadn't even realized just how badly he'd begun to slack off in that department lately, and he suspected Tseng hadn't either.

As for Reno... well, to be fair, he'd been terrible about keeping up with the backlog even _before_ the rookie's promotion. He probably couldn't have made less of an effort at it if he'd tried.

She'd been dismissive about the complaint... it hadn't even been a complaint, really. More of a passing comment. But resentment had a tendency to grow if left unchecked. He had intended to say something about it to Reno earlier in the week, but his own assignments had kept distracting him. The redhead may have had a passionate hatred of paperwork, but he wouldn't be pleased when he learned that Elena was beginning to suffer because the rest of them couldn't be bothered to do their share.

"Nah... She can manage. How'd ya talk her into it, anyway, boss?"

Tseng calmly swallowed a spoonful of soup. Of the items on the menu, it had seemed the safest today. Rude resisted the urge to smirk at the grimace on Tseng's face. There was a reason he himself always avoided that particular offering on Wednesdays. Whoever prepared it seemed to have a strong affinity for salt.

"I didn't have to talk her into anything. As I said, she volunteered... right after I just _happened_ to mention that I wasn't looking forward to cleaning up after you two yet again."

Reno frowned, vaguely annoyed. "Wish ya wouldn't manipulate her like that. You know damn well she's still kinda hung up on you..."

Rude briefly wondered if the cafeteria even used real garlic. It had the look of the real thing... but certainly not the pungent flavor it should have. He also wondered if the other two were aware that Elena wasn't nearly as "hung up" on the Turk leader as she had been when she'd first arrived. Oh, she was still somewhat enamored of him – Tseng was undeniably exotic and commanding, and could probably have even given the redhead a run for his money with the women of Shinra if he'd been interested in doing so – but she wasn't nearly as smitten with the man as she once had been.

In fact, Rude had recently come to the conclusion that Elena really ought to give _Reno_ far more serious consideration in that regard. The rookie was unquestionably close to him, and, Rude was fairly certain, attracted to him as well. And if anyone could get the redhead to finally settle down a bit, it was Elena... On top of that, he knew that Reno adored her. He tended to make a point of keeping things platonic between them, but Rude got the impression that was really only because Elena hadn't expressed an interest in anything more... and perhaps also because Reno still felt a little guilty about his behavior during the early months of Elena's life as a Turk and just couldn't bring himself to make a serious effort at a more intimate relationship. Rude couldn't deny that some of of the things he'd done in the name of training had been pretty tasteless at times, even by Reno's standards. Effective... but tasteless.

Now, although the redhead still openly flirted with her, it was always in a joking manner. Elena never took it seriously, and usually responded with feigned – and occasionally, legitimate, depending on the circumstances – annoyance, while Reno happily laughed off her constant rejections. As much as he claimed not to care about being friend-zoned by the rookie, however, Rude very much doubted his partner would have turned down the opportunity if she'd ever flirted back.

 _But_... he wasn't about to try and play matchmaker just on the off chance he might actually succeed in getting them together, no matter how good it might be for them. Meddling in people's relationships almost never ended well for anyone involved, and both of them were much too important to him to risk hurting them.

"I'm aware... and it wasn't entirely intentional," Tseng confessed, drawing Rude out of his own thoughts, "Though I _will_ admit, I didn't make much of an attempt to dissuade her, either. I have no more desire to spend the next few days in the archives than you do..."

Rude nudged a bottle of hot sauce from the collection of condiments on the table toward the Turk leader. It wouldn't really fix the soup, but it would at least make it slightly more palatable. Tseng flashed him a grateful smile and took the silent suggestion.

"Tch... Better her than me, I 'spose. She workin' through lunch?" Reno asked.

"No. I tried to coax her downstairs for today's... dining experience. She declined and mentioned having a personal errand to run."

"... She may be better off going hungry," Rude commented, prodding the remaining potatoes with his fork. He was _definitely_ going to start bringing lunch from home.

* * *

Reno stared at the rookie as she silently read over whatever was printed on the card for the fourth time since she'd sat down.

Tseng had recruited Rude for a tour of the Sector 5 slums after lunch. Although the Turk leader spent relatively little time down below these days – especially compared to Rude – he still liked to be knowledgeable about what was going on under the Plate. Reno had considered accompanying them, and bringing Elena along as well. A little extra training never hurt, after all – but he had ultimately decided against it. Something had been bugging her for the past couple of weeks, and given the irritated expression she'd greeted the latest stack of incident reports on her desk with, he had a pretty good idea what it was. He was a bit annoyed _himself_ that she hadn't bothered to say anything to him about it, if there was an issue. It was time to have a little discussion with his rookie.

For the moment, however, he was slightly more interested in whatever she found so captivating about that card.

"Okay... whatever the hell's written on that, it can't possibly be _that_ fascinating."

She jumped slightly, startled by the unexpected interruption and Reno grinned. Sometimes, it was just too easy. Elena set the card aside, and settled back in her chair trying to look casual and unconcerned. Reno wasn't buying it.

"It's nothing. It's just... Nothing."

"Yeah... sure sounds like it. So what's up?" he asked, propping his feet up on the edge of his desk and leaning his chair back at a somewhat precarious angle. He laced his fingers together behind his head and stared at her.

"Really, it's nothing." Elena slid the card into one of her desk's drawers.

"Tch... Fine. Don't tell me, then," he shrugged, staring up at the ceiling. It was her business. Unless _that_ was what was bothering her lately – which he was pretty sure it wasn't – he was content to let it remain so. "Movin' on... what was the big errand ya had to take care of? You missed out on all kinds of shit the cafeteria thinks is edible."

"... Reno?" she began, suddenly looking up at him almost pleadingly, "Can I ask you for a really big favor?"

"Ya can always _ask_..." he replied, ignoring the fact that she had just ignored his _own_ query. Though really... it would have to be one hell of an inconvenience before he'd consider refusing her. He typically enjoyed helping out his friends... Elena in particular. That didn't mean he wasn't still fond of making the rookie squirm a little from time to time. Old habits were hard to break, after all...

Elena pulled the card out again, looking it over for a moment, and seemed to come to some sort of decision.

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

" _What?!_ " Reno tried, and failed, to sit up from the entirely too relaxed position he'd let himself fall into. With his feet on the desk, he couldn't find the leverage needed to push himself upright, and the redhead suddenly found himself tilting dangerously in the opposite direction he currently wanted to be moving in. The chair toppled over backwards, spilling one very surprised Turk onto the tile floor with a resounding crash. His head hit the wall behind him, and he yelped in pain.

"Are you alright?!" Elena was on her feet by then, moving toward him to help. Reno winced and dragged himself upright again before she could cover the distance between them, staggering slightly as he nearly tripped over the fallen office furniture in the process. He rubbed the back of his head, glad it had only hit the drywall and not the decorative steel rail that circled the room.

"Uh... 'Lena, don't get me wrong... you're awesome and I love ya and all, but... where the hell'd _that_ come from?"

The rookie sniggered quietly and picked up the chair for him. "I need a boyfriend," she reiterated, far too calmly for Reno's taste. "For a wedding."

"Okay... first of all, I don't really do the whole 'boyfriend' thing. Too much monogamy 'n commitment 'n shit required. And second... Wouldn't that make me your fiance?" Reno asked, looking at her askance, with no small amount of trepidation.

"Oh, for... I. Need. A. Date." She shook her head, giggling a little. "You know... someone to take me _to_ a wedding."

He sighed in relief. For a moment, he'd thought... well, he wasn't entirely sure _what_ he'd thought, actually, but it had certainly thrown him a bit. "Why the _hell_ didn't you just say that in the first place? I 'spose you think that was cute... Fuck, 'Lena, ya sacred me half to death just now." He mentally told the little voice in the back of his head... the one that was insisting it wasn't fear that had caused that reaction... to shut the hell up.

"Well, it's just that... I need you for a little more than just a date..." she explained, hesitating.

He flashed her a teasingly lecherous smirk and sidled up to her, falling easily back into their usual routine. "Yeah? How _much_ more?" Elena rolled her eyes and removed the arm he'd draped over her shoulders.

"I'm serious."

"'Kay... So ya want me to... what? Sweet-talk the maid of honor into a quickie in the coat room at the reception or somethin'?" he joked, wondering just what it was that Elena was planning.

"NO!" she all but shouted at him. Reno blinked, slightly taken aback by the angry look in Elena's eyes. She dropped her gaze, and he noticed she was blushing a little. "Sorry. Look... This is going to sound really, _really_ shallow, okay? The wedding is for one of my best friends from school, and I really want to go... but..."

"But... ?"

" _But_ , her maid of honor is a girl named Penta, and... ugh. That _woman_ made high school a living hell for me. The only reason she's even the maid of honor at all is because she's the groom's sister. Chai doesn't even really like her... but _her_ choice had to bow out at the last minute. She asked if _I'd_ do it... but you know what our schedule can be like. If we get called in for a mission, I can't exactly tell Tseng I'm busy that afternoon..."

"Still not quite seein' how I fit in here..."

"You absolutely cannot laugh," she said firmly.

"Me? Laugh?" He let his grin widen at the sight of her scowl. She had to know better by now... saying something like that was the best way to ensure that's _exactly_ what he'd do.

"Penta stole every guy I was even _remotely_ interested in in high school. I couldn't even get a date for senior prom because of her and she did it just to spite me."

"... Why?" he asked, feeling perplexed as to how someone could dislike Elena to such an extent. Sure, maybe he was just a little biased... but Elena was incredibly sweet – even if she could, admittedly, be kind of scary when she was pissed off. He'd always had her figured for one of the popular kids. Maybe even a cheerleader. She certainly fit the stereotype, anyway. Blond, pretty, outgoing... annoyingly perky at times...

"Because I offered to tutor her boyfriend in history once. I felt bad for him... he was a nice guy, and he was failing the class because his mom was sick and he didn't have time to study. She thought I was trying to hit on him, and... yeah. The usual high school mean-girl bullshit ensued. After that, I was pretty much a social pariah until I graduated." The bitterness in her voice was practically tangible. Reno found himself instantly disliking this Penta woman.

"So... basically ya want me to be your trophy boyfriend for the night so you can rub it in her face..." he snickered. He could handle that. Elena flushed bright red.

"... No! Well... kinda. Yeah. Look, I _told_ you it was really shallow! I just want to see the look on her face when I walk in with..." She looked away slightly, not quite able to make eye contact. "... someone like you."

"Someone like me? Come on 'Lena... just say it. I'm pretty..." he teased, though he couldn't help but feel a little flattered by the request. It wasn't every day he was essentially asked to be eye candy. Elena rolled her eyes yet again. "Ya keep doin' that, they're gonna get stuck back there..."

"Will you do it or not?"

"Open bar at the reception?" he asked. Of course he was going to do it... but he might as well find out what he was getting out of the deal before letting _her_ know that.

"Yes. And a buffet."

"Ah, what the hell. Count me in..."

The rookie gave him a relieved look. "Thanks, Reno..."

"... _IF_ ya tell me I'm pretty..." He couldn't resist... He'd come close a few times to getting the young woman to admit she found him attractive, but had never gotten her to actually say the words. It had become something of a personal challenge, and Reno just couldn't resist a challenge. And he certainly didn't mind having his ego stroked once in awhile, particularly when it was coming from someone he personally thought was quite lovely herself. Besides which... it was good for the rookie to be shoved out of her comfort zone every now and then. Kept things interesting.

"W-what?"

"Two little words and I'm all yours."

"Are you really serious?" she asked, hands on her hips, her posture radiating annoyance.

"Come on... You can do it..." he prodded her, grinning maniacally.

Elena groaned and rubbed her temples. "Fine... You're pretty. Okay?"

"There... now was that so bad?"

She shook her head and walked back over to her desk. "You're pretty, alright... pretty irritating."

Reno laughed, unable to honestly deny the accusation, and followed her. "Never claimed otherwise. So when's this wedding?"

"... Um... Next Saturday," she replied, awkwardly.

"Next _Saturday_? As in the Saturday after this one? Geez _,_ 'Lena... your friends sure like cuttin' things close."

Elena sank down in her chair a little, looking embarrassed. "I-I've actually had the invitation since this past summer. I was originally just going to go alone, but then the whole thing with Penta happened a few weeks ago, and... I just... I kept putting off finding a date and I felt really weird asking you to do this for me."

Reno cocked an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked, sincerely curious. He'd thought he'd made it pretty clear that he was always there to help when asked. And, typically, when _not_ asked, as well.

"Well I already had to take _one_ brother to prom because of that witch," she muttered, before apparently realizing she'd said something out loud that she hadn't intended to. "And I... I mean, you're not going to know anyone there besides me. And it's a really formal wedding, too, and I know you hate getting dressed up..." she said in hurried attempt to amend her previous statement, gently chewing her lower lip for a moment – a habit Reno had noticed she displayed when particularly worried about something – before she continued, "... and anyway, I don't really like the idea of... _using_ you like that."

Reno smiled and leaned against her desk. "Tch... Don't worry about _that._ "

"I know you're going to say that you don't mind, but... but it's just _so_ demeaning. It's sort of like the way Scarlet treats you, and I don't want you to think that I..."

"'Lena, you're nothin' like Scarlet," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Seriously, you're makin' way too big a deal outta this." He grinned somewhat evilly. "Now... which brother did you take to prom?"

The rookie groaned in dismay.

* * *

Sector 5 was probably his favorite of the slums, Tseng mused as he trailed along behind Rude. On the whole, it was slightly less grimy and run-down than the other sectors, though still decidedly poor, and still retained many of the buildings from the original town Midgar had swallowed up during it's construction. The two Turks were presently making their way past an old church.

As they approached, one of the heavy wooden doors creaked open, a young woman stepping out onto the crumbling steps. The duo paused... they hadn't yet been noticed. Tseng smiled to himself, motioning for Rude to remain where he was, and slipped silently out of her line of sight on the other side of the door. As it closed behind her, he stepped forward.

"Aerith."

The woman jumped, uttering a soft squeak of surprise and dropped the basket she was holding as she spun to face him.

"Oh! Tseng... It's you..." she replied, a little hesitantly. He couldn't really blame her for being cautious. Many people might have taken the girl for a little naïve at first glance... but he was well enough acquainted with her to know she was perfectly aware of who he was and what his interest was in her. The Turk leader knelt down and retrieved the basket, gathering a few stray flowers that had escaped in the fall.

"You can relax. I'm not here for you today," he said, returning it to her, "I only wished to say hello. It's been quite some time."

Aerith did relax then, calmly accepting the basket from him and looping the handle over one arm. She glanced over his shoulder, spotting Rude. "You only ever seem to send _him_ down these days," she replied, carefully rearranging the blossoms.

"I trust he doesn't inconvenience you too much..."

She shook her head and smiled a little. "He doesn't talk much. But I don't really mind him."

Tseng nodded. Technically, he should have returned the girl to Shinra years ago. Why he hadn't, even _he_ couldn't entirely explain. He'd first met her when she was just a child... and at the time, he'd been fully prepared to finish his assignment. Locate, capture, retrieve. Simple. He didn't know what had possessed him to explain himself rather than simply snatching her and carting her off, back to the Plate. It wasn't as if it would have been difficult. Her sole protector was lonely middle-aged woman. Somehow, though... he'd felt she deserved to know why.

And then he'd learned how she had come to be in the slums in the first place, and couldn't bring himself to send her back to that life. Aerith reminded him a little too much of his younger sister... a loss he'd still been reeling from at the time, and a pain the girl had seemed to sense in him. Ultimately... she wasn't a priority target back then. 'Accidentally' losing track of her was a simple enough report to file, and Veld didn't question it. The Turks had more pressing matters, anyway. A war had begun, and that was of far greater concern than one little girl.

By the time all of that was over, and Shinra's interest in Aerith had come back to the forefront, Tseng was in command of the Turks, and had the ability to shield her without hindrance... which was precisely what he'd chosen to do. Still... he couldn't do so forever, and that was why he kept a close eye on her. He'd never hidden his actions from his subordinates. Tseng trusted them implicitly. And if they _had_ to bring her in, he wouldn't hesitate to give that order... but it was to be avoided for as long as possible.

As long as possible, however, seemed to be growing shorter with each passing week. 'Not today,' he'd told her... but that certainly didn't mean 'not tomorrow' or 'not a month from now'. He wasn't looking forward to the day he finally _did_ have to take her freedom from her again.

"Rude generally prefers to listen rather than speak, unless you're especially persistent," he acknowledged quickly, before he completely lost himself in his own thoughts, turning to rejoin his fellow Turk. "I know circumstances mean you're not fond of running into any of us, but... it was good to see you."

* * *

"You're _still_ guardin' your right too much..."

Elena narrowly avoided a blow from Reno's EMR on her left as he used her over-defense of her other side to his advantage. He never used the weapon's electrical capabilities in a training match, but he didn't go to great lengths to hold back on physical blows anymore. It wouldn't have injured her, but she definitely would've felt it if he'd made contact.

"Only because you're _still_ left-handed," she panted. They'd been at it for almost twenty minutes, but the way Reno moved, it felt more like an hour. "You attack to my right more often."

"Expectin' it leaves ya open, though..." He smirked and went for her right shoulder, only to switch tactics at the last moment and attack with a kick to her left leg. Elena went down hard on the mat. "See?"

"Ow."

Reno snickered and offered her his hand. The rookie suddenly grinned and caught hold of his ankle instead, using her weight, and a well-placed leg sweep, to force him off-balance. Reno's world tilted... and rotated... and a moment later he was flat on the ground, facedown.

"Son of a bitch... When the fuck did Tseng teach ya that?" he groaned. He _hated_ that move. He never seemed to be able to counter it in time, and dammit, landing flat-out on his chest like that hurt!

"Last week," she replied in a smug voice as the redhead picked himself up.

"Great... 'cause I don't wind up with _nearly_ enough bruises when I spar with _him_..."

"So... what were you saying about leaving yourself open?" she taunted him. Whatever his reply was going to be, he never got the chance to make it. A loud alarm sounded, catching them both off guard.

"The hell's goin' on?" he muttered, running for the door and poking his head out into the hallway. Elena joined him seconds later.

"What is it?" she asked. She'd never heard this particular alarm before. Several of the people in the hallway seemed just as confused.

"Lockdown protocol..." His hand instinctively went to the pocket he usually kept his PHS in... only to realize that it was in his locker with his uniform. "Fuck. Stay here," he said, heading for the locker room. He paused abruptly, and turned back. "On second thought, go get changed... and make it quick. Unless this is a surprise drill, we're bound to be needed somewhere."

Elena nodded, and rushed off in the opposite direction. Reno, meanwhile shoved open the door and made a beeline for his locker. Not surprisingly, his PHS was screeching just as obnoxiously as the alarm. He acknowledged the emergency notification that was demanding his attention, stripping out of his workout clothes as he did so, and the device fell silent. Shortly afterward, the building alarm went quiet as well, though he suspected the lockdown indicators out in the hall were probably still flashing.

The Turks second in command frowned as he read the alert. The biologics lab. Wonderful. Something of Hojo's was loose. Worse, the staff in charge of the specimen apparently didn't know where it had fucked off to... hence the building-wide lockdown. Reno hurried to get himself dressed. As he made his way back towards the rookie, he was already dialing the main security office. He swore loudly at the sound of the busy signal and entered the override code to cut in on the call.

"... stupid alarm's really annoying..." a voice was saying.

"Hey, asshole... You guys awake down there or what?" he interrupted, stepping back out into the gym.

"Who is this?" the person on the other end of the line asked. "This is a secure line. Authorized personnel only!"

Reno rolled his eyes. Fucking security newbies... "Yeah? Last I checked, the Turks are authorized to do whatever the fuck we want with your secure lines. Now... ya wanna tell me what the hell I'm dealin' with and maybe give me some idea of where it's at? Or were ya sleeping through that lockdown alarm?"

A frantic shuffling could be heard over the phone, and a few moments of muffled chatter, before a new voice took over.

"I apologize, sir. He's new. I can assure you that..."

"Look, spare me the bullshit, be glad I'm not my boss, and just tell me what's happening," he snapped, cutting her off. Elena reappeared, back in uniform, hurrying anxiously toward him. He switched the security office over to speakerphone.

"Yes, sir. Biologics Lab Six reports a containment breach. A biological specimen was discovered to have escaped from its enclosure, whereabouts unknown. Total lockdown of the building has been requested by Professor Hojo."

She had just read him, almost verbatim, the very alert he'd already received. He resisted the urge to yell. "Yeah... that much we already knew. _What_ escaped, and how long has it actually been runnin' around outside the lab?"

"I... I'm not sure, sir. The followup report from the biologics lab just states 'juvenile specimen 14-A attached to project 514'. There's no further description."

"Well, that's real helpful... Call the idiots up there back and get me somethin' I can actually work with."

"Yes, sir!"

He ended the call, shaking his head. "Unbelievable..." he muttered. He'd never been especially impressed with the building security staff, but this was a new level of incompetence even for them.

"What now?" Elena asked.

"Can't do much 'til we know what we're dealin' with. Tch... Heidegger picked a hell of a day to run off to Junon. Hate to admit it, but for once, I actually wouldn't mind havin' him around to threaten security into doin' their fuckin' job. It'd save me the headache. Come on... let's get back to our office. Maybe we can dig up a project summary or somethin' on project 514 while we're waiting."

The two Turks pushed through the small crowd of employees in the hall and made their way to the elevator. Elena frowned as she realized that even _that_ was in lockdown mode. No one could move around the building at all. Reno swiped his access card, and punched in an override code. The doors opened and he hurried her into the car before any of the other nervous employees could try to follow.

"I didn't know we had access to do that..." Elena said, as they were whisked upwards towards Turk headquarters.

"Heh... _We_ don't. Tseng does... I do... director of Soldier and head of building security do. And the execs, naturally. Whatever's out, must be nasty... Hojo ordered the highest level of security lockdown we've got. Nothin' gets in, nothin' gets out, and everyone who doesn't have at least a level 8-Delta security clearance is stuck on whatever floor they happened to be on when it went into effect."

His PHS rang, startling them both as they were dropped off on their floor. He accepted the call, raising the phone to his ear.

"You're not allowed to leave the office anymore, boss. Every time ya do I get stuck dealin' with some pain in the ass emergency," he said, in lieu of a greeting.

"Yes... I saw the alert. Do you know what it is yet?"

"Juvenile specimen 14-A attached to project 514," the redhead repeated from memory, sounding decidedly annoyed at the lack of information. "Still waitin' on someone to elaborate on what the fuck that means. I'm guessin' you two are still down below..."

"I'm afraid so. We're on our way to the station now, though I don't know how much help we'll be once we're back up top. Even _my_ access code won't allow me to override the external doors without secondary approval from Heidegger. You and Elena will have to handle this on your own for the time being."

"Yeah... Understood." He ended the call and turned back to the rookie, who by then had made it to her desk and was scouring the company network for any mention of a project 514. "Got anything?"

"Not really. It's mentioned in a budget report from four years ago. It doesn't say was it _is_ though. That's all that came up."

"Tch... Hojo's probably got anything useful locked up tight." His PHS rang yet again, and Reno smirked. "Speak of the devil..." he said, before taking the call and switching it to speakerphone so Elena could hear as well. "Reno here, sir."

"I want to know what you're doing to get my specimen back," the scientist's voice intoned. Reno cocked an eyebrow. Get it back? He'd just been planning to shoot it before it killed someone.

"At the moment, sir, very little. We haven't even been told what we're looking for."

"Specimen 14-A from project 514, you useless fool," he responded, exasperated, and Reno was forced to bite back some rather choice words.

"Yes, sir... But what _is_ Specimen 14-A?" he said, keeping his voice as level as he could. Why the hell did the science types _always_ want to assume he had the faintest idea what the hell they were talking about?

Hojo made a noise of long-suffering frustration. "Specimen 14-A is a three and a half year old female arachnid-hybrid approximately two meters in height. It escaped early this morning, thanks to the incompetence of the project's junior supervisor. That specimen represents countless hours of painstaking research and genetic manipulation. I want it back, immediately!"

Reno blinked and glanced over at Elena, silently asking her if he'd heard that correctly. "Sir, just to clarify... We're looking for a six foot tall spider?" he asked, trying his best to keep the incredulous tone out of his voice.

"If you insist on using such plebeian terms..." the scientist scoffed angrily.

Okay, then. Giant spider. Terrific. "And this... excessively large spider... exactly how dangerous is it?"

"It's a natural predator... and fairly aggressive," Hojo replied, "It is only mildly venomous, however. In addition to the venom, it is also capable of secreting a highly corrosive acid, and produces a very high tensile webbing. The venom, incidentally, won't kill you, but it does contain a paralytic agent, the effects of which can last several hours..."

An acid-spitting, paralysis-inducing, web-slinging, six foot tall spider. This just got better, and better. Reno was beginning to think he ought to have stayed in bed that morning.

"I want it back _alive_. Do you hear me? _Alive!_ And preferably undamaged," Hojo continued.

"Understood, sir," Reno replied. He hung up the phone. "Undamaged my ass..." he muttered.

"He can't be serious..." Elena said, guardedly.

"Oh, he's serious alright. And we're expected to deliver, so no fatal shots unless it's absolutely necessary." The redhead wrenched open a drawer in his desk, and rummaged through the contents. "Matter of fact... No guns, period, unless it's absolutely necessary. Here." He tossed her an electro mag-rod. "Use my spare. Keep it set low for now."

Elena fingered the settings panel a little uncertainly... it had been awhile... but eventually was able to assure herself that the voltage was set to a non-fatal level. She'd trained with the weapon, and several others, as a recruit, but it had never really appealed to her. She was much more comfortable with her gun.

"Yeah, I know... Not really your style," Reno acknowledged.

"I'll manage." She gave the weapon an experimental flick, extending it to full length, and triggered the electrical discharge. The EMR obediently crackled with the sudden power surge. Satisfied, she collapsed it again.

"Now the only question is where is the damn thing?"

Elena turned back to her computer. Reports from security were finally starting to come in, but nothing very useful had popped up yet.

"There have been four possible sightings... but none of them seem very definite."

"Where were they?" Reno asked. Maybe they could at least narrow it down at bit.

"All over the place. One on sixty-one in the atrium, one on fifteen, one on forty-five outside of the archives, and another on the first floor concourse."

"Not a lot of help there..." he said shaking his head, "No way the thing's gettin' around that fast. 'Least a couple of those have gotta just be people panicking..."

"Soldier reports all of their floors are clear," she added as another notification arrived, "And building security is checking every camera."

"Took 'em long enough," he said, less than impressed. His PHS rang, and he glanced at the screen, an eyebrow rising in surprise. "Doc?" he answered. It wasn't often Ward got in touch with him... unless he was due for a flu shot or some other medical procedure he'd have rather avoided.

"Either having yeh as a patient has finally driven me mental, or yeh need ta get down to medical... now!" the woman's voice responded, sounding decidedly shaken. That alone was enough to raise several red flags with the Turk... Justinia Ward was _not_ easily intimidated. "There's some great hairy _thing_ trying ta get into my exam room... and it's none too friendly."

Reno started for the door, beckoning the rookie to follow. "Hang in there, Doc... we're comin'."

* * *

"We'll try 'n take it down before it knows we're here. You see an opportunity, you take it," Reno said in hushed tones as the elevator doors slid open. Farther down the hallway, the two Turks could hear a persistent banging, coupled with frequent shrieking cries. Whatever it was, it sounded big... and angry. Elena nodded her understanding and they started toward the source of the noise.

As she rounded the corner, her eyes went wide and she repressed a shudder. Hojo's 'specimen' was huge... The massive spider easily dwarfed Reno in height. It was definitely taller than six feet. More than that, its long, spindly legs were spread out across the entire width of the hallway. It brought its frontmost set of legs down repeatedly against the metal door that led to the medical suite at the end of the hall... part of the door was already badly dented and bowed. For whatever reason, it seemed determined to get inside. Reno waved her to one side of the hall, and readied his weapon to attack. Elena did the same, as they moved as silently as possible toward their target.

Not silently enough, it seemed. They were still several yards away when the creature realized they were there and turned on them, moving shockingly fast for something so large. It screeched, and Elena got a good look at it's fangs... each one nearly the length of her forearm and needle-sharp. Apparently Reno appeared to be the greater threat – or was simply more appetizing – because it ignored her, charging at him instead.

"Look out!" she shouted, though it was unnecessary. Reno was already moving. Instead of moving away from the attack, however, he was headed straight into it, falling into a diving roll between the spider's huge legs and thrusting his EMR upwards into its abdomen. The spider squealed in pain, but didn't go down. It whipped around, as Reno shot to his feet, knocking him into the wall. The Turk crumpled to the floor moments before the creature took off down the hallway and vanished around a corner.

"Higher voltage next time," he said with a groan, dragging himself upright again.

"Are you hurt?" Elena asked hurrying over to him. Reno shook his head.

"Gonna feel it in the morning, but I'll live." He swiped his access card in the reader next to the medical suite, then forced the somewhat distorted door open as much as he could. "Check on the doc... I'm goin' after that thing."

She nodded and wriggled her way through the partially open door, leaving Reno to continue the hunt. At first, she thought the room was empty, and wondered if Ward had found another way out before they'd arrived. But then she spotted the blood.

"Dr. Ward?" she called out, as she moved to follow the trail. It led farther into the suite, back to the doctor's private office. Her query was met by a low, pained moan, and she quickened her pace. "Doctor?"

She opened the door and found her on the floor, propped up against her desk. Dr. Ward looked up at her.

"Where's my favorite troublemaker run off ta?" she asked, a little weakly. Her right leg had obviously been bleeding badly from a deep gash. The doctor had slowed it considerably with a tourniquet, but not before she'd lost quite a bit of blood.

"Oh, you know Reno..." she said, trying not to let the significant worry she was feeling show too much. She knelt down next to the older woman. "He has to be dragged in here kicking and screaming _every_ time."

Ward managed a laugh. Elena grabbed a sheet from a pile of linen and pressed it against the wound, applying pressure. "Tell me what I can do..." she said.

"Ideally yeh could get me outta here and inta a hospital... but I'll wager that's not too likely at the moment."

Elena shook her head. "The whole building's sealed off."

"A good thing, too... I'd hate ta think what that monster'd do if it got out inta the city," the doctor replied, "Nothing else for it, then... I'll just have to try and fix this mess as best I can." She nodded toward a door on the far side of her office. "Gauze and a pressure bandage if yeh would, please... "

* * *

Reno had been over nearly the entire floor and found nothing. The spider was gone, and he had no clue where it had disappeared to... or, for that matter, how something that big had simply vanished. It was far too large to have crept into the ventilation system. The elevator shafts maybe? If that was the case, it could be anywhere in the building by now. The cars were frozen in place without an override code, but the shafts themselves were still open.

His hunch was confirmed seconds later as he rounded a corner and saw the destruction. An elevator's sliding doors had been all but torn out. He wasn't sure if it had been done during the spider's escape or if this was where it had initially entered the floor... either way, it had moved on. They'd have to start from scratch.

He growled in frustration and headed back to where he'd left Elena.

"'Lena?" he called out, shouldering his way through the damaged door. He froze momentarily when he spotted the blood on the floor... It couldn't have gotten past him and doubled back. There was simply no way...

"Back here!"

The response was a relief, despite the note of distress, and he quickly found his way back to Dr. Ward's office.

"Ah... there yeh are..." the doctor said as he entered. He could clearly hear the pain in her voice. "I hope yeh haven't managed ta hurt yerself... I don't think I'll be much good to yeh at the moment."

He stood there, silently, for a moment, taking in the old woman's condition. In all the years he'd known her, he'd never once seen Ward sick or hurt. He'd half come to believe she was immune to such things due to sheer stubbornness. Elena was wrapping a bandage around her thigh, but it was abundantly clear that the freshly-dressed injury was serious. There was blood everywhere.

"Evil thing nicked a vein when it tried ta take a bite outta me," the doctor said, following his gaze, "Bleeding's under control, but if yeh could take care of that thing in a timely manner so I can get it seen to properly, I'd appreciate it."

Now wasn't the time to worry about the sudden revelation that Ward wasn't indestructible.

"Count on it," he responded, "Are we okay to move you? There's no way we can secure this room, and that fucker seemed pretty anxious to get in earlier."

"Watch yer language," she chastised, purely out of habit, before answering, "It was the blood. Second it got a whiff, it went berserk. Normally, I'd recommend against moving the patient, but... given the circumstances..."

"What about the venom?" Elena suddenly asked, and Reno paused in his efforts to reach the doctor. He'd nearly forgotten that little detail.

"Hojo _did_ say it wasn't lethal..." he replied. But on the other hand... Ward was hurt. Badly. And she wasn't exactly in the prime of youth.

"Wouldn't worry... The fang went clean through. I don't think it managed ta envenomate me. I'd be feeling it by now."

"Then let's get you outta here," said Reno, as he knelt down and lifted the doctor carefully off of the floor. "'Lena... grab some more supplies, just in case."

They would take Ward back to headquarters... It was probably safer than just about anywhere else in the building at the moment. And then they'd find that stupid insect and electrocu-... _stun_ it. Stun the giant spider. Reno had to emphatically remind himself that taking it alive was a mission priority... though had it been up to him, he'd've turned Elena and her gun loose on that eight-legged freak the next time they saw it. And if that didn't work, he'd see what sort of effect a full-strength jolt from his EMR had on it. Not only was it endangering everyone in the building, it had just tried to eat the one doctor on the planet he could actually tolerate. Ward deserved a little retribution for _that_.

As they made their way down the hall, he briefly wondered if it was worth the risk taking the elevators, knowing that the creature was actively using the shafts to get around. On the other hand, the medical suite was on the ninth floor. Their offices were on fifty-eight. That was a hell of a climb, if they took the stairs, especially carrying an injured woman. They'd just have to chance it.

"Don't let your guard down..." he said as he paused to override the lockout on the elevator. "That thing tore it's way into an elevator shaft on the other side of the building. Ifrit only knows where it might be crawlin' around right now..."

"Yeh couldn't have just kept that to yerself, I suppose..." Ward groused, looking more than slightly concerned by the information. Elena pressed the button for the Turks main office, and the car began to rise.

"Heh... don't worry, Doc... Worst case scenario, we –" The elevator suddenly gave a violent shudder as something heavy landed on the roof of the car. "Of course..."

Elena cried out as the lightbulbs above them shattered in a shower of sparks, plunging them into darkness, and a long, narrow leg stabbed downwards into into the elevator, slamming her against the side. Reno dropped, shielding the doctor as best he could, and gripping his mag-rod as the leg withdrew, tearing away the maintenance panel on the roof in the process. Thankfully, the opening was still to small for the creature to get through... but he had a feeling that wouldn't keep it out for much longer. Sure enough the spider punched through on the other side of the roof, narrowly missing Reno and Dr. Ward in the process. The elevator finally stopped at their floor, the door opening only about halfway. The redhead threw his shoulder against it, forcing it a few inches farther and awkwardly pulling Ward into the hall.

"'Lena... out! Now!"

Elena rushed for the opening, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Reno!" she cried out, as a strong, sticky webbing shot down from above, enveloping half of her body as she tried to flee. The redhead abandoned the doctor for the moment, and latched onto Elena's arm, trying to pull her free, to no avail. Seconds later, Elena was jerked upwards, straight out of the top of the elevator.

"'Lena!" he called after her, staring up into the dark shaft. The only response he received was a distant scream.

* * *

"Sir... At present, I have two Turks facing an unknown threat inside a sealed building, with no support," Tseng said, "I realize giving me your executive override code violates several dozen security protocols, but unless I can get inside, I can do absolutely nothing to assist them."

Heidegger had been unreachable... apparently, he had decided to insert himself into an inspection team that was touring the underwater mako reactor just offshore of Junon. Tseng had ordered a messenger to try to reach him personally, but it was unlikely any response would be timely. What interest the man had in the reactor, Tseng had no idea, but he couldn't possibly have picked a worst time to be out of communication.

Thus, he'd opted for plan B, and made a second phone call.

"Father rescinded my security code, you'll recall," Rufus replied. The Turk leader forced himself to maintain his calm demeanor. As much as he generally liked Rufus, he didn't have time for a lengthy back and forth right now.

"You'll have to forgive me for being blunt, sir, but we both know you issued yourself a backup. I need it. Now."

* * *

Elena groaned... or at least she would have had she been able to. Her voice didn't seem to work at the moment. As her head cleared a bit, she realized, with a sudden terror, that neither did anything else. She tried to move... her legs, her head, her fingers... anything. They might as well have not been there at all.

What was going on? Her chest tightened in panic, as her breath began to come in short, rapid gasps. She couldn't move. She wasn't restrained, as far as she could tell, but she couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She couldn't see anything but the floor she seemed to be lying facedown on.

But she could breathe.

Elena focused on that, forcing herself to calm down. Letting her fear take over wouldn't do her any good. She needed her wits about her. She took slower, deeper breaths, and the tightness in her chest began to ease. Finally able to think a little more clearly, she remembered being attacked in the elevator, and the sudden sensation of being pulled upward like a marionette... the look on Reno's face when she'd been hauled out of his grasp, and the stinging pain in her side a few moments later. After that, everything was a blank.

She must have been bitten, she reasoned. That was why she couldn't move. She'd been paralyzed by the spider's venom.

She heard a soft, skittering sound to her right and suddenly a heavy weight came to rest on her back. It rolled her, and if she'd been capable of it, she would have screamed. Huge, glassy eyes stared coldly at her, and she was certain she was about to die.

Instead, the spider roller her again. And again. And after a moment, she realized that she was being cocooned... wrapped head to toe, in strong, sticky spider silk. Hojo had said the effect of the spider's venom was temporary. Apparently the spider knew that, too... and was making sure its dinner didn't run off.

A random bit of trivia... probably from some school assignment years ago that had somehow crept into her long-term memory... vied for her attention. Spiders wrapped their prey until they were ready to eat. And then they liquified it with digestive acids in order to consume it... sometimes while it was still alive.

This time, when it took hold, the rookie Turk couldn't force the panic to abate...

* * *

If it hadn't been for Ward, he'd have climbed right up that damn shaft in pursuit. As it stood, however, civilians took priority, and the doctor wouldn't have been safe if he'd simply left her in order to go after Elena.

He'd brought her into Tseng's office. The wall that separated it from the rest of the room was reinforced and soundproof. Ward would be secure enough there while he went back to spider hunting.

"Are yeh alright?" she asked as he was doing his best to make her comfortable on the floor behind Tseng's desk. He snorted derisively.

"Fuck, no, I'm not alright, Doc. The fucking building's still on lockdown, fuck only knows where that thing fucked off to, and I just fucking lost a rookie Turk to a goddamn fucking giant spider. I am a _long_ fucking way from alright. And don't you fuckin' tell me to watch my goddamn language, either."

"I can always tell exactly how angry you are by the amount of swearing..."

Reno turned at the sound of the familiar voice, looking up in shock. "Boss! How the hell you'd manage to get back in here?" Tseng and Rude had both appeared in the doorway, looking anxious to know what they'd missed.

"Rufus," Tseng said, simply, "What happened?"

"Hojo's mutant pet took 'Lena, that's what happened. I was pullin' the doc out, and... it just grabbed her. Hauled her up the elevator shaft before I could do shit to stop it."

"Then I suggest we hurry and locate it." He nodded to Rude, who was already pulling up all available information on his terminal. Tseng, meanwhile, knelt down beside the injured doctor, looking her over. "Are you badly hurt?"

"I don't think I could honestly say I've ever been much worse..." she acknowledged, grimacing in pain as she shifted position slightly. "But I'm not on my way out just yet. Yeh go an' take care of yer own. I'll still be here when yeh get back."

He nodded and turned his attention back to Reno. "What exactly are dealing with?"

"Spider... Really fuckin' big spider. Thing's gotta be close to eight feet tall, and about three times as wide from one leg to the other. Mean bastard, too... and, if that wasn't enough, apparently, it's venom can paralyze ya. Hojo wants it back alive, naturally. We almost had it outside medical... but I underestimated just how much voltage it could take. Hit it dead center, and it barely even phased it. Just pissed it off. It took off into an elevator shaft, circled back, and hit us on our way back upstairs. Doc and I made it out okay, but..."

"It took Elena with it," Tseng finished for him. Reno nodded. It wasn't his fault, he knew... logically, he _knew_ that he'd had no way of knowing when or where the creature would attack. Taking the elevator had been a necessary risk. Still... it _had_ been his decision, and now Elena was in trouble. Or worse.

"Two people have gone missing from the fifteenth floor," Rude interjected, "And one from twelve, and three from thirteen."

"Hunting near home, perhaps? I assume building security has been watching their monitors for any sign of it..."

"They're 'sposed to be, anyway," Reno confirmed.

"Then I think our most likely chance of success would be on a nearby floor that is _not_ actively monitored."

"Makes sense," said Rude, "Fourteen's empty... and inaccessible to general personnel. Nice and dark and quiet... perfect place for a spider to set up shop."

"My thoughts exactly," the Turk leader agreed.

"Then let's get movin', already."

* * *

There was nothing on the planet worse than this, Elena thought to herself – being able to see and hear and think and feel, but completely incapable of even the smallest movement of her extremities. In fact, the only thing that still seemed to be under her control her her eyes, though even that took far more concentration than it should have. Otherwise, she was entirely trapped within her own body.

It was terrifying, even though – as far as she knew, at least – it was temporary. All she could _really_ do was think. And her thoughts, no matter what train they started out on, always seemed to end up on the track that ended in a horrifically painful death that she couldn't even fight back against.

The huge arachnid hadn't touched her again after wrapping her and hanging her from a massive wall of webbing, but she knew it was still nearby. She was presently dangling high off the ground, near the ceiling, upside down. Wherever she was, it was dark... she couldn't make out much of her surroundings. Light filtered in from the somewhere, but it was faint, and didn't help her to do much more than make out the hulking silhouettes of what looked like large shelves in the high-ceilinged room. Something about them seemed vaguely familiar, but she was having trouble concentrating long enough to figure out why, as her heart had stubbornly refused to stop pounding against her rib cage, and every little sound from the darkness brought with it a fresh wave of fear. The creature had been coming and going frequently, and each time it returned, she feared it might finally be getting hungry. For the most part, all she could do was listen to it crawling around. The last time it had come back, though...

The spider had been just barely in her line of sight, and it hadn't been alone. It was carrying something that looked suspiciously about the size of another person. Elena had watched as it had carefully wrapped and hung the body and disappeared back into the shadows. She hoped desperately that it wasn't Reno or Dr. Ward.

* * *

"I trust you have your backup weapon..." Tseng said as he and Reno boarded the undamaged elevator outside of the main office. Rude had circled around to the elevators on the other side of the building... if they were lucky, they could pin the creature between them and take it down.

"'Course I do..." He seldom had need of firearms, but that didn't mean he didn't make a habit of carrying one. "You givin' me permission to ignore Hojo's orders?"

"We will make _one_ attempt at taking it alive. Failing that, kill it immediately. Though I hope we discover otherwise, Elena may already be lost. I will _not_ sacrifice anyone else over one of Hojo's pet projects."

Reno could clearly hear the simmering anger in his mentor's voice. It matched his own... though his was tempered with a deep-seated fear of what they might find. In the back of his mind, he saw Elena, broken and lifeless, with that _thing_ looming over her. He was having a very hard time shaking that image.

There had been numerous Turks who had lost their lives since he'd been accepted into this strange little family and each death had cut him deeply. Somehow, though, he felt as though Elena's loss would devastate him in a way no other had. In fact, all three of of his remaining fellow Turks had come to mean more to him than his own life, and losing any one of them would have been indescribably painful... but Elena was different. She was his.

And he wanted her back.

The doors opened on fourteen, and both men stepped out into the darkened floor. A soft sound pinged from Tseng's PHS, barely audible even in the quiet of the abandoned level.

"Rude is in position," he informed his second in hushed tones as he acknowledged the notification. Tseng moved silently toward the switch on the wall and glanced back at Reno, who nodded. The Turk leader flipped the switch, and the overhead lights buzzed to life. From somewhere among the maze of empty shelves and filing cabinets, they heard a furious shriek.

"Watch yourself, boss," Reno said, as he and Tseng entered the labyrinthian storage area, separating and moving independently towards the source of the noise.

Turning on the lights had been a calculated risk. It took away their opportunity of surprising the monster, but it leveled the playing field a bit. They could see it coming just as easily as it could see them. It also, apparently, had just saved them the hassle of determining whether or not the spider was here at all and had given them at least some indication of where it was.

* * *

Elena's pupils contracted painfully in the sudden brightness, and it took her a moment to force her eyelids shut against the the harsh lighting. The spider seemed equally as surprised by it, and it screeched loudly, much too close to her ear for her comfort. Soon, however, it was moving away from her. For a second or two, after she dared to open her eyes again, she caught sight of it scaling a tall bank of shelves that reached nearly to the ceiling.

And then, she _finally_ realized where she was. With the lights on, if wasn't exactly hard to figure out. The fourteenth floor was the only place in the Shinra Building that had the appearance of a giant maze. Even more so, suspended as she currently was.

He breathing quickened... someone had to have turned those lights on. That meant someone was on the floor. When she spotted movement below in one of the rows, it was too fleeting to make out who it was, but, she reasoned, it almost had to be Reno. Who else would be here?

To her surprise, that question was answered mere moments later, as, not Reno's, but Rude's familiar figure emerged into the open area just below her. A wave of intense relief washed over her... If Rude was here, then Tseng was here, too. And if they were both moving in, Reno wouldn't be far behind them. Between the three of them, that creature didn't stand a chance. She strained, trying to call out to her fellow Turk... to let him know she was there. All she succeeded in producing was a heavy breath, but it didn't matter... they would find her. Once the threat was neutralized, they'd scour every inch of the floor until they found her.

Her elation was short-lived, however. Rude didn't see her... and he also didn't see the spider as it clung to the ceiling over his head. But Elena did. And she watched as it dropped, landing with a crash behind the man.

Rude managed to dodge the initial attack, and she could hear the familiar crackling of an EMR. The spider screamed in pain as Rude's counterattack seemed to hit home, and it staggered, legs shifting awkwardly as it tried to stay upright.

"Over here!" Rude shouted, and the rookie caught the faint sound of running from somewhere behind her. Rude, meanwhile, moved in for another attempt... but Hojo's specimen, it seemed, wasn't quite finished. Elena watched in horror as it reared back, and brought it's front legs down on the Turk. The EMR clattered to the floor, and seconds later, the spider sent him flying into the shelves with an angry howl.

' _No_...' she thought, watching him fall to the ground, and a split second later, her breath caught in her throat as the shelves shuddered and began to collapse. The spider scurried back, leaving Rude to be buried in the rubble.

* * *

Reno watched the towering storage piece crumble, the debris trapping his partner, and he growled in fury.

"Enough of this... Take it down!" Tseng ordered, emerging from the twisting paths a short distance away. The redhead was only too happy to oblige.

A volley of gunshots rent the air. Blood spattered the floor as the shots hit their target, Reno andTseng advancing as they fired. The creature gave one final cry and collapsed, it's legs curling underneath it as it went motionless. The two Turks approached cautiously. Tseng lowered his weapon, satisfied that the threat had been dealt with, but Reno's remained steadfastly aimed. He fired again... and he didn't stop until he'd emptied the entire clip.

At Tseng's raised eyebrow, he shrugged. "Just makin' sure."

"I suppose it's fortunate you don't favor firearms. I'd forever be requisitioning ammunition. Let's get Rude out of there..."

The pair of them worked to clear away the rubble, at last locating the other man. Rude groaned softly as they lifted away a heavy piece of wood had him pinned.

"Still in one piece, partner?" Reno asked.

"... Feels more like two or three," he replied, grimacing as the redhead helped him sit up.

"Meant your sorry ass, not those damn glasses of yours."

Rude gave a soft laugh, and pulled the cracked sunglasses off, inspecting them briefly before tossing them into the pile of broken shelving. Reno crouched down beside him, frowning as he took in the visible injuries... a gash above the other man's left eye being the most obvious. He also seemed to be favoring his right arm, keeping it tucked in close to his chest.

"Seriously, though... How bad ya hurt?"

"Nothing that can't wait. Go find Elena."

"I believe I just _have_ ," Tseng interjected. "Along with the other missing personnel." Both men turned to look at him, and followed his gaze towards the ceiling. Numerous, web-wrapped bundles hung haphazardly from the chaotically web-coated space.

"Got a knife on ya?"

Rude grunted in affirmation, and drew a switchblade from his jacket, tossing it to the redhead. Reno was halfway up the nearest shelving unit before Tseng could say anything. It took the wiry Turk no time at all to reach the top, perching himself mere feet from the cocooned woman, and cutting away some of the webbing. "'Lena?" He sliced through several layers, partially freeing her, "Hey... Can ya hear me?"

For a moment, he feared the worse... she was so unnaturally still... until he realized she was watching him. "Come on, 'Lena... Let me know you're okay." She blinked, slowly and purposefully, and the redhead sighed in relief. "Don't worry... we're gonna getcha down." He glanced down at Tseng, who by then was on his phone, probably, Reno assumed, calling for medial backup. As soon as he'd tucked the PHS back into his jacket, the redhead shouted down to him. "Gonna need someone to hold her while I cut. She can't move. Spider musta got her with its venom."

Tseng hurried to join him on his perch, though the Turk leader was far more cautious making the climb than the redhead had been.

"I don't suppose I can talk you into waiting for further assistance to arrive..." Reno's expression was all the answer he needed. Tseng smirked and shook his head. "I thought as much. Alright... I've got her." It took them both a fair amount of effort, but several minutes later, Elena was safely on the ground again. Reno was hacking away at the remaining webbing as additional Shinra personnel began to filter out of the elevator and find their way to them.

" _What have you done?!_ " an irate voice hissed. Tseng's hand quickly clamped down on Reno's shoulder, preventing the man from getting to his feet and confronting the scientist himself.

"I'm afraid it was unavoidable," he replied, and began directing members of the building security team towards the other victims of the creature's hunting trip. "We made every effort to recapture it alive, but ultimately, it was impossible to do so with the available resources."

"That specimen was irreplaceable! We could breed a hundred generations and never achieve the same result!"

Tseng's eyes narrowed at Hojo. "My Turks are just as irreplaceable As I said... we _did_ attempt to take it alive. I nearly lost two of them in the process, and will now have injured personnel to contend with. If you have a problem with my decision to dispatch that creature before any further damage was done, then you may take it up with Heidegger when he returns from Junon."

"Oh, I will," Hojo muttered, beckoning to his own staff to begin loading the carcass onto a large cargo sledge, before turning his back on the Turk leader.

"Tseng seems a little annoyed with Hojo," Rude commented to his partner. By now, he had limped his way over to where the rookie was still being extracted from her prison. He lowered himself painfully to the floor next to her, trying his best not to bend the injured knee that was now starting to swell.

"Maybe just a little," Reno said, smirking.

"How's she doing?"

"Kinda hard ta tell... Doesn't seem to be injured, 'cept for that bite on her side. But apparently she's not speakin' to me at the moment. 'Course she's not tryin' to beat me senseless for lettin' that spider get away with her in the first place, either, so I guess that's a good sign," he teased, stroking a hand along her cheek in comfort.

"Hmph... Think that's only because she can't move."

Reno snorted in laughter. "Wonder how long she's gonna be like this?" he said, stripping away one last large sheet of webbing. He took hold of her hand, gently rubbing his thumb across the back of it as he held it. He was rewarded with a weak squeeze from her fingers.

* * *

"Hey, Doc... Shouldn't you be takin' it easy for awhile?" Reno asked, as he strolled into the office. The fact that the elderly doctor was already up and about was surprising enough... He certainly hadn't expected to find her waiting for him the moment he returned from lunch. He had to admit, though... he was glad to see her back on her feet so soon. He'd been a more than a little worried.

Dr. Ward glanced up from her examination of the cast on Rude's arm. "Well, now if yeh'd bothered ta visit me I wouldn't've had ta come and check on yeh myself, now would I?"

Reno scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I spend too much time in hospitals as it is."

"And besides... he _did_ check in on you. He'll just never admit to it. You hadn't come out of the anesthesia from surgery yet," Rude added, and the redhead glared at him for the betrayal.

"Always knew yeh had a soft spot for me..." Ward picked up the pair of crutches she'd left leaning against Rude's desk and hobbled over to the other Turk. She patted him on the cheek. "If only yeh'd put as much effort inta taking care of yerself. How's our girl doing, by the way?"

He was, frankly, a little concerned about the rookie. Physically, she'd been given a clean bill of health and cleared to return to duty almost as soon as the paralytic venom had worked its way out of her system... which it hadn't _completely_ done until mid-afternoon on Thursday – though thankfully, it had been a period of slow, but continuous improvement rather than nearly a day of being a prisoner in her own body. She had returned to work this very morning, in fact, but looking noticeably tired and distracted.

Reno was intent on pulling her aside, but hadn't yet had the opportunity... due in large part to the not-entirely-unexpected reaming out he'd had the pleasure of taking part in with Tseng almost as soon as he'd entered the building. Hojo had made good on his promise to go to Heidegger, and Heidegger, in turn, had laid into them both for more than two hours over the complaint. By the time they'd been released, Reno was already late for a meeting with Lira in Wall Market for an update on Corneo's recent activity and had to rush off before speaking to Elena. Then Lira had insisted on treating him to lunch, so he'd missed the rookie then as well.

"When I finally get a chance to find out, I'll let ya know," he replied.

"See that yeh do." She turned back to Rude. "And _you_ go easy on that knee. I don't care if it doesn't hurt anymore, yeh shouldn't be putting weight on it 'til the swelling goes down." Dr. Ward cast Reno a reproving glance as she made her way out the door. "Bad enough _this_ one never listens to what I tell him do. I won't have the rest of yer lot doing the same."

When she was gone, Reno let himself drop onto the couch by the window. "Sure... I _never_ listen to her. Please."

Rude snorted softly, but said nothing.

"What?"

"Of course you listen. After she tells you three times, attempts to bribe you into compliance with candy, and finally threatens you with extra injections..."

"Ah, shut up," he muttered, only to be met with unabashed chuckling. "Anyway... Ya seen 'Lena anywhere lately?"

"Firing range. Been down there since before lunch."

"She pissed off or somethin'?" Reno asked, cocking an eyebrow. The range was one of Elena's favorite stress relievers. He didn't frequent it himself, but he'd heard rumors that she occasionally liked to tape photos of whomever she happened to be most upset with to the targets. He was pretty sure _his_ had to have made it up there more than once, if it was true. Hell, if there was _really_ any truth to the rumor, it had probably been a permanent fixture for her first few months as a Turk.

"Or something."

"Yeah... I kinda picked up on that, too. Guess that means she wouldn't talk to you about it?"

"Didn't push... Figured you'd want to do it."

Reno smirked. Rude knew him entirely too well. He got to his feet, and headed toward the door with a casual wave. "Ya need me, ya know where I'll be."

* * *

Her posture was stiff. So much so that it was throwing off her aim... which, where Elena was concerned, was saying something. Reno had never met anyone who was more of a natural with a gun than the rookie. She didn't miss. Period.

Except today, apparently. He watched silently as she hit the switch to bring in the target, tearing it from the clips once it was within reach and crumpling it furiously. It joined several others that littered the ground at her feet. She replaced it with a fresh one and sent it on its way, back to the far end of the range. Her first shot was so far left of center it barely nicked the edge of the target, and Elena screamed in frustration, slamming the weapon down hard in front of her, next to a nearly empty box of ammunition.

"Targets must be defective..." Reno said, taking the opportunity of the brief lull in her firing pattern to interrupt.

Her hand clenched instinctively around the grip of her gun for just a moment, and he realized she'd come very close to drawing on him. He hadn't known she was so skittish. If he had, he would've been far more cautious in approaching her on the range. Thankfully, recognition beat out paranoia, though, and Elena released the gun, turning to face him.

"Wanna talk about it?" he continued, choosing not to acknowledge the over-reaction.

"About what?" she asked, a little defensively.

"Well, we can start with why ya look like hell today, and then maybe move on to why ya can't hit the broad side of a barn..."

Elena glared at him. "It's fine. I'm fine." She went to push past him, and Reno grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her back towards him.

"No you're not. You're jumpy as fuck. You're distracted. You're in an all-around shitty mood. Rude said you skipped out on lunch, so you're obviously not eatin', and I'm gonna take a wild guess here and say ya probably haven't slept, either."

"I said I was fine," she said, though her heart really wasn't in it, and she was having trouble looking him in the eye. Reno smirked.

"You're still a shit liar, 'Lena." He watched as her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Come on... sit down," he said, pulling her along with him, over to the benches that lined the back of the range. "So... ?"

"I... I can't stop thinking about it," she confessed after a moment, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I was completely helpless... That thing could have finished me off at any time, and I couldn't have even _tried_ to stop it from happening. Do you know what that feels like?!"

Reno wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her against his side. He smiled slightly to himself... apparently the fact that he'd been in a similar situation not all that long ago had momentarily slipped her mind. But under the circumstances, he couldn't really hold it against her. "Yeah... I do. And I know how that feeling latches onto ya and lingers no matter how much you tell yourself that it's over and you came out okay."

"How do you get rid of it?" she asked in a small voice.

"By not givin' in to it. Bein' stuck in a situation like that with nothin' but your own thoughts can really fuck ya up. You can't let it eat ya alive."

"Right now, I don't feel like I can stop it..."

"Yeah, well... that's why I'm _here_ and not makin' plans with Rude to hit up the Phoenix Nest after work," Reno replied, chuckling softly for a moment, before turning serious again, "Look... we've got a fucked up job. Sometimes it gets to ya. Doesn't make ya weak unless you give up and stop tryin'. You're not alone, 'Lena. You've got all of us... Doesn't matter if you're in the middle of a firefight, or just havin' bad dreams. We got your back."

He felt her relax a little, and he gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Feel better?"

"Kind of..."

"How 'bout I go home with you tonight?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Reno... I'm really not in the mood for your jokes."

"Not even remotely what I meant, but it's nice to know I've finally got ya to the point that your mind goes straight to the gutter soon as I open my mouth..." he said, grinning widely... even more so when Elena's cheeks reddened at the realization that he really _hadn't_ been teasingly propositioning her for once. "Trust me, you'll feel better if you're not all by yourself all night. We can watch a movie or somethin'... The Brain that Ate Mideel sound good?"

"I don't think horror movies are going to do much to calm me down," she said, shaking her head as she recovered from her embarrassment. Reno sighed.

"'Kay, so... and I can't fuckin' believe I'm sayin' this... we can watch Sword & Shadow. If ya want. Just don't tell Rude. He finally quit tryin' to make me like that shit awhile back and the last thing I need is for him to start in on it again."

"You'd really do that?" Elena looked up at him with such a hopeful expression, that even if he hadn't been serious he would never have been able to back out now.

"Subject myself to endless hours of an inane, over-acted political drama to the point I start desperately prayin' someone'll shoot me just to keep ya company... again? 'Course I would."

Elena leaned over slightly and kissed him on the cheek. "I... guess I wouldn't mind having someone to torture with my inane, over-acted political drama," she said, smiling for the first time all day.

"Good," Reno replied, "... I think." The rookie looked at him, almost expectantly, though for once, Reno was at a loss as to what she was thinking. "What?"

"Usually, by now you'd be making some obnoxious comment about how if I wanted to do something _else_ you'd be happy to oblige..."

"Thought you said you weren't in the mood for my jokes..."

"When has that ever stopped you?"

"Fair point," he acknowledged, "I just figured I'd give ya a break."

She shifted awkwardly next to him. "It's just... weird... when you don't do it."

"Careful, 'Lena... You start sayin' things like that, I'm gonna start thinkin' maybe you're a little more tempted than you let on..."

"In your dreams," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, dear Ifrit, I hope so," he said with a dramatic sigh, "I'm skippin' out on hookin' up with Lira tonight to hang out with you and your collectors edition of Sword & Shadow. Dreams are all I got."

"Ugh... Reno, you really _are_ a pervert," she said, laughing softly.

~fin


	30. Wedding Bells

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 30: Wedding Bells**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _To all my reviewers... yes, I'm finally going to stop teasing about that wedding. ;)_

* * *

Reno stretched his legs out in front of him as he drank deeply from his morning coffee. Well... technically, it was already his third morning coffee. And he needed it... desperately.

"Rough weekend?" Tseng asked, looking at this second in command from the opposite side of his desk. The redhead groaned softly and set the mug down.

"Rough? I think I've slept maybe nine hours total since Thursday night..."

Given that today was Monday, it was no wonder it was taking him some time to get going this morning. And the quiet solitude of Tseng's office wasn't exactly urging him to wakefulness. If anything, it was making him far more relaxed than he really had any right being while on duty.

Usually, they had these meetings on Fridays, but both men had been slightly preoccupied with various aspects of the fallout of last Wednesday's eight-legged disaster. They'd mutually agreed to postpone.

"How bad is she?"

Reno sighed and reached for his cup again. Elena wasn't nearly as rattled as she'd been the first night he'd stayed with her. She hadn't explicitly told him so, but, at the time, he strongly suspected she hadn't slept well, if at all, the night before, because she didn't seem to _want_ to go to sleep, even with him nearby. Those suspicions were strengthened a short while after she did finally nod off, when he himself woke to the sound of screaming from her bedroom. He'd kind of expected something like that – his own dreams following a mission gone bad were seldom pleasant – but two more similar occurrences that same night had taken a lot out of him. The second night hadn't been nearly as dramatic, but Elena had still been restless and uneasy, waking several times in a panic. Sunday night had, at last, seen a great deal of improvement..

"She finally slept through the night last night..." he replied, swallowing what little of the dark liquid remained. It didn't seem to be doing him any good. His eyelids still felt as though they had weights attached to them. "Wish _I_ could say the same... I kept checkin' in on her, 'cause she kept tryin' _not_ to wake me up the night before, even when she was really freaked out. Finally got sick of wakin' myself up every half hour or so, and just _stayed_ awake. Ended up on the couch watchin' infomercials with Snuffy most of the night. Ya know... I dunno _how_ the hell those things manage to get to ya so bad. I had to stop myself twice from calling in to buy one of those stupid miracle blenders."

Tseng nearly choked on the sip of tea he'd just taken, and laughed.

"If you weren't my boss, I'd be sorely tempted to tell ya to shut the hell up," Reno commented with a half-hearted scowl.

"Fortunately, I _am_ your boss," the Turk leader replied, quickly regaining his composure and smiling. "But you do have a point. These meetings are to keep me up to date on Elena's progress, not to discuss your late-night shopping habits. As such... your report?"

"Yeah, yeah..." he said, yawning. "Issues over what happened to her last week aside... she's been doin' pretty great. Could still use some more work in hand to hand, though, if you or Rude can spare an hour or two maybe once or twice a week for awhile. I'd kinda like to get her practicin' on a more regular basis with someone besides me. I think she's gettin' too used to my fighting style. Knows how I like to attack and puts way too much effort into guarding against it."

"I'm sure Rude would welcome a fresh opponent once his arm has fully healed. I'll try and find some additional time as well."

"We also gotta talk about the paperwork situation..."

Tseng's eyebrows rose. "I wasn't aware there was a situation..."

"We've been stickin' 'Lena with damn near _all_ of it lately. I'm pretty sure she's getting a little pissed off about it. Haven't had a chance to ask her why she hasn't been complainin' about it, though, 'cause... ya know. She damn near got eaten and it didn't really seem like a priority the past few days... but I think we need to start pullin' our weight again."

The Turk leader was silent for a moment, caught slightly off guard. "I... have, perhaps, been relying on her for that a bit more than is reasonable lately," he admitted.

"So has Rude."

Tseng fixed his gaze on the younger Turk, accusingly.

"Yeah, fine... so have I. Like I said... we need to start pulling our weight again."

"Again? As I recall, _your_ unentered reports have always grossly outnumbered mine and Rude's combined... long before Elena started helping out. Who exactly was pulling your weight _then_?" he asked with a soft snort of amusement.

"Well, I always just figured since I weigh so much less than either of you two..." Reno replied, grinning as he trailed off.

"Very funny," Tseng said, "But... I concur. It seems we've all been taking advantage. I assume you're already making an effort to pick up your own slack... I'll put some effort in on my own and have a word with Rude. Were there any other concerns?"

"Aside from the obvious? Not at the moment."

"Will you be staying with her again tonight?"

Reno shook his head. "Nah... She's doin' a lot better now, and besides... I'm not really helpin' her if I let myself end up bein' a crutch. Plus, I _gotta_ get some sleep tonight. I'm about beat."

"Good... I had planned on making the same argument if you'd said yes. She's much stronger than she thinks she is right now, and she needs the opportunity to realize that." He smirked slightly, and stood, moving around behind the younger man and placing his hands on his shoulders. "You, on the other hand... are nearly at your limit, I think," he said, giving the tense muscles a purposeful squeeze.

"Don't do that..." Reno protested with a heavy sigh, relaxing into the gentle massage and letting his eyes close, "I'm barely half awake as it is. You keep that up, I'm gonna be out in about ten more seconds."

"Yes... I know. That's my intention. Get some rest, Reno... I'll wake you if you're needed."

"Wake me for lunch, instead..." the redhead murmured, his head lolling against his chest. Tseng kept at it until he'd been motionless and silent for a few minutes, and then slipped out the door into the outer office. Elena looked up as he emerged.

"Good mor–"

Tseng quickly raised a finger to his lips silencing her greeting. Given his current state of sleep deprivation, Reno wasn't likely to be woken nearly as easily as usual, but he wasn't taking any chances.

"Rude... get the door, if you would," he said softly. The bald Turk cast him a questioning glance, but did as requested, walking across the room and opening the door. Tseng turned back to his lieutenant and lifted his limp form out of the chair as carefully as possible, carrying him into the hallway. "With me, please," he requested, and the other man followed. He briefly considered installing his unconsciousness charge in one of the sleeping quarters on the other side of their floor... but frankly, he wasn't entirely certain he'd ever make it that far without waking him, even as tired as the man currently was. Instead, he opted for the lounge, letting Rude usher them both in, and leaving him on the couch.

When they returned, Elena was on her feet, waiting for them.

"I-is Reno alright?" she asked, obviously concerned. Tseng chuckled and escorted her back to her desk.

"He's fine," he replied, "Just exhausted. I would have simply sent him home, but he's currently out of personal leave. And sick leave. And vacation time."

"Oh..." The rookie looked down at the paperwork that littered her desk. Five minutes ago, she'd been thinking how sick of it she was. Most of it was Reno's. "It's because of me, isn't it... ?"

She'd _thought_ he'd looked a little tired this morning, but she hadn't realized... She'd slept so well herself, she'd just assumed he had, as well. Especially without her disturbing him throughout the night.

"... Don't let _him_ hear you say that," Rude commented from his desk.

"I have to agree with Rude. There's no blame to be had here, and he wouldn't want you feeling guilty over it even if there were. This is nothing a few hours' sleep won't fix, and by lunchtime Reno will be back to his old self again."

When she didn't answer right away, Tseng sighed softly. "Elena, join me in my office." She glanced up at him nervously, and he quickly realized he needed to clarify that request. "You needn't look so troubled... I simply thought we might continue this in private."

"Yes, sir..."

He followed her in, closing the door behind them, and urging her into a seat.

"Reno may be the one in desperate need of rest, but I suspect your weekend was far more trying than his."

"I don't even know why it's still affecting me so badly, sir... I wasn't really hurt, and nothing that _could_ have happened actually _did_ happen. The spider's dead, so it's not as if it could come after me again," she replied, looking down at her lap. "I just feel so... useless."

"You're hardly the first Turk to begin to doubt herself after a traumatic experience. I've been through it, myself... both from your point of view and Reno's, in fact."

"Why _this_ time, though? I've been in bad situations before! I never woke up screaming in the middle of the night after I was drugged, or when Reno and I were buried alive in a cave, or even after I was captured in in Wall Market..."

The frustration in her voice was almost tangible, and Tseng knew the feeling well. "I'm hardly a psychiatrist, Elena," he said gently, "Though based on personal experience, I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with how helpless and alone and terrified you felt at the time. In those other instances, you were either already safe by the time you realized anything had even happened, or you knew help was coming. In this case, however, you had no way of knowing what might be going on. For all you knew, Reno could easily have been attacked and ensnared as well... possibly even killed... and Rude and I were still locked out of the building. Hopelessness is a difficult thing to ignore."

"Maybe... but, I can't help thinking I'm the only one of us who would be so weak..." she said, sounding a little disgusted with herself. She looked up in surprise, and no small amount of anger, when Tseng chuckled softly.

"Forgive me, Elena... I certainly don't mean to make light of this. I just find it amusing how very similar you and Reno can be sometimes."

"W-what?"

"He made that comment to me once, as well. Almost word for word, in fact. So... I will tell _you_ what I told _him_ ," Tseng replied, "It's only a weakness if you give in to it and stop trying to overcome it."

"Reno kind of told me the same thing..." she admitted with a small smile.

* * *

The week had gone by in a blur of activity. Elena had found herself so busy, she'd barely had time to think about the lingering sense of fear while at work... and she had a sneaking suspicion that was intentional. Additional sparring matches with Tseng, forays into the slums with Rude, and joining Reno to assist in an interrogation had kept her thoroughly occupied.

Off-duty was another matter.

Reno had abandoned her Monday night. She felt awful for accusing him of that, even if it was only in her own thoughts at the time, and especially when he'd done so much for her already, but she couldn't seem to help it. She'd been angry when he told her he wouldn't be there that night. She had kept it to herself, though, and simply gone home without pushing the issue. It was incredibly unfair to expect him to sacrifice his own sleep and well-being for the sake of hers _every_ night until she felt like she was back on solid footing again.

When he made it clear the next day that he wouldn't be back any of the following nights that week, however, she'd snapped at him and stormed off, ignoring the hurt expression on his face... that is, until she made it to her car and began to regret what she'd said. She knew he couldn't just keep babysitting her forever... and, she realized, she didn't actually _want_ him to. Elena wanted her life back the way it was, and she'd never get it if she didn't make an effort to bethat person again. Which, in hindsight, was probably exactly why he'd done it. She hadn't been able to bring herself to leave the building until she'd gone back and found him so she could apologize.

After that, it got easier... though she _still_ missed his company, and she _still_ woke up in a cold sweat several more times before the week was out. Thankfully, though, the horribly vivid nightmares that had haunted her for the first few days gradually faded to back to the sorts of dreams she normally experienced.

Elena had never been one to remember her dreams. At best, she could sometimes recall fleeting glimpses of them them upon waking, that quickly slipped away the more alert she became... and usually not even that. Those first few nights, though... they'd been so real she would have sworn it was actually happening. And she could remember ever last detail as if it were seared into her memory.

By the time Friday rolled around, she really _was_ beginning to feel more like herself again... though she couldn't say with any confidence that she was over it. The strangest things seemed to trigger memories of being paralyzed and trapped... and the elevators in the building continued to be a somewhat foreboding presence. Several times, she'd had to force herself to step into one of them. Twice now, she hadn't quite managed it, and opted for the stairs instead.

This afternoon was one of those moments of weakness. She emerged from the stairwell and made her way into the cafeteria, heading for the counter. She was a little shocked when the aroma of freshly-baked lasagna hit her... she'd never walked into this place and had her mouth start to water. It looked like it was going fast, too. Elena hurried to claim some.

"Hey, 'Lena... What took ya so long?" a familiar drawl called out to her, and she spotted Reno at their usual table. Rude and Tseng were nowhere in sight. She smiled and took a seat across from him.

"I was finishing up the transcript from our interrogation yesterday morning... I wanted to get it out of the way so we wouldn't have to worry about it later."

"Tch... I told ya to leave that shit to me. You didn't have to. I'da gotten to it eventually..."

"It's alright. I've had a lot fewer reports than usual to enter this week, for some reason," she said, with a shrug, "Where is everyone?"

"Tseng's been and gone," Reno replied, "I've already eaten, too, but I figured I'd stick around and keep ya company, since you're with me after lunch anyway."

"What about Rude?"

The redhead suddenly grinned madly. "He finally snapped."

Elena paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, looking up in concern. "W-what? What happened? Is he alright?!"

"Oh, yeah... He's fine. The cafeteria staff, on the other hand, may be traumatized for life," he replied, and it was obvious he'd been eagerly waiting to relate the tale to her. "I'm not sure even _I_ coulda managed to keep what they were servin' today down. Neither one of us were even sure what it was supposed to _be_ , since they just called is 'Friday Surprise'. Looked like shit... tasted like death. Rude lost it. Totally went off on 'em for a good five minutes. The phrase 'crime against humanity' was used. Fuck, it was epic."

" _Rude_ lost it?" she asked, in disbelief. Such a thing was unheard of. Outside of a mission or an interrogation, Rude was the most even-tempered, quiet, slow to anger person she'd ever met. She'd seen _Tseng_ angry more times than Rude, and the Turk leader was practically a bastion of calm.

"Yep. What can I say? Guy takes food seriously. They finally pushed him too far."

"Where is he now?"

"Kitchen... Why do you think you've got somethin' edible in front of ya for a change? Cooking 101... at gunpoint."

"You... You're kidding, right?"

Reno snickered. "Yeah, I'm kidding. He hasn't gone _completely_ off the deep end. He really is still back there, though. I can only assume he's watchin' their every move... Don't dare check it out for myself. I'm not allowed to set foot in his kitchen at home anymore... and I'm pretty sure he'd throw me out here, too, if I tried it."

Elena giggled and finally took a bite. It was pure heaven... definitely Rude's handiwork. "Why exactly are you banned from Rude's kitchen?"

"Uh... long story. Fire was involved. So..." the redhead continued, quickly changing subjects, "While I gotcha here, what time do you want me to pick ya up tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" she questioned, staring blankly at the man.

"We're still goin' to that wedding, aren't we? I know its been kind of a shit couple of weeks... but it sounded like you were really lookin' forward to it. Hope you're not standin' me up..."

"Oh, my god..." Elena gasped, "I completely forgot..." She'd been so consumed by the events of last week, and the stress of _this_ week, it had entirely slipped her mind.

"So?" he prodded, chuckling.

"I... um... Well, it starts at five in the afternoon. And we'll have to have time to get over to Sector 4. It's at the Silver Swan."

"I'll come grab ya around four, then... traffic over there is hell on the weekends. 'Specially around the Swan."

"Sure... that sounds good," she said, nodding, "I _cannot_ believe I just forgot about it..."

"Aw, give yourself a break, 'Lena. You've had a lot on your mind lately." He suddenly sat up straighter in his chair, sniffing the air softly. "Am I imagining things, or do you smell cookies?"

Elena suddenly caught the sweet aroma as well. "I think you're right."

"I'll... be right back." Reno was out of his seat and bee-lining for the counter before she could respond. Elena laughed quietly to herself as she watched him collect two handfuls of the oven-warm treats that had just been brought out, and stuff another into his mouth before heading back to the table... much to the annoyance of several other people who had been waiting to get their hands on them.

"Don't you think that's a little excessive?"

"I don't fuckin' care," he managed to say around the dessert already between his teeth. He set the rest of his haul down on the table. "If Rude's baking, I'm eating." A second cookie quickly disappeared, followed by a third, and Elena shook her head.

"Well... Can _I_ have one, at least?" she asked.

* * *

Reno scowled at his reflection in the mirror. He'd never understand how something that looked so incredibly simple could be so ridiculously impossible. The redhead sighed and yanked the tie off. He hated the damn things anyway.

He turned, instead, to taming his hair... still a somewhat tricky task, but significantly less so than getting a tie to cooperate. He'd just finished carefully pulling it back, and was about to make one final attempt with the despised accessory when the sound of knocking interrupted him.

"Now what?" he muttered, and stormed out of the bathroom, to see who his unexpected visitor was. He took a calming breath before he opened the door... after all, there was no need to take out his frustration on innocent neighbors... and then turned the knob.

"Boss?" he queried, surprised to find the Wutaiian standing there. Tseng's eyebrows rose in similar astonishment as he took in his friend's appearance. Reno couldn't really fault him for for his reaction... He'd bought the outfit specifically for today. Had even gone so far as to enlist Kel to help him find it, the hotel concierge being the closest thing to a fashion-forward friend he had. And he had to admit... he looked pretty damn good.

Kel had insisted that everything be tailored to his naturally slim build, and the result was impressive, if a bit on the formal side. Deep charcoal gray pants made of a soft, supple material, and a matching, form-fitting jacket... a narrow black leather belt... a crisp white dress shirt, and a crimson and black waistcoat. And the damned tie... red with narrow gold stripes.

"I was nearby and thought we might have an early dinner, if you're free tonight... Though it would seem you already have something planned. Trying to impress someone?" Tseng asked, before suddenly smirking, "Or have you perhaps at last decided to take my advice and make an effort at dressing better?"

Reno rolled his eyes and stood aside so the man could come in. "Funny, Tseng. Yes, I've already got plans, and no I'm not gonna show up at work on Monday lookin' like this... this is a special-occasion-only sacrifice of my comfort." He paused a moment, then sighed. "Uh... since you're here, though..." He held the tie out to him, imploringly.

Tseng chuckled softly, accepting the accessory and looping it around Reno's neck, knotting it with the ease of years of practice.

"Thanks," Reno grudgingly murmured.

"Whoever she is, she must be very attractive, if you're going to such lengths for a date. I don't believe I've ever seen you so... polished," he said, amusement evident in his tone.

"Yeah, well... It's not a date exactly."

"Oh? I have to admit, I'm curious what would prompt such tremendous effort on your part, then..." Tseng said, teasing the younger man, who shot him a dirty look. Reno shrugged his jacket on, fastening the delicate buttons at the waist.

"If ya really gotta know... 'Lena asked me to take her to a friend's wedding." He brushed some non-existent dust from his sleeve and smirked. "She wanted someone to make her look good. Some old rivalry between her 'n the maid of honor."

"Ah... so you're going as decoration, then."

"Pretty much," Reno snickered, "'Sides... there's an open bar. At the Silver Swan, too, so it's _gotta_ be top shelf."

"I suggest you partake in moderation... for once."

"Tch... what's that s'posed to mean?"

"Simply that if you over-indulge and do something to embarrass her at such an event, you're not likely to live long enough to tell me about it," Tseng replied, with a smile. Reno snorted in contempt, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Come on... Have I ever embarrassed _you_ while I was drunk?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Tseng's eyebrow rose slowly in challenge.

"I mean in public."

The Turk leader laughed, shaking his head in defeat. "Well... Don't say I didn't warn you. Shall I inform Rude now of his impending promotion?"

"I keep tellin' ya, boss... Your jokes are terrible."

Tseng patted the younger man on the shoulder. "That has never stopped you. I don't see why it should stop me," he replied, turning to go, "Have a good time. You really do look very nice, by the way. I think Elena will approve."

* * *

He pulled into the parking lot of Elena's building just before four o'clock, making his way to the eighth floor, unhurried. By the time he reached her door, he was almost exactly on time... which, he mused as he knocked, ought to cause the rookie a bit of a shock.

She wasn't the only one.

The door opened, and for a moment, all he could do was stare. Elena looked... stunning. Her dress was a deep emerald green, low cut and with a slit up one side, revealing a teasing glimpse of her thigh just above the knee. The fabric hugged her body, shimmering softly when she moved. Reno had made no secret of the fact that he thought the woman was beautiful... he'd even told her so point blank once or twice. But this...

It took him several seconds to realize that she was saying something, and he mentally shook himself from his daze.

"Huh?" he finally managed.

"I said you look great," she laughed, blushing a little, "I... I guess that means I look okay, too?"

"Okay? 'Lena, you look amazing."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him shyly through her lashes, "It's not too much?"

"Would I lie to you?" Reno responded, finally managing to recover.

Elena giggled. "No... but you _would_ flatter."

"It's not flattery if it's true," he said, grinning widely, "Ready to go?"

Elena nodded, and collected her coat, joining him in the hall. He escorted her downstairs, to his car, making a show of opening the door for her.

"You know... you don't have to play the perfect boyfriend until we actually get there..." she said, snickering quietly at the attention.

"Oh, no... You're gettin' the full treatment from the time I pick ya up, 'til I bring ya home. Wouldn't want to blow our cover, after all... Never know who might be watchin'..."

The rookie Turk rolled her eyes, laughing. "I'm _pretty_ sure we're not being tailed by members of the bridal party..."

Reno snickered as he pulled into traffic and headed for Sector 4.

"So how exactly do you wanna play this?" he asked, turning a bit more serious, "I mean... _I'm_ up for pretty much anything, so it kinda comes down to where _you_ draw the line... and I think you know me well enough not to give me free reign and say anything goes unless you really mean it."

"Nothing that's going to cause a scene... I don't want to ruin Chai's day. I... I just want to Penta to know that she can't treat me the way she used to."

"That all? Come on 'Lena... Don't you wanna make her a little jealous, too?" he prodded.

"Well..."

"I mean... from what you told me about her, it sounds like she took great pleasure in screwin' with you at every opportunity..."

"Yeah, but..."

"And you never did anything to _her..._ "

"I know, but..." 

"You had to take your brother to prom," he pointed out. Elena froze, eyes narrowing.

"You know what? You're right. I don't care if it's petty. I'm sick of taking the high road. I want her jealous. I want to see it in her eyes. In fact, I don't _just_ want her jealous... I want that bitch to see you, and want you, and be devastated when she finds out she can't have you..." Elena replied, vehemently. Reno took his eyes off the road briefly to glance over at her.

"And I thought Rude was good at holdin' a grudge..." he teased, "Anyway... It kinda hinges on her actually takin' the bait... I might not even be her type. But I'll do my best. Anything you'd really rather I not do to get her attention?"

"What do you mean?"

"Heh... well if I'm s'posed to be your incredibly attractive and adoring boyfriend, no one's gonna buy it if we're just holdin' hands all night. How... adoring... am I allowed to be? 'Cause like I said, I'm up for about anything."

Elena flushed bright red as she realized what he was asking. "I-I... um..."

Reno burst out laughing as they reached a stoplight. "Aw, relax, 'Lena... I wasn't planning fondling ya on the dance floor, or anything... ya know, unless – "

"I know, I know... Unless I _want_ you to," Elena finished for him, rolling her eyes. "Don't you ever get tired of saying that?"

"Not really..."

"Just... make it convincing, but don't go overboard," she replied, sighing in defeat. The redhead grinned mischievously.

"So... no tongue?"

Elena groaned. "I think I'm starting to regret ever asking you to do this..."

"There's still time to back out," Reno pointed out. The rookie quickly shook her head.

"N-no... No. I didn't mean that. Really. I just... I guess I'm just a little worried Penta's going to see right through me if I try too hard. You can be a little, _well_ , over the top, sometimes. I don't want to end up a laughing stock... again."

"How 'bout ya just relax and leave it to me..." he replied, "All you gotta do is worry about enjoyin' yourself."

"I guess..." The uncertainty in her voice was hard to miss.

"Look... It's not like this is the first time I've had to play a part, ya know. Just trust me. I promise I'll behave myself."

Elena relaxed a little, realizing he was right. After all... Subterfuge was their job. And Reno was _very_ good at his job. And it wasn't as if this were life and death... at worst, she was risking public humiliation if Penta figured out she'd basically hired her date with the promise of free food and alcohol. It would be awful, but certainly not the end of the world.

"Okay... Let's do this," she responded, as Reno was pulling into the Silver Swan's wide circular driveway.

* * *

"I just can't get over how amazing this place is..." Elena gazed up at the high ceilings and crystal chandeliers that decorated the exclusive hotel's lobby. She hadn't been here in nearly a year... it was just the way she remembered it. Reno had offered her his arm as they'd come through the revolving door, and she now found herself letting him lead her as she took in the sights of the elegant room.

"It _is_ pretty impressive... even as many times as I've been here."

"Just how many times _have_ you been here, anyway?" the rookie asked, somewhat morbidly curious. She'd never been entirely clear on just what sort of arraignment the redhead had with his concierge friend... just that he occasionally brought women to the hotel for the night. Reno smirked.

"Enough to know my way around pretty well. Kel actually lives here during the week, ya know. Has a place over in Sector 3 on the weekends... mostly just so his kid can have a room she can decorate however she wants. So I've seen a lot more of this place than most people get to." He grinned at her. "For example... There's a secret billiards room in the basement. Staff only. And friends of staff. Kel and some of his people put it together when management redid the one that's open to guests and were gettin' rid of the old tables. Couple of poker tables down there, too." He paused a moment beside the central staircase, grin widening lewdly. "Or were you wonderin' how many _dates_ I've brought here? 'Cause I've really never bothered keepin' track. Probably somewhere in the mid twenties..."

"Closer to thirty..." a voice corrected. "And I oughta know. I have to comp the room every time..." Elena peered over Reno's shoulder to the individual who had just approached them and smiled warmly at the sight of a familiar face. "Gotta admit, though... I don't think any of them looked as good as you do right now, Elena."

"What the hell are _you_ doin' here on a Saturday?" Reno shot back, good-naturedly, as Kel gallantly took Elena's hand and raised it to his lips, placing a soft kiss. "And she's still off limits... so watch it."

The hotel concierge chuckled when Reno pulled her protectively against his side. "Just bein' friendly. Anyway... Didn't have a choice. My weekend manager called in sick, and we've got a big wedding goin' on this evening. Plus the reception, later. So... wait. _This_ is the wedding you practically begged me to help ya find somethin' to wear for?"

Reno glared at the man. "There was no begging involved and you know it," he said, dropping his voice to a more hushed tone. Elena had to stop herself from laughing... though she wasn't entirely successful. She hadn't realized Reno had gone to _that_ much trouble just for her sake.

"You're right... it was more desperate pleading and bribery than begging," Kel said, giving Elena a wink. "Course I don't know why I bothered. Who's even gonna notice you next to her?" The rookie couldn't help but blush, and Reno sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, sure... I tell her she looks amazing and I get accused of flattery. You pull _that_ cheesy line out and she looks at you like no one's ever paid her a higher compliment in her life."

"Maybe she just likes me better..." Kel retorted, grinning, before glancing over his shoulder at the front desk and the guests who were beginning to overwhelm the staff. "Ya know, I'd love to stick around and chat, but looks like I've got some actual work to do. Wedding's on forty in the Sunset Room, but you're a little early. Cocktails are bein' served in the main ballroom on two 'til they're ready to get started. And...uh... if ya maybe want a room afterwards, we're pretty heavily booked, but I could probably swing it. Ya don't have to bring _him_ with you if you don't want to."

He was off toward the desk at a swift walk before either of them could say anything. "Remind me to kick his ass for that comment later, will ya?"

"Do you have any normal friends?" Elena asked, teasingly.

"Depends... how normal do you consider yourself?" the redhead deadpanned. He smirked, and offered her an arm, escorting her up the staircase.

* * *

Tseng let his head rest against the back of Rude's couch. The last time he'd been this full... well, come to think of it, it had probably been at the Christmas party. It occurred to him that Rude was almost certainly responsible for every ounce of the extra weight he tended to put on this time of year.

"Ready for more?" the aforementioned Turk asked from the kitchen, and Tseng had to refrain from groaning out loud.

"Rude... not all of us are capable of Reno's level of eating. No matter how excellent the fare is. I certainly don't mind taste testing, but I would prefer not to explode in the process."

The bald man chuckled and set aside what he was working on. It needed to cool a bit anyway.

"How am I doing so far?" he asked.

"Given how unfamiliar you are with Wutaiian dishes in general, rather impressively. Though I think you're being a bit conservative with the spices. It's something of a balancing act, or so I'm told... I wish I could be less vague, but I'm afraid I never paid much attention to what my mother did in the kitchen. Much to the detriment of my own cooking, unfortunately."

"If you can call it cooking," Rude couldn't help but say. The Turk leader laughed.

"Fair point... I sometimes dread eating it myself, much less serving it to anyone. Be glad you didn't have to suffer through weeks of it like Elena did. I was afraid she might move out before she even found a new apartment just to avoid hurting my feelings on the subject."

"Still better than Reno's, though."

Tseng smiled and shook his head. "You only say that because he accidentally gave you food poisoning... You never _have_ given him a second chance. It's really not terrible... so long as you stick to one of the three or four dishes he's suitably mastered."

Rude gave derisive snort. "Oh, I gave him a second chance... and now he's banned from my kitchen until the end of eternity." He smirked slightly. "I may trust him with my life... but not with my cookware."

"I'm not sure I even want to know..."

"Have you ever seen water catch fire?"

"Now I'm quite certain I don't want to know."

"I should have invited him over, too," said Rude. "He's been dropping not-very-subtle-even-for-Reno hints most of the week that he wants to try the new recipes. Guess I still could... We've got plenty to go around."

Tseng shook his head. "You won't reach him without sending his phone an emergency signal. He's attending a wedding this afternoon."

"Who's getting married?" Rude asked, eyebrow rising. The redhead hadn't mentioned anything about it to _him_ , and he suddenly found himself slightly annoyed at being left out of the loop. Tseng shrugged.

"I'm not certain," he replied, "I only heard about it because I dropped in on him shortly before you called and invited me to be your guinea pig. Someone Elena knows, apparently. He's her date."

Rude looked up, surprised. "They're on a date?" He'd begun to think such a thing was merely wishful thinking on his part.

"Of sorts... I didn't get the whole story, but it would seem Elena has a rival who will also be in attendance. She enlisted Reno to... Well, I'm actually not entirely sure what she enlisted him to do, to be honest," he said, chuckling, "I just hope she doesn't end up with more than she bargained for. Reno mentioned an open bar..."

"... Does that mean I going to be promoted?" Rude asked, in mock-seriousness.

"I _was_ planning to surprise you after the funeral," Tseng returned, in a similar tone. He sighed and sat up, before making his way slowly back to the table. "Alright... bring on the next course. I shall endeavor to find space for few more bites."

* * *

Only a handful of guests had arrived before them, but they seemed to have converged on the small bar at the far end of the ballroom and were chatting amiably amongst themselves as Reno and Elena made their way in. The room was beautifully decorated in pale violet and cream draperies with silver accents. A long table stood on a raised dais at the head of the room, presumably for the bridal party, and smaller round tables big enough for three or four people dotted the periphery around a large dance floor. Floral centerpieces matched the overall palette of the room, and gave each table and its pristine white tablecloth a splash of elegant color.

"Oh, wow... Chai really went all-out..." Elena breathed, as they angled towards the bar and the other guests.

"It's alright, I s'pose," the redhead at her side commented. She elbowed him. "Ow! Hey..."

"How can you not be impressed?"

Reno shrugged. "Eh... Ya been to one high-class party, you've been to 'em all. I've gotten dragged off as security to so many Shinra corporate events at this point, it's kinda just more of the same. They're usually so tame ya can hardly stay awake. My idea of a party is a little loud music and fridge full of beer."

"Well, maybe for you it's old, but I've never been invited to anything like this so _I_ reserve the right to be impressed."

"Really?" he asked, "Gotta admit, that surprises me a little."

Elena pulled up short, stopping them in their bid for the small crowd. "Why?"

"Don't really know, now that you ask. Old prejudices, I guess," he said with a soft laugh, "I mean... Even as a kid I knew not everyone from the Plate is Shinra-level loaded, but most of 'em are fairly well-off. 'Specially compared to the slums. And the ones that aren't usually end up down below eventually anyway. Reality is there's a pretty wide range up here... I guess for some reason I always just pictured you as bein' somewhere on the upper end of that range."

The rookie Turk giggled and resumed her unhurried pace towards the bar. "Oh, please... I was no debutante, that's for sure. Comfortably middle-class would probably be more accurate. I had some friends... like Chai... who had money, but my family was really pretty average growing up."

"Huh... Musta been nice," he said, a little wistfully, and Elena suddenly realized how dismissive she must have sounded to him. No, she hadn't grown up wealthy... by Plate standards, at any rate. Reno hadn't grown up on the Plate, though. She was startled from her thoughts when he leaned down slightly and kissed her on the cheek. "Forget I said that," he whispered, his voice just barely audible next to her ear, and she blinked, recovering a bit. Reno smiled. "How 'bout a drink?"

She had little difficultly interpreting that to mean 'Don't start getting upset over my less than ideal childhood right now.' Elena quickly returned the smile and nodded.

"Elena?!" a female voice rang out from the little group, and the rookie hurried to scan the faces for the source, her eyes finally coming to rest on a lithe young woman about her age... Wutaiian, with long, cascading black hair. "Elena Brewer?! Oh my god, you haven't changed a bit!"

"I... Rui?" she asked, uncertain. It certainly looked like her... only about sixty pounds lighter than the last time she'd seen her. Of course that _had_ been almost six years ago... The woman flashed her a dazzlingly white smile.

"Big difference, huh?" she giggled. "You would not _believe_ what a few years in Mideel will do for your figure. Who's your _friend_?" She turned her gaze on Reno, eyes roving his entire body, unabashedly... almost hungrily... and Elena was too shocked to answer right away. Rui had always been so painfully shy in school. Apparently she'd come out of her shell at some point...

Thankfully, Reno came to her rescue, slipping behind her and pulling her gently against him.

"I am her very, _very_ lucky boyfriend," he replied, placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Oh my god, he's adorbs. I am _so_ jealous!" Elena had to bite down hard on her tongue to stop herself from laughing. She hadn't thought anyone outside of the teenage actresses in romantic comedies actually used the word ' _adorbs_ ' in conversation. Apparently, Reno was having similar thoughts, because she could plainly feel the soft tremor of his repressed snickering against her back. She was about to introduce him to her properly, when the woman's gaze suddenly shifted behind the pair. "Oh my god, is that Tian? I _have_ to go say hi! We'll catch up later, okay?"

"Um... sure?" Elena managed, though she had the distinct impression that Rui had mostly lost interest once she learned Reno wasn't available. Reno cleared his throat behind her.

"Now... what were you sayin' earlier about _my_ friends?" he asked, learning down close to her ear.

"Oh, be quiet," she sniggered, and pulled him along toward the bar. "She's more of an acquaintance, really, anyway."

"I don't think anyone has ever referred to me as 'adorbs' before," he added, smirking, and looping an arm back around her waist. "Is it true, 'Lena? Am I adorbs? _Please_ tell me I'm adorbs... _"_

"Oh my god, I _so_ need a drink," Elena replied, mimicking Rui, and drawing a laugh from the redhead.

"Cosmo Candle?" he asked, learning against the bar, and Elena hesitated.

"I don't know... They're so hit or miss in Midgar... Maybe just a glass of wine."

Reno switched his gaze to the bartender, a young woman who barely looked old enough to drink herself. "Can ya make 'em?" he asked, looking her over appraisingly.

"Honestly?" the woman queried softly, and Reno nodded, "I haven't quite gotten the hang of those yet..."

"Want a quick lesson?"

"I... I'm really not supposed to let guests back here..." she said, hesitantly, though it was clear she was interested.

"I won't tell if you won't..." the redhead said, pouring on the charm, and Elena watched, slightly intrigued. Rude had always told her Reno was better than anyone at talking his way into places he shouldn't be... especially if there happened to be a woman involved... and she had never doubted it, given his general nature. But she'd also never actually witnessed it.

"Well..." The woman glanced around the room. Most of the handful of early arrivals were engaged in conversation, and she was the only hotel employee in the room. "Okay... why not?"

Reno grinned and hopped the bar. "'Kay... so... Actually a really easy cocktail, but everyone makes the same mistakes with it. Vodka, triple sec, grenadine, lime.. fresh, not just the juice. Totally ruins the drink if ya don't squeeze it yourself. And cherries. And for Ifrit's sake don't waste anyone's time with lower tier vodka thinkin' everything else'll make up for it. It won't. Always use the good stuff."

The bartender was retrieving the requested ingredients as he called them out.

"Two and a half parts vodka," he said, pouring it into a shaker, "three quarters parts triple sec, one half part grenadine, one half part lime juice... Ice... And then shake it like ya mean it." He picked up the shaker, and went to work. Several seconds later, he set it down, and retrieved a glass. "Strain..." he continued, pouring the concoction out, sans the ice from the shaker, "And cherry." He dropped a single maraschino into the alcohol before presenting it to Elena. She giggled quietly, and took a sip.

"Excellent, as always..." the rookie said, smiling. Reno bowed slightly and swung himself back to the other side of the bar, before turning back to the bartender. "And I will have one of those obscenely expensive Ultima Ales I saw hiding back there."

The woman behind the bar smiled widely and handed him the chilled beer... and Elena noticed that her gaze lingered on the redhead as they walked away.

"I think you impressed her," she said, thoroughly enjoying the drink.

"Heh... That wasthe idea. How the hell else was I gonna get one of these?" Reno replied, lifting the bottle, "No way she'd break out the _really_ high-end stuff before the reception otherwise..."

Elena rolled her eyes. "The way you drink, why do you even care about the quality?"

"Ah, I only swill the cheap shit. Not the stuff that's worth enjoyin'. The stuff that's worth enjoyin' costs a small fortune, though. Even on _our_ salaries, it's a luxury. You got any idea how much Ultimas go for?" Elena shook her head, not having a clue. "Somewhere around ninty gil a bottle."

"Seriously?" she asked, a little appalled.

"Yep... like I said back there. Obscenely expensive," he said, before adding with a grin, "And worth every gil, too."

"If you say so..." She really wasn't at all convinced a bottle of beer could be worth that much to anyone. But then, she wasn't exactly a connoisseur, either. "Hey, Reno?"

"Yeah?" He took a small sip of his drink, and Elena couldn't help but notice that he really _was_ taking the time to savor it.

"Where'd you learn how to make a Cosmo Candle, anyway?"

"Used to tend bar down in Sector 3. Little bit of a hike from home, but they paid better than most of the dives in Two. Place called the Lonely Dragon. Learned _that_ , and fuck only knows how many others, there."

"W-wait... You were recruited when you were sixteen. When did you have time to tend bar?"

"They're pretty lax 'bout the drinking age down in the slums," he said, shrugging, "Long as ya got the gil and don't cause trouble, they'll serve ya. And they'll hire ya, too, 'cause kids work cheap. I started workin' there, runnin' drinks and food out to the tables, when I was eleven. Got moved up to the bar when I was thirteen. Not a bad gig, really... 'Long as ya were real careful to avoid certain regulars at closing time."

Elena looked down at her drink, thoughtfully. The two Turks took a seat at one of the empty tables. "When I was eleven, I think the most stressful thing I had to worry about was whether or not I'd remembered to do my math homework. I can't even imagine having to go to work at that age just to get by..."

"I glad ya can't." She glanced up at him, and found the redhead eying her with an amused expression. "'Lena, believe it or not, I'm happy you had all the things I didn't as a kid. 'Cause bad as you feel for me, I think I'd feel a hell of a lot worse if I heard some of my stories comin' from you."

"It just doesn't seem fair," Elena commented, lightly swirling the remaining liquid in her glass.

"Don't think anyone's ever tried to claim life was fair." He reached over and trailed his fingertips along her cheek. "'Sides... It turned out pretty good for me, all things considered." Reno smirked and subtly glanced over his shoulder. "We're bein' watched..."

Elena slowly raised her eyes, looking past Reno, and spotted a trio of young women huddled together, indeed watching the two of them while trying pitifully to look like they weren't. She nearly laughed when she recognized them. "That's Chai's little sister, Paget, and my friend, Sadi. And I _think_ the other girl is one of Chai's cousins... she looks kind of familiar, but I don't really know her."

"They know your favorite maid of honor pretty well?" he asked, and the rookie nodded. A wide grin settled over Reno's face. "Well, let's give 'em somethin' to watch, then... maybe it'll get back to her..."

Reno gently tilted her chin up and leaned in close, kissing her deeply. Elena let her eyes drift shut, and responded in kind, a little surprised at just how easy it was to do so... and – though she wouldn't in a million years have admitted it – by how much she was enjoying the attention. His lips were soft and insistent, and she quickly found herself giving in to the demands they were making of her own. From a short distance away, she heard excited chatter and giggling. When the redhead finally broke the kiss, she was left a little breathless.

"Think they enjoyed the show?" he teased.

"I think we're about to find out..." Elena replied, quietly, as the little group broke up and Sadi made her way over to them.

"I _hate_ to interrupt..."

"No you don't," the rookie said, grinning, and the woman giggled.

"Okay, you're right, I don't. So... ?"

"So what?" Elena asked, feigning ignorance of what her friend was fishing for.

" _SO_... When were you planning to tell _me_ that you're seeing someone? And that he's _gorgeous_?"

"Yeah, 'Lena... When were you gonna tell all your friends that I'm gorgeous?" Reno asked, innocently batting his eyes. Sadi snickered, and walked around the table, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Cute, _and_ a sense of humor? Ellie, you'd better keep a close eye on this one. Penta'll be after him the second she sees him. If you weren't such a good friend, I might give it a shot, myself."

"Did you get a divorce and forget to mention it?" Elena laughed.

"Sadly, no..." Sadi sighed, dramatically. "Way to kill a fantasy, Elena. So does he have a name, or is he just a pretty face?"

"Sadi Miller, meet Reno Donovan," she replied, "Sadi and I have been friends since we were little. We grew up on the same block and everything." The other woman slipped into the seat next to her, laughing.

"And we got into all sorts of trouble together," Sadi added.

"Oh, _really_ ," Reno intoned, looking far too interested in that claim for Elena's comfort.

" _You_ got into all sorts of trouble. _I_ was the one who kept _telling_ you that you were going to get in trouble, remember?"

"Details, details," she replied, waving a hand dismissively. "So how'd you two meet? How long have you been together?"

"We... met at work."

"Oh, so you work for Shinra, too, then..." The woman gave a soft sigh. "That's _so_ sweet _..._. An office romance... falling in love over filing... sharing looks outside the conference room... flirting glances as you walk by his desk..." She trailed off, smiling to herself.

"And, we've lost her..." Elena said, shaking her head. Reno had once accused her of having a bit of a romantic nature, but Sadi was the textbook definition of a hopeless romantic. The redhead snickered and waved a hand in front of her face. "Oh! Sorry... Got a little sidetracked there for a second."

"Sadi!" someone shouted from across the room, and Elena looked over to see Paget waving from the door.

"Uh oh... Gotta go. Chai must be ready for her dress. You won't _believe_ what she had me design for her... takes four people just to get her into it! She looks incredible, though..." 

Elena sniggered and waved to her friend. "See you later, then..."

"Fallin' in love over filing?" Reno repeated somewhat incredulously, once she was out of range. "Yeah... seriously, 'Lena... I think I _definitely_ have the more normal group of friends."

"I'm starting to think you might be right..." the rookie replied.

"So I'm guessin' she doesn't know what you actually _do_ for Shinra..." he smirked, and Elena shook her head.

"I've really only told my family," she replied, looking a little embarrassed, "I... I was a little afraid I might jinx myself if I just started telling everyone I knew that I was being promoted to the Turks, so when they asked, I just told them I was working for Shinra Company, and let them draw their own conclusions. It's never really come up again since then, and we're so limited on what we can say anyway... I've just never elaborated. I'm pretty sure most of them think I'm a secretary or an assistant or something."

Reno started laughing and it took him a moment to get himself back under control. "Oh... That's fuckin' hilarious. _You_ hangin' out in the secretarial pool... waitin' for me to stop by. 'Course, then again, you _do_ take care of most of my incident reports and transcriptions. I could maybe see that workin', actually."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Keep joking around like that and you can go back to filing your _own_ reports."

"Fine by me... Just means most of 'em'll probably never get filed. Tseng's the only one who's gonna be annoyed by _that_ ," he replied, with a wide smile. He finished off the last of his beer.

"You know... I don't really _enjoy_ all the extra paperwork..." she said, a little testily. The redhead set the bottle aside, and chuckled.

"I know. Why do ya think it dropped off so dramatically this past week? Ya shoulda _said_ somethin' instead of just puttin' up with the rest of us bein' lazy as fuck. I'da done somethin' about it a lot sooner if you'd told me to pull my head outta my ass."

"Y-you're the reason I haven't been filing things left and right all week?"

"Tch... ya think our caseload suddenly got lighter or somethin'? Why _didn't_ you just say you were sick of pickin' up the slack, anyway? I _know_ you don't have a problem speakin' up anymore..."

Elena plucked the cherry out of her glass and popped it in her mouth. She loved maraschinos...

"You guys all seem to hate it so much... and I don't really _mind_ doing a little extra... but I wasn't sure how to say I was starting to feel like you were all taking advantage of that, without coming across as being angry about it. I really wasn't _mad_... I was just getting a little buried."

"Next time, just call us assholes and tell us to do our own damn paperwork, 'kay?" said Reno. Elena's eyebrows rose.

"You really want me to call Tseng an asshole and tell him to do his own damn paperwork?"

"Uh... you may have a point there. The first and last time I made a mistake like that, Rude had to teach me a new word to describe what happened."

"What word?" she asked, guardedly.

"Defenestration."

"Yeah... I think I'll just stick to calling _you_ an asshole," she replied, somewhat wide-eyed.

"Ah, you could probably get away with it. The boss doesn't really get mad at _you_. Now _me_ , on the other hand... He was already beyond pissed at me at the time. Swearin' at him just kinda accelerated my unexpected exit from his apartment..." he laughed. Elena quickly joined him.

"You know something... You're the only person I've ever met who could tell me as many bizarre, deranged stories as you do without me thinking you're just making it all up."

"Well... I _am_ pretty bizarre and deranged in general, after all," the redhead joked.

"Yes... Yes, you are."

"Geez, 'Lena... ya weren't s'posed to agree with me..." he retorted, feigning a wounded expression.

* * *

Tseng all but dragged himself through the door. He couldn't honestly say he hadn't enjoyed every bite, but he was going to be in misery for hours after eating so much. He found, however, that he didn't much care. It had been worth it. Cooking was more than a mere hobby for Rude. It was very much a passion... and he loved to share it.

The thoroughly stuffed Turk leader flipped the deadbolt behind him out of pure habit and dropped bonelessly into his favorite chair. Sometimes, though... Rude shared just a little too enthusiastically, and left Tseng with the firm belief that he would never need to eat again. Ever.

Reno _never_ seemed to have that problem, he mused, which had always suited Rude just fine. The two of them made quite a pair. They really were polar opposites, but their differences only seemed to make the bond they shared that much stronger. Tseng could clearly remember the first time they'd met. He'd plucked Reno from the slums mere days before, cleaned him up and fed him, and presented him to Veld as his new rookie just that morning... a departure from protocol, to say the least, but they'd suffered a heavy loss several months before thanks to some bad intelligence, and recruits had been in short supply at the time. And Reno had just _felt_ right... in spite of his youth, and in spite of his lack of discipline.

Rude had, in fact, been the only recruit to stick around when knowledge of the botched operation had spread through the ranks of the recruiting program. It hadn't really come as a shock to see so many turn tail when Tseng learned the information had leaked... the aftermath had been quite gruesome indeed. The quiet young man had been promoted to probationary status almost immediately, and was doing fairly well under Veld's direction, with frequent assistance from Tseng, as well.

Reno, though, was to be his. Veld had been hesitant to take him on at all at first. It was only after Tseng asked that he be his first protégé, that his own mentor had finally realized how serious the young Wutaiian was about the boy and agreed to the unorthodox recruitment.

The two rookies had hit it off almost immediately, despite Rude being three years Reno's senior, and nearly a year ahead of him in training. Of the two, Rude had been slightly more hesitant at first, preferring to feel things out before plunging in with both feet, but the redhead very easily won him over. Reno was rather uniquely gifted in that regard... His ability to read people occasionally bordered on supernatural, though Tseng was under no illusion that there was anything otherworldly about it. For Reno, learning to recognize who could be trusted and who he should avoid at all costs had simply been a matter of survival, and he had honed that talent over years of practice into recognizing other traits as well.

Reno, in spite of his carefree personality, actually spent a great deal of time observing others... even when he was actively engaged in some other activity, or didn't appear to be paying any attention to someone at all. He did it instinctively and effortlessly, and with great precision. And that was the basis of why Tseng had been so drawn to him in the first place.

Reno and Rude's first conversation had been largely one-sided... though the lack of response from the other young man hadn't phased the redhead in the slightest. If anything, he'd seemed almost encouraged by it, oddly enough. At some point, the little slum-rat-turned-Turk had coerced Rude into trying on the sunglasses he used to keep the wild strands of crimson hair out of his eyes... to what end, Tseng wasn't certain, as he'd been observing from a distance, but Rude had rapidly turned more animated after that. When he'd finally gone to collect his rookie for afternoon training, the redhead had refused to take them back, simply commenting that they looked better on Rude.

Rude had worn them, or other pairs like them, religiously ever since.

That one simple act had somehow instantly established a lifelong friendship... and it wasn't long before Tseng began pushing Veld to let them train together more and more. The two of them were natural partners.

When Veld had been killed and the choice of Tseng's new lieutenant had been down to one of four possible candidates, he had hesitated in choosing Reno, solely because he was afraid of driving a wedge between the two men. Rude had seniority. Rude had trained directly under both Veld _and_ himself. Rude had more than earned the position.

But Reno was just as skilled by then... and was far better suited for leadership. Tseng had come dangerously close to passing them both over, in favor of one of the other two Turks on the roster who could have qualified at the time. But the truth was, he wouldn't have been entirely happy promoting anyone else... and so he had chosen Reno, and hoped for the best. To his relief, Rude hadn't so much as batted an eye before congratulating his friend. There was no jealousy or feelings of being usurped. In fact, Tseng had, over the years, come to discover that Rude had understood exactly why it had been Reno and not him, and furthermore, had wholeheartedly agreed with the decision.

For his own part, Tseng had ultimately become a mentor to them both... particularly once they were his only remaining Turks. If he had felt protective of them before, those feelings easily tripled after Istev's bombing attacks had decimated their numbers. Neither man was really _that_ much younger than he was – not even ten years separated himself and Reno – but he more often than not found himself thinking of them both as his charges, rather than merely his subordinates, even before they were all he had left. There had been numerous occasions that he'd fallen into the role of a pseudo-parent to one or both of them, and gradually, they had filled the hole left by his own family's shunning of him.

Tseng finally pulled himself from his reminiscences and eased himself out of the chair. He moved purposefully toward a tall cabinet, drawing out the bottle of cognac Elena had given him for Christmas... a guilty pleasure he hadn't even known she'd been aware of... and pouring himself a little with a slight smile.

He'd been as hesitant about her as Veld had Reno... and in both cases the more experienced Turk in the discussion had been dead wrong. Elena was still inexperienced and a little impulsive... particularly when her temper was riled. But Reno had been right. She was becoming a perfect fit.

Quite possibly in more ways than one. Rude could see it, too, Tseng was almost certain, though his stoic friend apparently preferred to keep his own counsel on that matter.

It really was astonishing how much Reno had matured just in the short time since her promotion. Oh, he was still decidedly wild in his ways... but Elena had placed upon him a whole new level of responsibility, and he was was taking it seriously. Perhaps more seriously than any other task Tseng had ever set him. The redhead wasn't merely responsible for her training. He was liable for her safety, her mental and physical well-being, and to at least some extent, her happiness. And he was determined to live up to that responsibility.

Tseng couldn't help but think his one-time rookie was finally growing up a little.

* * *

"Oh, wow..." Elena breathed, taking in the Silver Swan's aptly named 'Sunset Room'. The space itself was on the top floor of the hotel... which gave the massive windows an unobstructed view of the horizon. The days were still short, and the sun still in the habit of setting early... the light that now poured through the glass was breathtaking, as was the view.

"Okay... now I might be just a little impressed." The pair made their way down the aisle with the other guests, looking for a seat, and Reno nudged her into a row that was already filled, save the last two on the aisle. He smirked. "Gonna be hard for her to miss us here..." he whispered in response to her questioning glance, and she quickly realized he was right. The bridal party would pass within inches of them... and they were close enough to the alter that they would be directly in Penta's line of sight the entire time.

They settled in, and Reno calmly draped an arm around her, coaxing her head down onto his shoulder. Elena couldn't stop the soft, contented sigh that escaped her lips, as she thought to herself that the redhead really knew how to treat a girl. He'd been nothing but polite, charming, and attentive the entire afternoon, with plenty of gentle teasing thrown in for good measure, though very little of his signature lewdness. If this was how all of his dates went, it was no wonder women at the office were always so eager to spend a little time with him. There had been several times she'd even had to remind herself that this _wasn't_ an actual date. He'd been making it very easy to forget that little detail.

A string quartet began to play, as the wedding party made their entrance, and Elena quickly spotted Penta, looking cold and elegant in pale violet. Penta wasted no time in locking onto _her_ as well, and the rookie was positive she saw the woman scowl briefly. Reno must have picked up on it, too, because he immediately pulled her closer and kissed her again. When she looked back, Penta was openly glaring at her, and Elena couldn't help but cast a noticeably superior smirk in her direction. She huffed and pointedly turned her attention elsewhere.

"You weren't kiddin'..." Reno chuckled softly. "She really hates you."

The music shifted, and the crowd turned as Chai entered, making her way down the aisle. Sadi hadn't been exaggerating about the dress. She really did look amazing, with the long, flowing train and delicately embroidered layers upon layers of satin and lace.

Elena let herself forget about Penta and their pretty feud for awhile, and sat back, enjoying seeing Chai so happy.

* * *

"Oh, man... that was long..." Reno moaned as they stepped into an elevator. They'd somehow managed to catch a break in the crowd that was headed downstairs for the reception and gotten one all to themselves.

" _Reno_..."

"What?" he asked, snickering, "It was."

"You really don't have a romantic bone in your body, do you?" Elena sighed, shaking her head.

"Hey, I can be plenty romantic under the right circumstances... but I just don't get why people wanna put themselves through so much ceremony. If ya want to be with someone, be with 'em."

"Spoken like a true bachelor," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Okay... tell me somethin', then. Who's all that _really_ for? The couple, or the people watchin'?"

"I... um... well, both, I guess," she said, not really sure where he was going with this. Reno shook his head.

"I disagree. Wouldn't they still be together without all that?"

"Well, sure they would... They got married because they're in love. They're not suddenly in love because they got married."

"Exactly... A wedding is for pretty much everyone _except_ the couple gettin' hitched."

"Okay... even if that's true, and I'm not saying it is... what's so wrong with it?" Elena asked.

"Nothin'... I just personally don't see the appeal."

"Some people want to celebrate being happy."

Reno grinned, and threw an arm around her as the elevator arrived at its destination. As the doors opened, they could already hear the music from the ballroom. "So what the hell's the reception for, then?" he countered, escorting her inside. "Oh, yeah... that's more like it," the redhead added, spotting the long buffet table that had been set up in their absence. He smirked teasingly at her. " _That_ is how ya celebrate bein' happy, 'Lena." She giggled, and twisted out of his grip, before seizing hold of his hand and pulling him along toward the line that was forming.

"Well, then... let's go celebrate. I'm starved!"

* * *

Reno had the definite feeling he was being watched. Hell, he almost felt like they were breathing down his neck, it was so blatant. He let Elena lead him towards the food, all the while scanning as subtly as possible for his observer. It didn't take him long to spot her. She was standing near the head table, ostensibly talking to one of the other bridesmaids. The rookie hadn't seemed to have noticed her yet, or if she had, she was doing an excellent job of pretending otherwise.

They reached the line, and Reno kept an eye on the woman's position, but otherwise ignored her for the moment. _He_ was hungry, too... and Elena's friend had put out quite a spread. He piled his plate high... and was a little surprised when Elena did much the same.

"You tryin' to compete with me, or somethin', 'Lena?" he teased her. The rookie flushed slightly.

"I kind of didn't have lunch. Or breakfast. I was too nervous." She added some sort of spinach puff to her growing pile. "Actually, I really haven't eaten since lunch yesterday... I got a little sidetracked last night watching Shadow & Sword to unwind before bed and forgot all about dinner."

He frowned, a little disturbed by that, wondering if she was still having trouble sleeping. That was a discussion for later, however. "Almost a day and a half with nothin' to eat? No wonder you're hungry..." the redhead commented as they carried their plates to an open table. "I'd've passed out by now."

"It's not _that_ bad," Elena snickered, as Reno took her plate, setting them both in front of their seats, before pulling her chair out for her.

"Maybe not for you..." he said, flashing her a smile and pushing her chair in behind her. He sat down beside her and grabbed a fork trying to decide where to start. It all looked good.

"Wait... you're serious?"

"Mmmhmm..." he managed, having singled out the very tasty-looking breaded chicken as a starting point. He swallowed the first bite and speared a second. "Why do you think can I eat so much and never gain anything? I've got a ridiculously high metabolism... plus there's also trainin' and missions and whatever else Tseng throws at me. According to Ward, I burn through calories about three times faster than most people. Probably not quite so much when I'm off duty, but, yeah... when I don't eat, it's kind of a big deal for me."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that before?"

Reno paused mid-bite, glancing up at her, and was surprised to see just how concerned she looked. He himself had always considered it to be more of a minor annoyance than anything else... or at least had done so since he'd been in the habit of eating on a regular basis. It had, admittedly, been a rather different story during his pre-Turk teenage years.

"Think I've mentioned it in passing once or twice. Heh... actually, I'm _sure_ I have at least once. But it's not somethin' I spend a lot of time thinkin' about in general. It's just the way I am."

"But it's... it's not _dangerous_ , right?"

The redhead gave a soft snort of laughter, and finished off the chicken. "Not beyond me probably bein' the first to go if we were ever legitimately starvin' to death..." The look of relief on Elena's face made him grin. "Oh great... now _you'll_ be on my case about annual physicals 'n shit, too, I s'pose..." His tone hadn't been serious, but he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't just accurately predicted the future. The rookie _did_ tend to obsess a bit when any of them were hurt, and he'd just given her an all new reason to check on his health at random intervals. Still... As much as he complained about it, he thoroughly enjoyed having people care enough about him to worry. Damned if he'd ever admit _that_ , though.

"Well, someone has to be..." Elena replied, sounding far more relaxed now.

"Yeah, well I've already got two someones doin' that... Three someones, in fact, 'cause damned if Ward'll ever let me skip out on a checkup without sending someone after me or huntin' me down herself..." He sighed in defeat. "Just promise me you won't film it the next time she has me dragged down to medical. Rude's got so much footage on me, I should save myself the trouble and die of embarrassment _now_..."

Elena snickered at that comment, and went back to eating.

"I'm gonna grab somethin' to drink. Want another Cosmo Candle?"

"Sure..." Elena said, with a nod. Reno slipped effortlessly past the other tables and the guests wandering between them, walking towards the bar. The young woman they'd encountered earlier was still on duty, and she grinned as he approached.

"I _seriously_ owe you..." she said, "Turns out all the bridesmaids _and_ the mother of the bride are big on Cosmo Candles. Things would _not_ have gone over well if you hadn't turned up earlier."

"Heh... Don't mention it," he replied, leaning casually against the bar, and smiling flirtatiously, "Feel like makin' another one?"

"And another Ultima Ale?" the bartender asked, and Reno smirked.

"Hard to say no when you're just givin' 'em away..."

"Coming right up!"

As she finished up Elena's cocktail, he leaned in across the bar. "Hey... So, I don't wanna getcha in trouble or anything, but if ya happen to have any of those Ultimas leftover after the party, ya think maybe one or two could find their way downstairs to Kel to hang onto for me?"

The girl flashed him a knowing smile. "I think that can be arranged. A few of them were planning to wander off in that general direction, anyway..."

"Tch... shoulda figured..." he chuckled, "Tell him Reno will be very unhappy if he forgets to share."

He picked up the drinks, raising the bottle in salute to the young woman, and then headed back to where he'd left the rookie.

He'd barely even sat down when a voice called out " _Ellie!_ " over the din of conversation, and a body suddenly planted itself in the seat next to Elena and latched onto her in a hug. Reno blinked in surprise, wondering where in the nine hells the woman had come from. Normally, he would've noticed, particularly given that she was dressed in blindingly brilliant white.

"Chai!"

"I'm so glad you came..." the bride said. She dropped her voice conspiratorially, "Just between you and me, I _cannot_ believe how long that ceremony went _on_. Mom insisted on everything being super traditional."

Reno elbowed Elena in the side and looked over at her triumphantly, 'I told you so' clearly etched on his face.

"Not a word from you," Elena said, firmly, smothering a laugh, and Chai giggled.

"I guess that means Jordan and I weren't the only ones falling asleep by the end of it. Sweet Shiva... halfway through, I was starting to wish we'd eloped!" she declared. "Well? Are you going to just let him sit there looking pretty, or are you going to introduce me to your new boyfriend... who Sadi tells me swept you off your feet in the middle of the office and declared his love for you to the entire company. I'm... assuming she embellished a little."

"Oh, only a _little_ ," Reno teased. He grinned and took Elena's hand, and was rewarded with a faint blush from his date when he lifted it to his lips, pressing a light kiss against the palm. As he did so, he caught the subtle scent of perfume on her wrist and smiled. It was the one he'd given her for Christmas. "I'm Reno, by the way."

Chai looked at Elena, serious expression firmly in place. "Ellie... How attached to him _are_ you? Because we might have to switch..."

The rookie shook her head, playing along. "I'm... not sure that would be a very fair trade..."

Ouch. He liked a good joke as much as the next person... even at his own expense... but he had to admit, that stung a little. Particularly coming from Elena.

"I could throw in my sister-in-law of honor. You can toss her off the edge of the Plate. Do us both a favor."

Elena leaned her head against his shoulder. "Tempting... but I just don't think I can part with him."

Reno laughed softly, realizing he'd misinterpreted her previous comment. A slight movement a short distance away, drew his attention away, however.

"Oh, dear Odin... speaking of my hag of honor..." Chai groaned. "Brace yourself, Ellie. Here she comes."

Penta was making her way straight towards them. "Chai... My brother's waiting for you at the table. He wants to start the toasts," she stated, haughtily. She fixed Elena with a cold glare, but said nothing.

"I suppose we _should_ get on with it," Chai sighed. She giggled and turned back to Elena. "Besides... the sooner we take care of the formalities, the sooner we can all get out on the dance floor." She got to her feet and headed off towards the head table. Penta lingered.

"Elena," she acknowledged the other woman, her voice cold.

"Penta."

The woman shifted her gaze to Reno. "Where' you dig him up? Wall Market?" she asked, snottily, before turning on her heel and following Chai back to the bridal party. Reno had to grab the rookie's arms and hold her in her seat to prevent her from going after her.

"God, she's _still_ a bitch..." Elena muttered once she'd regained her composure.

"Uh... Probably shoulda asked this earlier, but... You're not armed, are ya?" he asked, feigning concern. The rookie relaxed a little and rolled her eyes.

"Of course I'm armed... So are you."

Reno laughed. "Oh, good. Training's finally payin' off..." he joked, releasing her. Though he had to admit... he was rather glad to hear it. He had never explicitly _required_ that she carry a weapon off-duty, but he was pleased she'd picked up his own habit.

He _was_ a little curious as to where she was keeping it, however... That dress she was wearing wasn't exactly made to conceal. As he looked her over, he could really only think of two possible places... and both made his grin widen a bit.

"Pervert..." Elena giggled, suddenly becoming aware of what he was doing. She followed his gaze to her chest. "And it's _not_ there."

One possible place, then. He shrugged. His own sidearm was secure in the holster around his ankle... not nearly as interesting.

"Just wonderin'..." He glanced up at the head table, only half listening to the ongoing toasts, and spotted Penta... who still seemed to be glaring at the rookie. Apparently just the idea of seeing Elena happy was upsetting to her, and he briefly wondered how someone could possibly be so insecure that a perceived slight from years ago seemed to consume her full attention now.

Elena certainly didn't share the same level of obsession. Had Penta not come out fighting, he had little doubt in his mind that the rookie would have let the whole thing go entirely.

Reno smirked to himself. He had teased her earlier about holding a grudge, but really... if she were _that_ dedicated to past grudges, he'd probably be sitting here with a broken nose for what he'd just done.

Elena suddenly elbowed him. "Would you _stop_ trying to picture where I've got my gun holstered..."

"I was _actually_ picturin' your right hook..." he laughed, quietly.

* * *

The toasts and speeches seem to go on for ages, and though she had initially listened intently, by the end of them, Elena was beginning to understand how Reno had felt during the ceremony. It never seemed to end. Eventually, she switched her attention back to Penta.

The woman had _always_ been something of an ice queen, and the years since they'd been in school together hadn't seemed to have thawed her at all. Her brother, Jordan, on the other hand, had always been very kind-hearted. He'd been a year behind them, and he and Chai had been best friends for as long as she could remember. It had taken them both awhile to realize that they wanted be be more than friends... but when it had finally happened, no one who knew them had been the least bit surprised.

Penta, though... she was the exact opposite of Jordan. Snobbish and cruel... The only reason most people even put up with her was because of her brother, and he was the only person in the world she seemed to treat with any kind of respect. Everyone else was beneath her.

Especially Elena.

It had started with her offer to tutor Penta's then-boyfriend. But it had continued simply because Penta had _enjoyed_ being so cruel. Even when Elena's friends had stood up for her, she had persisted. It had made the last year and a half of high school nearly unbearable. But somehow she had muddled through, and moved on. Evidently, Penta hadn't.

Elena had come so deliciously close to settling things right then and there when her old rival had made that crack about Reno. She hadn't asked him to come with her so he could be subjected Penta's abuse as well... She'd just wanted him to shut her down cold when the woman inevitably tried the same tactics she'd always used on the boys Elena liked. And if she couldn't let Scarlet get away with treating the redhead like that, Elena sure as hell wasn't about to let Penta. Reno deserved better than that.

She swirled the last little bit of her drink. Reno deserved a lot better, really. And not just from people like Penta and Scarlet. From her, too. She honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd so much as hurt her feelings. Meanwhile, this past week alone, she'd brought him to the brink of exhaustion, accused him of abandoning her when she needed him, yelled at him... and he'd still been willing come with her today and let her use him as a prop in an idiotic feud that should have been forgotten years ago.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Reno asked, suddenly cutting in on her thoughts, "You've been starin' at that for awhile now..."

Elena tossed back the last swallow of liquor, and felt the soothing pressure of Reno's fingers kneading the back of her neck. She sighed, smiling slightly in spite of herself, and let her muscles relax. It always felt so nice when he touched her. He could be so very gentle. As the music came up, it took her a moment to realize that the the toasts were over and the guests were moving out onto the dance floor.

Someone giggled to her right, and Elena opened her eyes, discovering that Sadi had at last made her return.

"You looked like you were totally blissed out," Sadi said, "You've either had one two many of those, or he's _really_ good at that..."

"Heh... combination of the two, I think," Reno snickered. Elena could already feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"I am _not_ drunk!" she said indignantly, and both of them broke down in laughter.

"Well, in that case, my dear, not-drunk 'Lena... Would you care to dance?" Reno stood and offered his hand to her, glancing enthusiastically toward the dance floor. His smile was contagious, and the rookie quickly found her morose mood dissipating as she took him up on the offer.

The song was up-tempo and soon, she was following his lead as he twirled her and spun her, and whisked her around the floor, thoughts of Penta quickly shoved to the back of her mind. She wanted to enjoy herself... and she wanted Reno to have fun, too. For a short while, they did. Until Elena's rival decided to butt in.

"He's much too good looking to be seen with you, you know," a snide voice cut in. "Why don't you just go and sit down. I'll keep him company for you."

Elena didn't have time to reply, Reno turned her away from Penta, putting himself between the two women. "Fuck off," he responded, dismissively, and then proceeded to ignore her.

The rookie sniggered as he guided her away from the woman, and caught a brief glimpse of her deepening scowl before she turned and stormed off.

"Thank you for that..." she said, smiling.

"Hey, it was pretty satisfyin' for _me_ ,too, ya know... If you recall, she not so subtly implied that you paid for me earlier," Reno replied, before jokingly adding, "Free food and booze don't count as payment, by the way. I'm not that easily bought."

"Does that mean you _do_ have a price?" she giggled. She wasn't sure why she'd thought to ask such a question, even in jest. It was decidedly inappropriate, not to mention more than a little insulting. Fortunately, the redhead seemed to find it hilarious.

Reno laughed, and twirled her again. "Even if I did, she couldn't afford me. I have standards."

The first song ended, and the next one was slower. Reno's arm encircled her, drawing her close to him as he seamlessly adapted to the change. They moved languidly to the melody.

"Figures you're a natural dancer..." she sighed, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"I'm not," he replied, with a self-deprecating laugh. "I actually used to have pretty terrible rhythm. Had to play escort to one of the President's mistresses at a company function a while back, though... there was dancing, and I was expected to participate for some Ifrit-forsaken reason. Tseng made me practice 'til I could do this in my sleep. With Rude..."

Elena's entire body shook with laughter, and she missed several steps, having to shuffle awkwardly for a moment to catch up to her dance partner. "Poor Rude..." she snickered.

"Ya know, I'd take offense to that... if I didn't kind of agree." Reno's hand trailed slowly up her spine, coming to rest at the back of her neck, and resumed the slow, gentle massage that had been so suddenly interrupted back at the table. Elena couldn't remember ever feeling more content than she did right now. Run-ins with Penta aside, she couldn't have asked for a more perfect date... and – to her great confusion – she was almost beginning to feel disappointed that it was all an act.

She did _not_ want that sort of relationship with Reno. He was too much like a brother to her. End of discussion.

And even if some tiny, _miniscule_ part of her might have been a just little bit tempted right now... how many times had he made it clear to her that he wasn't interested in romance? Or even exclusivity? Even if she _could_ be okay with something entirely physical, she didn't think she could handle the idea of sharing a lover with other women, no matter how kind and sweet he was. Reno was a friend, and a mentor, and a brother. And that was all she wanted from him.

So why did she suddenly feel like she never wanted this song to end?

When it finally faded out, Reno was still holding her. Elena lifted her head slightly and caught sight of Chai near the head table with a microphone.

"Alright, everyone! Unmarried couples only for this one! And we're taking bets on who's wedding we'll be attending next, so you'd _better_ make it count!" she said, animatedly, drawing laughter and a few cheers and wolf-whistles from the floor. "But... um... Keep it clean, okay?" she added, before dropping her voice to a loud whisper, " _My parents are still here..._ "

Reno chuckled. "I'm startin' to like that friend of yours..."

"Chai's always been a little bit of a goof," she replied, smiling widely, "The rest of her family's kind of uptight, but Chai has no fear of being silly."

The redhead suddenly tensed, and it took her a second to figure out why. When she spotted Penta storming towards Chai, it became pretty clear what he had reacted to. The woman snatched away the microphone for herself.

" _Real_ couples, only," she demanded in a smugly superior tone, "So that means you're out, Miss Elena Brewer. Take your little rent-boy and go sit down."

Elena saw red, and Chai tried, unsuccessfully, to retake the microphone. She started towards her, only to be held firmly in place by Reno.

"Aww... what's the matter, _Ellie_? Couldn't even talk that pathetic brother of yours into being your date again, so you had to buy one? Belane has better taste than I thought."

Her entire body went cold at the mention of Bel, and she could already feel the tears threatening. That wound was still much too fresh, and she still missed him too much.

Chai, and several other people who knew, at least in passing, of Belane's death, were staring at the other woman in shock and disbelief. Reno, meanwhile, seemed torn between ripping the woman's throat out or staying with the rookie. The dilemma was solved for him, however. Chai slapped her... hard... sending her staggering back against the table, and the microphone hit the floor, sending a loud squeal of feedback through the speakers.

"Get. Out." Chai's tone left no room for negotiation, and Penta turned, somewhat dazedly, and stalked out of the ballroom.

"Come on..." Reno's voice was soft, and she let him lead her off, paying little attention to where he was taking her. Eventually, she realized he'd pulled her into the little coat room near the ballroom's entrance. She sniffled softly and tried to pull away, determined not to let Penta's words get to her... but he was so thoroughly wrapped around her she could hardly more.

"I'm okay..." she finally managed to say.

"'Course you are," he replied, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. His grip didn't loosen, but one hand tilted her chin up to look at him, and he grinned. "Want me to kill her for ya? Maybe torture her a little first? Or I could snatch her 'n hand her over to Hojo for one of his experiments..."

Elena laughed quietly, in spite of herself.

"I appreciate the offer.."

A tentative knock interrupted just then, and the door creaked open a crack. Music filtered in from the outer room.

"Can I come in?" Chai asked, peeking around the edge.

"Yeah... I think she's good," Reno replied.

"Oh, Elena... I am _so_ sorry. God... I always knew she was a bitch, but I can't _believe_ she'd pull something like _that_. I don't think she knew about Bel, but that's still no excuse. Jordan's seriously pissed. He took off after her to make _sure_ she doesn't come back tonight."

"It's okay, Chai... It wasn't _your_ fault. I'm just sorry I ruined the party."

" _You_ didn't ruin anything. That was a hundred percent Penta. And it'll be fine," Chai assured her. She giggled quietly, "I'll just have them start serving more liquor. The whole thing will be forgotten in twenty minutes. You're not going to take off on me, are you? I'd really like you to stay. If you're up for it."

"Sure..." Elena replied, managing a smile.

"Good. Because if you'd said no I was going to go with you so we could find Penta and shove her over the edge of the Plate... and I don't _really_ want to spend my honeymoon in prison."

"Yeah... I think could definitely get along with this friend of yours, 'Lena."

"It's so nice to know I have so many people willing to murder for me..." Elena deadpanned. She shook her head and sighed. Though to be fair, that knowledge was strangely comforting... in the disturbing and completely wrong sort of way that had become perfectly normal in her life. Chai might have only been joking to make her feel better... but Reno hadn't been. At least not entirely.

The redhead smirked. "Just name the target," he said with a grin. "Now, come on... If she's gonna start plyin' people with alcohol, let's get back to the party before all the good stuff's gone."

* * *

It was almost two in the morning by the time she and Reno pulled into her apartment complex's lot. For all his teasing about 'the good stuff' the redhead hadn't had much interest in drinking after they'd gone back out there. In fact, he was still completely sober by the time they'd left, and she was pretty sure it was because he'd wanted to make sure _she_ had a good time. She'd only had a glass of champagne, herself, the rest of the evening, and only because Chai and Sadi had insisted on a mini-toast between friends.

He shut off the engine and got out, circling around to her side of the car and opening the door for her with a slight bow. She smothered a laugh and climbed out.

"You don't have to keep up the act, you know..." she teased, as he took her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Hey... Told ya when I came to getcha, you're gettin' the full treatment tonight. And what kind of a jerk doesn't walk his date to her door?" Reno replied, an arm snaking its way around her waist as he escorted her towards the building.

"The kind that doesn't immediately follow it up with a proposition?"

The redhead grinned. "Shows what you know. Usually by that point, I don't need to _suggest_ anything..."

"You are _such_ a pervert," she sighed, poking him gently in the ribs while they waited for the elevator. It arrived and they stepped inside, Reno automatically hitting the button for the eighth floor.

"Some girls go for that, ya know..." He took her hand and leaned back against the wall of the car, smiling warmly, "Didja have a good time, at least? Psychotic super bitch aside, I mean..."

The doors opened on her floor and he walked her out, toward her apartment.

"I actually had a terrific time." More than terrific, really... She hadn't wanted to leave. Or at least she hadn't wanted to go home. What she _wanted_ , she realized, was to stay with Reno a little longer.

He reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear when they reached her door, and Elena let herself in. "Good. It was fun for me, too." He smirked slightly and added, "We should do it again some time... preferably without you havin' to put up with me bein' all over you the whole time, or the delusionally obsessed bridesmaid that thinks I'm a prostitute." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "'Night, 'Lena."

Something in her finally broke. She wasn't sure if it was the self-deprecating humor, or the soft, chaste kiss, or just the realization that he was turning to walk away and, dammit, she didn't want him to. Elena grabbed his wrist and pulled him back around, before throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his.

Reno inhaled sharply through his nose and stiffened slightly in surprise, but she didn't release him. A moment later, she felt his hands on her back, clutching her to his chest as he responded in kind, deepening the kiss with a soft moan. She lost track of time entirely, and when she at last let him come up for air, she found herself dizzy and breathless.

"'Lena?" he asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

"Don't go," she said, quietly, "Please, don't go." He silently let her pull him into the apartment, looking a little dazed, and very much in shock at this sudden change in her. She closed the door behind him.

"'Lena... Are you askin' me to –" She cut him off with another kiss. "Guess that's a yes..." he breathed once she relinquished her hold on him. He seized her, lips leaving a trail of fire along her neck and shoulder, teeth nipping softly at the juncture between the two, and making her shudder. Elena closed her eyes and let him explore to his heart's content. The next thing she knew he was lifting her... carrying her... towards her bedroom.

Reno carefully laid her on the bed, and his hands crept around her back, fingering the zipper at the back of her dress. He paused, leaning back a bit to look at her, breathing heavily.

"Are you sure this is what you want, 'Lena?"

Elena looked up at him, locking eyes with him, and stroked a hand across his check, and slowly letting it drift along his neck. His pulse was racing... she could feel it, and it excited her. He swallowed sharply, waiting for her answer.

"Yes," she whispered.

It was all he needed to hear.

* * *

Elena sighed and turned her head slightly in an effort to block out the light that prodding her awake. She nuzzled the soft warmth beneath her cheek, listening to the steady, even rhythm of a heartbeat. A smile crossed her lips and she opened her eyes, slowly raising her head to look at her bedmate.

Reno was still peacefully asleep, and she was hesitant to move too much, since it would almost certainly wake him. She had been lying half across his bare chest, her head pillowed in the center, his arm around her, holding her lightly in his sleep. Elena shifted just enough that she could see his face. His features were untroubled and relaxed. He was perfection. She could have stared at him for hours.

"Startin' to like wakin' up and findin' you watchin' me..." he murmured. Elena let her fingers drift upwards, playing with his hair.

"I didn't mean to wake you..."

Reno smirked and opened his eyes. "I'm used to it. Hazard of bein' a light sleeper," he said, dismissively. His eyes traveled, unhurried, along her figure beneath the sheets. "Dear Ifrit, you're beautiful..."

Elena blushed, smiling shyly.

"'Lena... You don't regret last night... do you?"

She shook her head. "Not even a little."

He smiled, and kissed her. "I'd pretty much resigned myself to the idea that you weren't interested and never would be, ya know. Kinda hit me outta nowhere when you kissed me the way ya did," he confessed, smiling, "Not that I'm complainin'..."

"It kind of hit me out of nowhere, too..."

"So what changed?" A hand trailed gently along her spine, slowly, up and down, at a soothing cadence.

"I'm not sure..." Elena gave a soft moan at the sensations his touch was sending through her body. "I guess... I guess I just started to realize last night what I was missing out on. No one's ever treated me the way you do... and it just suddenly seemed so _stupid_ that I wouldn't even let myself consider the possibility." She giggled against his chest. "I hate to admit it... but in a way, I think I really _was_ waiting around for a guy like the ones in those trashy romance novels to come and sweep me off my feet. You never tried to do that... You let me decide for myself."

Reno laughed, the vibrations of his body triggering a pleasant tremor that stole down her spine. "Told ya those things were ridiculous..."

"Oh, I don't know..." Elena said, coyly, suddenly feeling a bit more brazen than usual. She lightly traced a pattern across his skin with her fingertip. "If last night was anything to go by, they got at least a _few_ things right..."

* * *

Reno sat calmly in the shadows, watching the woman in front of him for any signs of waking. Waiting for sedatives to wear off was always a pain the in ass... but he hadn't wanted to damage her. Not physically, at any rate.

Eventually, she stirred, raising her head groggily and looking around the room. He could pinpoint the precise moment realization hit and fear began to take over.

"W-where am I!?" she called out. "Is anyone there?!" She pulled at the handcuffs that held her fast to the chair. "Why are you doing this... ?" she asked in a small, terrified voice. Reno smirked and leaned forward, letting the little bit of light hit him.

"Because you had comin', Penta."

She gasped as she recognized him. "Y-you?"

"Yep. Me." He stood and slowly walked towards her.

"Whatever you want... you'll have it. Name your price. Just... just let me go," she pleaded.

"You want outta here?" he asked, and she nodded. "Then all I want is a few minutes of your time."

"F-for what?" She was shaking now. Visibly shaking... He wasn't surprised. People like her were cowards at heart. Take away their power and they practically shit themselves in fear.

Reno dragged his chair over and set it in front of her, taking a seat uncomfortably close to the woman. "As a general rule, I don't much like seein' women suffer, and I don't enjoy _makin'_ 'em suffer, either. But you hurt someone who's very special to me. Gotta tell ya... I was _very_ tempted to make an exception to that rule."

She whimpered and turned her face away from him.

"Oh, no..." he chided, roughly taking hold of her chin and forcing her gaze back around. "You're gonna look at me while I'm talkin' to ya." When he was satisfied that she would obey, he released his grip. "First... I want ya to know somethin'. The only reason you're gonna be walkin' outta here alive today is because 'Lena said no when I offered to deal with you. If she'd asked it of me, believe me, you'd already be dead."

Penta shuddered and a tear made its way down one of her cheeks.

"That bein' said, 'Lena might be willin' to forgive and forget, but I'm more of an eye for an eye kinda person. But... she doesn't know I'm doin' this, and I don't think she'd entirely approve. So we're gonna compromise a little. This is what you're gonna do. You're never gonna speak to her, or about her, again. As far as 'Lena's concerned, I want it to be like you don't even exist. Clear?"

"Y-yes..."

"Good... 'cause you only get one chance at this. Like I said, you're gonna be walkin' outta here alive today. If I _ever_ have a reason to haul you back in here again, you won't be walkin' out at all."

Reno stood and produced the key to her handcuffs from his pocket. He slipped behind her and quickly removed them.

"There's the door. Get out."

Penta stood, shakily, and all but ran for the exit.

"Oh... one more thing," he called after her, and she froze, hand on the knob, trembling. "Just in case you're inclined to think I'm not completely serious about everything I just said... ya might wanna pay very close attention to _exactly_ where you are when you leave, and give some very serious thought to who I am."

"W-who are you?" she asked.

"Oh... I'm pretty sure you'll figure it out."

She didn't press him any farther, instead opting to give the doorknob a violent twist and flee. He heard the sounds of her frantic footsteps retreating quickly down the tiled hallway. She'd be emerging from Shinra Headquarters in about a minute and a half.

~fin~


	31. What Dream is This?

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 31: What Dream is This?**

 **by Desha**

"You told me that shit was fuckin' private!" Reno shouted. He'd long since abandoned the chair, and now was pacing the floor of Tseng's office like a caged animal. Tseng wasn't surprised by his reaction... He wouldn't have been especially happy about it either if someone had just sprung it on him out of nowhere.

"Your conversations during mandatory psych evaluations _are_ entirely private. Basic psychological profiles, however, are available to senior medical staff as a matter of necessity. You know perfectly well that Dr. Ward, for example, has seen yours, as well as mine. And Rude's. And Elena's." He doubted that fact would assuage the redhead. He'd worked himself into quite the tantrum by now.

"This is bullshit, Tseng... I am _not_ lettin' that asshole fuck around inside my head!"

"I'm afraid it's out of my hands," Tseng said with a sigh, "Reno... you know I would never force you to subject yourself to any sort of experiment, psychological or otherwise, if I had any say in the matter. Hojo went over my head on this. He even went over _Heidegger's_ head on this, and got approval from President Shinra directly."

Reno scowled and flopped into the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "So 'cause I just _happen_ to be able to remember my dreams, I get drafted for this goddamn science project..."

"You and two or three other employees... yes," he confirmed. Tseng hadn't been pleased when Heidegger had handed him the orders that afternoon. In fact, he had reacted much the same way Reno had... though with significantly less swearing. But ultimately, it was beyond his control. Due to his tendency towards vivid dreaming and total recall of said dreams, the redhead was to report to Biology Lab Six tomorrow evening for a dream study experiment. "I've been assured that you will only be observed... There will be no drugs and no medical procedures beyond a standard physical exam."

"And you actually _buy_ that shit?" he scoffed.

"Were it Hojo conducting the study, not in a million years," Tseng replied, with a slight smirk, "As it happens, this is apparently the pet project of one of his assistants. Hojo's role seems to be limited to authorization and recruitment."

"I'm not fuckin' doin' it."

"Reno..."

"I'm serious, Tseng... I'm not doin' it. Bad enough they wanna fuck around with my dreams, they gotta do it on my fuckin' day off, too? No."

Tseng sighed softly. He had hoped to avoid this. "Yes. You are. I'm sorry, Reno, but you are under orders to report to Dr. Skarn in Lab Six tomorrow... and I am personally ordering you to obey those orders."

"Tseng..." Reno looked up at him in shock. The Turk leader could see the betrayal in his eyes, and it cut him deeply... but as he had already stressed to his lieutenant, the matter was out of his hands. If participants didn't show up voluntarily, Hojo had somehow managed to get permission to send Soldier to collect them. Knowing Hojo, he'd do just that. And while Reno _might_ have gone quietly, it was far more likely that he would put up a fight... and skilled though he was, he was no match for Shinra's mako-enhanced military fighters. If he fought, he would lose... and likely be injured in the process.

" _Fine_..." Reno finally hissed, when Tseng refused to say anything farther. "Can I go now, _sir_?"

His voice was ice-cold It was going to take a lot to make this up to him... and it would probably be quite some time before Reno would _let_ him make it up to him. The last time he'd been this angry with Tseng, had been when he'd had to order him to retreat instead of going back for a young rookie by the name of Cissnei. He couldn't have saved her... or any of the people who'd been trapped with her... and the redhead almost certainly would have died, too, had he attempted it. In the end, he'd understood that, but he'd been furious at the Wutaiian Turk for days afterward, and even once the initial anger had passed, he had held onto a lingering grudge for well over a week more before he'd finally forgiven him.

"You may."

Reno stood, wordlessly, and stormed out. It was past quitting time... Rude and Elena had already deserted the office. Which, Tseng mused, was probably for the best. The man was angry enough, he very likely would have taken his frustration out on his friends to some extent, even if he didn't mean to... Reno had plenty to deal with without that bit of guilt hanging over him as well. Once he was gone, Tseng collected his jacket and a few files he'd planned on taking home with him for the weekend, before following suit. Even the prospect of a quiet weekend, however, did little to make him feel better about what he'd just done.

* * *

Reno took a left... cutting off two other cars, and jetting across three lanes of traffic to do it. Thankfully, he'd already missed worst of the evening rush, or such a maneuver might have resulted in more than just a couple of raised middle fingers and blaring horns. When he came dangerously close to rear-ending a pickup truck, though, he forced himself to calm down. And slow down. A stint in the hospital might feasibly exempt him from this little project, but he wasn't quite _that_ desperate to get out of it.

At last he pulled safely into his parking space at home, hauling himself from the car and into the elevator. He knew he'd reacted badly... Tseng really _didn't_ have any other alternative. It wasn't _his_ fault. That didn't make the redhead any happier about being forced to participate, though, and he couldn't help feeling deeply hurt and betrayed when Tseng had ordered him to comply. The Turk leader had always... _always_... stood up for him in the past over things like this.

He needed something that would get the little voice in the back of his mind, that was presently accusing Tseng of treason, to shut the hell up before he started agreeing with it a little _too_ much. Rude would almost certainly be up for a trip to the Phoenix Nest – if he weren't already there to begin with, which he very likely was. Though he wished the thought had occurred to him _before_ he'd driven across town.

On the other hand... Elena hadn't mentioned any plans for tonight...

He wasn't quite sure what to make of the latest development with his rookie. There hadn't been a repeat of the night after her friend's wedding... but then, there really hadn't been time for one, either. It had been a decidedly busy week. On top of that, he wasn't even entirely certain Elena _wanted_ a repeat of that night. Every time he'd caught her alone and tried to broach the subject, someone or something had interrupted, and he'd ended up putting it off... and he doubted very much she would have appreciated him discussing it over lunch with Tseng and Rude listening in.

Tonight, he supposed, was as good a time as any to finally sit down and figure things out with her. Particularly since he'd – somewhat accidentally – agreed to go running with her tomorrow morning before Tseng had dragged him into his office. If she were... amenable... to spending the night with him, he might manage to get himself out of that particular chore before he was forced to sacrifice even more of his weekend to an activity he didn't especially enjoy. And even if he couldn't, he had to admit... he'd been craving her company all week. For him, at least, that night had been all he'd wanted and more, but had always simply assumed he'd never have with Elena. It wasn't often he found himself thoroughly unable to think of an encounter as merely a one night stand, and he was going to be on edge until he settled things with her one way or the other.

He'd just resolved to call her when he realized two things. One... his place was a disaster. Not only had he not had time to have a non-work-related conversation with the rookie, he hadn't had time to clean all week. Or the previous week, if he was being honest, though that was due more to sheer laziness. It definitely wasn't suitable for entertaining right now. And two... the door to his apartment was open.

His EMR was in his hand within seconds, as he made his way towards the door. Aside from the faint sound of someone's stereo down the hall, he couldn't hear anything... but he certainly wasn't complacent enough to take a chance. He nudged the door the rest of the way open, and when nothing attempted to kill him, stepped inside. Reno hit the light switch and froze, blinking incomprehensibly.

What the hell kind of weirdo broke in and cleaned your apartment for you?

Things were definitely _not_ the way he'd left them this morning. The dishes were no longer piled in the sink... the laundry was no longer scattered along the floor... and for fuck's sake, someone had vacuumed! He moved silently through the living room, carefully checking any possible place someone might be lying in wait. The living room was clear... so was the bathroom, the closet, and the kitchen. That just left the bedroom. He tightened his grip on his mag-rod, and pushed open the door. The sight that greeted him nearly made him drop it.

She was deliciously naked, stretched out temptingly across the sheets of his bed, and she smiled seductively at him as he stepped into the room, stroking a hand sensuously along her side in invitation.

"You're late," she purred, coyly.

"Lira..."

* * *

Elena smiled to herself as she made her way, at a light jog, towards Reno's apartment building. She loved her morning run. It was so relaxing... and she so seldom had company for it. She'd been ecstatic when the redhead had voluntarily agreed to join her. The only thing that even slightly threw off her pleasant mood was the inevitable conversation that had to happen. She'd had so little time to talk to him privately over the past week, and she knew she needed to. She was a little nervous about finally bringing up the topic that so desperately needed to be discussed. The sun was only just rising by the time the rookie reached his door.

She knocked, hoping she wasn't _too_ early. Reno wasn't exactly known for regularly dragging himself out of bed before dawn. The door opened a crack, and then was suddenly thrown wide.

"Elena!" an easily recognized, though decidedly unexpected, voice cried out happily, and the next thing she knew she was being hauled bodily into the apartment by Lira... and she couldn't help but think this seemed entirely too familiar. The woman pulled her into a tight embrace. "Oh, honey, it's great to see you... Reno said you were comin' by this morning. He's gettin' dressed."

"I-I... um..." she stammered, feeling her throat tighten at the realization that Reno'd had... company... last night. It stung... though, she rationalized, it really shouldn't have. It wasn't as if she suddenly had some sort of exclusive claim on the redhead now. Which was precisely the reason she was so eager to talk to him and make it clear where they stood.

"Heard ya finally decided to take my advice and seduce him. Shocked the hell outta him, too," Lira pushed on, grinning madly at the rookie Turk. "About damn time... I kept tellin' him you two needed to just fuck already. _Everyone_ knew it was gonna happen sooner or later."

Elena shifted awkwardly, feeling her cheeks redden... both in embarrassment, and anger. It was bad enough he'd slept with someone else last night. Apparently he was perfectly fine with telling his other lovers that he'd bedded _her_ ,as well.

"I... I should go," she said hurriedly, feeling tears of humiliation threatening. Lira paused, apparently only then becoming aware of the fact the Elena didn't seem to share her excitement. She giggled softly.

"Oh, sweet Shiva, I'm an idiot... Elena, honey, I'msorry. I didn't even _think_ what this must look like to you!" the woman said, laughing apologetically. "Reno slept on the couch. Turned me down flat last night."

"He did?" she asked, somewhat disbelievingly. Lira wrapped an arm around her and led her over to the couch.

"Yep... Said he wasn't sure what was between you two yet, but he didn't wanna do somethin' that was gonna immediately fuck it up. I only stayed over 'cause he didn't want me headin' back down to the slums on my own after dark."

"Hey, Lira? You seen my –" Reno's voice began as he emerged from his bedroom. He cut himself off the moment he spotted Elena. "Oh. Shit... 'Lena. Uh... This isn't what it looks like..."

"Yeah, yeah... we've been through that already," Lira said, dismissively, her attention still on the rookie. "I am _so_ jealous of you, right now. The first time with someone new is always such fun! He's always been my favorite, ya know." She laughed again. "I was _almost_ ready to give up on you two ever gettin' _anywhere_ without a firm kick in the ass. That Reno..." she added with a frustrated sigh, "I kept sayin' he just needed to go for it. Woulda happened a lot sooner. Stubborn little bastard."

"Uh... Lira? Standin' right here..." Reno cut in, somewhat annoyed at being excluded from a conversation that seemed to be predominantly about himself.

"Annnyway... You two probably want some alone time, and I'm due at work in a couple more hours," Lira went on, ignoring the redhead's commentary. She stood up, walking over to him, and kissed him playfully on the cheek. "I'll see ya later. You be good, and don't do anything I wouldn't do..."

"That's... a pretty short list, Lira..." Reno responded, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly... Have fun!" With that, she was out the door, leaving Elena in a bit of a daze and Reno shaking his head.

"You're not mad I told her, are ya?" Reno asked, sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "She kinda showed up unexpected last night, and Lira doesn't take no for an answer without an explanation."

"I-I... no... It's alright," she responded, blushing slightly, "Is she... always like that?" Elena had only met the woman a handful of times, but each time, she really seemed to have no filter whatsoever.

"Like what? Completely uncensored? Yeah, pretty much. Not a whole hell of a lot that embarrasses Lira... Actually, I don't think I've found _anything_ that embarrasses her," he replied, smirking, "Even _I_ have _some_ sense of modesty... heh... fleeting though it may be. Lira... not so much." He walked over to her and took a seat next to her on the couch, placing an arm around her shoulders. "So... ready to go? I mean unless you'd rather sit here and talk about... things."

Elena smothered a quiet laugh. "Why do I get the feeling you'd rather not do either?"

"Because I hate bein' awake this early almost as much as I hate bein' serious?" he replied with a grin. Elena giggled and stood, pulling him to his feet. Reno groaned. "You're makin' me run, huh?"

"Actually, I'm making you run _and_ talk."

"... Fuck, 'Lena... I told ya nothin' happened last night. Why the sudden desire to torture me?" he teased.

Elena rolled her eyes and pulled him towards the door. "Oh, come on, you big baby..."

* * *

Running and talking was proving a little difficult with the pace the redhead had set. Elena was keeping up... barely... but she was rapidly getting more and more out of breath. She had been fine for the first mile. It was the two miles they'd gone _afterward_ that were slowly killing her. Usually by now, she'd be at a cool-down pace... not still going full tilt.

"Can we... stop... for a minute?" she panted. Reno came to a halt a few strides later, and turned back to look at her. Elena smiled gratefully, and placed a hand to her side, rubbing at the stitch that had formed there a few minutes ago.

"Sorry," he said, smirking.

They'd circled the neighborhood park three times already. It was one of her favorite places to run... one of the few places in Midgar where there were trees. Even in the chilly morning air of early spring, it was pretty. Elena planted herself on a bench, sagging as she tried to catch her breath. He took a seat beside her, his own breathing noticeably harsher than normal, but nowhere near as winded as she was.

"I don't remember... you being this... dedicated the last time you ran with me."

"'Lena, the last time I ran with you, I had eight barely-healed broken ribs," he said, snickering, "Wasn't exactly at the top of my game."

She giggled and poked him in the side. "The last time you ran with me you also told me you weren't lusting after me, if I remember right..."

"Nice subtle change of topic," he snickered, "But since you brought it up..."

Elena smiled a little sadly and looked down at her hands. She'd been putting a lot of thought into this, and seeing Lira this morning had only made her more certain.

"I... I really enjoyed being with you," she began, searching for the right words, "And I don't regret anything. I really don't. But... it can't happen again." She glanced back up at him, and for a moment, thought she saw a flicker of... something... in his eyes. It was gone before she could really place it.

"I get it," he replied, sounding a little resigned. "Kinda figured it was gonna end up bein' a one time thing." She nodded. It wasn't that she couldn't see herself with him. It was just... she couldn't stand the idea of just being another oneof his lovers. She wanted more out of a relationship. Maybe not outright commitment right out of the gate... but... at least loyalty. Sure, Reno might have turned Lira down last night. But what about tomorrow night? Or the next night? The redhead had women practically lining up for him... and she'd _seen_ a few of them. She could hardly hold a candle to some of them. Elena didn't have any illusions that he'd be willing to give up that sort of freedom just for her, and she wasn't going to ask him to just so he could say no.

"I'm really sorry, Reno... I..."

"Look, don't be," he said, with a somewhat forced grin, "It happened, it was fun... but it's not what you've got in mind. It's not a big deal." He was on his feet before she could get anything else out, grin widening into one that was far more sincere. "Come on, 'Lena... we got another mile. Race ya!"

It wasn't much of a race. Even after having the chance to catch her breath, Reno soundly beat her back to his apartment building. Elena groaned and leaned against the fence that surrounded the parking lot.

"Heh... Maybe I oughta add some more endurance trainin' to your regimen, 'Lena... Looks like ya need it," he teased.

"Please don't," she panted, "I want to live..."

"No promises..." Reno smirked and joined her at the fence. "You gonna make it home okay? I can drive ya if you want."

Elena shook her head. "No, I'm good. Just give me a couple of minutes." She glanced over at him, and smiled. He seemed to be taking her decision not to pursue an intimate relationship any farther just fine. She'd been a little worried... though in retrospect, she wasn't sure why. Even Reno got turned down _once_ in a while, and for Shiva's sake, the man had practically made an art of the one night stand. "Hey... I just got a copy of the The Hand the Rocks the Coffin. Are you doing anything later? We can completely negate all this exercise and get a pizza or something..."

"Sorry, 'Lena... Wish I could, but Tseng's got me workin' tonight... sort of... and there's some shit I gotta take care of before I head in. Been pilin' up all week."

"What do you mean 'sort of' working?" she asked, curious.

"Tch... Biology department's runnin' some stupid experiment tonight. Couldn't get out of it."

"Hojo?" she asked with a shudder.

"Lucky for me – relatively speakin' – No. One of his assistants is runnin' things. Still not exactly lookin' forward to it."

"Well... security duty's not _so_ bad..."

Reno laughed... a little manically, by Elena's estimation... "Nah, security duty wouldn't be bad at all, even on a Saturday. 'Cept that's not what I'm gonna be there for."

"Then what... ?" She couldn't think of any other reason the Turks would have been called in to assist the biologics department... unless... Elena paled slightly. "S-something didn't... escape... again, did it?"

"Relax, 'Lena... Nothin's on the loose," he said, calmly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "We'd all be on alert right now if that were the case."

"So why are you working, then?"

"I get to be a specimen..." he muttered, with no small amount of distaste.

" _WHAT?_ " Elena's eyes went wide in disbelief, and she suddenly found herself shaking her head in denial. "No... that can't be right..."

"'Fraid so... That's why Tseng pulled me into his office right before we left yesterday. Orders came down with the president's signature on 'em. Guess Hojo went straight to the top on this."

"But... why you?"

Reno shrugged. "'Cause some asshole in Biology got ahold of my damn psych profile and decided I'd be perfect for this shit. It's some kinda dream study. Mine are... kinda unusual. I can remember 'em in damn near perfect detail. And when I'm havin' 'em it feels almost real." He raised an eyebrow. "Okay... 'Lena? Could ya do me a favor and maybe try _not_ to look so totally horrified? I'm uneasy enough about this as it is..."

"Sorry. Um... Do you want me to keep you company until you need to go? I was going shopping in a bit with a friend, but I can cancel..."

"Nah, I'm good. Like I said, I got laundry 'n shopping 'n shit to do. You'd just be bored outta your mind. Don't worry about me."

"Well... If you're sure..." she said, uncertainly. He'd said he was alright. He even acted like he was alright... but something felt off to her. She couldn't help thinking that maybe she should stay anyway. It wasn't as if she couldn't meet up with her friend, Sadi, tomorrow, or even next weekend if she had to.

"Yeah, go. I'm fine."

Then again... if he wanted her to stay, he'd have said so. Wouldn't he?

"A-alright. Um... Call me tomorrow, okay?" Elena pushed away from the fence.

"Sure. Later, 'Lena."

She turned and headed for home, glancing back in his direction a few times before she got there. For whatever reason, she couldn't help but think maybe she was making a mistake.

* * *

Reno watched her go for a moment, before turning to head inside himself. Normally, he'd have jumped at the chance to spend some time with the rookie... but right now, he just couldn't.

He'd thought he'd been prepared for the possibility of rejection. It was a very _strong_ possibility, after all... and it wasn't as if he'd _never_ been shot down before. It happened more than he cared to admit, really... but it never bothered him. There was always another woman.

But there wasn't another Elena. And somehow that made all the difference.

He sighed and trudged upstairs and into the shower, rinsing away the sweat from their run. What he really needed right now was someone to talk to. Normally, he'd have run straight to Rude. But Rude didn't know what had happened between the two of them, and Reno wasn't about to spread it around, when he knew it would just embarrass Elena. That eliminated Tseng, as well... though frankly, he was still just angry enough with the man that he didn't feel much like talking to him anyway.

As he toweled off and dressed, he realized there was really only one person he _could_ talk to right now... and he knew right where to find her.

Before he knew it, he was on train to Sector 6's red light district. He knew the route so well by now that he didn't even have to think about it. It wasn't long before he was in front of the Honey Bee Inn.

The girl that approached him when he entered was young, and he almost cringed at the sight of her in that ridiculous costume. He'd always thought it was degrading. Lira tended to agree, but usually just laughed it off. She smiled sweetly... and a more than a little nervously. A new girl, he decided. Somehow he managed to return the smile, though his heart really wasn't in it.

"Welcome to the Honey Bee Inn!" she chirped.

"Hey... Lira workin'?" Reno asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Sure is... But she's with another guest right now." She sidled up to him enticingly. "Maybe I could keep you company instead..."

Reno shook his head. "Maybe another time," he replied, without much sincerity. The Honey Bee really wasn't his thing. He only ever came here to see his friend... never as a client. "Today, I need Lira. I'll wait... You got an empty room, I'll even pay for it 'til she's free."

"Well... suit yourself. This way," the girl responded, sounding a bit disappointed. She showed him to a comfortable room near the back, and, once he'd paid her, left him to himself. Reno snorted softly at the cheesy heart-shaped bed that took up most of the room and laid down, stretching himself out... then laughed aloud in spite of his terrible mood at the sight of the mirrored ceiling. How Lira could stand it here, he would never understand.

It was some time before the door opened, and she stepped into the room. Lira was all smiles, expecting to be greeting her next customer... When she saw who was waiting for her, her expression shifted to one of deep concern.

"Reno?" she queried, brow furrowing in confusion. Lira quickly shut the door behind her and snapped the lock shut.

"Hey."

"What in the world are you doin' _here_? I figured you 'n Elena were gonna make a day of it..."

Reno sighed and let his gaze drop, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Yeah... well... I was right and you were wrong. She doesn't want it to go any farther."

"Oh... Oh, Reno, sweetie..." Lira said softly, taking a seat next to him, and drawing him into her arms. "What happened?"

"I kept tellin' ya, Lira... I'm not what she wants. I already knew that. We had a good time at the wedding, and she got a little too caught up in the moment, that's all. Never woulda happened otherwise. 'Sides... better this way anyway. I'm not the kind of guy 'Lena deserves."

"Reno... You don't mean that."

"The fuck I don't. She's special, Lira. And she deserves someone who's just as special as she is. Not someone who comes home with a different woman every time he goes out." He closed his eyes and let Lira's fingers gently play with his hair. "And let's face it... I'm just a slum rat who lucked out and got a free ticket up to the Plate."

Lira dropped a hand to his back, rubbing in light circles. He sighed softly, and let his own arms wrap around her, pulling her close, as he placed teasing kisses along her neck. She pushed him away, frowning.

"And just what do you think you're doin'?" Lira asked.

"Gettin' my money's worth," he shot back. The woman's eyes narrowed, and she shoved him back, following up with a hard slap across his face. Reno's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden sharp sting in his cheek, and he simply sat there, blinking as he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.

"I'm gonna chalk that little comment up to the fact that you're absolutely heartbroken right now... even if you won't fuckin' admit it... and not thinkin' straight," Lira said firmly, a warning finger poking him squarely in the chest. "But don't think I won't slap some more sense into ya if ya keep it up. You're _not_ one of those assholes that come in here and treat us girls like a commodity... so don't you dare start actin' like one of 'em. Slum rat or not, you're better than that."

Reno looked away, feeling foolish. Lira was right... no matter how lousy he felt right now, that wasn't who he was and he was ashamed of himself for acting like it.

"Sorry..."

"That's more like it," Lira said gently, slipping behind him on the bed and setting herself to work on the tense muscles of his shoulders. "Now... Why don't you just tell Lira _exactly_ what happened..."

"Nothin' really..." he murmured, letting his eyes drift shut, "Pretty sure she had her mind made up before she even showed up this mornin'. Just said she had a good time but it couldn't happen again."

"She actually say _why_?" She coaxed him down onto the bed so that he was lying on his stomach, and moved on to his lower back. If it hadn't felt so good, he'd have scowled... Lira knew just how he liked to be touched, and she wasn't afraid to use that knowledge against him any time she thought doing so was 'for his own damn good'.

"No... but it's fairly obvious, don't ya think?"

"Personally, I'm baffled," she replied in a quiet, soothing voice, fingers sliding beneath his shirt, and beginning a slow, steady rhythm along his spine, "You're the sweetest, kindest, most generous man I've ever known... and I've known an awful lot of men. Who wouldn't want that?"

"'Lena, apparently. Seriously, Lira... why's it so hard to believe? You know me better than just about anyone... What do I have to offer her?"

"Okay. Reno... you're scarin' me a little here. It's not like you to be so down on yourself."

The redhead gave a frustrated whimper. "I can't fucking figure out what I did wrong!" he finally shouted. "And if I didn't do anything wrong... then it must just be me she doesn't want." He turned his head to look at her, and Lira leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"Oh... my poor Reno..." Lira purred, "It'll be alright. I bet Elena just needs a little bit more of your natural charm. Don't give up on her yet."

He stayed silent... if he voiced his thoughts on the subject, she'd only tell him he was wrong. Or slap him again. He wasn't really in the mood for either.

"I always knew this would happen sooner or later," Lira sighed.

"What?"

She giggled softly. "That you'd eventually fall for someone. You've got too got a heart not to," she informed him. "And damn, have you ever fallen hard."

This time, Reno _did_ manage a scowl. "Bullshit."

"Yeah, yeah... keep tellin' yourself that. But in the meantime... You've had a rough morning. And you've got this room for another hour. Why don't you _really_ get you money's worth and take a nice little nap? You'll feel better. And I'll stay right here and make sure you're comfy..."

"For fuck's sake, Lira, I'm not five. I don't need a fuckin' nap..." Reno said, rolling his eyes.

A few minutes later... he was out like a light.

* * *

Later that evening, Reno made his way across town to Shinra Headquarters. Lira had been right... as humiliating as it was to admit, he _had_ felt a little better after a quick nap. Though any relief it had given him had rapidly faded as the time he had to report drew nearer. On a good day, being forced to let complete strangers observe him while he slept would have put him on edge. After a day like today, he was absolutely dreading it.

Elena couldn't possibly have picked a worse time to reject him... not that any of that was her fault, but the timing had been terrible. Being upset frequently had an adverse affect on his dreams... _and_ , as if that weren't enough,he was still undeniably peeved at Tseng, which only made things worse. He wasn't exactly expecting pleasant dreams tonight. And people would be watching.

Not people who cared about him and would wake him up from a bad one... but cold, clinical academics who would probably be delighted by the fact he was having it. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

He groaned out loud as he pulled into his parking space, and simply sat for a moment, working up the will to get out of the car. Finally, he managed it.

Reno made the short walk to the elevators, and moments later was on his way up.

* * *

Elena finished washing the last of her dinner dishes and dried her hands on the towel before making her way into the living room and settling in front of the TV. Snuffy scrambled up onto the couch from the floor and nestled himself on her lap. The rookie laughed softly, and scratched him behind his ear.

"Guess it's just you an me tonight, Snuffy. What should we watch?"

She glanced over at the movie sitting on the side table. It was one she'd been wanting to see for a few weeks now... but it didn't seem right to watch it tonight. Reno wanted to see it, too, and it was _always_ more fun watching with him than alone. She decided to save the movie for later, and instead pulled up last week's episode of Shadow  & Sword on her DVR with the intention of refreshing her memory before the next episode aired tomorrow night.

Her plans, however, were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

"Don't tell me you ordered pizza," she said teasingly to the little ferret in her lap. Snuffy gave a soft bark in response, and grudgingly moved when she shooed him off so she could get up. She walked over, unhurried, and answered it. The individual waiting for her on the other side was the last person she would have expected.

"We need to talk," Lira stated, giving her no room for argument as she stepped past Elena, into her apartment.

* * *

"We'll be starting with a brief physical exam to collect baseline vitals," a young man in a lab coat said. Reno had found himself in a small group of Shinra employees... most of whom looked just as unsure about this whole thing as he felt himself. The kid in charge... and Reno insisted on referring to him as a kid, because there was no way in hell this Dr. Skarn guy was any older than Elena... had herded them into a small exam room partitioned off with screens around individual tables. Several lab assistants stood by, just waiting to get their hands on the test subjects. "If you'll each step into an alcove, we'll begin."

The four test subjects did as requested, and the assistants went to work, taking readings on blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, and Ifrit only knew what else. Reno hadn't been poked and prodded so much since Ward had demanded he submit to his annual physical. Though, on the bright side... at least there weren't any needles in sight. When they were finished, the four of them were ushered down a narrow hallway.

"From here on out, all you have to do is sleep," Dr. Skarn intoned, "You'll be wired in to a monitoring system that will record any changes in your body in response to your dreams, and my staff and I will be observing you through mirrored glass. Our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible in order to obtain a good set of readings, so if there is anything you need, please let one of us know."

Reno couldn't help but scoff at that. Comfortable? Right... 'Cause nothing made him more made him more comfortable than a bunch of scientists watching his every move.

"Don't s'pose I could get a couple beers and maybe a nice aged whiskey..." he muttered.

"Sorry," Skarn replied, not sounding the least pit remorseful, "No alcohol. We want clean readings."

"Figures..." It was going to be a long night. The assistants guided them into their 'private' rooms... if you could consider a room with a giant mirrored window taking up most of one wall private. The girl assigned to Reno – apparently, as she'd also been the one to conduct his exam – let him change and get into bed, before applying a variety of electrodes to his body.

"This is s'posed to be comfortable?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The young woman giggled softly.

"I guess it's really not... but its the only way we can record changes in your vital signs and brain waves," she replied, "Just try not to think about it."

"Easy for you to say." He shifted position, trying his best to find some way of lying down that didn't make him feel like he was trapped under a net.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked, pulling the covers over him, and smiling.

"Nah... I'm good."

"Well, then... Good night. And sweet dreams." She turned away, heading for the door, and clicked the lights off as she exited. Reno snorted softly. Sweet dreams. Right.

* * *

"Lira?" Elena asked, confused as the woman made herself at home on the couch. She shut the door, and joined her. Snuffy curiously sniffed at the newcomer's hand, and apparently decided she was acceptable, as he then happily curled up on her lap.

"Reno's probably gonna kill me for this, but after what you did to him this morning, I'll be damned if I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut," she stated, and Elena began to realize that she was more than slightly annoyed with her. Actually... she seemed almost angry.

"W-what? What did I do?" Her tone was defensive. She hadn't _done_ anything...

"You can't seriously be that oblivious..."

Elena shook her head and fixed the other woman with a somewhat baffled look. "I... guess I am, because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You care about Reno, right?" Lira asked, and it suddenly clicked what was going on. Reno had mentioned that Lira had gotten pretty gung ho about getting the two of them together.

"Look, Lira..."

"No... answer the question."

Elena sighed. "Well, of course I care about him, but – "

"Then _how_ could you hurt him like that?" Lira demanded.

"I-I didn't... We both agreed that we weren't right for each other. He was fine with it," she said, though emotion in Lira's voice was beginning to make her wonder about that.

"No... He wasn't. Look, if he's not your type, or if you cant see yourself with someone like him... though fuck if _I_ understand why... that's one thing. But did you really have to break his heart and then leave like it meant nothing to you?"

"I... what?" She couldn't keep the incredulity out of her voice at that claim. "Lira... I... I think maybe you misinterpreted something..."

"Like hell I did. You have any idea what he did after ya left?" she asked, crossly, folding her arms over her chest, her posture demanding an answer. Elena silently shook her head in the negative. "He came down to the Honey Bee. Rented a room just so he could talk to me for awhile. _That's_ how upset he was."

Elena's stomach twisted uncomfortably. Reno really _had_ had been fine when she left. Nervous about having to report for an experiment... but otherwise fine. She was sure of it. At least... she was _pretty_ sure...

"H-he told me it wasn't a big deal..."

Lira gave a frustrated sigh. "Let me guess... he also told ya he never expected more than a one night stand, too."

Elena nodded. Reno _had_ said something along those lines.

"Yeah, well... that's 'cause he _didn't_ expect anything more. Doesn't mean he didn't want it or wasn't hopin' for it. Elena... I've known Reno for a long time. And I don't think you realize at all how he feels about you. He thinks the world of you... to the point that he's kinda put you on a pedestal that's gotten so high it's damn near out of his reach. For fuck's sake, he _expected_ you to reject him. Reno. And frankly... even though he knew it was comin' he's not takin' it real well," she paused for a moment, as if considering her next words carefully. "I think... I think he's _really_ convinced himself that he's not good enough for you. And I think now he's decided that he never will be."

"But... he said – " Elena began, not wanting to believe she might really have wounded him so badly.

"Can I ask ya somethin'?" Lira said cutting her off. The rookie nodded, though she doubted it would have stopped her even if she'd denied the request.

"How many times has that boy done somethin' for you at at his own expense?"

"... More times than I can count," she admitted.

"Exactly. Self-sacrificing little idiot is what he is... I don't even _let_ him pull that shit with me anymore," Lira said with a warm smile, "But he's a very sweet idiot. Just ask yourself... If it came down to your happiness or his, which do you think he'd pick?"

Elena looked down at her hands in her lap, and didn't answer. She knew exactly what he'd pick... she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Look... I can't make ya see him any differently than you see him. If the idea of bein' with Reno doesn't appeal to ya, then I guess that's just how it's gonna be. I just wanted to make sure you knew, 'cause he'll probably never tell ya himself."

The rookie Turk took a shuddering breath, and finally looked up at Lira again. "I never meant to hurt him... I really didn't. I really thought he was fine with it..."

"Mind if I ask why ya decided to call it off?" Lira responded, "You don't have to tell me if ya don't want to. I'm just curious. You don't have some hangup about him bein' from the Slums, do ya?"

"W-what? No! That's not it at all!" she said, indignantly, "Is... is that why he thinks he's not good enough?"

Lira shrugged. "Part of it, maybe. There's a kind of stigma attached to comin' from down below. Never really goes away, no matter who ya are. There are a lot of people up here who'd still see him as a slum rat if they knew where he came from."

"I didn't realize..."

"You wouldn't." At Elena's offended look, Lira held her hands up, defensively. "Sorry... Didn't mean that quite the way it came out. I just meant that people up top... they grow up kinda protected, ya know? A lot of 'em never give two thoughts to what it's like for people in the Slums unless they absolutely have to. They'd rather just pretend we don't exist."

"Yeah... I think kind of know what you mean." She'd been a little like that herself before becoming a Turk. Back then, the Slums were just a place she knew she didn't want to visit. Half the time, she never even thought about them even being there, let alone the thousands of people who lived there.

"So? Ya gonna tell me why?" Lira prodded.

"I can't... He's so..." Elena blushed slightly, trying to think of a way to word it without it sounding like an insult. "I don't want to be just another lover waiting for my turn."

Lira eyed her for a moment and then suddenly burst out laughing. " _That's_ your only problem? You don't like that he sleeps around? Oh, for _fuck's_ sake..."

"I just... I'm not comfortable with it. Not like he is."

"So why the _hell_ didn't ya just tell him that? Sweet Shiva... the two of you are fuckin' impossible. _He's_ developin' a goddamn inferiority complex, and _you're_ so determined to sabotage yourself that you don't even bother askin' for what you want to see if he's willin' to give it to ya..." Lira ranted, rolling her eyes. "That's it... we're goin' over to his place right now, and you two are gonna finish the conversation ya started this mornin' if it kills ya."

Elena shook his head. "He's not home. He has an assignment tonight... I'm not sure when it'll be over, exactly. Not until tomorrow, at least."

"And of course I'm coverin' another girl's shift tomorrow... Figures." She ran her fingers though her short, spiky hair. "Fine... Just promise me you'll talk to him _as soon_ as you can, okay?"

"I will..." Elena said, nodding. And she meant it.

* * *

"Subject two just entered REM sleep, sir."

"Good..." Dr. Skarn replied with a thoughtful nod. "Let him sleep another five minutes and then introduce gas sample E. His exam results seemed to indicate a higher level of stress than the others. We'll attempt to trigger a nightmare, first."

"Yes, sir."

In the room, though the two-way mirrored glass, a redheaded figure slept, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.

* * *

Reno was curled up on his side, somewhere warm and comfortable. He wasn't sure where he was, but he felt safe... protected. His eyes slowly opened a crack, and he saw flames dancing in a little iron stove. Oh... he was home.

He smiled, and let them close again, snuggling down into the blanket that enveloped him, enjoying the heat. He stayed like that, still and silent, for a long time, until the warmth began to fade. Reno shivered slightly, and opened his eyes again, confused. The fire was gone, and the room was dark. He sat up slowly, looking around at the familiar surroundings, eerie in the early morning shadows.

"Mommy?"

His own voice sounded far away to his ears, as though it were an echo coming back toward him. He quietly got to his feet, tiny hands clenching the blanket tightly around him, and took a few tentative steps towards the closed door.

"Mommy?" he called out again, hesitating as he reached up for the doorknob. He wasn't supposed to open it if it was closed. Not ever. He was supposed to sit quietly, until mommy's guest was gone. It was the only rule he had. But he was cold, and he didn't know how to light the stove himself.

Finally, he found the courage to break that rule.

Reno twisted the knob and peered hesitantly around the door. He could see her, sleeping on the bed, alone, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Mommy? It's cold..."

He crept forward on bare feet, toes icy on the wooden floor, and climbed into bed next to her, laying his head on her shoulder, shivering. He tried to sleep, but something was wrong. She was always warm, even when he was freezing. She always held him when he couldn't sleep.

She always answered him when he called for her.

"Mommy?" He shook her, trying to wake her up. " _Mommy?_ "

What was wrong? Something was wrong... Reno got to his knees and crawled over the mattress to the little lamp beside the bed, turning it on and banishing the shadows. She stared upwards, unblinking, bright blue eyes somehow duller than he remembered them. She was smiling... endlessly smiling.

"Mommy... wake up..." he said, voice trembling. He reached for her hand, pulling it out from beneath the sheets. Her skin was sticky and wet... Reno looked down. And saw red.

" _Mommy!_ " he shrieked, releasing his grip and staring at his own fingers, now stained crimson.

* * *

"Sir? Readings indicate subject two may be close to waking. Should I add a sedative to the mix?"

Skarn glanced through the window to his left. The redhead was clearly agitated, tossing in his sleep.

"Yes... but keep the concentration low. I don't want him so deeply under that he stops dreaming. Keep him right where he is," he replied, making a few notes on the subject before turning to one of the other windows, and a different assistant.

"Is gas sample A having any effect?"

"It doesn't seem to be, Doctor. She entered REM sleep twenty minutes ago... Readings have been consistent throughout."

He nodded. "Very well. Evacuate the gas from the room and switch to sample B, then. Be sure to note the time." Skarn continued his circuit of the room. The subject on the the other side of the next window was still awake. "Start her on a light sedative as well. She's of no use to us if she never falls asleep."

"Yes, sir." The assistant assigned to the woman behind the glass pressed several buttons on the console in front of him.

"And what about our last subject?"

"He seems to be enjoying himself, sir." The young woman in the lab coat snickered softly, before quickly clearing her throat, and resuming a more professional air. "That is to say, sir... He's been in REM sleep for eleven minutes. Sample C was introduced five minutes ago, and there are definite signs of arousal."

"Increase the concentration of the gas by ten percent," Dr. Skarn replied.

"Sir? Subject two just reentered stage one sleep."

"Did we manage to collect the requisite data?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent," he replied, rejoining the woman at her window. "Evacuate the gas, and move on to sample D. Let me know when he cycles back to a dream state."

* * *

Reno strained against his bonds. He pulled until his wrists were raw and bleeding... until his shoulders felt as though they would separate... twisting relentlessly in an effort to free himself.

"Stop!" he shouted, though his voice was barely audible over the sounds of Elena's screams. He couldn't stand listening to it any longer... Elena's beautiful voice in such torment. At last the screaming stopped, only to be replaced by pained whimpers and harsh breathing.

"R-reno... H-help me... please..." she sobbed, and he pulled even harder.

"Poor little thing..." Scarlet simpered, cruelly. She let the hand holding the EMR drop and turned back to Reno. "You can stop this, you know..."

"How?" he replied, glaring at the woman.

"Oh... I think you _know_ how..." she purred, giving his thigh a none-too-gentle squeeze, before allowing her hand to drift between his legs. Reno cringed, turning away from her.

"You're fuckin' sick... ya know that?"

The executive smiled cruelly, and kissed him, forcing her tongue between his lips.

"Maybe so," she replied, a moment later, pulling away from the redhead. "But I'm the one in control here."

He closed his eyes, as the woman's hands touched him far too intimately, and felt ill as his body betrayed him, responding to the stimulation. "Fine... Do whatever the fuck you want. Just stop hurtin' her..." He looked away from his captor as he found himself slowly being stripped. Scarlet laughed.

* * *

"Hmmm... That's certainly an interesting reaction. You're sure sample D was introduced and not C?" Skarn asked, dispassionately.

"Positive, sir. Could be an atypical response..."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps he secretly regards sex as a form of torture."

The young assistant laughed and then quickly cleared her throat, trying to hide it behind a cough. "I don't think that's very likely, sir. That's Reno of the Turks. He has something of a... _reputation_... in that regard."

"Oh? Likely atypical, then. Move on to C and see how he reacts."

* * *

Her skin was smooth as satin beneath his fingertips, and he eagerly let them roam. She moaned enticingly at his touch, and he needed so desperately to touch her... to taste her. His lips greedily claimed hers as she clung to him, urging him on, the heat of her body driving him wild. He took her weight gently in his arms, refusing to break the connection between their lips as he carried her.

Visions of what he wanted to do to her swam in front of his eyes as he placed her on the sheets with great care, arms slipping behind her and finding the closure of her dress. He forced himself to pause. To pull away. He had to be certain.

"Are you sure this is what you want, 'Lena?" he asked, hardly able to catch his breath. If she changed her mind now, he wasn't sure he'd survive it at this point. He was too far gone. The most beautiful eyes captured his gaze, and he stared at her, transfixed, as her hand caressed his cheek, moving slowly... so torturously slowly, down along his throat. His heart pounded, leaving him feeling light-headed.

"Yes," she whispered at last. He didn't need any further encouragement. He'd held back far too long as it was. He took possession of her lips again, fingers deftly opening the zipper of her dress, and letting it slip tantalizingly down along her back. The emerald fabric slid easily across her skin, revealing all of her to him, and he followed it with his lips as it fell away, laying claim to every part of her.

* * *

"Definitely an atypical reaction to sample D... His response to C is a bit intense, but entirely within expected parameters," Dr. Skarn said, making a quick notation of the observation. "Extreme arousal and involuntary attempts at gratification." he murmured, jotting it down, "What's his heart rate?

"A hundred and thirty two beats per minute," his assistant replied, and Skarn nodded in acknowledgment adding it to the log. "Should I let him continue?"

"No... I've seen enough. Evacuate the current sample and then give him another dose of the sedative... We'll need to let him return to baseline before introducing sample A."

"I trust everything is going well?" a nasal voice queried from the stairs leading out of the little observation center. Skarn turned, inclining his head in greeting.

"Quite well, Professor. Samples C and E have both shown expected results. There was one outlier with sample D, but the other subjects were all within the normal response guidelines," he replied.

"And the other two samples?" Hojo asked, curious.

"Sample A has only been tested on subjects one and three. Both were non-responsive to it. We'll be introducing it to subjects two and four shortly. Sample B's results have been... varied."

"Oh? In what way?"

"Subject one began sobbing inconsolably after less than forty seconds. Subject three experienced extreme nausea and vomiting and ultimately had to be removed from the testing environment. She's been transferred to a medical unit for observation, but no further side effects have been reported. That particular subject is also pregnant, which may have contributed to the reaction. Subject four was exposed five minutes ago, with no measurable response. Subject two has not yet been tested, and is currently being reset to baseline before we can continue with him. His reaction to sample C was... rather strong."

"Interesting. I look forward to seeing your final results."

* * *

He was floating in nothing. There was absolutely no sensation. Even when he moved, he couldn't feel what was holding him up, nor the rush of air over his skin. Everything was bathed in light... there was no up or down. No shadows. Just an endless expanse of nothing. The only sound he could hear was a soft, almost static-like buzzing in his ears. He couldn't even hear himself. Not his breathing... not his heartbeat... not even his own voice, no matter how loudly he screamed.

It was maddening.

There couldn't simply be _nothing_. The longer he floated, the more disturbing it became, and the more he was convinced he was losing his mind... or had already lost it.

He pinched himself... but he couldn't feel that either. He did it harder, panicking, then began to claw at his skin, desperate to feel _something_. Anything. Even pain would be preferable to this.

Soon he couldn't even be sure how long he'd been there. Minutes and hours seemed to run together. He could have been trapped in this Ifrit-forsaken limbo for years, for all he knew. It seemed ludicrous that he could feel so trapped and smothered in absolutely nothing. He couldn't live like this. Something had to change. He couldn't stand it.

But no matter how he screamed and begged and pleaded, nothing ever changed.

* * *

"Sir... Subject two's heart rate is dangerously high, and his blood pressure has spiked."

"Is it a reaction to the sample itself, or a reaction to what he's experiencing?" Dr. Skarn asked. After yet another subject had shown no measurable response to sample A, he had opted to drop it from testing. Once this one's vital signs had returned to normal levels, B had been introduced instead. The decision was proving fruitful... Unfortunately, the subject had already nearly woken twice, and if any more of the sedative was used, they would likely loose their chance to continue with him.

"It doesn't appear to be pharmacological, sir. He's displaying symptoms of extreme stress. He's also torn loose several of the sensors. We're still receiving sufficient data, but if he keeps thrashing like that, we may lose the feed."

"Alright... vent the room and pump in fresh air. I'd rather cut things short than risk losing the readings while he's waking."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Reno woke in a cold sweat, tangled in a mess of sheets and wires and breathing in ragged gasps. He raised a shaking hand to his forehead, pushing the damp hair out of his eyes, and trying desperately to force down the lingering sense of panic. His heart was still hammering so hard it felt as though it was in his throat... something he'd always assumed was just an odd expression. Apparently, it could literally happen.

He looked around the darkened room, at first wondering if he was still dreaming. Nothing seemed the least bit familiar. It took him several seconds to remember where he was, and when he did, he let himself drop back onto the pillows, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt vaguely queasy after... whatever the _fuck_ that was. Reno'd had some pretty messed up dreams in his day, but that was something entirely new.

And it wasn't just the persistent memory of it. At the moment, he felt like he'd just left the training room after a particularly intense sparring match with Tseng. His muscles ached like they'd been over-worked, and in spite of the uneasy feeling in his stomach, he realized he was starving.

As he finally began to calm down, memories of other dreams resurfaced, and he groaned softly.

'Those scientists must've gotten one hell of a show,' he thought to himself. Particularly when he'd been dreaming so vividly of Elena that it had felt as though he were reliving that night.

Fuck it... he didn't care. He was famished and drenched in sweat and, he suddenly realized, still slightly turned on. Right now, all he wanted was food and a cold shower... and not necessarily in that order.

A soft knock made him jump, and announced the arrival of one of the scientists. Scant seconds later the door opened, admitting the same young woman who'd seen him to bed.

"I'd ask if you slept well, but I already know better," she said with a gentle smile.

"Hell of night," he muttered, settling back.

"Well... strange places will sometimes do that to a person. If it's any consolation, it was _very_ helpful to our study. Dr. Skarn is very pleased. And very grateful." She began removing the electrodes from his skin, untangling him from the wires, her smile never wavering. "The good news is, all that's left is a quick exit survey and then you're all done. You can clean up a bit through there and get dressed," she said motioning to a small door opposite the one she'd come through, "And I'll be back in just a few minutes with something to eat."

The woman was nice. Almost bizarrely so. And she smiled too much. Something about her just seemed insincere... though at the moment, Reno wasn't sure if it was instinct or just the fact that his nerves were shot to hell that was making him think so. Either way, he decided, he wanted out of there as quickly as possible.

* * *

By the time he returned home later that morning, he felt utterly spent... He might as well not have slept at all last night, for all the good it did him. He trudged toward the bathroom and turned on the shower, turning the water up as hot as he could stand it. The heat felt incredible on his mysteriously abused muscles and he could gradually feel himself relaxing. Normally, he preferred to be in and out as quickly as possible... but today he stayed under the soothing stream of water until it went cold.

Once it had, he headed straight for bed, pausing only briefly to check his PHS for messages. There were none, so he set it on the bedside table as he always did... and then thought better of it, and shut the damn thing off. It was eight a.m. on a Sunday and he was finally going to get some _real_ sleep. Hopefully dream-free this time.

Reno curled up in his own bed, dragging the covers over him and burrowing into the pillows. He groped blindly underneath one of them, and after a few moment, found what he was looking for, dragging it out from its hiding place.

"Really coulda used you last night, El..." he said to the little stuffed bunny, before sighing and hugging her to his chest. It didn't take him long to drift off into an uneasy slumber.

* * *

Elena frowned at her PHS as it went through to voicemail... again. She sighed and ended the call. She'd already left three messages asking him to call her. She would have understood if it had simply been a case of Reno being busy with his assignment... had it not been nearly ten in the morning. Where in the world was he? Surely they had to be done with him by now.

She didn't really want to consider the other possibility... that the redhead was simply ignoring her calls. If Lira had been right about just how upset he was, she wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to talk to her right now... but she didn't think he'd really do something like that. Even the handful of times he'd been furious with her he'd never simply cut her off.

But then again... they were kind of in new territory at the moment. It had, more than once, crossed her mind that none of this would have happened if she hadn't gone to bed with him. At the same time, she was finding it increasingly difficult to regret doing so, regardless of the consequences. It really had been a wonderful night. Reno was every bit as passionate and – she couldn't help but blush a bit even thinking it – as talented as his reputation led a person to believe. But it had been more than just that. She had never felt so... desired... before. Reno had made her feel as if she were the only woman on the planet who mattered to him... the only one worth his time.

It had taken her most of the week to convince herself that she was better off giving that up. And now, she was starting to wonder if she'd made the right decision. Maybe Lira was right... maybe she really _was_ just sabotaging herself... thinking up excuses as to why it couldn't possibly work with Reno without ever telling him what she needed so that it _could_ work _._

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Reno's intensity had scared her a little. He seemed to know exactly what he wanted, and there was no hesitation in taking it when it was offered to him. For all her forwardness that night, deep down she'd still felt so nervous. Every other time she'd acted on impulse, things always seemed to end badly... and in a way, that's exactly what was happening again. Though this time, the result was due to her own over-thinking of the situation, not her lack thereof.

Elena huffed in frustration and dialed Reno's number again. She needed to set things right.

* * *

Reno woke curled up on his side and shivering. His blankets had deserted him... and so, for that matter, had his bed. He sat up, and realized that he was lying on the floor, El still safely tucked into his arms. It was dark and cold, and he wondered if the building had lost power while he'd been asleep.

The redhead stood and stretched, debating on simply climbing back under the covers. But first... he turned the switch on the lamp by his bed and was greeted with a warm glow. So much for the power being out. Why was it so damn cold, then? He sighed, realizing that he'd better check on the thermostat before he risked falling back asleep and made his way into the living room.

Almost immediately, he became aware that he wasn't alone. He froze just inside the doorway, eyes scanning the shadows. There. On the couch. He switched on the lights, fluidly falling into a defensive stance, expecting an attack... but the figure didn't move. In the newly-illuminated room, however, he had no trouble at all recognizing the familiar blonde hair of his, apparently, still sleeping guest.

"'Lena?"

He set El aside and took a few steps toward the slumbering rookie, wondering how long she'd been there.

"'Lena?" he called out again, a little surprised he hadn't managed to wake her yet. "Hey... Come on... Wake up."

Something was wrong... He could feel it. Reno rounded the couch so he could see her properly. She stared upwards, unblinking, soft brown eyes dull and lifeless. She was smiling... endlessly smiling.

"No..." he said, voice trembling, "No... please, not this..." He reached for her hand, eyes going wide in horror. Deep gashes traversed her wrist, traveling upward along the vein.

" _'Lena!_ " he shrieked, releasing his grip and staring at his hands, now coated in her blood.

* * *

Reno jolted upright in bed, eyes wide as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. Horror still consumed him as he struggled to untwist himself from the blankets and bolted into the other room, eyes going immediately to the couch. It was empty.

He turned back, rushing for the phone and turning it back on, ignoring the message alerts that popped up as he did so, and forcing his hands to stop shaking long enough to dial.

"Reno?" Elena's voice answered after a few rings, and he sank to the floor in relief.

"You're alive..." he breathed. It had been a dream... Another _fucking_ dream.

"R-reno? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

It took him a few seconds to find his voice again. "Fine... I'm fine." He swallowed sharply. "Shouldn't've called... sorry..." By now, he felt ridiculous. Of course it had been a dream. He'd still been so on edge when he'd crawled into bed, he should have known better.

"Where are you? Are you at home? Reno?"

"I'm fine," he repeated... though at this point, he wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. "Forget it. Just... me bein' stupid..."

He ended the call, tossing the phone onto his bed. He didn't feel right. He never felt right after a nightmare... and this had been one hell of a nightmare. He felt dazed... only half-lucid. He needed to wake himself up a little more... That would fix things.

Reno staggered to his feet, walking unsteadily towards the bathroom, and turning the shower on. The water was freezing as he climbed in, and after a moment, he dropped to his knees in the tub, shaking as it chilled him.

* * *

"Reno?! Reno... answer me!" Elena shouted into the phone, but there was no response. When the call dropped, she dialed him back, but got his voicemail again instead. Finally, she grabbed her keys and ran for her car.

Within minutes she was at his door, knocking loudly.

"Reno?!" If he was there, he either wasn't willing or wasn't able to come to the door. She slipped a lockpick out of her pocket, and thrust it into the lock. After several tense seconds of poking and twisting, it snapped open, and she rushed inside. The first thing she heard was running water, and she followed the sound to the bathroom. He was curled up in the bathtub still fully clothed, the shower raining down on him. As she turned it off, she realized the water was ice cold.

"Oh, god... Reno... What in the world are you doing?" she asked, sitting him up.

"'Lena?" he responded, confused.

"Come on, you've got to get out of there. You're _freezing_ ," she said, worry etched on her features. He clung to her, bracing himself on her shoulder as she helped him up and out of the tub.

"It usually helps..." he said, gradually becoming more lucid, "Felt like crap after that dream... Don't think I was quite with it for a few minutes. I just needed... to wake up."

Elena set him down on the floor, stripping off his sodden clothes, and wrapped him in a towel. His skin was so cold...

"Maybe next time try coffee instead of hypothermia..." she chastised, gently drying him off. He was shivering so violently, he could barely hold the towel himself.

"Yeah. Mighta gotten a little carried away..." he agreed, managing a smirk. "Don't worry... I'm okay. Just help me up so I can go freeze my ass off in bed instead of on the floor, will ya?"

Elena stood and pulled him to his feet. She refused to let go of the redhead as they made their way to his bedroom, in spite of his half-hearted protests that he could walk just fine on his own, thank you very much. She let him drop onto the mattress, and pulled the covers up over him. Suddenly he looked up, concerned. Reno shoved an arm under one pillow then the other, then the blankets, as well, searching diligently for something.

"Dammit..."

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"Can't find her..." he muttered, knocking a pillow and half the covers to the floor in his frustration, "I just fuckin' had her..."

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about, and she smothered a giggle. Elena glanced towards the floor and had little trouble spotting the object of the redhead's frantic search. She knelt down and picked up the little bunny, holding it out to him. It was a moment before he noticed, and she couldn't stop herself from laughing softly at the look of relief on his face.

"... Thanks." He dropped his gaze, looking embarrassed, and accepted stuffed toy. He laid back down, curling protectively around it. Elena reached out and tenderly stroked his hair back, pushing it out of his face, and smiling when he sighed contentedly... in spite of his continued shaking. "Go on home, 'Lena... you don't have to stick around and babysit. I know you've got better things to do."

"Not really," she replied, finally getting around to taking off her coat. She nudged her shoes off as well, and slipped under the covers with him and pressing herself against his back. "Besides... El isn't going to do much to warm you back up all on her own," she teased, as she nuzzled his shoulder, arms wrapping themselves around his waist.

She simply held him for a time, not saying anything. Gradually the warmth began to return to his body and the shivering subsided.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on yet?" she finally asked, as the minutes began to stretch on.

"Nothin'..."

"You said it was a dream..."

"'Lena, seriously... I really don't wanna get into this. Bad enough I've been dealin' with this shit all night 'n half the damn morning."

"Was the experiment that bad? Is that what got you so freaked out?"

"You my goddamn therapist now?" he muttered, clearly annoyed.

"S _omething_ is obviously bothering you. So you can either talk to me or you can kick me out. But I'm not going to just accept 'nothing' as an answer."

"Fine. Get out."

"Reno..." she said, utterly shocked. He'd never been so cold towards her. She tightened her grip on him, unwilling to simply let this drop.

"Dammit, 'Lena... just get the fuck off of me, and get out!" he yelled, twisting away from her, and clambering off of the bed. "I don't want to talk... I don't want company... and I definitely don't want to be around _you_ right now!"

* * *

He regretted it the second he said it. Particularly when he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. The worst part was that it wasn't even remotely true. He wanted so badly for her to stay... but right now, her rejection was still too fresh in his mind. It was painful, looking at what he'd had a taste of and then been denied. Up until yesterday, he'd been worried that _she_ would be the one who would have a problem going back to the way things were before, once she inevitably came to her senses. He was starting to realize, though, that _he_ was going to have a much harder time of it.

Between that, and his asshole brain deciding to conjure up fuck only knew what every time he closed his eyes, he just couldn't handle any more right now. He was beginning to feel like he was going to break.

"Reno... please, listen to me..."

"Just go. I'll... see ya at work tomorrow," he replied, with a little less venom. He wasn't mad at Elena... he was mad at himself. He'd let himself get much too attached to the rookie, and now he was paying for it.

Elena slowly climbed off the bed, and moved toward the door. She stopped there, hesitating. When Reno refused to look up at her, she finally turned and left. Reno collapsed onto the bed as his apartment door clicked softly shut.

'How the fuck am I gonna to fix _this_ mess?' he wondered.

~fin~

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Please don't kill me yet... ;)_


	32. To Dare to Dream

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 32: To Dare To Dream**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Luckily, I hate leaving people hanging AND had some free time last night to finish this chapter... :)_

* * *

"Either tell me why, or get back to work," Tseng said, firmly, his fingers steepled in front of him as he rested his elbows on top of the desk. Reno shifted awkwardly in his chair.

"Come on, boss... I really need this."

Tseng shook his head. He wasn't going to make things that easy. "Not without an explanation." For the first time since he'd known the man, he was at a complete loss to explain Reno's behavior. Friday, he'd been – not unjustifiably – angry with him for enforcing an order from above and demanding the redhead participate in an experiment for Hojo's staff. Even Monday, he'd still been a bit short with him. But today... today he was all but pleading with him. And what he was asking for almost defied belief.

Reno sighed. "I did somethin' stupid," he muttered.

"And now Elena is upset with you?" the Turk leader ventured, "I hardly think that's any reason to transfer responsibility for her training to Rude. I'm sure you're capable of winning her back over."

The redhead visibly flinched at that comment, and Tseng began to wonder just what was eating at his friend.

"It's not 'Lena that's got the problem," he finally admitted, after several tense seconds. "I just... can't... right now."

"Alright... That's enough. We're going in circles," Tseng said, growing frustrated. This little back and forth had been going on for nearly twenty minutes now and at this point, he was even less certain of what was going on than he was when Reno had first walked in and asked to speak to him in private. On top of that, he was growing more and more concerned about his second-in-command's current state of mind. "I've given you ample opportunity to explain of your own volition. Now... you're going to tell me what in Leviathan's name is going on, and you're not moving from that spot until you do."

The fact that Reno looked tired and pale was not lost on the Wutaiian Turk, nor was his somewhat listless demeanor.

"You can start with why you look like you haven't slept," he added, when Reno made no effort at responding to his demand.

"Tch... that's easy enough to answer, at least. I look like I haven't slept 'cause I fuckin' haven't. Every time I finally drift off, I get hit with another damn nightmare."

"I see..." Tseng said, finally understanding at least part of what had his lieutenant so out of sorts. He raised a hand, rubbing his eyes. "Am I to understand that this began after the experiment you were to take part in?"

"How'd ya guess?" Reno asked, sarcasm dripping from the words. Tseng sighed, a distinct feeling of guilt taking hold of him. He truly hadn't had any alternative but to enforce compliance with the orders he'd been given... but that didn't make him feel any less responsible for the younger man's present suffering.

"How bad are they?"

"... Bad enough that I called 'Lena within about thirty seconds of wakin' up to make sure she was still alive. And that was one of the more pleasant ones." He ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck, Tseng... I can handle the occasional bad dream. Even the occasional shit-your-pants-terrifying dream. But since Saturday, it's every damn time I close my eyes. I haven't had one fuckin' hour of uninterrupted sleep... Hell, I'm scared to even try at this point. I can't take much more of this shit... I'm seein' Ward before I head out about getting something to knock me out hard enough I don't dream at all."

Tseng's eyebrows rose. That Reno was voluntarily going to see a doctor was astonishing enough... but that he was willingly requesting a sedative, let alone one powerful enough to essentially render him comatose, was unheard of. The redhead hated the very idea of being unable to wake himself up... he'd always said it made him feel too vulnerable.

"What _exactly_ happened during this dream study they were supposedly conducting?" he asked, suspiciously. If he found out that one of his Turks had been used as a guinea pig for some experimental drug, there was going to be hell to pay. But Reno shook his head.

"Nothin' weird, aside from being hooked up to half a million little sensors. They just asked us to sleep," he said with a shrug.

"They didn't give you anything? Offer you anything to eat or drink?"

"Nah. 'Sides... you know me. I don't trust those assholes as far as I can throw 'em. I didn't even eat the shit they brought in for breakfast after it was over."

"You're certain there was nothing?"

"Only way they coulda drugged me is if they somehow managed to do it without wakin' me up." Reno hesitated a moment. "To be fair, though... ya know how I can get when I fall asleep upset. And I kinda wasn't in the best frame of mind when I showed up."

"Because you were still angry with _me_ ,I assume," Tseng sighed.

"Well... yeah, that too, I guess. But like I said... I did somethin' stupid. And it kinda came back to bite me Saturday morning."

"And this unbearably stupid thing you did... It concerns Elena?" Tseng asked, looking for confirmation.

"Yep."

"And it was apparently bad enough that you want Rude to take over her day to day training..."

"That about sums it up."

Tseng still had no idea what was going on between Reno and Elena... but whatever it was, it seemed to be weighing heavily on his lieutenant. He'd never seen Reno looking so disturbingly desperate. Whatever the real problem was, it was suffocating him. As tempted as he was to order him to work things out with the rookie, Tseng was more than a little concerned that, under the added stress of sleepless nights, he might break down entirely if he didn't have some relief soon.

"Alright," he said at last, and Reno looked up in surprise.

"Boss?" the redhead asked, as if he wasn't sure he'd understood.

"Rude will take over with Elena... _Temporarily_ ," he stressed. "I will not simple recuse you from one of your primary responsibilities indefinitely. I won't press for details quite yet, as you're obviously hesitant to give them, and I know you well enough to surmise that it's for Elena's benefit... but I expect you to sort out whatever needs sorting out with her, sooner rather than later. I trust I've made myself clear?"

"Crystal," Reno replied, with a very noticeable note of relief in his voice.

"Reno..." Tseng continued, his tone softening, "I know you're not happy with me for not trying to fight those orders. I hope it won't stop you from coming to me in anything other than a professional capacity if you need to."

The redhead finally managed a smile. "Relax, boss... I get that there wasn't a whole hell of a lot you coulda done about that. We're good."

* * *

As Reno left his office, Tseng simply swapped one meeting for another, calling his other two Turks in. He couldn't help but notice the somewhat pleading look the rookie cast at his second-in-command as they passed one another, but Reno didn't seem to acknowledge it. He shook his head and ushered the two of them inside. Reno would be heading for Wutai shortly to deal with the final hand-off of a purchase Scarlet's weapons lab had begun negotiating some time ago... It was straightforward and simple. Payment and pickup. Perhaps an easy mission such a distance from home would help him to clear his head a bit.

He closed the door behind his subordinates, and took a seat.

"An... unusual... situation has come up," he began. "Rude... for the time being, I'll be placing Elena under your supervision. You'll be taking over Reno's training duties until further notice."

"W-what?" the rookie, stammered, eyes going wide. "Reno's not going to be training me anymore?"

"... What's going on?" Rude asked.

"It's a personal matter. Frankly, if you think you can get the details out of him you're welcome to try. I couldn't."

"..."

Elena's shoulders slumped and she stared down at her hands.

"I want to emphasize that this is not a permanent change. Reno will return to supervising Elena as soon as he is able."

"... Yes, sir," Rude said, glancing over at Elena curiously. Tseng had a feeling the man was wondering the same thing he had been. He nodded.

"You're dismissed, Rude. Elena... stay a moment, please." Rude stood and left the office, leaving the rookie on her own with the Turk leader. "I have no intention of ordering you to explain what happened. At least not at this time. But I don't suppose you'd be willing to be a bit more forthcoming than your partner in crime...?"

Elena, for a moment, looked like she might have been considering doing just that. But the moment quickly passed. "I... I did something stupid, sir..."

"Mmm... that seems to be a recurring theme this morning."

* * *

Rude crossed his arms, staring at his friend.

"Quit it."

He didn't move so much as a muscle.

"Quit it."

He stared harder.

"Seriously, man... Quit it," the redhead repeated again, nearly whining now. "I fuckin' hate when you do that."

"What'd you do now?" Rude finally asked, his stance not changing in the least. Reno scowled and slammed shut the desk drawer he'd been rifling through, but then sighed.

"Why do ya always assume it's _my_ fault?" he asked, in a defeated tone.

"Because it usually is. And when it's not, you're a lot more indignant about getting blamed for it."

"Yeah... well... Fuck you," Reno muttered petulantly in response, mirroring Rude's posture.

Rude smirked. " _And_ you don't pout when it's not your fault. You're going to tell me eventually. Why not just get it over with?"

"'Cause I gotta leave for Wutai." the redhead said, and shouldered a small duffle bag.

"..."

"Yeah, yeah... I know. I'm gonna tell ya eventually. But not today, 'kay? Just... take good care of 'Lena for me. I'll see ya in a few days."

With that, he was on his way out the door. Rude shook his head, and went back to his desk, pulling up his schedule for the week. If he was suddenly going to be wrangling Elena, he'd need to move a few things around. By the time he'd finished, Elena was emerging from Tseng's office.

"Feel like taking a trip down to Sector 2?" he asked. His sudden acquisition of his own personal rookie did have a few advantages, he mused. Sector 2 wasn't the safest part of the slums. He was wary of it on a good day... much less still sporting a fractured arm... and having someone along to watch his back certainly wouldn't hurt. Particularly since his objective was in territory claimed by a man named Jericho. He and his gang had caused problems for Rude before, and it was entirely possible they'd do so again.

"Sector 2?" Elena asked, a little nervously, and Rude nodded. "I... Sure, I guess."

He could guess why she was somewhat hesitant... he'd never made any secret of the fact that he regarded the sector as particularly dangerous, and the rookie had very little experience with the Slums in general. She'd probably heard more than a couple of stories about the place from Reno, as well.

"Ten minutes," he replied.

* * *

Reno sat back and relaxed, letting the aircraft do most of the work. The weather this morning was perfect... warmer than it had been in ages, and sunny. A perfect early spring day. He even had a decent tail wind, heading west. That would save him some time _and_ fuel.

He was planning on going direct from Midgar to Rocket Town, with a quick stop in Costa del Sol to refuel, since flying over the mountain range between the beach resort and and the former Shinra testing grounds always seemed to eat up his reserves. Then he'd have to refuel again. Crossing that last stretch to Wutai without a second pit stop was doable, but a bit nerve wracking... He knew from experience that he would inevitably reach the island on nothing but fumes if he risked it. All in all, it was going to be close to eighteen hours in the air. A hell of a long way to go just to play delivery boy.

But he didn't really mind. Reno enjoyed flying... even on his own with no one to talk to for hours on end. He found it both relaxing and exhilarating at the same time.

And it would also give him time to think.

It wasn't fair to Elena, dumping her off on Rude like that. It wasn't _really_ fair to Rude, either, but he knew his friend wouldn't hold it against him. He hadn't said anything explicit, but Reno could tell the man was just as concerned about him as Tseng had been. He just desperately needed a break.

As much as it irked him to admit it, Lira had been right. He'd fallen hard for the rookie. And that was going to become a serious problem if he didn't get the fuck over it soon. It was difficult just being in the same room with her, knowing that she didn't feel for him what he felt for her. Worse, he still hadn't apologized for being such a complete asshole to her Sunday morning, despite having plenty of opportunities to do so the day before. Between that and the constant nightmares...

He dug the little vial of pills Dr. Ward had given him when he'd stopped by the medical suite on his way to the helipad, turning it slowly between his fingers. It was hard to believe something so tiny was going to help, but he'd never had cause to doubt Ward's expertise before. He wasn't about to start now.

She'd been reluctant to give it to him, but he'd persisted in his argument until she understood just how bad things had gotten. Even then, it had come with several minutes of warnings about taking too much, side effects, possible dependency if he made a habit of taking it... and her truly emphatic caution not to drink if he planned on taking it within eight hours. She'd given him just enough to see him through his mission, and informed him that if he wanted more, she would have to personally evaluate him first.

She needed have bothered... he wasn't planning on making this a long-term solution. Reno detested the idea of medicating himself into a decent night's sleep. Normally, he'd have avoided it at all costs... but one more night like _last_ night and he was going to lose it. Whatever that dream study had triggered just wasn't subsiding on its own. If anything, it was getting progressively worse.

He'd had bouts of nightmares before. But never like this. His dreams were always starkly detailed... almost tangible... but these were so vividly realistic, he was legitimately beginning to have difficulty telling the difference between the dream and reality sometimes.

He yawned, and reached for the coffee he'd brought with him to keep him alert. That was another problem. He'd woken up in abject terror so many times over the last couple of days, he didn't feel well-rested at all. Which, frankly, was probably half the reason things seemed to be getting worse. It was a rather vicious cycle. He hoped that finally breaking it would be a reset button of sorts. He knew he'd probably have to get a room for the night when he got to Rocket Town... He didn't much like his odds of somehow not crashing if he attempted an eighteen hour flight all at once right now. Even at his best, it really wasn't a _good_ idea. That'd be as good a time as any to give Ward's sedatives a try.

Reno stretched a bit, looking out into the distance. Costa del Sol was a ways off yet, but with the strong tail wind he'd had since he left, he was making good time. Maybe he'd stop for more than just fuel and food. A few minutes on the beach... maybe a quick swim, too, while he was at it... wouldn't hurt anything.

* * *

Elena gazed out the windows of the train as it wound its way down Midgar's central pillar toward the slums below. They were such a stark contrast to the world up top. Just a few minutes ago, she'd left behind a perfectly sunny morning. Now she was entering a world where, in most places, shadows tended to linger even on the brightest of days, driven off only by mako-powered lights. It was almost like the city below existed in a perpetual twilight.

The car was empty save for her and Rude. Not surprising, given that most people with business on the Plate... or below in, in the Slums... would have made the trip a few hours ago.

"... So are _you_ going to tell me what he did?" Rude asked, finally breaking his silence, and Elena jumped, startled.

"W-what?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"Reno. What'd he do?"

"Nothing," she replied, sinking down into her seat. "It was _my_ fault, not his. If he'd just let me _talk_ to him..." She been _trying_ to talk to him since yesterday... but the redhead had been studiously avoiding giving her the chance to catch him in private, and then he'd gone out somewhere after work. She'd finally given up watching for him to get home around midnight.

Rude shook his head, confused. "So... you're not mad at him, then..."

"No... I'm not mad. If anyone should be mad, it's Reno. But I don't think he actually is. He's just really... hurt. And it's all my fault."

"Was wondering why you told me you couldn't make it for Shadow & Sword the other night... Must be pretty bad if you didn't feel like watching."

"It wouldn't be so bad if he'd just let me explain!" she said, frustrated.

"Think you're gonna have to corner him to get him to talk to you."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's stubborn as hell sometimes," Rude said, smirking slightly. "Want some help?"

"Yes! Please..." Elena cried, eternally grateful for a friend like Rude.

"He won't be back for a few days, at least. Can't do anything 'til then. Try not to think about it for now."

"Easier said than done... It's all I've _been_ thinking about since Saturday." She sighed, and glanced out the window again. The Sector 2 station was just ahead.

"Right now, you need to think about your job. Sector 2 is dangerous," he pointed out, before adding, "Don't worry. He'll talk to you. I'll tie him to a chair for you if I have to."

* * *

Reno woke with a sharp cry, panting softly as he tried to piece together where he was. He finally calmed as the warm sand and gentle waves came back into focus.

"Son of bitch..." he muttered, annoyed. He'd let himself get a little too relaxed, and ended up drifting off. At least no one had been around to see that. This little strip of beach was as deserted as it was when he'd arrived.

He'd left the copter for the Shinra personnel at the harbor to deal with, and then wandered off to enjoy what Costa del Sol had to offer for a little while. The bar was out... for a couple of obvious reasons... so he'd headed for the beach and the invitingly clear blue water. He'd found the secluded bit of beachfront on a previous trip, and had been pleased to see that it had remained much as he'd last left it.

It hadn't required much debate on his part as to whether or not he should strip and head out into the waves. In fact, it really hadn't been so much a debate as it was the little voice in the back of his head practically screaming at him to get in the water. He'd hesitated perhaps half a minute before tossing his clothes into the shade of a palm tree and diving in. He knew he couldn't stay long... but damned if he was going to miss out entirely.

When he was done, he'd stretched out in the shade to dry off... and apparently fallen asleep. Reno sat up, sitting cross legged on the sand, and dug his PHS out from the pile of discarded clothing, glancing at the screen in search of the time. He'd been out for twenty minutes or so.

"Thank Ifrit I fell asleep in the shade..." he sighed. Twenty minutes under the tropical sun with no sunscreen on would have roasted his poor, fair-skinned self alive. And explaining a full-body third degree sunburn when he returned to Midgar would probably have been almost as painful as the sunburn itself. He stood and brushed the sand from his bare skin before dressing. He'd had his little break... now he had to get back in the air. Rocket Town was still at least six hours away, and he wanted to make it before dark.

* * *

"How's your arm?" Elena asked as she kept pace with Rude through the winding streets of Sector 2. The stoic man gave a light shrug.

"Still aches. And itches."

He'd been in a cast since the spider incident almost three weeks ago. The break had been a bad one, but Ward was confident it would heal nicely, given time. She'd seemed almost relived that it had been Rude and not Reno who'd been injured... Elena got the distinct impression that Rude was a much easier patient.

"Still nervous around the elevators?" he asked in return.

Elena stopped dead, eyes widening as a very noticeable red hue tinted her cheeks. "Y-you know about that?" She'd thought she'd been so careful not to let on about that lingering fear. Rude paused and turned back to look at her.

"The building has cameras everywhere..."

"You've been spying on me?!" she asked, a little disturbed by the fact.

"I spy on everyone," he replied, smirking, "It's what I'm good at. Just happened to see you a couple times looking like you rather do anything than get on one. Wasn't that hard to figure out why."

"That's... a little creepy, Rude," she said, laughing softly. He shrugged again and smiled before finally continuing toward their destination.

"Someone has to do it."

Elena fell in step beside him again. "It's not as bad as it _was_..." she admitted, "The more I use them, the easier it gets. The one outside our main office still creeps me out, though." That had been the one she'd been pulled out of. It had long since been repaired, and any evidence of the attack completely erased... but it still seemed to have a bit of an uncomfortable aura around it to her.

"We're coming up on gang territory," Rude suddenly said, "Daytime is usually alright, but don't let your guard down. Keep your weapon out of sight unless you need it."

Elena quickly put her own issues on the back burner for the time being. She wasn't down here for a friendly conversation. She and Rude were supposed to be extracting one of his informants who'd run afoul of a dangerous gang. Rude frowned but didn't alter his pace.

"We're being followed," he said simply, his voice pitched for her ears only. She hadn't realized it at first, but now that it had been pointed out to her, she immediately knew he was right. There was someone behind her, watching. More than one someone, in fact, she was pretty sure, and she fought the instinctive urge to turn and draw her weapon.

Ahead of them, two men stepped out of a side street, blocking their path. Elena swallowed sharply as she realized that she recognized one of them. He was large... heavily muscled. And just as heavily tattooed.

"You're on my turf, Turk. You wanna keep goin', gotta pay the toll. Ya wanna turn tail... still gotta pay the toll."

Elena didn't even have to look back to know that they'd been penned in.

"What's the going rate today, Jericho?" Rude asked, calmly, sounding almost bored.

"Well, it was gonna be a hundred gil... but then you decided to show up with _that_ pretty little kitty..." he said, eying Elena, and someone behind her wolf-whistled.

"Sounds like we're going to have a problem, then."

"Plannin' on fightin' us off one-handed?" Jericho asked, and several of his cohorts snickered. "What happened, anyway? Pussycat too much of a tease? Get a little too enthusiastic havin' her keepin' ya company? Hope that's not all ya damaged..."

Rude snorted in amusement and turned to her. "Aim for his friend. But don't kill him yet." Jericho was beginning to laugh, but Elena already had her gun drawn and aimed. The shot was fired before the man even realized what was happening.

His cohort dropped to the pavement screaming, and the laughter died on Jericho's lips. Elena adjusted her aim, keeping him directly in her sights. She'd only shot the man in the thigh. He'd live... though he wouldn't be walking quite right for awhile.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Jericho growled.

"You should think before you do anything stupid. She doesn't miss. Neither do I at this range."

Jericho glared at him, but seemed to realize that with only himself and the two men behind the Turks, this wasn't a fight he was going to win. He grabbed his fallen comrade by the collar, hauling him to his feet. "Quit whinin' ya son of a bitch... or I'm leavin' ya here," he muttered before shoving him forward, back into the alley they'd come from. The other two similarly disappeared.

"Better make this quick. He'll be back if we stick around too long. Probably with more friends."

The two Turks set off again, and Elena quickly found herself getting a little turned around by the winding path Rude was taking. She did recognize the pattern, however... it was standard, to throw off a tail, and she wondered if they were really being followed of if he were only being overly cautious. Eventually, though, he slowed, and began taking a more direct route.

"Rude? Why not just take that guy out?" she asked.

"Same reason we don't take out Corneo in Wall Market, or the girl who runs the bar Avalanche hangs out in over in Seven. They cause us problems, but killing them wouldn't be to our benefit. Corneo has a lot of uses... information, security for the sector, easily manipulated into doing us a favor now and then... Take away the girl in Seven and Avalanche finds a new hideout that we may or may not be able to locate."

"And Jericho?"

"We take him out, there's two or three others gang leaders in Two that are going start fighting over his territory... a gang war doesn't help anyone."

He had point. Jericho was obviously dangerous. And violent. But if other factions started fighting in the streets over who was going to succeed him, a lot of innocent people would get hurt needlessly. Rude stopped in front of a crumbling building and headed up the steps, pulling open the door. Elena trailed him down a dimly lit hallway to a narrow staircase, and they climbed up to the second floor. Soon, they were standing in front of room 203. He knocked... and waited.

"Who ya lookin' for?" a woman's voice called out from inside.

"Dominic," Rude replied, without further comment.

"Don't know any Dominic. Fuck off."

Rude sighed. "Fine. But I'm not coming back for him again."

There was a commotion behind the door, and frantic whispering, and finally the door opened a crack, stopped short by the security chain.

"Oh, thank fuck... I was startin' to think you were just gonna leave me hangin' out to dry," a young man said. He closed the door, and Elena heard the soft rattle of the chain as it was removed. It opened again, and he ushered them both inside.

He was thin and short, with dirty blonde hair that hung over his eyes. He had a twitchy, wired way of moving, as though he subsisted on nothing but caffeine and cigarettes... which judging by the state of the little apartment, might not have been far from the truth. A woman... slightly older, with plaited brown hair and too much makeup... stood off to one side, arms crossed, looking exasperated.

"You takin' him?" she asked. Rude nodded. "Good. I'm sick of the fucker. If he weren't my brother I'da tossed his ass out on day one."

"I have a place for you in sector 4. Should be safe there," said Rude, "She coming, too?"

"Fuck no..." the woman replied, interrupting her brother before he could answer. "I got a business to run. Last thing I need is to relocate. Now get this idiot outta here, will ya? Before he uses up all my product."

Rude checked the hall, then waved Dominic and Elena out. The woman followed her brother to the door. As he was leaving, she turned to Rude. "Hey... Try 'n keep my asshole brother in one piece, will ya? He's a giant pain in my ass, but... family's family, right?"

"Love ya, too, Lyla..." Dominic said.

"Oh, fuck off already," she replied, and disappeared back into the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Elena blinked, not quite sure what to make of Dominic's sister.

"Let's go," said Rude, and the three of them slipped back down the stairs and out onto the street.

They'd nearly made it to the station when it happened. A man with a baseball bat went for Rude... and two more, one armed with a pipe, the other with a long knife, swept in from an alley, heading for Dominic. Rude blocked his attacker, surprising him by taking the full force of the blow with his cast, and retaliating with a headbutt that send the man staggering into a cluster of garbage cans. He shoved Dominic behind a dumpster.

Elena took down the man with the knife... a bullet to chest ensuring that he'd stay down... but the other managed to slip behind her. She only _just_ avoided taking a pipe to the head. He was fast. Almost as fast as Reno... and definitely faster than her. He caught her from behind, holding the pipe across her neck, choking her as he held her in place. She twisted away, but a moment later a fist caught her in the face, and she reeled back, blood gushing from her nose. A second punch sent her to the ground.

A gunshot rang out, and the attack against her suddenly stopped. The man fell forward and remained motionless on the pavement.

She glanced back, and caught sight of Rude, gun in hand.

"Thanks," she said, pinching her nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"You alright?"

"Mostly." Elena got to her feet. Rude turned back to the first attacker, hauling him out of the pile of trash.

"Tell your boss Dominic's leaving the sector. If he knows what's good for him, he won't try to find him," he said, before shoving him back down the alley the other two had come from. The man scurried off, terrified.

The trio boarded the next train for the sector 4 slums, settling into a car, and Elena finally was able to relax a little. Rude handed her a handkerchief, and she pressed it gratefully to her still-bleeding nose.

"Hmph... Hope that heals fast. Reno's going to be pretty ticked if I give you back to him damaged..." he said, smirking.

* * *

Reno groaned and rolled over, grabbing a pillow and pressing it against his face to block out the light. He'd forgotten to closed the damn curtains last night. Finally, swearing under his breath, he gave up trying to reclaim the sweet comfort of absolutely dreamless sleep and sat up. He dragged himself to the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes.

Ward's little miracle pills had done the trick. He'd slept like a rock... and though he was immensely grateful to have not woken up screaming for a change, he still felt a bit uneasy. Rocket Town wasn't the quietest of towns in the morning... and by the looks of things, when he finally deigned to glance out the window, morning had been well underway for some time now. Those pills really had knocked him out cold. If he hadn't been so desperate for some rest, he never would have risked leaving himself so vulnerable.

He sighed and stretched as he stood. That was just how it was going to have to be for now.

"Hope you slept okay, too..." he murmured as he tucked El safely into his bag. He'd considered leaving her behind in Midgar, concerned that the little bunny might be too closely associated with Elena... but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. Mr. FooFoo had always traveled with him when possible. It was a long-standing habit. A silly, and admittedly childish one... but one he'd sorely missed after his first bunny's untimely demise, all the same.

Showered, dressed, and fed, an hour later Reno was making his way to the helicopter. He was looking at anywhere from six to eight more hours, depending on the weather... and he was getting a later start than he'd planned on. At this rate, he would still make the planned rendezvous that evening... but he certainly wouldn't be doing any sightseeing on the way there.

It wasn't really a problem... just a minor inconvenience. It meant that he would have to hunt down a place to stay _afterwards_ instead of before the meeting, and probably an unbearably late dinner as well. He settled himself into the cockpit, and fired up the engine.

* * *

Elena held an ice pack against her eye as she tried to type out her report on yesterday's mission with one hand. It wasn't likely to do much for the bruising at this point, but at least it helped alleviate some of the residual throbbing. That second punch had done more damage than she'd initially thought. When she woke that morning, her left eye had been ringed in deep purple and nearly swollen shut. Her nose didn't look much better... though thankfully, Dr. Ward had already verified that nothing was broken. The stitches the good doctor had used to close the gash over her eyebrow, however, did nothing to improve her appearance and the cut across the bridge of her nose had scabbed over and looked awful.

"I hope you're feeling better than you look right now," Tseng teased lightly, setting a mug of tea on her desk.

"I guess that depends on how bad I look, sir..." She set the ice pack aside and picked up the cup, taking a sip.

Tseng chuckled. "I've seen worse. I've _looked_ worse, for that matter." He leaned against the edge of her desk. "I have a small task for you, if you're feeling up to it."

"As long as it doesn't require me getting hit in the face again, I'm up for it, sir," she replied, drawing a laugh from the Turk leader.

"I think you'll be fairly safe in that regard. I want you to find out everything you can about one of Hojo's staff. A Dr. Thaddeus Skarn. I'd like to know who he is... his area of expertise... what he's presently working on in Hojo's labs, if at all possible, though I suspect _that_ will be highly classified. Rude may be able to help you if you run into any serious roadblocks... but he'll be occupied much of the morning. I've been summoned to Junon for the day, or I'd be looking into this myself."

"Is there anything in particular I should keep an eye out for?" she asked, wondering what his interest was in someone working for Hojo.

"I am particularly interested in what he might be researching, and his methods of conducting that research. Hojo's files on his projects will almost certainly be sealed, but Skarn may have published work from before he began working for Shinra. Just locate whatever information you can, and try not to draw attention. I would prefer word not get back to either Skarn _or_ Hojo."

"Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."

"Thank you..." He hesitated for a moment. "Elena... I don't want to pry if I don't have to. But you _will_ let me know if there's anything I can do to help resolve whatever this issue is between you and Reno, won't you?"

"Yes, sir... But I don't think it'll come to that. I just need to get him to sit down and listen to me for five minutes, instead of running off every time I come close to getting him alone."

"Would you like me to tie him down for you?" Tseng asked, smiling gently. Elena giggled.

"Rude's already offered, sir."

* * *

The sun was setting as Reno touched down in wide valley a short distance from the Wutaiian capitol city. It would be a bit of a hike, but he didn't want to draw too much attention to his arrival. He was meeting his contact at the commercial docks on the side of town tourists rarely bothered to venture into.

Reno opened the secure cargo area, pulling out a metal case and flipping up the latches on either side of the lid. He laughed softly and shook his head. Twelve million gil. It was a little impressive, seeing that much cash in one place. Whatever it was Scarlet had bought, he hoped it was worth it. He also hoped the sellers weren't late to the meeting. Lugging twelve mil around a tourist trap like Wutai wasn't his idea of a good time. He snapped the case shut and shoved it into a backpack, shouldering it and climbing out of the helicopter.

It was dark by the time he reached the place. He was cautious as he made his way past the moored boats, and racks of fishing nets. Few people were still around to see him pass by, but even so... he didn't exactly blend in in this area. At last he found the dock he was looking for. Two figures stood silently at the end of it, beside a dark speedboat.

Reno paused beneath the light of one of the dockside lamps, holding his hands out to show he wasn't holding a weapon, and then calmly approached the two men. As he drew closer, he could better make out their faces... and he nearly stopped right where he was in surprise.

"Ah, you have _gotta_ be shittin' me. You two?" he groaned, "Don't tell me... I'm buyin' back the same goddamn materia you assholes stole in Veraheim."

The Zenshou traders. The same two that had been harassing Elena's family, and had had the nerve to shove him in a box and stick him in a hole in the ground. One of the men laughed. " _Traded_ for in Veraheim. Though, I do think we got the better end of that bargain. I doubt you would have fetched nearly as much. Quite the coincidence, running into you again, I'll admit. I hope there aren't any hard feelings about that... business is business, after all."

"Yeah, yeah... Ya outmaneuvered us, plain and simple," he muttered, before adding, "Buryin' me was was bullshit, though. Didn't much appreciate that."

"Our apologies for the inconvenience," the second Wutaiian said, "You have our money?"

Reno removed the case from his pack, opening the lid for them.

"You got my materia?"

One of them held out a lacquered wooden box. He lifted the hinged lid, and in the dim lamplight, Reno could make out the glint of a single crimson orb. He nodded in acknowledgment and snapped the case closed, stepping forward slowly. The trader did the same, his partner remaining motionless behind him, and the redhead was fairly certain that if he did anything foolish, he'd regret it instantly. The money was exchanged for the materia, and the traders both stepped back towards their boat.

"As always, a pleasure doing business with Shinra Company." The pair climbed aboard and started the engine, disappearing into the night. Reno shook his head. It just figured.

"Whatever," he sighed, walking back up the dock the way he'd come from. Once he was safely back in the shadows, he opened the box and removed the materia sphere. It was roughly the size of his palm, and glowed with a faint light. Summon materia... both rare _and_ dangerous. He vaguely wondered what sort of creature it summoned. Judging by the decoration on the box, some sort of dragon certainly wouldn't be out of the question. He wasn't about to try and find out, however. He moved to place the sphere back into it's container.

Without warning, a shadow dropped from above, landing squarely on top of him and forcing him to the ground. His head slammed into the wooden decking, leaving him momentarily dazed.

"Yoink!" a high-pitched voice cried, nimble fingers plucking the materia from its confines. "So long, loser!" His attacker leapt to their feet and took off at a sprint back towards town.

"Hey!" the redhead growled, pausing only long enough to shove the empty box into his pack before tearing off after the thief. "Get your sorry ass back here!"

His thief was fast... but he was faster. It took him some time to gain ground on the mysterious person, but it wasn't long before they made the mistake of turning down a dead end alley. The thief came to a halt a few feet before the end.

"Now I gotcha..." he spat, "Give that back and _maybe_ I won't fuckin' skin ya alive."

The thief rounded on him, and the Turk was a little astonished to suddenly be face to face with a young Wutaiian girl. She couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old. Reno held out his hand.

"Ya got balls, kid, I'll give ya that," he said, advancing toward her, "But this is the end of the line. Hand it over."

"Yeah... In your dreams, ya knucklehead..." she said, grinning. She lashed out at a rope he hadn't noticed until just then, slicing through it with a small blade concealed in her palm. Reno suddenly found himself on a the ground again as a heavy fishing net fell, taking him down. As he struggled to free himself, the girl climbed to the roof of one of the buildings blocking them in.

"Finders keepers, jerk," the girl taunted him, and vanished. Reno finally managed to throw aside the net, and got to his feet. With an angry growl, he scaled the wall after her, looking around in all directions when he reached the rooftop. He spotted her silhouette in the moonlight, several buildings away, and moving fast, and he wasted no time in resuming his pursuit.

She was headed inland, towards town, he realized... and if she got there, he'd have a hell of a time finding her. He had to head her off. With that in mind, Reno risked a jump that normally he would have shied away from... and only _just_ made it safely onto the next roof, fingers catching hold of the edge and allowing him to drag himself up. The EMR that had been holstered on his belt, however, didn't quite make it. It caught against the edge of the roof as he was pulling himself up and tumbled to the ground two stories below.

"Oh, that kid is _so_ fuckin' dead..." he muttered to himself, making a mental note of where it landed. He'd have to retrieve it later.

The shortcut did save him some time, however... and allowed him a clear path to circle around the girl. He moved swiftly from rooftop to rooftop, careful not to let her out of his sight for more than a few seconds. If she disappeared on him, he might never see that materia again.

Finally, he was even with her, racing just outside her field of vision to keep up. He saw her glance back in the direction he'd have been if he'd followed her own path across the roofs, and realized that she hadn't noticed that he'd flanked her. As she slowed her pace, Reno grinned and darted into the shadows.

The girl settled herself on the edge of a tiled roof overlooking the river, pulling out her prize and gazing at it in the moonlight.

"Ultimate Ninja Yuffie, one... Fred the Red, zero." She smugly tossed it into the air, planning to catch it... only someone else beat her to it.

"Name's Reno, not Fred... and I'll be takin' that back now, brat."

" _Hey!_ " the thief whined, jumping to her feet. She swung at him, but Reno was ready for it. He dodged, and gave her a casual shove backwards... right off the roof. The girl squealed in alarm as she toppled into the river with a loud splash.

"Find a new line of work, Ultimate Ninja Yuffie," he yelled down to her.

"H-help!" she shouted in response... not exactly what he'd been expecting to hear from her. Though judging by the way she was flailing, dropping her in the river might not have been the best idea. Reno shrugged... It was her own fault. You steal from the Turks you end up paying for it. He stood, arms folded across his chest, and watched as her head disappeared below the water.

On the other hand... she _was_ just a kid...

Reno sighed in resignation. Thief or not, she was barely more than a little girl. He just couldn't do it. He tucked the materia into his pack, and jumped in after her.

Moments later, he was dragging her out onto the bank as she coughed up river water.

"Some ninja..." he muttered.

"Knew I should've paid more attention to water escape lessons..." she gasped, flopping onto her back. Reno rolled his eyes.

"Congratulations. You're not dead. So long." He checked that the materia hadn't decided to go for a swim as well, and then turned to leave.

"H-hey... wait!" He glanced back, and the girl was on her feet. She threw herself at him, arms wrapping around his waist in a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you... You totally saved me back there," she intoned, squeezing him. Reno snorted, and peeled her off of him.

"Yeah, well... Don't need a dead kid on my conscience. You try that shit again, though, I'll fuckin' drown ya myself. Now beat it."

The girl grinned and vanished into the night without another word. Reno set the materia back into it's box, and placed the box into his pack. At least _that_ was over. Now all he needed was some dry clothes, some dinner, and a nice soft bed. But first, he should let Tseng know that he'd secured the item. His hand went to his pocket for his PHS. Unfortunately, the phone was gone.

He realized a moment later, so was his wallet. His eyes narrowed angrily. That conniving little _brat_...

"Goddamn it! You thievin' little moogle flea!" he shouted at the darkness. He'd been played. She was probably never in any trouble to begin with.

"Sucker!" a voice called out from far in the distance. He'd never catch her a second time. Swearing loudly under his breath, he made his way back toward where he'd lost his mag-rod, hoping _that_ ,at least, might be recoverable. He couldn't wait to get off this Ifrit-forsaken island.

* * *

Elena yawned and rubbed her eyes... wincing as she rubbed the bruised one just a little too vigorously. With any luck, Reno would be back sometime today or tomorrow. She'd been mentally rehearsing what she planned to say to him all night. Needless to say, she hadn't slept very well.

"Not you, too..." Tseng sighed, when he noticed. "At this rate I'm going to be in command of an elite team of zombies."

Rude chuckled quietly from across the room.

"Sorry, sir... I'm just anxious to talk to Reno. That's all," said Elena.

"Mmm... speaking of which. Rude, has he checked in yet?"

Rude shook his head. "Haven't heard a thing."

Tseng frowned in response. He'd asked the redhead to contact him once the transfer had been made... It was plausible that he hadn't had the opportunity last night or that the meeting had been briefly postponed, but by this morning, they should have had _some_ word from him.

"Call him."

Rude pulled out his PHS, intent on dialing his partner, but before he could do so, it rang. He raised an eyebrow at the display that now read 'Unknown Number' and answered.

"Rude here..."

"Hey Rude... Gonna have... keep this short... Got... –tally shit service... here..." The connection was terrible. Reno's voice was barely recognizable, and hard to understand.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Still... Wutai. Tell Tseng... picked up Scarl–... –ing goddamn package... stole... fuckin' PHS... little brat... Gonna kill that... hands on her... 'Lena?"

Rude snickered softly. At Tseng questioning glance, he smirked.

"Bad connection. Reno has our purchase. And he's either had his phone stolen, or he's planning to kill Elena." he said, switching over to speakerphone.

"... funny... asshole..." Reno's garbled voice commented.

"Let's assume the former for now," Tseng replied, chuckling. "What's your ETA?

"... Wutai in a few... stop in... –et Town... home prob–... tomorrow."

"We'll see you then," said Tseng. The call dropped off, and Rude tucked his PHS back into his pocket. "Elena... submit a request to security to have Reno's phone remotely wiped, then requisition a replacement, please."

"Yes, sir," she replied, "... Oh, sir? I have that information you wanted on Dr. Skarn." She handed him a thick folder.

"Ah... Good." He took it, flipping through the first few pages. "Thank you, Elena." The Turk leader carried the folder off to his desk without another word, sitting down with it and beginning to read. Rude cast Elena a questioning glance, to which she could only shrug.

* * *

The more Tseng read, the more suspicious he became.

Thaddeus Skarn... doctor of neurology, chemistry, and biology. One of Midgar University's top graduates, as well as one of their youngest doctorates, with a rather impressive list of publications for a twenty four year old. A rather significant number of them concerned controlling dreams through the application of chemical compounds.

Elena had been unable to access any project data since the man had joined Professor Hojo's team, but what she _had_ found left him feeling uneasy. His instincts had been telling him that the experiment Reno had been recruited for was more than a simple dream study from the moment the redhead had told him about his ongoing nightmares. The background information on Skarn and his research only reinforced his belief that his lieutenant had been drugged somehow.

He was not happy about it.

Tseng briefly considered taking his complaint to Heidegger... but dismissed the idea almost as soon as it occurred to him. At best, all he'd get form Heidegger would be an empty promise that it wouldn't happen again. No. Hojo had gone over Heidegger's head, and he was going to do the same.

He quickly set to drafting an email to Rufus, requesting a meeting.

* * *

The helicopter touched down on the roof of the Shinra building shortly after three in the afternoon on Friday. Though it had been a hell of a long flight, he hadn't stopped for the night in Rocket Town after all. He'd simply refueled and gone on to Costa del Sol. If he hadn't, he would've had to have left at an ungodly hour that morning to make it back to Midgar while it was still daylight. Not that he had anything against flying at night, but frankly, he was anxious to be home... and he'd be home that much earlier if he only had to make the trip from the resort town the next day.

Plus he'd gotten in a little more time on the beach before he'd left.

But it had also brought back a plethora of memories revolving around Elena. Costa del Sol had been her first undercover mission. It had also been the first place he'd come dangerously close to getting her killed, and he remembered clearly how badly that had affected him. And it had been the first vacation... of sorts... they'd taken together on the way home from her grandmother's cabin. Granted, he'd returned to Midgar horribly sunburnt after that... but she'd spent half her time there diligently looking after him. It really hadn't been an altogether unpleasant experience, having her so concerned over him.

In the end, he realized, even if Elena didn't want to be _with_ him, she was always going to be _there_ for him... so long as he didn't stupidly push her away. He'd been perfectly happy, before their night together, regarding her as a younger sister. It had been enough for him then. It was just going to have to be enough for him again. That night would have to become a pleasant memory, and nothing more... or he risked losing her entirely.

The redhead sighed, steeling himself for the inevitable reunion. It would get easier with time... he just had to make it through today. And the next day. And the next. Eventually, it would be like that night never happened. He wasn't entirely sure that was what he wanted, but it was what had to be.

He picked up the box containing the summon materia and headed for the elevators. When he reached Turks headquarters, he shoved open the door, grinning widely.

"Hey, 'Lena... you're never gonna believe what I bought..." he began, catching sight of her at her desk, before pulling up short, eyes going wide. "What the hell happened?" he breathed. The flesh around her eye was badly discolored by a bruise that looked to be several days old. It was still a deep purple in some places... almost black in others... with a mottled yellowish ring along the outer edge. A handful of stitches held together what looked like a nasty cut above the same eye.

"... Ran into some trouble down in Two..." Rude piped up from the opposite side of the room. The redhead's eyes narrowed.

"For fuck's sake, Rude... You're in charge of her for four fuckin' days, and she's already beat all to hell?"

"Actually I believe he was only in charge of her for a couple of hours before that happened..." Tseng pointed out, emerging from his own office at the sound of the redhead's voice.

"'Kay... that's it. Rude, you lost your rookie privileges. I'm takin' her back."

Rude smirked slightly. He'd known Reno would never be able to abandon Elena to someone else's supervision for long. "Too bad. I was starting to like having one of my own."

"Now that that's settled, I trust you have Scarlet's purchase?" Tseng queried. Reno held out the wooden box.

"T-that's not... ?" Elena gasped, recognizing it immediately. Reno opened it, and lifted out the materia orb.

"Yep. Told ya those Zenshou assholes were plannin' on sellin' it back to us. And guess which Zenshou assholes showed up to make the trade, too..."

Tseng took the box and the materia, placing the orb back in its container. "I'll see that this gets to Scarlet... before she comes down looking for it herself." He headed for the door. "Rude... I believe you now have a task to perform for Elena," he added, with a smirk.

Reno eyed his mentor curiously as he left... which was why he never saw Rude as he calmly moved behind him, and seized hold of his arms.

"Hey! What the fuck, partner?" Reno shouted, as he tried to break his hold. Rude was significantly stronger, however, and the redhead suddenly found himself facedown on the couch. Cold metal snapped around his wrists, and was tightened securely before his belt was removed and wrapped around his ankles. Reno squirmed in a desperate attempt to get loose, without success. "What the hell's goin' on?" he asked, angrily, when Rude lifted him off the couch and sat him down on the chair at his desk.

"All yours," the bald Turk said to Elena, with a snicker, before turning and leaving them alone in the office.

"What's this all about, 'Lena?" Reno asked, clearly annoyed at the rough treatment.

"Sorry..." the rookie replied, "It's just... you wouldn't talk to me. And we _really_ need to talk. So Rude kinda suggested... tying you to a chair." She giggled softly at the ludicrousness of it all.

"Cute."

"I'll let you loose if you promise not to run out on me again..."

Reno huffed, but finally nodded, and Elena produced a handcuff key, freeing his arms. The redhead released his feet himself, tossing his belt onto his desk for the time being. The rookie took a seat on the couch, and motioned for him to join her, which he, somewhat hesitantly, did.

Elena leaned over and gently cupped his cheek in her hand, pulling him in for a soft kiss.

"Don't..." Reno whispered, "Just... don't."

She winced at the pain in his voice. "Reno, I – "

"Please, 'Lena... Don't. I know you not doin' it to be cruel, but it was hard enough hearin' you say this wouldn't work once already. So just don't."

"I really hurt you, didn't I?" she said, sadly.

"My own fault... Just forget about it. It's fine."

The rookie narrowed her eyes, angrily. "No it's not!" Elena nearly shouted. "It's not okay to just try and ignore how you feel because you think it'll make _me_ happy. It doesn't make me happy."

"... Then what would?" he asked, after a moment of silence.

"I'm... not sure. But not this," she said softly, gently forcing to look at her. Elena bit her lower lip, trying to decide what to tell him. "Lira came to see me. Saturday night."

Reno eyed her cautiously. "What'd she tell ya... ?"

"Exactly what I needed to hear, I think," Elena replied with a quiet snicker. "You're right... she really doesn't hold back at all. And she sort of called me out on a few things." She let the back of her fingers glide along Reno's cheek. "I _never_ wanted to hurt you. I guess I just figured you're so... _used_ to one night stands, it wouldn't even phase you. And I shouldn't have just assumed that. I know you well enough to know that you're a lot more sensitive than you let on. And the truth is... I think the only reason I did it was because I started thinking too much. I started thinking about some of the women I've seen you with and how I can't even come close to comparing. And about how you wouldn't even have to try to find someone else any time you wanted to. And mostly... mostly I started thinking about how being with you meant that I'd be just one insignificant person among all those women I can't compare to. And how I just couldn't stand that."

"I'd love to hear ya name one woman you can't compare to... 'cause I sure as fuck can't," Reno said, softly. Elena blushed.

"You don't have to say that..."

"I'm not. 'Lena... Look. I know I have a reputation. And I've earned it, believe me. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate how different you are from pretty much every woman I've ever met. So yeah... when you told me you didn't want things to go any farther between us, I was... crushed. 'Cause for the first time in my life, I desperately wanted more than just one night with someone." He paused for a moment and then laughed softly. "Goddammit, Lira..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elena asked, slightly amused.

He shook his head. "She fucking told me awhile back that I'd eventually have to admit to myself how I really felt about you. Now I'm gonna have to tell her she was right. She'll never let me hear the end of it."

She joined him in laughing, but quickly sobered. "So... Where does this leave us?"

"You tell me. You already know what I want."

"I think... I think I want the same thing..." she said, hesitantly.

"So then what's holdin' ya back?" he asked, confused.

"Selfishness," she replied, snuggling against him. "I hate the idea of... sharing you."

"Who told you ya have to?"

"Weren't you the one who less than three weeks ago said, and I quote, 'I don't do the whole boyfriend thing'. Something about it requiring too much monogamy?" she smugly pointed out.

Reno groaned. "I said that 'cause ya caught me so off guard and I panicked a little. It's kinda my go-to response when a date gets a little too... attached." He smiled and let his hand drift slowly along her arm. "Is that what you want? To have me all to yourself?"

"I just don't think it could work for me any other way."

"Then you can have me." The redhead suddenly gave a dramatic sigh. "I just hope the secretarial pool doesn't take it too hard..."

"I think they'll somehow survive," Elena deadpanned, before turning serious again. "Do you really mean that? Am I really worth giving all that up?"

"All what? Casual, meaningless sex? Don't get me wrong... it's a hell of a lot of fun. Some of those secretaries are surprisingly flexible..." he replied, grinning widely. Elena shot him a dirty look, and he leaned in and kissed her, "But I'd much rather have you. You're a thousand times better than any secretary."

Elena's arms wrapped around him, pulling him close, and Reno sighed.

"Ya know... it'd be just my luck to find out I fuckin' fell asleep again, and this is another goddamn dream."

"It's not," Elena replied. "I _promise_ it's not."

"I hope not... 'cause if it is, I don't wanna wake up."

The rookie smirked slightly and pinched him, hard, on the back of the hand.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" the redhead asked, glaring.

She grinned. "Just proving that you're not dreaming..."

He rubbed at the sore spot. "Okay... so I'm not dreamin'... Geez, 'Lena... first ya tell me you never meant to hurt me, then ya practically tear out a chunk of skin..."

She giggled and took hold of his hand again, softly kissing it where she'd pinched him. "Better?"

Reno reached for her, his fingers stroking her hair back from her face. He smiled. "Much."

Elena suddenly blushed. "Y-you know... we're going to have to tell Tseng and Rude _something_. I mean, they've got to be driving themselves crazy by now trying to figure out what happened that made you so upset."

Reno shrugged. "Tch... We'll tell 'em later. Tseng's probably got it halfway figured out anyway, and I'm still kinda pissed at Rude right now for lettin' you get hurt. 'Sides... we're off duty in a couple more hours. I'd rather spend my time thinkin' about what I'm gonna be doin' this weekend."

"And just what is it you _think_ you're going to be doing this weekend?" she teased.

"Depends," he replied, grinning widely. He held up the handcuffs Rude had restrained him with, "I'm givin' very serious thought to puttin' these to good use..."

"Ugh... Pervert." Elena giggled.

~fin~


	33. Crash

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 33: Crash**

 **by Desha**

"Come on 'Lena... you really tellin' me you've never at least _thought_ about it?" Reno asked, grinning at her. The rookie rolled her eyes.

"No... because I'm not a total perv. And we're _on duty_. We can't just..."

"We're on _lunch_... That's personal time," he quickly pointed out. Elena hesitated... he was _technically_ right about that. Though _technically_ they were also on call... "The longer ya take to decide, the less time ya have to enjoy it..."

The redhead pulled her eagerly along the hallway.

"Seriously, 'Lena... our floor's off limits to ninety-nine percent of staff. Heidegger's in Junon today, and Tseng 'n Rude are the only other people who have any business bein' up here... and they're both eatin' lunch downstairs right now. Hell, even if they _did_ come back up early, they'll be clear on the other side of the building. They'll never know... ya know, unless you're plannin' on tellin' 'em all about it later..." he added, suggestively. Elena lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"Would you _please_ get your filthy mind out of the gutter?" she laughed.

"What fun would that be?" He finally paused in front of a nondescript door. One of several in this particular hallway. "So?"

"I can't believe I'm letting you talk me into this... This is so completely wrong."

"Which is what makes it's such a great idea. Come on... I've always wanted to do this."

She snorted softly. "You mean to tell me you _haven't_?"

"Yeah... well... Fun is fun, but Tseng'd kill me if he ever found out I brought someone who didn't have clearance into headquarters. I'd rather stay alive. _So_... ?"

Elena sighed. She couldn't say no at this point... the redhead's excitement was too contagious. And as much as she hated to admit it, the idea _was_ just a little thrilling...

"Okay..." she said at last. The redhead's grin widened, and he pushed open the door, ushering her inside.

* * *

Tseng frowned as he and Rude exited the elevator. They'd both received the alert from the alarm system. _No one_ should have been up here right now. Reno and Elena had gone out for lunch, and he and Rude obviously hadn't been around to set it off. Which meant that someone was prowling around the sleeping quarters in Turks headquarters in their absence... and he was damn well going to find out who.

When they reached the hall, it wasn't hard to figure out where their mysterious trespasser was hiding. There were muffled sounds coming from one of the little rooms.

"Keep quiet," the Turk leader intoned, one hand already drawing his weapon. Suddenly, they heard a cry... almost a scream. The two men shared a brief glance and then rushed the room, shouldering open the door. The sight that greeted them wasn't exactly what either of them expected... though the _second_ scream that followed their rather dramatic entrance was certainly justified, under the circumstances.

"Uh... Need somethin', boss?" Reno asked, panting softly as he did his best to try and shield the very naked rookie he was presently on top of. Elena, meanwhile looked as though she would have liked nothing more than to vanish into thin air. Her face had gone nearly as red as her lover's hair, as she clung to him, desperate to conceal as much as she could from their unexpected visitors.

Tseng finally recovered from his initial shock and shook his head, forcing himself not to laugh at the situation. He just barely managed to stop an awkward smile from spreading over his face as he cleared his throat. "No," he said calmly, "But perhaps I should remind you that these rooms require you to enter your security code to disable the silent alarm."

"Heh... Knew I was forgettin' somethin'..." the redhead sheepishly said.

Tseng fixed him with a pointed look, and withdrew from the room, but Rude lingered a moment.

"About damn time," the bald Turk commented, smirking.

"Get the fuck outta here," Reno said, rolling his eyes, and flung a pillow at his partner. Rude snickered and ducked out of the room as well, closing the door behind him.

"Oh, my _god_..." Elena groaned, squeezing her eyes shut tight, as if that would somehow block out what had just happened.

"Well... look on the bright side. 'Least we don't have to worry about tellin' 'em now..."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Give me ten more minutes and I can die a happy man..." the redhead shot back, before reclaiming her lips. He pulled back briefly, grinning, and added, "Give me fifteen and I'll make ya reconsider my death sentence..."

* * *

Reno casually strolled back into the office some time later, to find Rude sitting calmly at his desk, with a very smug look on his face.

"Shut up," he said.

"Didn't say anything..." Rude replied.

"Yeah, but you were _thinkin'_ it way too loud." The redhead crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Look... _I_ don't really give a shit about you walking in on us. Not like it's never happened before. But don't tease 'Lena about it, 'kay? She's pretty embarrassed."

"Wasn't going to. Where is she anyway?"

"Lounge, gettin' some tea." He snickered softly. "Annnnd I think she's still tryin' to work up the nerve to face you guys after that..." he said, grinning.

"So... How long have you two been... ?"

"Couple of weeks. Well... couple of week _ends_ , more like it. Woulda told ya sooner but... 'Lena was a little nervous about how we should do it."

Rude snorted in laughter. "Didn't think you'd _ever_ make a move on her."

" _I_ didn't, actually... It was 'Lena who got things started," Reno said, leaning back against the edge of his desk.

"Wait..." Rude said, "Elena came on to _you_? Our sweet, innocent little Elena? The one who used to turn various shades of red every time you made an even _slightly_ off-color joke in her presence?"

Reno laughed. "Yeah, if ya can believe it... If ya think _you're_ shocked, just imagine how _I_ felt."

"What have you done to that poor girl?" he asked, feigning dismay.

"Corrupted her beyond any hope of salvation, I would surmise," Tseng answered for him, slipping into the office. Reno glared at the Turk leader.

"Watch it, boss... that's my new girlfriend you're talkin' about."

Tseng's eyebrow rose in surprise, and he glanced over at Rude. "Did I hear him right?"

"Sounded like he said... _girlfriend_ ," Rude said, dropping his voice to a loud whisper.

Tseng shook his head. "Impossible. That word isn't even in Reno's vocabulary."

"Fuck you both," Reno muttered, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. Rude lowered his sunglasses.

"Is he... _blushing_? He can _do_ that?"

Tseng walked over to the redhead, seizing his chin firmly between two fingers and turning his head slightly to get a better look. "Mmm... Yes, I believe he is indeed." Reno jerked away and scowled at him. Tseng smiled. "Alright... We'll stop. Or at least _I_ will... I make no promises on Rude's behalf." Rude smirked in a response, and Reno had the distinct impression that there would be at least a few more jokes at his expense before the end of the day. Though as long as they left Elena alone, it didn't really bother him that much. "In any case, there _is_ something I need to discuss with you privately, if you have a moment."

"Sure, boss," Reno said, following the Turk leader into his office. Rude pushed his sunglasses back into place, and settled back in his chair as the door closed behind them. He teased... because really, what kind of a friend would he be if he _didn't_ after breaking down a door only to find two of his best friends mid-rendezvous in the middle of the workday? But he was more than slightly ecstatic over this new development. Elena would be good for the redhead, he was certain. And there was no doubt in his mind that Reno would treat _her_ well.

He'd actually already had his suspicions that something had changed between them recently. Ever since Reno had started acting so oddly a couple weeks ago, in fact... avoiding the rookie and finally handing her supervision over to him, albeit briefly. Rude still hadn't heard the full story on that, direct from the source, but with this afternoon's x-rated discovery, he could finally venture a guess as to what had happened.

The door opened a crack, and a familiar face peeked in. He heard a soft sigh of resignation, and quickly smothered the quiet chuckle that threatened to escape as Elena pushed the door open just wide enough to slip inside. She made her way silently to her desk, trying not to look at him and sat down, setting her mug of tea next to her and focusing the whole of her attention on whatever was on her monitor.

He knew he shouldn't... and he'd said he wouldn't... but he simply couldn't resist taking at least one little jab at the rookie.

"Enjoy your _lunch_?" he asked.

Elena looked up, her cheeks turning crimson, and she groaned before letting her head drop onto her desk. He smiled and opted to back off a little. The rookie didn't take always take ribbing the way Reno did and he wasn't out to humiliate her. Rude stood and made his way over to her desk, sitting on the corner of it.

"I'm never going to live this down," Elena moaned, her voice muffled by her current position. The other Turk gently patted her on the shoulder.

"Sure you will. Reno will inevitably do something else we can all mock him for. All you have to do is avoid being around him when he does," he replied, warmly. "And really... it could've been worse."

Elena looked up incredulously. " _How?_ " she asked.

He smirked. "You could have been on top, and we'd have gotten a much better view."

The rookie's jaw dropped slightly and she smacked him in the ribs. "Dammit, Rude... That is _not_ funny!" she cried, though it was plainly obvious she was trying very hard not to laugh herself. Elena shook her head. "And your jokes are getting as obnoxious as Reno's, by the way. Ugh... It was just so humiliating, having you and Tseng burst in on us like that."

"You'll survive," Rude said smiling. "Just think of it as pushing yourself one step closer to improving your Hell Week modesty score."

"Thanks," she said, a little sarcastically. "Well, I hope you both enjoyed the show... because you _won't_ be getting an encore."

"Hmph... Trust me, after knowing Reno as long as I have, something like that really doesn't hold much shock value anymore," Rude sniggered. "Besides... I'm just glad you finally gave him a chance. Reno adores you, you know... Think he's wanted this for awhile now."

Elena laughed softly, shaking her head. "Am I really the _only_ person who didn't notice that until someone decided to point it out to me?"

"Quite possibly," Rude said, with a smile.

* * *

"Look, if this is about me 'n 'Lena... uh... havin' a little fun on our lunch break..." Reno began. Tseng held up a hand, silencing him.

"It's not. Though I really _should_ be officially reprimanding you both for that. In the future, I wouldappreciate if you kept such activities confined to locations off company property." He sighed, shaking his head as if he knew better. "Or, for Leviathan's sake, at least remember to disable the alarm so I don't get a notification about it."

"Duly noted..." the redhead replied, looking appropriately chastised. "So then what's up?

"Dr. Skarn."

Reno stiffened. "You better not be tellin' me I'm bein' recruited for another bullshit experiment..."

"No..." Tseng replied, and his tone left little doubt in Reno's mind just how angry he was about the situation, "And even if you were, I wouldn't allow it again. I _shouldn't_ have allowed it the first time. In fact I had a rather productive meeting with Rufus a few days ago on that very subject. From this point forward, the Turks are off limits for _any_ kind of experimentation."

"Can he do that? Thought he was still persona non grata around here right now..."

"He and the president _are_ still at odds, so no... he can't do any such thing directly. But he spoke with his father on our behalf, and made a very convincing case that, should anything go wrong during such a venture, and a Turk be put out of commission, it would be a substantial loss to the company... particularly given how few of us there are to begin with. President Shinra ultimately agreed. Especially after he was reminded of just how much time, money and effort goes into training someone for our ranks."

Reno breathed a sigh of relief. "Good to hear."

"I also think you should know... I strongly believe that you _were_ indeed drugged during that experiment," Tseng continued, frowning.

"Really don't see how..."

"I suspect a gas was used... either to sedate you, or to deliver the drug itself. It wouldn't have woken even someone who sleeps as lightly as you do."

"Ah, son of bitch..." the redhead swore, "Never even fuckin' occurred to me..."

"Nor I, until I had Elena look into Skarn's background a bit. Are you still having nightmares?"

"Not near as bad. Couple times this week woke up in a cold sweat after an unpleasant dream or two, but _nothin'_ as intense as what I was goin' through before. I think it was stress more than anything else. Fuckin' experiment was just the trigger for it."

"I'm very relieved to here that. And... I'm truly sorry for my part in causing it."

"Wasn't your fault," he said dismissively.

"Perhaps... but I could have tried harder to prevent it." Tseng smiled slightly, "You may no longer be my rookie, but I'm afraid I will always feel rather protective of you."

"Yeah, well... I don't actually _mind_ knowin' that you do..." Reno admitted.

"And becauseI'm feeling _particularly_ protective of you at the moment, I'm ordering you to see Dr. Ward tomorrow morning for a full check up. I've informed her of my suspicions. She'll be taking blood for tests, just to make sure there's nothing unusual still lingering in your system."

The redhead groaned. "I take it back. You can quit worryin' about me now."

"Not likely," Tseng said, chuckling, "And don't even think about running off. She's expecting you at nine a.m., and has been instructed to inform me immediately if you are so much as one _second_ late."

"Do I _have_ to?" he asked with a sigh.

"Well... Scarlet _did_ submit a request for you to accompany her as a security escort to the shopping district tomorrow morning. I suppose we _could_ postpone Ward's examination if you find that prospect more appealing..."

"Real funny, boss."

The Turk leader smirked and held up the official request form with Scarlet's signature clearly embossed at the bottom. "Who says I'm joking?"

"'Kay... so I'll be seein' Ward tomorrow. Nine sharp..." he said quickly.

"I knew you'd eventually see things my way."

He snorted in contempt. "'Course ya did. Almost afraid to ask at this point but... got anything else for me?"

"Nothing of a professional nature."

"Somethin' personal, then?" He had a pretty good idea what the question was going to be.

"Merely a request to satisfy my curiosity. You and Elena?"

"Heh... Yeah. Figured I wasn't gonna get out of discussin' that completely... Guess I owe ya an explanation."

"Nothing _there_ needs explaining... Frankly, I'm surprised it took you so long."

"Why the fuck's everyone keep sayin' that when they find out?" Reno asked, shaking his head. Tseng laughed.

"Because it was becoming painfully obvious to everyone... except apparently Elena... how you felt about her," he said, smirking. "Based on your comment outside earlier, I'm assuming you're fairly serious about this."

Reno snickered. "If you're plannin' on havin' the Talk with me, Tseng... you're about twelve years too late."

Tseng gave him an indulgent smile. "As I said... I'm only curious."

"I guess I _am_ serious, yeah," Reno said, rubbing the back of his head. "I... really don't think I've ever felt like this before. Things are usually just physical for me. 'Lena's... different. There's no one else like her. It's like she was made just for me..."

Tseng chuckled, immensely amused. "Careful... You're beginning to sound like one of those tawdry romance novels you so ardently decry..."

"Don't even joke about that..." the redhead groaned.

"Reno... you've developed a terrible habit of assuming that I'm joking today," the Turk leader gently teased. "But I _am_ being perfectly sincere when I say that I'm happy for you both. You know... you never did tell me what happened to put the two of you at such odds recently."

"Heh... It was pretty much the fact that she didn't _know_ I was so serious," Reno began. "We... uh... ended up in bed together after I took her to that wedding. It kinda just happened... and then it took us a while to find time to sit down and figure things out afterward. By the time we did, she'd come to the conclusion that she didn't want to be with someone who had a habit of goin' to bed with someone new whenever he felt like it... which, she assumed I wouldn't want to give up, and just ended things instead of ever mentionin' it. I... didn't exactly take it well."

"Ah..." Tseng said simply. "And then you attempted to distance yourself from her because you were feeling so hurt."

"Yeah... Stupid, huh?"

"Unquestionably," he replied, "But understandable. I'm glad you've finally worked things out. She really is a good match for you."

"Heh... Yeah, well, let's just hope _she_ thinks so. I think 'Lena _may_ still be seriously considerin' how she's gonna murder me for talkin' her into what you guys walked in on... and I'm pretty sure most of the options are painful ones."

"In that matter, you're entirely on your own." Tseng said, firmly.

* * *

At eight fifty-two the following morning, Reno shifted restlessly at his desk, eying the clock with malicious intent. It seemed thoroughly dedicated to creeping ever closer to nine... and he was almost certain it was moving twice as fast as it should have been.

"Better get going," Rude commented. "You're going to be late."

"It takes me exactly three minutes and twenty-two seconds to get from this chair to Ward's exam table. I'm not leavin' one _second_ before I absolutely have to."

"You... have it timed to the second?" the rookie giggled. Rude, meanwhile, was pulling a pair of handcuffs out of a drawer. He set them pointedly on the desk in front of him.

"Don't make me use these. Again."

Reno scowled. "I said I'd go, and I'll go. But I'm puttin' this shit off as long as I can," he replied. The redhead shuddered. "She's out for blood this time..."

Rude laughed and Elena quickly joined in as well. She stood up, walking over to him. "You are such a wimp..." she said, grabbing his arm and hauling him to his feet. "Come on... Let's go. I'll walk you down."

"Elena..." Rude called, and the rookie turned back to look at him. He tossed her the handcuffs, smirking. "Just in case."

She grinned as she caught them, and the pair made their way to the elevators. When the doors slid open at their destination, they headed for the medical suite. As they entered, Ward was standing impatiently in the middle of the room, looking at her watch.

"Almost a full minute ta spare..." she commented, "I think that may be a new record for yeh... Though I'm not sure it really counts, seeing as yeh had to have an escort ta get yeh here at all..."

"Hey... I came of my own free will. 'Cause I was ordered to, and threatened with bein' brought down in handcuffs again if I didn't. 'Lena's just here for moral support."

"Oh, for Odin's sake... Yeh'd think I was subjecting you ta some sort of torture every time yeh come ta see me," the doctor said in an exasperated tone. "Well, get in here, my little headache. Let's see if you're still as healthy as yeh look." Elena bit her lower lip, but couldn't quite hold back the laugh that broke free. The doctor turned to her with a warm smile. "Moral support, eh? Well, if he wants an audience, that's fine by me... Yeh can hold him down for me if he tries ta run." Ward placed a hand on the redhead's back guiding him firmly behind a privacy screen, and handing him a gown. "Yeh know the drill. Everything off."

"You could at _least_ offer to buy me dinner, first..." the redhead responded as he stripped and changed.

"And I'll have none of yer lip..."

"So... no tongue, either, then, I guess..."

Elena groaned and rolled her eyes, while Ward only smiled, clearly amused.

"Yer in quite the good mood for a change..." the doctor commented, "Maybe I'll tell Tseng ta send Elena here _with_ yeh from now on..."

"Ya know... I'd make another joke, but 'Lena _might_ legitimately kill me for the one I've got in mind, and I only narrowly avoided her wrath yesterday, so... let's just get this over with."

* * *

Reno rubbed lightly at his inner arm, pouting.

"Oh, come on...It wasn't that bad."

He narrowed his eyes at the rookie, and took the sucker out of his mouth before answering. "Wasn't that bad? For fuck's sake, she damn near drained me!"

"Reno... four vials of blood is not 'nearly draining' you. And she _did_ give you your favorite flavor for being such a 'good boy' today..." Elena pointed out, teasingly.

"Hmph... Sold half my blood volume for a little sugar on a stick and a pat on the head..." he muttered, and moved to shove it back in his mouth. Elena giggled and stole the confection from him before he could do so, holding it away from him. "Hey!" She leaned in and kissed him – his lips tasted of cherry – before giving it back. Reno smiled.

"Keep that up, and I really _will_ make you with me come with me from now on. Lot more enjoyable..." He paused, and fixed her with a mockingly serious expression, "But don't ever take my candy again..."

The doors opened on their floor and they stepped out, walking into the office. Things were significantly less calm than they'd been when they left.

"Whoa... What's goin' on?" Reno asked, as Rude rushed past him, heading out the door.

"Problem in Junon... Talk to Tseng," he replied, hurriedly, before heading straight for the elevators. Reno and Elena shared a curious glance, before moving towards Tseng's office.

"Good... you're back. I didn't want to interrupt Ward, or I'd have summoned you ten minutes ago. We have a situation," Tseng replied, scowling at his phone, "Rufus is missing... and not answering his PHS, either. Rude's on his way to Junon now, to speak to the security personnel there and see if he can find anything that might tell us where he's gone... I'm heading upstairs to inform his father."

"Where do you want me?" Reno asked.

"Take the executive helicopter and head for Kalm. It's something of a long-shot... and if this is another of his little unplanned day trips, I may just kill him myself... but it's only a twenty minute trip by air and if he's there, we might save ourselves some time in recovering him. I think it's worth at least ruling it out. Check the cafe on the main square first. He's recently discovered that he's fond of their desserts."

"I'm on it."

"Take Elena with you. Rufus was rather impressed with her... He might be a bit more cooperative for her than for you."

"He was _impressed_ with me?" Elena blurted out, somewhat incredulously. Between the blatant insults and the cold demeanor she'd encountered during their first meeting, the rookie had been fairly well-convinced the vice president hadn't thought much of her at all. Tseng smiled slightly.

"Yes, as a matter of fact... he was. Now get going."

* * *

"Remind me later that you _desperately_ need to work on your landings..." Reno said, releasing the buckles on his harness. He stood and hauled open the helicopter's side door. The rookie hurried to join him.

"Well maybe if _someone_ hadspent a little less of our last flying lesson making snarky comments about what he's going to do to me the next time he spends the night, my landings would be improving..."

The redhead smirked. "Gimme a break, 'Lena... I finally have the chance to _make_ those comments without worryin' about you cold-cocking me for crossin' the line. I'm _gonna_ make 'em. 'Sides... you know you like it. Now... where's that cafe...?"

"Over that way," she said, pointing toward the center of town.

It was still early in the day, and the little eatery was nearly empty. A handful of older women occupied a table near the front window, and a young man deeply entrenched in a thick novel had taken over one in the back corner. The vice president was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh... so much for that," Reno muttered, "Come on... there's one other place I know of in Kalm he might be hangin' out..."

Reno led her down a twisty little side street, to a quiet corner of town, and stopped in front of a small storefront packed with books... most of which looked to have been well-thumbed and fairly old. Elena peered through the front window. The place didn't even look open, but the redhead pushed through the door anyway. The gentle tinkling of a bell announced their arrival to a sleepy-looking clerk, who simply looked up from the book he was reading and nodded a silent greeting.

"There're stairs down that way... Find 'em and start on the upper level" Reno said, motioning toward a long set of shelves on one side of the store. "I'll take a look around down here. Yell if ya see him."

The store was deceptively large... just looking at its front window, she would never have guessed that the shelves went so far back. Nor that they would twist and turn as they did, creating diverging pathways all across the building. It took her a few tries to find one that lead to a metal staircase that spiraled up to the floor above. Elena climbed it quickly, her footsteps ringing out far too loudly in the quiet shop.

The second floor wasn't nearly as cramped as the one below it. In fact, if she'd had the time, Elena wouldn't have minded at all sitting up here and reading for a few hours... It was warm and inviting, with plush chairs and reading lamps scattered at intervals amongst the shelves. Sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains that covered large windows at the far end of the building, and a railing looked out over part of the lower level. She wandered towards the back, and spotted him almost immediately.

Rufus looked perfectly content, settled in one of the chairs, one leg crossed over the other. A very old book held his attention, and he didn't look up at her at all as she approached him. Even when she was within several feet of him, he didn't seem to notice her, and she hesitated, not sure if it was really wise to interrupt the vice president or not.

"If you're just going to stand there, you might at least make yourself useful and carry those down to the counter for me," he suddenly said, turning the page before motioning to a small stack of books on the side table next to him. He still hadn't looked up from the one he was reading.

"Sir... Tseng sent us to – " she began.

"Oh, I'm well aware of what he sent you here to do. Too busy to come and reclaim me himself this time?" He almost sounded as though he were more annoyed by the Turk leader's absence, than by the fact that someone had come to drag him back to Junon again.

"Sir, if you would please just come with – "

"I will leave when I am _ready_ to leave, and not before," Rufus stated, finally deigning to raise his eyes to look at her. "If you intend to remain here waiting, then do so silently."

"Sir..."

"Shall I _define_ 'silently' for you?" he asked, in a somewhat irritated tone.

"No... sir," Elena replied, just as irritated. This was Tseng's idea of the vice president being impressed with her? She huffed in annoyance and made her way back to the stairs, intent on finding Reno and informing him of the Shinra heir's whereabouts. She nearly walked right into him as he was coming up.

"No luck?" he asked.

"Oh, no... he's up here alright. And he refuses to move," she replied, clearly aggravated. "Or be civil. He basically told me to keep silent or leave."

Reno snickered. "Surprise, surprise... Pretty boy's coppin' an attitude again..." he said, rolling his eyes, "Come on... let's go see if we can drag his pampered ass out of there without gettin' fired."

Elena hesitated a moment, but finally turned around on the narrow staircase and started back up, Reno a few steps behind her. She led him to where Rufus was still seated, unperturbed, reading his book.

"It's time to head home, sir," Reno said, without preface. Rufus snapped the book shut.

"Perhaps I should see if I can find Tseng a suitable dictionary before I leave. It seems none of his minions are familiar with the definition of the word 'silent'," he replied, with a cold glare.

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it," the redhead shot back, "Now let's go."

Rufus ignored him and opened his book again. "As I informed your sidekick over there, I'm not yet ready to leave."

Reno sighed. "What's it gonna take?" he said, in resignation. Rufus finally closed the book and set it with the others.

"An early lunch before we leave. The food in Junon is becoming decidedly tiresome."

"Fine."

The vice president nodded and stood. "Carry those downstairs," he ordered, looking pointedly over at Elena. She bit back the retort that threatened to slip out and grudgingly picked up the four books on the table, following Rufus and Reno back toward the stairs. As they walked, she glanced at the titles. They included a collection of poetry, a biography of one of the ancient leaders of Wutai, a play entitled Loveless, and... much to her surprise, a very worn copy of one of her own favorite books – a collection of old short children's stories from around the world. Just from a cursory glance, it looked old enough that it might have even been a first edition. That had been the one the executive had been reading when she'd located him, and she found herself vaguely wondering which story had captured his interest.

She carried the books over to the counter, setting them down in front of the clerk.

"Charge those to my account. And wrap them, if you would. I don't want to risk any damage to the older ones on the way back to Junon," Rufus spoke up, before she could say anything.

"Absolutely, sir," the man replied, looking shocked and extremely pleased by the sale, and Elena wondered just how much the vice president had to have spent to garner _that_ reaction. He made short work of carefully wrapping each book in brown paper and tucking them into a small bag. "Thank you, very much, Mr. Shinra."

"Lose those, and you lose your job as well," Rufus said to Elena, nodding to the bag, before turning on his heal and following Reno out of the shop.

As they exited, Reno removed his PHS from his pocket and dialed Tseng.

"Hey, boss... Guess who 'Lena 'n me found..." he said after a moment, a smirk etching its way across his face. "Yeah... we're headin' back to Junon with him in a bit. Gonna grab somethin' to eat first." He paused a moment, apparently listening to Tseng's reply. "No, it was _not_ my idea." Reno said and rolled his eyes. Rufus snorted in contemptuous laughter, and the senior Turk and glared at him.

"It's hardly my fault that Tseng is so aware of your gluttonous nature that he makes the obvious assumption," Rufus said in response to the look, shrugging as Reno ended the call.

Elena scowled at the vice president's back. The guy really was a complete asshole. Reno wasn't a glutton... he ate like that because his body needed the extra calories. It wasn't as if he could help it...

The redhead suddenly glanced back at her and laughed. "Might wanna tone it down a little, sir... 'Lena's startin' to look like she'd kinda like to bite your head off..."

Rufus glanced back at her, unconcerned, and seemed to study her for a moment. "Petulant little girl," he commented, "I really am beginning to wander if my initial impression was as wrong as Tseng claimed."

Reno cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah? What impression was that...?" he asked cautiously, as he suddenly saw Elena's expression switch from aggravation to actual anger.

"Merely that perhaps she has certain... assets... and a willingness to make those assets available to interested parties that overly influenced you during the selection process."

Reno stopped and folded his arms over his chest, eyes narrowing. "'Kay... That's over the line, sir."

" _You_ have a line?" Rufus asked, and Elena suddenly realized that the man looked genuinely surprised by Reno's reaction.

"Yeah... and ya finally managed to find it. Congratulations."

"Hmm..." was all he said in reply, and simply continued on, into the cafe.

"Jackass," Reno muttered, "Wish you'd told me he said that to ya last time you had to deal with him..."

"It wasn't that big of a deal... he was just being a jerk," Elena replied, quietly enough not to be overheard. The redhead pushed open the door after the executive, and followed him inside. Rufus had already seated himself at a table to one side of the cafe's main room.

"Don't just stand there hovering. It annoys me, and I intend to enjoy my time away from my personal prison while I still can. Sit."

Reno dropped into the chair opposite him with a shrug, and Elena quickly followed suit.

"Ya know... you could always just apologize 'n go home..."

Rufus' eyes narrowed. " _That_ would be admitting I was wrong."

The redhead smirked. "Point of fact... ya kinda _were_ , sir."

"That's a matter of opinion. I stand by my commentary," the vice president replied, folding his arms stubbornly over his chest. "In that particular instance, I _may_ have been mistaken... or at least unable to prove the accusation... but it doesn't change the fact that _that_ woman is nothing more than a gold-digging, pandering, conniving whore."

"Who your father happens to be married to," Reno pointed out.

"A technicality. I'm well aware of what she wants, even if my father is too blind to see it, and I can assure you, I will not be surrendering any part of my inheritance to _her._ "

Elena remained silent. Up until now, no one had been willing to tell her just what it was that had created such a rift between father and son, but it was rapidly becoming obvious. The conversation ceased briefly as a waitress spotted them and headed towards them.

"I suppose you two expect to be fed, as well..." Rufus said haughtily before she was within earshot.

"Wouldn't complain... You hungry, 'Lena?"

She really wasn't... It was only a little after ten in the morning. Breakfast hadn't been that long ago, and lunch was still a decent ways off. But the look Reno was giving her seemed to be telling her to accept anyway. "Er... I guess I could eat."

"Fine."

It was a small menu... but then, it was a small cafe. Reno happily ordered an entire breakfast plate of pancakes and eggs and bacon and sausage... which quickly earned a sneer from the vice president. Elena, meanwhile, chose something a little lighter, opting for crepes filled with strawberry jam, and was a little surprised when Rufus chose the same.

"One would think you never ate unless someone else offered to pay..." the executive sniped at the redhead when their food arrived, rolling his eyes as Reno made a point of dousing everything in maple syrup. "And how can you even _taste_ the food under all that sugar?"

Reno forcibly swallowed a mouthful of his meal before answering. "Doesn't cover up the taste... It just adds to it, sir."

"You truly do nauseate me. At least your little ingénue over there has refrained from picking up your table manners. Or rather your serious lack thereof."

Elena eyed the vice president curiously. She didn't think anyone had ever referred to her as an ingénue before... and she honestly wasn't certain if he'd meant it as an insult or not, given that it could easily be taken either way. Judging by Reno's expression, he wasn't quite sure either. The redhead simply shrugged.

"There are more useful things to learn than table manners..."

"Ah... so that's where Tseng went so very wrong with _you_ , then. He simply never _bothered_ training the slum rat out of you. It's no wonder you're so uncouth."

Elena slammed her silverware down on the table, thoroughly irate and glaring openly at the vice president. She really didn't understand why Rufus had to... to... _pick on_ Reno so badly. Nearly everything that came out of his mouth was a putdown. The executive raised an eyebrow, almost as if in challenge. "Something you'd like to say?" he asked, coolly.

"No... sir," she ground out, quickly reigning in her temper, and Rufus smirked.

"I thought not."

"Heh... for the record, sir... I'm not gettin' between you 'n 'Lena when she finally decides to deck ya one."

Rufus snorted in contempt and took a bite of his meal. " _That_ would almost certainly be cause for me to file a formal complaint against you for dereliction of duty. Fortunately for you, I doubt she'd ever have the nerve to attempt it. And even if she did, what damage could a weak little thing like her possibly do?"

The redhead sighed dramatically and shook his head. "Ya know, sir... I'm seriously startin' to wonder if you really do have a death wish or somethin'."

"Or perhaps I simply wish to make you _earn_ your paycheck for a change. It _is_ your job to protect me, is it not?"

Elena's eye twitched slightly, as she chewed viciously on her tongue to keep herself in check. She had no idea where Rufus' apparent hatred of Reno came from. Or why none of it seemed to bother the redhead in the slightest. Clearly, the executive knew Reno's background, though... maybe that was it. Maybe Rufus simply considered himself superior to someone born and raised in Midgar's slums. Or, she mused, given the way he spoke to her as well... maybe he simply considered himself superior to anyone who didn't share his social status and wealth. Either way, she was well-past irritated by this point and would be glad when they finally dropped him off in Junon and were rid of him. Elena angrily finished off her crepes.

Rufus spent a few more minutes drawing the meal out, but was eventually forced to concede that his plate was empty.

"Demands met..." Reno pointed out, "Time to go."

"Hmph... Very well." The vice president motioned for the check, and once it had been taken care of – with a surprisingly generous tip, Elena couldn't help but notice – the three of them were on their way to the helicopter. Reno took over in the pilot's seat this time around, as Elena climbed in beside him and Rufus settled himself in the far more comfortable space behind the cockpit. The rookie had only had the opportunity to ride in the passenger section of the executive helicopter once before, while acting as security for the president on a trip to Junon. It really was a quite the experience... though it would probably have been more enjoyable had Reno not been glaring at her the entire way back over his brightly dyed blue hair. She giggled softly to herself at the memory as they lifted off, drawing a curious glance from the redhead to her left.

* * *

"Do me a favor, if you would."

"I'm listening," Rude replied, PHS cradled against his shoulder as he waited for the Junon flight deck personnel to refuel the copter.

"Go and get some lunch before you return to Midgar."

"... How's that a favor?"

"With you in Junon and Reno and Elena retrieving our wayward executive, I have no immediate access to a helicopter," Tseng stated simply, "With no access to a helicopter, I can't get to Junon in a particularly timely manner, and if I can't get to Junon, I can't _strangle_ Rufus the moment he arrives."

Rude chuckled, but said nothing.

"Feel free to take your time," Tseng added.

"Understood." He ended the call and tucked the phone back into an inner pocket in his jacket.

It took quite a lot to get under the Turk leader's skin, but Rufus' most recent security-free adventure seemed to have done the trick. Rude wasn't too happy with the vice president himself, as far as that went, but Tseng seemed to be taking this almost personally.

And, in a manner of speaking, it _was_ personal. Tseng was very much a favorite of the young heir. He had been personally in charge of Rufus' security for years – almost from the day he'd nearly sacrificed his own life to save him – at the behest of the president. He probably knew the man better than almost anyone. It was hard to say they were 'close'... Rude didn't think anyone was truly close to Rufus Shinra... but some of the younger man's icy demeanor noticeably dropped around the Wutaiian Turk. Tseng was probably the closest thing the he had to a friend or even a confidant. Being banished to Junon had been hard on Rufus... even if he'd never show any sort of weakness and admit to it.

In Rude's opinion, his recent disappearances were little more than a cry for attention directed firmly at the only friend he had. Not that he was about to voice _that_ opinion. He was quite fond of living, after all, and with Rufus... one really never knew what he might do in retaliation for a perceived slight. To some extent, Rude actually felt a little sorry for him... though in all fairness, his quasi-exile was very much of his own making.

It was no secret that the vice president didn't get along with his step-mother. Really, Rude thought, amending his own analysis, Rufus hated her with every fiber of his being, and only even attempted to tolerate her for his father's sake. Young and beautiful, Juliet Shinra was, in Rude's view, far more than just a pretty face. She was cunning and shrewd... her air-headed, trophy-wife persona was very much an act, and Rufus had little difficulty seeing right through it. His father, however... Well, the president either simply didn't care, or, as was more likely the case, was entirely too smitten with the woman – who was closer in age to his own son than to himself – to notice.

Rufus had been willing, if not especially pleased, to let him remain so, as long as Juliet didn't do anything to upset the balance of power. Some months ago, however, she had pushed him just a little too far by bringing up the subject of who stood to inherit the company. Rufus, in a truly uncharacteristic fit of rage, had made several accusations against her, not the least of which was that she was involved with several younger men from all over the company. What he lacked, however, was tangible evidence... and the ensuing argument had ultimately resulted in Rufus being sent to Junon until he saw fit to apologize to his step-mother.

Rude didn't think that was going to happen any time soon. With a shrug, he headed off to find something to eat.

* * *

"I've been thinkin'..." Reno began as the helicopter approached the mountains.

"Well, _that's_ never a good sign..." Rufus piped up from the passenger section. Elena rolled her eyes, and wished the man would just rid himself of the communications headset. He wasn't even talking to them, save for the occasional snarky comment... just listening in on _their_ conversation. Which made it very difficult to actually _have_ a conversation.

Reno ignored him. "I can tolerate your Shadow & Sword obsession. I can even live with ya readin' those romance novels of yours. But I just can't let you keep listenin' to that crap you call music. Seriously, 'Lena... Jason Ladue? It's embarrassing. You're a Turk, for fuck's sake..." he said, flashing her a teasing grin. The noise from the engines was loud, but Elena was almost certain she caught a quiet snort of laughter over the headset... and it hadn't come from Reno.

"So... what? Now I have to submit my playlist for approval?" she asked, jabbing at his ribs. He snickered and twisted in his seat to avoid her.

"Huh... Ya know, that's an idea, too," he replied, "But no... I actually had somethin' else in mind. Petrified Zolom's playin' over in Sector 3 tomorrow night. I'm goin' and you're comin' with me."

Elena cast a surprised glance at him. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting to hear from him, but it certainly hadn't been for him to make plans for a date with the vice president listening in.

"What if I already have plans?" she shot back, having to bite back a giggle, lest Rufus overhear. To be fair, she actually did... She'd _planned_ to go out to dinner with the redhead. He'd asked her yesterday afternoon. It was going to be the first _real_ date they'd been on since Chai's wedding.

"Guess you'll just have to cancel 'em," he said, letting his grin widen, "This is a mandatory training mission to attempt to correct your god-awful taste in music before it's too late. Non-negotiable. Sorry."

"Ah... so _this_ is how you get women to date you. I always simply assumed you paid them, but _forcing_ them to keep you company is _much_ more cost effective..." Rufus' voice cut in. Elena was glad for the privacy partition that kept the passenger section visually separated from the cockpit, because Reno took the opportunity of being hidden from view to casually flip him off without even bothering to turn around. Elena had to cover the microphone on her headset, so she wouldn't be heard laughing.

"You know... I _do_ have a dinner date tomorrow evening," she pointed out once she'd sobered a bit.

"Ah, come on, 'Lena... you don't wanna hang out with some loser at a cheap restaurant when you could be enjoyin' an awesome concert with me..." he teased.

"Cheap restaurant, huh?" Elena smirked slightly. "Well... I guess you _do_ have a point. The guy I was supposed to be seeing _is_ kind of a pervert. He's probably planning on spending the entire time trying to talk me into going home with him. A concert might actually be better after all..."

The redhead cast her a mockingly offended glance before grinning again. "There... see? I'm rescuin' ya from the indignity of bein' shamelessly hit on all night by some creep." Elena rolled her eyes, shaking with silent laughter. She'd just opened her mouth to reply when a earsplitting _boom_ rent the air. The helicopter lurched to one side briefly, before it began to spin.

" _Fuck!_ " Reno swore, fighting with the controls in an attempt to straighten them out. "Think we lost the tail rotor. Hang on... this isn't gonna be pretty..."

Elena realized just how right he was when she looked out the windshield. Nevermind the fact that they were half out of control. They'd been over the mountains for several minutes by now... clear places to land would have been near non-existent even if they hadn't been spinning wildly. The last thing she saw was the rocky terrain rushing towards her. After that, everything went black.

* * *

Elena groaned as she regained consciousness. Her head ached. She raised a hand to her temple, and felt something wet and sticky. The coppery scent that accompanied it told her what it was long before she opened her eyes and saw her fingers coated in blood. Thankfully, that seemed to be her only injury.

She pulled at the release for her harness, unstrapping herself from the seat, and looked to her left. Her breath caught in her throat. Reno was slumped forward, held up only by his own harness, unmoving.

"R-reno?" she tried, but received no response. She struggled to get out of the co-pilot's seat, having to pull her right leg free of the wreckage of the cockpit before she could move. Finally on her feet, she carefully pushed Reno back against his seat. He groaned softly at the sudden movement, but his eyes remained firmly shut. He was out cold, and probably injured, as well... but at least he was alive.

Relieved, the rookie turned her attention to their passenger, forcing her way past the partition and into the back section of the aircraft. Rufus looked a little pale, but unhurt.

"Sir? Are you alright?" she asked. She froze, bracing herself against the doorway as the aircraft suddenly shifted. It was several moments before she dared to breathe again. They needed to get out. Now.

"I think so..." he replied, a little breathlessly. His hand shook slightly as he released his own harness, and got carefully to his feet. Elena turned to the door in the side of the craft, sliding it open. It barely moved halfway along the track, but it was enough for them to get out. "Where's your cohort?" Rufus suddenly asked.

"Unconscious," Elena said as she stepped outside, looking around. There was nothing but rock for miles. The copter itself was resting precariously on the edge of a cliff. She couldn't see how far the drop was from where she was standing... but given how far into the mountain range they'd been, it was probably a safe bet that none of them wanted to be in the aircraft if it went over. "I... I don't know how badly he's hurt. But, sir, you need to get out of there before I can worry about him. It's not safe in the helicopter."

The executive did as requested without comment. Once he was clear of the wreckage, Elena slipped back inside, intent on going after Reno. The metal creaked ominously as she made her way back to the cockpit. The redhead was still out, and Elena felt her chest constrict with fear, thinking back to the last time she'd seen him like that, and praying that he wasn't so seriously hurt this time around. She pulled at the release for his harness, hoping to make this quick, but it was jammed. Several more tries yielded the same results.

"Come _on_ ," she muttered, trying one more time to force it open. There was nothing for it. She'd have to cut him out... and she suddenly found herself wishing she was in the habit of carrying a knife, the way Rude was. She didn't have a blade, but there was plenty of broken glass and twisted metal. She picked up a large shard from the shattered instrument panel, and went to work on the straps... though she nearly dropped it when it sliced into the palm of her hand, and winced at the sudden pain.

"Try this." Elena jumped at the sound of a soft _snick_ next to her ear.

"Sir!" she managed, surprised by Rufus' sudden reappearance... and even more surprised by the switchblade he was holding out to her. She took the knife, easily cutting through the thick straps that held Reno in place. Once he was free of them, she pulled him out of the seat. The wrecked aircraft shifted again, much more violently this time.

"We need to get out of here..." she breathed. The vice president nodded, moving towards the back to give her room to maneuver the unconscious man out of the cockpit. Elena slid behind Reno, gripping him with her arms wrapped around his chest and dragged him through the opening. Rufus was already outside, and as she reached the outer door, he took hold of the redhead, easing him out of the craft and down to the ground for her.

Elena moved to follow... but before she could, the entire helicopter lurched towards the cliff. She only just managed to catch hold of the doorframe before she lost her footing as everything tilted. She could hear the screech of metal against rock as the copter started to slide, and her eyes widened in panic as she realized that it was going over the edge. The rookie scrambled against the metal floor, clinging to the door and trying to pull herself up.

She wasn't going to make it.

The copter was slipping away faster than she was climbing out of it... she wasn't going to have enough time to get clear. Her right hand was still slick with blood from the gash left by the shard of glass, making it hard to hold on to the metal door. When she finally lost her grip on it entirely, she knew it was over.

At least Reno had made it out...

Less than a second after she'd given up, someone grabbed her arm and hauled her clear of the wreckage. She grunted softly as she landed on top of him on the ground, the sound of the wrecked helicopter crashing down the cliff face loud in her ears. It went on much longer than she'd expected it to, and the sudden wave of relief over the fact that she hadn't been inside left her feeling dizzy.

"That... was a bit too close for my taste," Rufus' voice intoned, and she suddenly realized that she was lying on top of him. It took her a few seconds to put two and two together and figure out that _he'd_ been the one who'd caught hold of her before the copter had fallen, and she hurriedly scrambled to get off of the executive. Elena stood, and helped him to his feet.

"T-thank you, sir," she said awkwardly, "I... I wouldn't have gotten out of there without your help."

Rufus brushed some dirt off of his sleeve. "I don't need your gratitude. Having you alive is to my benefit at the moment."

"Ignore him, 'Lena... He's not _really_ thatbig an asshole."

"Reno!" Elena cried, relieved as she moved toward the redhead, kneeling beside him, and only just managing to resist throwing her arms around him. "Are _you_ alright?"

He groaned and let his head rest on the hard ground. "I've been better. Shoulder's killin' me like it's outta joint, and I've got a splitting headache. But I don't think there's any _serious_ damage."

Elena's hands gently probed his left shoulder, and Reno flinched in pain. She wasn't exactly an expert on dislocated shoulders, but something definitely felt a bit off.

"Do me a favor... pop it back in for me, will ya? It really fuckin' hurts..." he said, slowly sitting up.

"I-I... um... H-how do I do that?" she asked, hesitant to attempt anything that might do further harm. On the other hand, it was pretty obvious that Reno really _was_ hurting... she couldn't just do nothing.

"Oh, this should be entertaining," Rufus commented, smirking slightly as he took a seat on a large boulder.

"Grab 'n pull... that's about all there is to it. Don't yank... just pull straight out, nice and steady 'til it pops back into place. If ya need better leverage, you can brace your foot against my side." He grinned, somewhat weakly, and added, "Or ya can try 'n talk Rufus into holding me still while ya do it."

Elena took a steadying breath and carefully gripped Reno's left arm, lifting it as gently as she could so she could start to apply tension. Reno squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth against the pain. She pulled his arm towards her, and the redhead cried out, nearly making her stop.

"Don't be _too_ gentle about it... it's gonna take some effort," he managed, breathing harshly. She pulled harder, and there was a sudden pop. Reno screamed, swearing loudly in the still mountain air.

"Oh, god... what did I do wrong?!" she asked, eyes going wide.

"Nothin'..." the redhead ground out, cradling his newly rearticulated shoulder, "Goddammit... I forgot how much that fuckin' hurts..." He relaxed a bit, breathing slowly calming down. "Heh... Sorry. Probably shoulda warned ya. Puttin' it back in hurts almost as much as havin' it out. It's a hell of a lot better now, though."

"Well... now that you've successfully reassembled him, perhaps we should see about getting out of here?"

Elena drew her PHS from her pocket, and checked the signal. There was none.

"I've got nothing..." she said. Reno quickly mirrored her actions.

"Yeah, same here. Not surprised... We're kinda in the middle of nowhere."

"My phone seems to be of no more use than either of yours," Rufus said, scowling at the device in his hand. "Wonderful."

"And unless one of you feels like climbin' down after it, the radio's out. Assuming it even survived that fall..."

"I almost hate to ask but... _now_ what do we do?" asked Elena.

Reno slowly shrugged out of his jacket, mindful of his injured shoulder. "Not a whole hell of a lot we _can_ do but get comfortable and wait 'til someone notices we're overdue. We're too high up and it's too fuckin' dangerous to try 'n climb outta here without so much as a rope. And I probably couldn't make it real far with my arm like this even if we had the right equipment to try it." The fingers of his other hand found his shirt buttons and began unfastening them.

"... What exactly are you doing?" Elena queried, watching him strip to the waist. Reno smirked.

"Well... I know how much ya like a show..." he grinned, teasingly. Rufus rolled his eyes.

"Please... spare the _both_ of usyour perversions," he interjected, "We've suffered enough."

"Shoulder's back where it's s'posed to be, but if I move it too much we're probably just gonna end up right back where we started," he explained, "Nothin' much else to stabilize it with, so... shirt's gettin' sacrificed. 'Lena... I'm gonna need to borrow a hand or two."

"Why do I get the feeling you've had to do this before?" she asked.

"'Cause ya know me," he answered, chuckling.

* * *

When Rude returned to the office, it was to find Tseng seated at his desk, the folder full of unentered reports open in front of him. He snickered quietly as the Turk leader scowled at one sheet in particular. It almost had to have been one of Reno's.

"Glaring at them doesn't make his handwriting any easier to read. Believe me... I've tried it."

"One can always hope," Tseng sighed. He held up the piece of paper. "Do you have _any_ idea what this says?"

Rude took the report, lifting his sunglasses for a better look. "Tangent... ? No... wait... I think it says 'target'. Or at least that would make more sense..." he replied, squinting now, as if that might make his partner's scrawl clearer somehow. "Hell, I don't know. The more I stare at it, the more it looks like a drawing of a fish..." He handed it back to Tseng.

The Wutaiian Turk laughed. "Oh, thank goodness. It's not just me... I was beginning to question my sanity."

"Maybe Elena can translate it for you when they get back," Rude said, smirking.

"She may have to. Short of chaining Reno to his desk until he deals with it, I don't think it will get filed otherwise. I will never understand how she can read this mess..."

The bald Turk shrugged and leaned against the doorframe. "Just more proof they're perfect for one another, I guess."

"He _does_ seem quite happy, doesn't he?"

"So does she..." Rude added. He grinned, "Or at least she did up until we walked in on 'em..."

Tseng smiled. _That_ had indeed been quite a shock. Not so much finding them together... he'd seen that coming a mile away... and while he certainly hadn't expected to find out about it in so dramatic a manner, he'd long since grown used to Reno's penchant for the mischievous. No... he was far more surprised that the redhead had managed to convince the young woman to join him in such a venture at the office in the first place. Elena was usually a bit more cautious than that, and he couldn't help but wonder how long it had taken him to talk her into it. Knowing Reno... probably not very long.

"Do you think it will be a problem? I'm afraid I haven't had time to speak to her privately... and I've already requested that Reno be a bit more discrete in the future. I'm... hesitant... to broach the subject with Elena if it's not necessary. She was, very obviously, extremely embarrassed. I don't wish to make things worse for her."

Rude shook his head. "I think she'll get over it pretty quick." He grinned. "She's been working with Reno so long, she ought to be getting used to it by now, anyway..."

"Hmm... You _do_ tend to become a bit numb to personal humiliation if you spend enough time with him, don't you?"

Rude raised an eyebrow. "Roller skates," he said, simply.

The Turk leader cringed. "You _both_ swore to never speak of that incident again," Tseng replied, feeling his face heat up slightly. The other Turk only chuckled.

"Not quite as numb as you thought?"

"... Perhaps not," Tseng conceded, "On an entirely unrelated subject... and because I have no intention of letting this conversation go any farther down _that_ road... has there been any further information on those rumors about the president's wife? As much as I hate the idea of investigating idle gossip, I _would_ prefer to have Rufus safely back in Midgar."

"No. If there was ever anything to them, she's been keeping a low profile since Rufus called her on it in front of his father. Rumor mill's pretty much shut down. But if you want me actively following her, just say the word. Just because no one's talking about it doesn't mean it isn't happening."

"I'd prefer not to... you have far more important things to be looking into. But it may come to that, particularly if Rufus continues to disappear from the relative safety of the Junon base."

"There _was_ another interesting bit of information I turned up. I haven't been able to verify it yet, though," Rude offered.

"Oh?"

"Juliet Shinra may have a brother we didn't know about."

"I beg your pardon?" Tseng replied, looking up in surprise. The woman had been thoroughly vetted as soon as the president's interest in her became known. There hadn't been any record of a brother, or any other siblings.

"Well... half-brother," Rude amended, "And I'm still trying to confirm they're actually related."

"Someone we should be concerned about?"

"Maybe. He worked demolition for Urban Development for awhile. Got into a fist fight with his supervisor and they sent him packing. Before that he was military. Also in demolition. But he caught _my_ attention because one of my informants let it slip that he tried to join Avalanche a while back. They turned him down. My guy says they got a bad vibe from him."

"And you're concerned he may decide to try something on his own?"

"I'm a little concerned he may already _have_. We still don't know for sure who built that bomb that was aimed at the Sector 6 reactor. Or the one that almost took out Reno."

Tseng leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and pressing his fingers together as he considered the possibility. They had initially assumed Avalanche had been behind that attempted bombing... but their investigation had turned up no connection to the group whatsoever. In fact, Avalanche had gone almost entirely off the radar lately. Their meetings had become less frequent and more sporadic... and fewer people seemed to be coming to them at all. The residents of the Sector 7 slums largely regarded them as a bunch of loudmouths. The group was nearly defunct, as far as Rude had been able to determine. Only a handful of core members remained, and even they were largely dormant. It appeared that the growing threat of Avalanche was essentially amounting to nothing at all.

Though, it seemed, something else was brewing.

"Has Juliet had any contact with him?" he asked at last.

"Not that I'm aware of... but I only found out about this a day ago. I'm still checking into it."

Tseng nodded. "Make it a priority. And, while it's unlikely that she's involved anything of that magnitude, I think I _would_ like you to keep a closer eye on Juliet Shinra, after all."

* * *

Elena watched as Rufus Shinra stood at the edge of the cliff peering down at the wreckage below, and wondered what he was thinking. Probably, she mused, he was debating which of them he was going to send down to see if the radio still worked. She began to consider volunteering before he could try and make Reno do it.

"Gah... Easy, 'Lena. Doesn't have to be _that_ tight..."

"Sorry..." she said, loosening the strip of cloth she'd been using to immobilize his injured arm. She tied it off and then let her fingers slip around to the back of his neck, lightly massaging the muscles. Reno sighed softly and let his eyes close.

"Enjoying yourself?" the vice president's voice broke in. Reno glanced up at him, and grinned.

"Jealous, sir?"

"Of you? Not likely..." he replied with a derisive snort, before turning his attention to Elena. "If you're finished coddling him, you might consider doing something more useful."

Reno stood up, wincing at the stab of pain the sudden movement sent through his shoulder. "Don't even think about it. _No_ one's goin' after that radio. Not 'Lena, and definitely not you. It's too dangerous, and for all we know the damn thing was smashed to pieces when it landed down there. Tseng'll be missin' us soon, and he'll come lookin'."

"It can't be more than a few hundred feet or so," Rufus scoffed.

"Don't be stupid, sir. A few hundred feet is a hell of a long was to fall. If I weren't hurt, _I_ might risk it, but there's no way in hell I'm lettin' someone else try."

"Did you _really_ just call me stupid?" Rufus asked, narrowing his eyes at the redhead.

"Did you _really_ just suggest attempting to freeclimb down a three hundred foot cliff to find a radio that might not even work?" he countered, and Elena's jaw dropped slightly. What the hell was Reno thinking?

"Yes... I did."

"Then, yeah... I called you stupid." At that comment, Elena's jaw very nearly hit the ground. Rufus was going to murder him.

Rufus paused, glaring at him for a moment, and then sighed. "You're right. That _was_ a rather idiotic idea."

"O-okay... did I miss something?" the rookie asked, confused. Reno grinned widely, and wrapped his good arm around her shoulders.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked, innocently. Rufus rolled his eyes.

"I'm fairly certain she's wondering why I haven't simply tossed you off that cliff yet. Frankly, I'm wondering the same thing myself." He settled himself on a nearby rock, looking vaguely annoyed.

"Ah, you know ya – " Reno began, only to freeze, turning suddenly serious. "Sir... Don't move. 'Lena... get ready."

She instinctively drew her weapon at the command... but it took her a moment to spot the threat against the side of the mountain. Even when she did finally see it, she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"What _is_ that?" she asked softly. The creature was vaguely cat-like, and it's mottled brown fur blended with the rocks, camouflaging its silent approach. Now that she'd caught sight of it, though, she could clearly see the long curved claws on its front paws, the spiked protrusions along it's back, and the decidedly dangerous-looking teeth that were bared, ready for the attack.

"It's a zenene."

Rufus' eyes widened slightly, but he didn't move. Reno's gaze shifted to his own firearm, which had been abandoned several feet away. He'd set it aside while Elena had been tending to his arm. The animal advanced slowly, apparently not realizing it had been spotted.

"Don't try 'n scare it off. Just take it down. Soon as you shoot, I'm goin' for my gun. There's never just one of those things..."

Elena nodded.

"Now!"

The rookie raised her gun and fired... The zenene didn't even have time to react. It slumped forward and tumbled down from it's perch, landing in a heap at Rufus' feet. Reno, meanwhile, dove for his own weapon, firing from the ground at something to Elena's right. Something between a scream and a roar sounded in response, and Elena turned just in time to see a second creature land awkwardly on the ground barely three feet away from her. It was only wounded, however... the zenene reared up, claws extended and Elena didn't have time to get her own shot off. She darted back, the cat's claws narrowly missing her. Reno fired twice more, finishing what he'd started, and the creature dropped. Elena breathed a sigh of relief, and turned back to the redhead. Her relief was short-lived.

"Reno!"

A third attacker... this one on a high ledge overlooking them, leapt at him. Elena had it in her sights, and fired mid-jump, the bullet penetrating the animal's skull. Injured though he was, Reno managed to move out of the way before the heavy body landed on him.

"I owe ya for that," he breathed.

Elena glanced over at the zenene beside her. "Just returning the favor..."

Reno grinned, climbing to his feet and moving to check on the vice president. "You alright, sir?"

"Yes." Rufus at last moved from the boulder he'd been seated on, and knelt down beside the nearest dead zenene. "Well... that was money well spent," he muttered.

"Sir... ?" Elena queried.

"It's one of Hojo creations..." Reno replied, with no small amount of disgust. "Got loose somethin' like eight years ago. Personally, I wouldn't swear he didn't just intentionally open the cage for 'em to see what would happen. They've been breedin' up here ever since."

"A truly asinine plan, if true..." Rufus added, "They're completely feral by now. Of no use to Shinra whatsoever, and an insufferable liability."

Reno nudged one of them with his foot. "Hope these guys weren't just scouts. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly carryin' anything in the way of spare ammo, and they're too damn fast to try 'n take on at close range."

"Hmph... In that case, I think I'll stay closer to _her_ ," the vice president said, "She only needed two shots to dispatch a pair of those things. You required three to rid us of one."

"Heh... I'd never try 'n argue that I'm a better shot then 'Lena, sir. But in my defense, I _was_ on the ground _and_ shootin' with my off hand."

* * *

Tseng finished the last of the reports in the stack... or at least the last of the reports that were legible enough for him to do anything with... and eyed his PHS. It sat, unassumingly, on the corner of his desk, silent... just as it had for the last hour and a half. He should have heard from Reno by now. It didn't take that long to reach Junon from Kalm, even if Rufus _had_ insisted on dragging out his visit as long as possible.

He picked it up and dialed, waiting impatiently as the line rang. After a short while, it went through to voicemail. The Turk leader frowned and tried Elena's phone next, with the same result. Rufus' number was no different. One failing to answer, he could understand... especially if they were still in the air... but all three?

"Damn..." he sighed, pocketing the device and and standing. "Rude?" The other Turk glanced up at him questioningly. "I'm afraid your inquiries will need to wait. We seem to have lost the vice president again. Along with his escort."

Rude looked down at this watch. "... We only found him two hours ago. That's gotta be a new record."

* * *

"I almost hate to suggest it, given our present circumstances..." Rufus began, "but if there's a pack of zenene hunting around here, waiting for help might not be an option. From what I know of them, they're highly intelligent... and seldom travel in such a small group."

"Yeah, I know..." Reno replied. He was scanning the cliffs above them for any further movement. So far, he hadn't spotted any. "We're not exactly in the best position here." The creatures had the high ground. And, for that matter, the low ground. The damn things were natural born climbers. They could come up from a lower ledge just as easily as they could drop from one above the stranded group. "The question is do we go up or down?"

"Down would take us to the radio..." Rufus pointed out.

"But up might take us high enough to get a signal on our phones," Elena cut in, "And the higher we are, the fewer ledges they have to surprise us from."

"Hmph... there's a brain in their after all..."

"I think our best bet is to try both," said Reno, finally turning his gaze back on the two of them. Elena cast him a curious look. "We're sittin' ducks here. And there's no way in hell I'm gonna be able to climb _up_ very far with only one good arm... but I might be able to manage _down_ if I take it slow. It's not gonna be a whole hell of a lot of fun, but I think I can do it if I have to. You two head for higher ground... I'll work my way down to what's left of the copter. Hopefully between the three of us, we can get a call out for help."

"Reno..." Elena whispered, somewhat disbelievingly, but he shook his head.

"I don't like it either, 'Lena... but it's not a matter of _if_ more of those things show up. It's a matter of when. We're prime targets here. Higher's gonna be safer... so you two are goin' up. And I'm not stickin' around here to be some fuckin' science experiment's lunch, so I'm goin' down."

The rookie didn't look the least bit happy about that... He wasn't thrilled about it himself. Splitting up undoubtedly made them more vulnerable, but staying where they were was borderline suicidal. It was pure luck he'd spotted the creature when he had... there were too many places they could be attacked from here.

And... though he wasn't about to mention it to Elena... Rufus was right. Zenenes _were_ intelligent. Certainly intelligent enough that they'd go after injured prey first. That was the other reason he wanted to break off from the group. The next time they came, it wouldn't be two or three of them. It would be the whole pack. He was hoping his injuries might tempt them away from Elena and Rufus, and that the wreckage would provide him enough shelter to wait them out. He glanced over at the young executive.

"Are you armed, sir?"

"I was prior to the helicopter falling halfway down the mountain. At the moment... no, unless you think I can fend one of those things off with this," he replied, displaying a switchblade.

"Give him your backup," Reno said to Elena, "He's not the best shot, but he knows how to use a gun." Elena, somewhat hesitantly, removed her spare firearm from it's holster on her ankle, passing it off to the vice president. "I want you to get yourselves as high as ya can, and try 'n find some cover. Then see if you can get a signal on your PHS. Watch him close, 'Lena... he's your responsibility for now, and I expect him to make it back to Junon in one piece." He grinned widely. "'Sides... if he doesn't, Tseng'll skin us both."

"I... I understand."

Reno couldn't help but think she wanted to say more, but was holding back with their charge watching them. As she turned to go, the redhead smirked to himself.

"Ah, fuck it... It's not like it some big secret," he said, grabbing hold of her arm and spinning her back around. His lips found hers as as he pulled her flush against him. Damned if he was going to send her off without doing this. He fully intended to rejoin her as soon as possible... but something could always go wrong. The longer it went on, the less he wanted to break the kiss. When he finally did, he had to stop himself from starting all over again.

"Please be careful," said Elena, a little breathlessly.

"Worry about yourself, not me, 'kay? I'll be fine," he replied, grinning, "Now get goin'... before Rufus gets sick of watchin' us make out and decides to take off on his own again. I'll see ya soon."

He watched as the pair set off, smiling when Elena turned to look back at him. Once they'd gotten a decent start, he turned to his own task, looking down over the edge of the cliff. Reno sighed and shook his head. This was _not_ going to be pleasant.

* * *

Rufus leaned back against the rock wall, out of breath. He'd always considered himself to be in excellent shape... but this was proving far more difficult that he'd expected. _And_... much to his annoyance... the young woman in charge of keeping him alive was barely even winded. In fact, she looked entirely too eager to begin the next leg of their climb. He glanced down at the ledge they'd started from and grimaced. Surely they had to have come farther than _that_...

" _How_ are you not tired?" he finally asked.

"I'm trained for this, sir... W-well... maybe not _this_ specifically, but for physical endurance. I run at least three miles every day, on top of our regular training regimen."

Rufus snorted softly. "It figures I get stuck with the over-achiever instead of the slacker..."

"Actually, _sir_... Reno thinks I still need some improvement in endurance. I have trouble keeping up with him after awhile," she confessed, with an indignant note in her voice. Rufus very nearly cracked a smile. It was almost too easy to get under this one's skin; he hadn't even really intended to do so just now.

And she was certainly quick to defend her mentor... or rather, he silently amended, her lover, as their relationship had become somewhat obvious when they'd parted ways. In truth, his initial commentary on that matter had only been mean to provoke a reaction. He hadn't actually thought he'd been right about it.

"That wasn't intended as an insult. Simply an observation... That bastard _excels_ at slacking whenever he can get away with it, and I would dare you to deny that. I will, however, grudgingly admit that he _does_ tend to get the job done efficiently enough in spite of it."

For a moment, he was certain she _was_ going to deny it... Instead, she merely looked at him, somewhat quizzically, before turning back to the upward trek.

Rufus calmly leaned back against the cliff, less than eager to get underway again so soon. "So... you really _are_ in bed with the little slum rat. I had actually thought you had better taste than that."

"He's _not_ a slum rat," she responded, angrily, "He's sweet and kind and..." Elena cut herself off, looking away from the executive. "... Why do you hate him so much, anyway?" she finally asked. Rufus raised an eyebrow, wondering when the woman had become so forward. The occasional outburst of temper aside, he'd assumed she was much like Rude... silently staying in line unless needed.

"I don't."

"I... you... don't?" she stammered, clearly caught off guard.

"No. I don't." Rufus repressed the urge to groan as he got to his feet again and looked up at the next ledge. Another fifty feet, at least, and the mountainside seemed to be growing steeper and more weathered as they went. He wasn't entirely sure how much farther they could safely climb... or, perhaps more to the point, how much farther _he_ could safely climb.

Rufus wasn't shy about acknowledging his own limitations... but that didn't mean he enjoyed being forced to do so. He was, by far, more capable than any other member of the Shinra executive board... Tseng had seen to that, personally. Even with Tseng's training to aid him, however, he was hardly at the same level as the Turks, and he knew it. The knowledge that this young and rather delicate-looking woman was almost certainly physically and tactically superior to him irked him to no end.

"Then why do you treat him like – "

"I hardly think this is the time or place to discuss my approach to managing my employees. Let's keep going."

"... Yes, sir." She started up the cliff face towards their next destination.

He'd expected a glare. What he got was a thoughtful frown, and he had to admit to himself... he was beginning to think he hadn't given this new Turk quite enough credit. He'd been moderately impressed with her at their first encounter. It wasn't every rookie Turk that had the audacity to order him around, even when acting under orders from their superior. She _was_ brave, he had to give her that... and not _easily_ cowed, either. He was beginning to see that shewas also intelligent... if a bit of a novice at understanding other people's motives.

Reno, on the other hand, had him figured out within minutes when they'd first met... a trait which aggravated the Shinra heir to no end. It made the bastard near-impossible to insult because he was perfectly aware that, for the most part, there was no real venom behind any of it. In fact, Rufus was fairly certain the redhead enjoyed their constant bickering almost as much as _he_ did. It made him truly irritating to be around... and at the same time, oddly entertaining.

Rufus fell in line behind his guardian, keeping a close eye on where she found her handholds or placed her feet. The climb was getting difficult... and he wasn't too proud to concede – at least to himself – that in this, she knew better than he did.

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" He doubted the invective was going to do much of anything to slow him down, but it made him feel slightly less out of control. At last, Reno was able to breathe a sigh of relief, as his fingers finally found something to grip on the crumbling incline. For a second there, he was absolutely certain that he was in for a very painful ride.

The climb down the steepest part of the cliff had ended up being much easier that he'd thought it would be... it was when he'd reached the half-way point that things had gotten a little dicey. On the upper section, the rock had been steep, but solid. Handholds were plentiful and easy to find, and though his uninjured shoulder had started to ache from the exertion and it had been painfully slow-going, his confidence in making it in one piece had increased exponentially as he'd worked his way down.

And then he'd hit the lower section.

It wasn't nearly as steep here – in fact, a person could almost have simply walked down the incline – but it was crumbling and treacherous. Every movement set off a tiny landslide that threatened to sweep his feet out from under him. A few moments ago, one had finally done just that, sending him sliding.

Reno lay on his side, small sharp-edged rocks digging uncomfortably into his skin, trying to decide on his next move. His fingers were already starting to hurt from clinging to his current handhold, and the muscles in his arm burned, exhausted. He couldn't just stay like this forever... but he wasn't exactly confident that he wouldn't just continue to careen to the bottom if he simply let go. He really couldn't find much purchase beneath his feet, and he still had another thirty or so feet to go before he reached the ledge where the wreckage of the helicopter had come to rest. Reno sighed... there really wasn't anything else for it.

Bracing himself, he forced his fingers to release their hold on the rock.

"Gah... son of a bitch!" he swore, as the sharp little rocks that covered the slope raked his exposed skin. He was almost beginning to wish he _hadn't_ sacrificed his shirt to keep his injured arm strapped tightly against his chest.

He'd left his jacket behind, as well... for one thing, it would only have been in his way for this. For another... he'd opened a small cut on his arm and left the scent of blood on it for the zenenes to find. He wanted to give them a reason to follow him and not the others. Besides which, he mused, the miniscule protection it might have offered probably wouldn't have made this all that much more enjoyable, anyway.

He managed to keep his sliding descent mostly controlled, though there were a few times he tumbled, once even going head over heels and painfully jarring his shoulder, and by the end of it, he was pretty sure he'd be one giant bruise in the morning. Finally grinding to a halt at the base of the cliff, he groaned and picked himself up.

"Well, that sucked," he muttered, making his way toward the wreckage. It was just as battered as he felt – and a little upside down – but in surprisingly decent shape, all things considered. More importantly, it was stable here, having come to rest against a large, solid boulder that had kept it from going any farther down the mountain. Which was fortunate for him, since he fully expected to be seeing more zenenes sniffing around before long, and there wasn't much else in the way of shelter down here.

As he worked his way around the copter, the tail rotor caught his eye. The redhead ran his hand carefully over the scorched and twisted metal, eyes narrowing.

"Ah, shit. That's all we need..." There was always the chance he was wrong, of course... but he'd seen his share of mechanical failures piloting the various incarnations of Shinra's helicopters over the years. This didn't look like a failure to him. And it also explained the loud _boom_ he'd heard just before they'd gone into that spin. This had all the hallmarks of a small, targeted explosive device. And if he was right, then it was no accident they'd nearly ended up a smear on the side of the mountain. Though the question was, had the sabotaged craft been intended for Rufus, or had it been meant for the president, and his son just a target of convenience?

He'd have to worry about that little detail later, however. Right now, there were more pressing matters to deal with. Reno squeezed through the partially open door in the side of the downed aircraft, and wrenched it shut behind him. Or at least as shut as he could get it... it was too damaged to close completely. He tied it off with some cabling exposed by a twisted wall panel. If they wanted to have him for lunch, Hojo's little pets were gonna have to work for it.

Relatively safe for the moment, he took a look around the small space. It was a little odd, standing on the ceiling of the passenger section, looking up at the floor. He knelt down, tossing aside a seat cushion and some other rubble, smirking as his fingers closed around the cold metal barrel of a shotgun. Rufus really _had_ been armed.

He'd never been overly fond of the vice president's preferred weapon. He didn't particularly favor firearms in general, but shotguns had always struck him as ungainly and inaccurate. Reno was of the opinion that Rufus ought to learn to shoot properly... not just blast anything in front of him with buckshot. He understood Tseng's reasoning, though. A shotgun was inaccurate at long distances, but extremely effective, with minimal skill required, at shorter ranges. And Rufus was, to put it bluntly, not a Turk. He couldn't be expected to fight like one. Anything that could save his life was acceptable, and the easier to use, the better. Reno set the weapon near the door. In this instance, he was actually glad for it. Drop a couple of zenenes with something as noisy and destructive as that thing, and it might make the rest of them think twice about getting too close... for awhile, at least.

He shoved some more debris out of his way, and squeezed into the cockpit. Things were a lot more mangled up here, and it took some effort to even _find_ the radio... and when he did, it didn't look too promising. But... he was here. It wouldn't hurt anything to give it a try. He switched it on, and flinched as the panel sparked. Much to his surprise, though, the power light and transmission indicator stayed lit. He shrugged and picked up the headset.

"This is Shinra Helo One requesting assistance. Does anyone read me?" He scowled as a painfully loud burst of static assaulted his ears, before repeating the transmission a second time.

"... Reno?" a voice answered, and though the interference was pretty bad, it wasn't hard to identify.

"Oh, good... We're not gonna die after all," he responded with a grin, "Tell me you're already in the air, partner."

"We are. Where are you?"

"On the side of a damn mountain," Reno replied, "North slope. Rufus insisted on takin' the scenic route, so we're a little farther east than we really should be."

"Heading that way now," said Rude.

"Make it quick... We've got a zenene pack huntin' nearby. I'm still with the copter, but 'Lena 'n Rufus are – _shit_!" Reno had to shield himself from the sudden shower of sparks that erupted from the panel. Moments later the smell of burning electronics filled the air and it went dead. With a sigh, he tossed the now useless headset onto the ground. "'Least they know where to look..."

That was something, at any rate. Nothing left to do now but wait.

* * *

This was as good as it was going to get. It was going to have to be... he couldn't go any farther. Not only was he physically exhausted, the rocks had become nearly sheer. Even the Turk looked like she'd decided enough was enough... thank Odin.

And besides that, their current position was actually not terrible. There was a ledge some twelve feet up that jutted out over them, shielding them from above, and there was very little in terms of places a zenene could approach without them seeing it well in advance. Rufus looked down. They were several hundred feet or more above where they'd started, and he could still make out the wreckage below that... though there was no sign of the other half of his escort.

He suddenly heard the woman beside him groan in frustration.

"I can't believe I still don't have a signal all the way up here..."

Rufus tried his own PHS and smirked. It was faint, but it was there.

"I do... barely."

* * *

Tseng was still scanning the terrain below for any sign of the executive helicopter when he felt the familiar vibration of the phone in his pocket. He pulled it out thumbing open the notification. The mountainous region and the rich veins of mithryl that ran beneath it wreaked havoc with cellular signals, so voice communication was spotty at best in certain areas. But a text message would keep trying until it broke through. The message was a simple one... a pair of numbers. Coordinates from the phone's GPS. Tseng let a small smile cross his lips. Say what you would about Rufus... the man certainly couldn't be faulted for lack of intelligence.

"I found him," the Turk leader said over his headset.

"Then let's go get him," Rude responded.

* * *

Reno had cleared an area and settled back against the wall of the aircraft, keeping a close eye on the door. So far he'd been lucky. None of the creatures had come to investigate. He just hoped that _didn't_ mean they'd decided Elena and Rufus looked more appetizing.

He shook his head, banishing the thought. Elena would be fine. She could take care of herself. Hell, she was probably a lot safer than _he_ was at the moment. Even if the zenenes did go after them, by now she had to have found a position where she had an advantage. And Rufus might not be a Turk-level marksman, but he'd never been prone to panic. It didn't make him the best backup in a fight, but he wasn't an automatic liability, either. She'd be okay.

Still... he wished _he_ were there to watch her back.

The redhead shifted position, cringing as his body protested. He'd been sitting still too long... muscles were beginning to stiffen in retaliation for the earlier abuse. Reno forced himself to his feet and stretched as much as he could. He typically preferred showers, but at the moment, he wouldn't have said no to a long, hot bath to soak out the full-body ache that was rapidly creeping up on him. He grinned to himself... maybe if he asked nicely, Elena would join him.

It was odd how easily he was settling into this whole relationship thing. He'd been completely sincere when he'd agreed to it, but the more he thought about it, the more he worried that maybe Elena had been right. Maybe it _was_ asking a lot to give up the freedom he'd enjoyed for so long. It certainly had been a little disconcerting at first, turning down offers that normally he would have jumped at. Hell, usually women didn't even have time to hit on _him_... he generally beat them to it.

He still occasionally worried that he wouldn't be able to resist falling back on old habits... and how deeply that would hurt Elena if it happened... but he was slowly finding that other women didn't hold quite the same appeal to him they once did. Not that he didn't still appreciate a pretty face and nice figure... it was simply that he appreciated Elena's more. And the rather bizarre – for him, anyway – fact that it wasn't _just_ a physical attraction only served to make her that much more enticing. He was hers, and he wanted desperately to keep it that way.

A loud snuffling sound outside of the helicopter interrupted his thoughts, and the redhead froze, listening. A low growling hiss told him they knew he was there. Reno fell into a crouch, weapon drawn. They hadn't found the door yet, but it was only a matter of time. Sure enough, a few seconds later, claws met metal as the zenenes began to look for a way inside.

He moved closer to the door, as quietly as he could, hefting Rufus' shotgun. It was going to be a bitch to fire one-handed... particularly with only the use of his non-dominant hand. He'd seen Rufus do it a few times while showing off, but the thing had a hell of a kick to it. The first set of snapping teeth appeared at the gap in the doorway, and Reno braced himself as he took aim and fired. The force of the gun's kickback left the shoulder he'd braced it against stinging painfully for a few moments. The zenene's head virtually disintegrated, spraying the area around the door with blood. He readied himself for the next target.

The zenenes however, seemed to have other ideas. They descended upon their fallen packmate, and began to tear the carcass apart. Reno grimaced and looked away briefly. The sight was gruesome. He'd known they were vicious... but no one had ever bothered to mention to him that they were cannibalistic as well. He crept closer to the door and raised the shotgun again, picking a new target, farther off. If they wanted to eat each other, he was only too happy let them.

Reno's eyes widened as he got his first unimpeded view of the pack. There were a dozen of them, easy... and that was just what he could see. He could hear more around the other side of the helicopter, as well. His sidearm's clip held fifteen rounds, and he'd used three during the zenene's first attack. He checked the shotgun... six round capacity, of which he'd already fired one. Not good. He had enough to take down the ones currently in front of him... and that was assuming he didn't miss any shots... but he had no idea how many more might be lurking out of sight. He had his EMR, of course, but that would require getting a lot closer to those things than he really wanted to do and making himself vulnerable.

One of the zenenes suddenly spotted him and charged, and Reno had only seconds to adjust his aim and fire. It howled in pain as the shot tore through it's powerfully muscled shoulder, but it didn't go down. The creature was angrily clawing at the opening by the time he fired again, and this time it dropped.

 _'So much for making every shot count...'_ he thought, annoyed with himself. If he managed to get himself out of this, he was going to make it a point to get in a little more practice time on the range in the very near future. Even right-handed with an unfamiliar weapon, he should have been a better shot than that. Apparently, he was getting rusty.

He switched to his own gun, saving the remaining shotgun shells for an emergency, and picked out his next target.

* * *

Rufus sat, arms crossed, against the cliff face, watching the young Turk. She, in turn, was watching the mountainside for any sign of unwelcome guests. When he heard her gasp, he was on his feet in seconds.

"What?"

Elena shook her head and pointed. "They're surrounding the helicopter."

Rufus peered down... it took him a moment to actually find them, they were so hard to see against the rock. But eventually he spotted movement far below.

"There's so many..." the woman breathed.

"Be glad they're down there and not up here," he advised. The size of the pack was daunting. It was difficult to accurately count them from so far away, especially with them moving around down there, but Rufus put their numbers at close to twenty. If those things came for them, they'd easily be overwhelmed even _with_ a relatively advantageous position.

"Reno's down there." He could hear the concern in her voice over her teammate... and to at least some extent, he shared it. The redhead may have been an obnoxious pain the ass and Rufus doubted very much that his loss would have any particularly profound affect on him personally, but he had no _desire_ to see him dead. As he'd said earlier... he didn't _hate_ the man. If nothing else, he was a valuable employee and, occasionally, an entertaining distraction.

"Unfortunate for him," Rufus replied, "But there's little we can do from here."

A shot rang out from below and the zenenes were thrown into a brief frenzy. One of them must have gotten a little too close to where the Turk was hiding. It took him a moment to realize that the shot hadn't frightened them, though. No... they were converging on something. Their fallen pack member, he assumed. Well... that was a little disturbing.

A second shot, and then a third, followed in quick succession. And then a new sound, almost a sporadic popping... which, he was eventually able to recognize as gunshots as well, but from a much smaller weapon. It didn't last long.

"Twelve... That's all he would've had left," Elena said, clearly more to herself than to Rufus. He hadn't hadn't even thought to count. His own weapon held six shells... and he surmised that the first shots they'd heard had come from it. That didn't leave the Turk with much to work with. If he'd planned on responding to the woman, however, it was quickly forgotten as a far more welcome sound greeted his ears. Elena heard it, too, and her gaze quickly shifted skyward.

He had to admit... he felt nearly as relieved as _she_ looked when the helicopter finally appeared from behind a peak. And he imagined that at least one of the occupants was just as relieved to see _them_. Tseng _did_ have a habit of worrying. The aircraft beelined for them, coming to a stop and hovering several yard above their heads. A ladder tumbled from the open door.

Elena reached for it, pulling it in closer.

"Sir..." she said, gesturing for him to go up first. He wasn't about to hesitate.

It was harder than it looked, climbing a swaying ladder hundreds of feet in the air, with nothing but certain death awaiting him if he slipped, but he managed. When he at last reached the top, he was hauled aboard by Tseng.

"Are you injured, sir?" he asked.

"No."

The Turk leader nodded and turned to his subordinate, pulling her in as well. "What about Reno?"

"He's inside the other helicopter," she replied, hurriedly, and the note of concern in her voice was even more apparent than before. "He's in trouble... the zenenes!"

"Rude, get us down there. Now."

Rufus found himself being unceremoniously pushed into a seat and strapped in. He didn't raise a complaint... He knew better than to interfere with Tseng when he was focused on his job. The Wutaiian Turk lifted a rifle from a rack above the door.

"Elena, take the other side," he ordered. The woman nodded and hauled open the door on the opposite side of the craft, before drawing her own weapon.

* * *

Reno took out two more of the creatures before the last of his ammunition was spent. The shotgun was empty and so was his own gun... and the zenenes were still coming. He'd decreased their numbers substantially, though not be as much as he'd wanted to. Ultimately, he'd killed nine, and wounded two more. Unfortunately for him, there were still several more out there... and they were now far more interested in getting to _him_ than eating their fallen friends.

Claws ripped at the door, shredding his make-shift lock, and he backed up against the far wall to avoid the creature as it swiped at him. His mag-rod was already in hand and he swung at the appendage. The zenene hissed at him but wasn't deterred by the shock. Reno's eyes widened. That had been the weapon's highest setting... the contact had been brief, but it should have _at least_ stunned the damn thing.

The zenene wedged its body into the gap, forcing the door open wider, preparing to attack. Reno did the same, though he wasn't too sure of his chances. When it suddenly dropped to the ground, though, he could only stare for a moment in confusion.

It wasn't until he heard the sound of rotors cutting the air over the growls and hisses of the zenenes that he understood what had happened and moved to look out. The Shinra logo on the side of the hovering copter was almost the most welcome sight he could imagine seeing... the only thing better was catching sight of Elena perched on one of the skids, firing at the creatures surrounding him. Tseng was doing the same.

Without warning, however, one of the bastards slipped past their defense, forcing its way into the helicopter and tackling Reno to the ground. He cried out as it's teeth closed on his thigh, and soon he found himself being dragged underneath the downed aircraft. The EMR was out... shocking the hell out of that thing while it had ahold of him would only cause him to injure himself as well. Instead, he went for the eyes, gouging at them with his fingers. It only seemed to enrage the creature farther.

Several more gunshots rang out and the injured Turk felt the pressure on his leg release. The zenene dropped him and turned toward its attackers, only to fall in a hail of bullets.

"Reno!" Elena was suddenly beside him, and it occurred to him that she almost had to have jumped from the copter to have reached him so quickly. It was only just now coming to a rest in a clear spot some distance off.

"Cuttin' things a little close there..." he said, grinning weakly as he pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned back against the wreckage. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain as he tried to move his leg. It didn't feel broken, but the shredded flesh, along with his recently-dislocated shoulder, was going to land him on desk duty for awhile he was sure. "You okay?"

"I'm fine..." Elena said, with an odd sort of sobbing laugh, as she stripped off her jacket and pressed it against the bite wound on his leg, " _You're_ the one who looks like he just walked out of horror movie..."

"Heh... Mountainside of Teeth and Claws? I'd watch the hell outta that..."

"Don't tell me..." a voice said, and Reno saw Tseng walking towards them, "You let Rufus pilot again..."

The redhead managed a laugh in spite of pain. "Boss, believe me, I learned my lesson on that a long time ago. I _really_ don't have a death wish."

Tseng knelt beside him, looking him over. "Elena... get the first aid kit from the helicopter," he said, taking over applying pressure to the wound. As the rookie hurried off, he turned back to Reno. "Any injuries besides the obvious?"

"Nah... I was actually doing pretty okay 'til that fucker decided to take a bite outta me. That's the worst of it, I think. How's Rufus?"

"Perfectly fine, though, I think, much more eager to return to Junon than he was this morning," the Turk leader replied, chuckling softly.

"Think you might wanna add some extra security from here on out."

"I doubt, after today, he'll be as quick to disappear on us."

Reno shook his head. "Not what I meant. It was no accident we went down when we did. Someone sabotaged us. Check out the tail rotor... if that's not the result of very small bomb, I'll finish off my entire backlog of reports soon as we're back in Midgar."

"You'll be doing that anyway, unless Ward clears you for field duty," he replied gently, before glancing back toward the rotor. Elena returned at just that moment, Rude in tow, and Tseng left him in their care while he went to see the damage for himself. She ripped apart the redhead's torn pant leg to better tend to the bite.

"Fuck, 'Lena... I know you're happy to see me, but ya don't have to tear my clothes off..." he teased. She rolled her eyes, and carefully lifted his leg to wrap a bandage around it. "'Sides... I'm pretty sure poor Rude saw me showin' more than enough skin yesterday..." he added, laughing when Elena's cheeks went pink. Rude tried feebly to cover his own snickering with a cough.

"I swear to Shiva, Reno... I don't care how incredibly relieved I am right now that you're alright. One more comment like that, and you can _walk_ back to Midgar," the rookie threatened.

* * *

Reno stayed just long enough in the medical suite for Dr. Ward to clean and dress the wound on his leg, and properly tend to his shoulder. Then he'd beat a hasty retreat back to the Turk's offices as soon as he had his treat in hand... a treat he was presently enjoying as he lay on the couch by the window while Elena held his head on her lap, playing with his hair.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with you," Tseng said, looking serious, despite his lieutenant's less than professional demeanor. "It was almost certainly a small explosive device that brought you down. I've dispatched a recovery team... they've been instructed to look for any evidence of the bomb for analysis. In the meantime, I've doubled the security on Rufus... he's not pleased."

"What makes you think Rufus was the target, sir?" Elena asked, "Isn't it more likely that whoever set it was after the president?"

"That's entirely possible. But then, we can't be certain _when_ the bomb was planted. And it would be far easier to have done so while the helicopter was unguarded in Kalm than while it was on top of the most secure building in the city."

"... And odds are good it was set off remotely once they knew you were in the air," Rude added, "Which means they had to be watching... so they had to have known who was on board."

"Doesn't mean Rufus needin' a lift back to Junon wasn't just a happy accident for 'em." Reno's voice was tired and a little slurred... and Elena wondered if Dr. Ward had given him something for the pain while he'd been down in medical. He didn't seem quite himself.

"No... it doesn't," Tseng agreed, "Which is why I've also placed additional security on President Shinra and his wife, and put building security on a level three alert."

"We got any idea who might be behind it?" Reno asked.

"A very tentative lead, courtesy of one of Rude's informants... but the evidence is circumstantial at best. Enough for me to want him questioned as soon as possible, though, certainly. That's a matter for tomorrow, however." Tseng paused a moment, studying his second-in-command. "You look as though you could use some rest."

"Tch... Ward fuckin' jabbed me with a painkiller for my shoulder. It's finally startin' to kick in and it's makin' me sleepy as all hell. Maybe a little loopy, too. Actually, I'm kinda likin' it right now..." He blinked somewhat owlishly and cocked his head to one side. "Um... also pretty sure I'm hallucinatin' just a little. Either that or Rude just grew a second set of ears..."

"I see," he said, chuckling softly, "And I suppose Ward also told you that you should go home before it took affect. And you opted to ignore her advice, as usual."

"... It's... a distinct possibility," the redhead admitted, and the Turk leader rolled his eyes.

"Go home. Elena, I assume you were already planning to make certain he gets there in one piece at the end of the day?"

"Er... yes, sir," she replied. Tseng nodded.

"Go ahead and take him, then. Rude and I can manage for what remains of the afternoon on our own."

Reno groaned as he sat up. "If I were a little less beat up, I'd bitch about you thinkin' I need an escort just to make it home to bed. Just 'cause I might be _slightly_ over-medicated..."

"Slightly?" Elena cut in, incredulously.

"... doesn't mean I can't take care of myself," he finished.

"Hmph... Reno, you're high as a kite," Rude was quick to point out, smirking, "I'll bet you ten gil right now you don't even make it down the hall without help."

"You're on!" the redhead declared, and stood up. Which promptly resulted in him staggering, off-balance and falling back onto the couch. "That... didn't count."

Elena giggled and dragged the redhead back to his feet, holding him up this time. "Come on, you. Time for bed." Reno grinned somewhat lecherously, but the rookie hurried to cut off the inevitable response. "Don't you _dare_ say it."

The redhead's face fell in disappointment. Elena sighed softly. He looked like a wounded puppy, and she just couldn't stand it. She finally cringed a bit and said it for him, her cheeks flushing. "Besides... At this point I don't exactly think they need you to paint them a picture..."

Reno's grin quickly returned, and he wrapped his good arm around her. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love that color on you?" he asked, letting his fingers trail along one side of her face.

Tseng took hold of Reno and gingerly pulled him off of her. "I think perhaps I should accompany you to the parking deck. Whatever Ward gave him, seems rather... potent."

Rude snickered loudly and shook his head. "Guy can drink anyone and their brother under the table and come back for more, but dose him with painkillers and he can barely walk..."

"Tch... I can walk just fine," he insisted, pulling away from Tseng, and nearly toppling forward. Rude moved swiftly to catch him. Reno laughed. "Fine... fuck it. I admit it. I'm useless right now."

Rude slung him over a shoulder. "You'll be at it until quitting time if you let him walk..." he said in answer to Tseng's raised eyebrow. He carried him out of the office, heading for the elevators.

"Is... he going to be alright?" Elena asked, concerned.

"He'll be fine once he comes down," Tseng replied, "Ward generally tries to avoid giving him anything even remotely mind-altering for precisely this reason. Oddly enough, Rude's right. He has no tolerance to narcotics at all, and after the initial novelty wears off, he doesn't particularly enjoy the effect. He must have been in considerably more pain than he let on if he allowed it. You intend to stay with him tonight?"

"Yes, sir..."

"Good. I doubt he'd admit to it, but I think being so thoroughly out of control frightens him a bit."

Elena nodded and hurried off after the other two men.

* * *

By the time Elena's car pulled into the parking lot, Reno was asleep... or unconscious. She wasn't entirely sure which. He'd somehow managed to curl up on the seat, in spite of his injuries. Though, she mused, he probably wasn't feeling much of anything at the moment, so the injuries may not have mattered too much. She shut off the engine and walked around to his side of the car, opening the door.

"Reno?" she prodded him, shaking him gently. He mumbled something incoherent, and turned away from her. Elena sighed, and shook him harder. "Reno... wake up."

"Huh?" he managed, opening his eyes at last.

"Come on... I didn't bring Rude with me and _I'm_ not carrying you," she said teasingly. The redhead blinked slowly, as though trying to process the request.

"... 'Kay." With a little help, he got to his feet, and Elena guided him into the building.

"How do you feel?" she asked as they rode the elevator up.

"Startin' to regret lettin' Ward give me this shit..." He nuzzled her, and let his arm find its way around her again.

"You didn't want her to?" she replied, not really shocked after her short conversation with Tseng.

"Mmm... Kinda hate feelin' like this. But I figured you wouldn't just leave me, and it _is_ kinda nice not to hurt for awhile, so I let her talk me into it," he murmured. Reno suddenly looked up, concerned. "You're _not_ leavin', right?"

"Of course I'm not." The elevator arrived at their floor, and she walked him toward the apartment, opening the door. "It'd be a little hard to leave, anyway. Where would I go?"

The redhead looked around, confused. "This isn't my place..."

Elena giggled softly, and ushered him inside, shoving the door shut behind them with a well-placed kick. "No... It's mine. You're staying here... with me."

Reno managed a smirk. "If you were expectin' somethin' from me tonight, 'fraid you're gonna be disappointed. Don't think I'm up for that sorta thing right now..."

"Oh, just stop and get into bed," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Heh... Someone wasn't payin' attention."

"And I thought your jokes were bad when you're sober..." She helped him into the bedroom, setting him down on the bed. By the time she had him undressed and tucked in he was already dozing off again. Elena leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, and stroked his hair back. "Goodnight, Reno..." she said, softly, heading for the door.

"You said you weren't gonna leave..." a panicked voice called after her. The rookie turned back, surprised to see him suddenly very much awake again and watching her intently.

"I-I'm not. But I was going to sleep in the guest room. I always end up... you know... cuddling you in my sleep," she said, blushing a little. It was true. She inevitably woke up clinging to the redhead in the morning. It was damn near instinctive. She'd done it even _before_ they were together. "I didn't think you'd appreciate that, as sore as you're probably going to be in the morning."

"You can beat me senseless in your sleep for all I care," he replied, swallowing sharply, "Just... don't leave me alone right now, okay? I don't feel right, and... and it kinda freaks me out."

Elena move back over to his side, settling on the edge of the bed. "Alright... just calm down," she said, soothingly, "I'll sleep in here, if that's what you want." It was still early... far earlier than she would normally have gone to bed, even after a rough day at work. She got the distinct impression that he wasn't going to sleep well without her, though. She mentally shrugged... it wasn't as if going to bed a little early would kill her. And more importantly, Reno needed her.

Elena changed out of her uniform and slipped into bed beside him. The redhead pulled her close almost immediately, coaxing her head down onto his uninjured shoulder, and she felt him relax.

"Sorry..." he whispered.

"For what?" She couldn't even imagine what he thought he had to apologize for.

"I'm bein' a pain in the ass..."

Elena let her fingers wander teasingly across his chest, earning a contented sigh from him, and giggled. "Reno... I kept you up for almost four days straight with night terrors and constant paranoia, and you think _you're_ a pain in the ass because you don't want to sleep alone tonight? I thinkI can tolerate you being a little needy for a few hours. I don't mind taking care of _you_ for a change."

Reno pressed a kiss against the top of her head, and settled back against the pillows, letting his eyes close.

"'Lena?" he murmured sleepily.

"Hmm?"

"I think you might be the best thing that's ever happened to me..."

~fin~


	34. Recovery

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 34: Recovery**

 **by Desha**

"Not again..." Elena sighed. Reno shrugged, and shouldered his pack.

"Sorry... but orders are orders."

"This is the fifth time..." she pointed out, clearly annoyed. "I'm starting to think Tseng has it out for us."

Reno snickered and took her hand, gently raising it to his lips. "Pretty sure he doesn't." It _was_ getting a little aggravating, though. This was, indeed, the fifth time he'd had to break a date with her in barely two weeks. The first time had been a little unavoidable. He hadn't been in any shape to go out after being rescued from the mountain side.

The other four... those were the ones that were starting to tick him off.

First, it had been a dinner date that had been derailed by an emergency call... which, naturally, had turned out to be a false alarm initiated by an overzealous security guard at President Shinra's residence.

Then, their whole weekend... a weekend he'd _planned_ on taking her to a fair in Kalm... was over before it had even started, because of Rude's network of informants. One of them had located the man they'd been interested in talking to in regards to helicopter crash that had ruined the couple's _previous_ date. Reno had been sidelined, as Ward had not yet cleared him for field work, while the rest of the team spent the better part of two days futilely chasing after the target, only to lose track of the bastard when he'd disappeared into Wall Market. They had reluctantly broken off the pursuit and fallen back into a holding pattern, waiting for him to surface again. Thus far, not even Lira had yet heard anything regarding his whereabouts.

And just two days ago, their rescheduled dinner date had to be called off due to Elena unexpectedly being needed to replace Tseng as Juliet Shinra's personal security for the evening... She'd refused to allow a male to accompany her on the premise that she didn't want to give _any_ sort of credence to her stepson's accusations of infidelity. Reno got the distinct impression that the tantrum had been all for show... but she was the president's wife, which meant she got her way.

And now tonight was shot, too. So much for Petrified Zolom. Now that his injuries were healed... or at least healed enough that he'd been cleared by Medical to do something more than sit at his desk all day... he was heading for Junon until Friday to babysit Rufus while additional upgrades were made to the vice president's security.

It was becoming frustrating... and not _just_ because of the canceled dates. It had also been close to _three_ _weeks_ since they'd last had the chance to be intimate. Elena had flatout refused another lunchtime rendezvous, apparently permanently traumatized by the last time... and since the discovery of sabotage on the helicopter, they'd _all_ been putting in extra hours, which often led to them leaving work too tired to want to do much of anything that required more effort than lifting the TV remote. Not that the redhead had never gone that long – or considerably longer – without sex before. He wasn't a nymphomaniac, for fuck's sake... but, his relationship with Elena was new, and new left him feeling so very eager to experiment and explore.

Beyond his own sexual frustration, though, he felt bad for Elena. _He_ didn't really care how they spent their time together – though he certainly had a few ideas... Reno was just happy to be in her company, regardless of what they ended up doing. But he knew that _she_ wanted to be romanced once in a while... something he was more than willing to do if it would make her happy, but all of the opportunities for things like that had fallen through lately.

"I'll make it up to you," he continued, "We'll do somethin' this weekend. Promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she replied, pulling away and turning her back on him.

"'Lena..." He frowned, hurt by the cold reply.

She sighed again, and turned back to face him. "I know... I'm sorry. It's not _your_ fault. I just want to _finally_ spend some time alone with you! It seems like all we've been doing lately is running ourselves ragged chasing shadows. We've hardly had any time to ourselves."

"Come're," he said softly, pulling her into his arms. His fingers comfortingly stroked her hair as he held her, before gently tilting her chin upwards to kiss her.

"I suppose I should have realized this would be an issue sooner or later," a voice interrupted.

Elena jerked slightly in his embrace, surprised. Reno snickered quietly... he'd already noticed the Turk leader's silent and unassuming approach before the man had spoken. Apparently, Elena hadn't.

"Relax, boss... I'm headin' out right now. No need to personally drag me outta 'Lena's arms..."

"Actually, I came to ask you to wait, as I had decided to come with you," said Tseng, "I don't entirely trust Rufus to listen when you tell him to stay put in his quarters... He's been in a decidedly foul mood since the increase in security, and I don't think it wise to leave him unattended while you're sorting out the new changes. I doubt he'll take off again, but given the way the two of you typically interact..."

"He's not gonna just sit around and behave himself for me, is what you're sayin'," Reno finished for him.

"Essentially."

"'Kay, so when are we leavin', then?"

Tseng smiled. "We're not."

"Uh... Wanna run that by me again?" the redhead asked, confused.

"You're taking Elena instead... whom I trust can be ready to leave for Junon in a timely manner?"

"Y-yes, sir!" The rookie grinned widely and darted out the door to gather what she'd need for a couple of days out of town.

"And as for you..." Tseng added, turning to his lieutenant with a hint of a smirk, "I expect professional decorum. I will assume you can use your best judgment as to what is and is not appropriate."

Reno grinned. "Are you seriously lecturin' me about behaving myself on an unsupervised, overnight trip with my girlfriend?" he teased, "When the hell'd you adopt, 'Lena, Tseng? Ya sound like an overprotective father who doesn't like the asshole his kid's dating..."

Tseng calmly clasped his hands behind his back, fixing his lieutenant with a steady gaze. "If it's too much of a temptation for you, I can always reconsider," the Wutaiian Turk warned.

"No... No, we'll be good," Reno replied, raising his hands in surrender. "Look... Thanks. I've really been missin' spending time with her since things got so hectic."

"I know. And I hope this helps alleviate that somewhat. We make a lot of sacrifices for our job. This shouldn't have to be one of them. I'll see you both on Friday."

* * *

Rude had to try very hard not to let himself be sidetracked by the gentle but insistent pressure against his lips and the skilled hands slipping inside his jacket as he found himself being pushed, somewhat blindly, into a candlelit room. Fortunately for him, much of the attention ceased once the door closed behind him. Slender fingers still held him by the tie, however, pulling him over to the bed, and the Turk obediently followed her lead.

"I suppose it's too much to hope that this little visit is meant as business for me, and not for you..." she said, flirtatiously.

"... Your message said you'd heard something."

Lira sighed. "You Turks... Get a woman goin' and then all you wanna do is talk," she said, grinning, "Yeah... I heard somethin'. I was expectin' Reno to show up, though."

"He's on his way out of town on another matter. This couldn't wait."

It _used_ to be that Lira would _only_ deal with Reno. She had been slow to warm the rest of them, as, in Wall Market, betrayal of a client's trust could be extremely detrimental to one's finances. Or one's ability to breathe, depending on who you were betraying. It had only been within the last couple of years that she'd come to accept Rude as an occasional substitute for passing along information when the redhead wasn't available... though she still had a distinct preference for her old friend, and, for some reason, remained a bit wary of Tseng. Elena, on the other hand, she seemed to have taken to almost immediately, and Rude really wasn't sure if it was by virtue of her being a fellow woman, or because of Reno's feelings for the rookie.

"Ah, well... Hey, how's he gettin' on with Elena? I haven't heard from him much lately."

Rude smirked. "Hard to say. We've been busy."

"Hmm..." Lira studied him for a moment. "You know somethin' I don't... Spill."

"... I'm just here for information."

"And I'm just _askin'_ for a little information. Seems like a fair trade to me."

The bald Turk sighed, shaking his head as he quickly decided what Elena wouldn't kill him for sharing with the woman. "It's hard to pry those two apart anymore... and he's started calling her his girlfriend."

A wide grin spread over Lira's face, and she gave a little squeal of excitement. "Finally! Ugh... I swear to Shiva, if you'd told me that boy _still_ hadn't worked things out with her yet, I was going to give him such a kick in the balls!"

Rude snorted in laughter. He had a feeling the woman may very well have meant that. "Your turn."

She trailed a finger teasingly down his chest. "It's all business with you, Rude... You're even worse than Reno. 'Least _he_ flirts back, even if he doesn't let it go anywhere when he's workin'." She paused, cocking her head to one side in thought. "Guess I'm not really gonna be gettin' anywhere with him _now_ , workin' or not." She turned her attention back on Rude, a predatory smile spreading across her face. "Hmm... _You're_ still single, though... right?"

He cleared his throat, and tried to back away, only to find that she still had him by the tie. "Lira... the information?"

"Ya know... I've never really been much for the strong silent type, but you're actually kinda cute when you're caught off guard..." she purred. Her fingers caressed his cheek before nimbly stealing his sunglasses, "You have such pretty eyes, Rude..."

"..."

"You _sure_ I can't interest you in a little somethin' while you're here?"

Rude's eyes widened slightly. Lira was almost always a little uncomfortably suggestive – even moreso than Reno could be, much of the time – but she'd never actually outright propositioned him before. He vaguely wondered if her forwardness had more to do with her sudden loss of the redhead to another woman than it did with how pretty she thought his eyes were.

"Oh, _alright_. Be that way," she giggled before he could answer, rolling her eyes. The woman held the ill-gotten sunglasses out to him, and Rude quickly took them back before she changed her mind, slipping them back into place. "Your guy's been hangin' out at a boarding house in the residential area last few days... paid off one of the girls here to let him crash and not say anything. He took off this mornin'. Headed up to the Plate. Told her he's got a sister up top he needs to pay a visit to. Guess the way he said it musta scared her a little, 'cause she came straight to me after he left, knowing I'd been askin' around about him."

"... Thanks." He awkwardly plucked the end of his tie from her grasp, and straightened it before standing.

"Whoa, now... wait a minute, honey. Don't get me wrong, I'm good, but I don't think I've ever had a customer walk out of here in under five minutes," Lira said, pulling him back down onto the bed next to her. "I've got a reputation to think of. Don't want anybody gettin' the wrong idea 'bout what we've been up to in here, now do we?"

"..."

* * *

"Better..." Reno commented as Elena maneuvered the aircraft so that the skids of the helicopter touched down on the helipad.

"You know something? I think this new model's actually easier to land than the old one."

"Wouldn't surprise me... I've been beggin' for an upgrade for somethin' like three years now. Military gets all the cool shit, n' we get their fuckin' hand-me-downs. Too bad we gotta give this one back once they replace the executive copter."

"You could always crash the old one, too..." she teased.

"... 'Lena, don't go puttin' ideas like that in my head. I'm just crazy enough to consider it," the redhead laughed, releasing himself from the safety harness and moving to open the door. "And anyway... havin' somethin' that'll do ninety percent of the work for ya is great and all, but I kinda want you to learn to do it yourself, first."

"I guess..." Elena stepped down from the aircraft. "Wow... I can never get over how much bigger this place is than it looks like from the air."

Reno shrugged. "Yeah. It's got nothing on Midgar, though. Not even when ya take into account lower Junon and the reactor."

The pair walked along the flight deck, heading for the main administrative building. That was where, if he was actually doing what he was told for once, they would find Rufus.

"I've never been down to lower Junon..."

"Eh... It's kinda just a nicer version of the Slums, really. Not as fallin' apart, though, and the people that live there aren't _quite_ as jaded. I'll take ya down, if you want... assuming we get some free time while we're here. They've got some decent shops down there."

Elena broke into a fit of giggles, and for a moment couldn't stop.

"What?" Reno asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"It's just that... I've never had a boyfriend who offered to _voluntarily_ go shopping with me before."

Reno snickered. " _I've_ never had a girlfriend before. I don't know any better."

"W-wait... you've never had a girlfriend?" Elena asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Nope."

"But... what about Lira? I always kind of thought..."

"Nah... Me 'n Lira have always had more of a friends with benefits kinda thing goin'. We were never really together. I mean, I guess there was a while where she was the only person I was sleepin' with, but that was more 'cause I was an inexperienced kid who was just glad to be gettin' some," Reno said, mildly amused by her curiosity.

"So... I'm really your first girlfriend? Ever?"

"Yeah... why?"

Elena smiled warmly and and took hold of his hand. "I don't know... It just makes me feel a little bit special, that's all."

"Come on... You were already special. That's _why_ you're my girlfriend." He suddenly groaned as he realized what he'd just said. "Tseng was right. I _am_ startin' to sound like a fuckin' romance novel. 'Lena, if this gets any worse, please promise me you'll put me out of my misery... I don't wanna spend the rest of my life talkin' like everything I say was written by some lonely forty five year old woman fantasizin' about gettin' laid."

"No way," she giggled, "I like romance novels, remember?"

"Oh, dear Ifrit, I'm doomed..." he replied with an exaggerated moan. Elena grinned, gripping his arm and pulling him along. He laughed slightly. "Hey, go easy on that arm... I only got rid of the damn sling yesterday, and I do _not_ wanna have to explain to Ward how I managed to dislocate it again already. You in a hurry or somethin'?"

"The sooner we get started, the sooner we can take a break. And the sooner _you_ can take _me_ to lower Junon."

Reno shook his head, chuckling. "'Lena... I'm just as anxious as you are for some down time, but keep your mind on the job right now, will ya? It's important. 'Sides... if Tseng starts thinkin' that we can't be professional when we're together, I can guarantee ya that I'll be stuck handlin' out of town missions with Rude from now on instead. He's happy for us, but there are limits to what he'll tolerate."

"I know..." she said with a sigh, and fell back into step beside him. She snickered quietly as they stepped through the doorway. "Weird... Usually, _I'm_ the serious one."

"Heh... ya just can't get enough of me, that's all," Reno teased, "I know, I know... I'm impossible to resist. It's a curse sometimes."

The rookie rolled her eyes. "Oh, give me a break..."

* * *

Rude had notified Tseng of their target's apparent intents before he ever boarded the train back to the Plate. The Turks leader was already en route to the Shinra residence to check on the president's wife. He leaned back in the seat, arms crossed, deep in thought.

He'd been doing quite a bit of digging on their target, one Jessup Malloy. A demolitions expert in Shinra's military for nearly four years, he'd been injured after a charge exploded early, costing him his right hand and the vision in one eye. Shinra had paid the rather hefty price tag for an advanced prosthetic to replace the missing limb, but Malloy had ultimately left the military and moved on to a civilian job in Urban Development's construction unit, often being floated to offsite mako reactor projects that required the removal of large amounts of rock or other debris before construction could begin.

Malloy's father, as it turned out, was also Juliet Shinra's father, Jessup having been the product of an affair the man'd had in Kalm. The affair had come close to destroying the marriage of Juliet's parents, and her father eventually paid off his mistress and sent her and the baby away to Mideel, preferring to try and salvage his first family. He'd been involved in a fatal car crash three years later... Juliet had been only five at the time.

When Malloy had been fired for assaulting his supervisor a year ago, he'd simply disappeared. Rude had been unable to find any trace of him in Midgar during that time up until he'd met with Avalanche, looking to join and been turned away. His best guess was that he'd left the city to plan... whatever it was he was planning. Disgruntled employees could be unpredictable.

He had also been thoroughly unable to uncover any evidence of contact between Juliet and Jessup. It was entirely possibly that the woman didn't even know she _had_ a half-brother, though he wasn't quite willing to stake his reputation on that. Lira had even implied that Malloy intended his sister some sort of harm... which, given that his father had essentially tossed him aside in favor of her, wasn't an outlandish notion by any means.

Still, though, Rude wasn't willing to dismiss the possibility that Juliet was involved with him in some way. Rufus' accusations of gold digging _did_ have merit. The young heir might not have had proof of her cheating on his father, but Juliet certainly wasn't in love with the man. She was in it for the money and power, plain and simple, and, frankly, Rufus was really her only obstacle at this point. And he'd made it clear that he wasn't especially willing to share. It gave his step-mother quite the motive to try and take him out... and an arrangement with her half-brother would give her the means to do so, as well.

Right now, though, that was all conjecture. Rude had no proof of anything. Hell, he couldn't even say with any certainty that Jessup Malloy was even involved in the attempt on Rufus' life, though he'd long ago learned to trust his instincts on such matters. And right now those instincts were telling him that Malloy was someone who, at the very least, needed to be detained and questioned.

The train finally arrived at the station, and Rude disembarked, making his way through the lunchtime crowd. Tseng had requested he meet him at the Shinra residence as soon as possible. He didn't intend to keep his superior waiting any longer than necessary.

* * *

"Oh, wonderful... It's you two again," Rufus commented dryly, glancing up from the book open on his lap. The same one, Elena noted, that he'd been reading when they'd found him in Kalm. She vaguely wondered when he'd managed to retrieve it from the crash site. "If you're planning another helicopter ride for this afternoon, you can count me out."

"Aw... and I was gonna let 'Lena do the flyin' this time," Reno responded, and pointedly ignored the other man's snort of contempt. "Relax. We're just here to oversee the security upgrades. Heh... well, _I'm_ here to oversee the security upgrades. 'Lena's here to babysit."

Rufus scowled at the Turks second-in-command, and closed his book, setting it aside. "Watch your tone, _Turk_. I may be exiled, but I am still vice president of Shinra, and I can always have you demoted to building security..."

"Yes, sir," the redhead said, though he didn't seem overly concerned by the threat... which only further annoyed the executive. "In that case, I'll leave you in Elena's capable hands and head out to see how badly they're screwin' things up downstairs." He flashed Elena a grin as he turned to go, before dropping his voice to a whisper. "Try not to kill him."

If Rufus heard the comment, he chose to ignore it. The rookie shook her head, somewhat aghast at Reno's overly casual treatment of company's second-highest-ranking executive.

"Well?" the blond man broke in on her thoughts once he was gone, "Don't just stand there like a worthless lump. If I'm stuck with _you_ for company today, I intend to make good use of you."

"S-sir?" Elena queried, uncertainly. He pointed at the desk that sat in the center of the office space.

"I detest paperwork. And since I seriously doubt that you'll be doing anything other than sitting around pining for that redheaded manwhore of yours, _you_ can take care of it for me. I want it sorted by department, then by priority. If it doesn't need a signature, file it. Anything that appears to require immediate attention, set aside, and I'll see to it later this afternoon. I assume you're capable of managing such a relatively simple task as that?"

The rookie's eye twitched and she had to bite her tongue before she said something she knew she'd regret. "Yes, sir," she finally replied, taking a seat at the vice president's desk, and picking up the first sheet on the pile. It seemed to be a memo from reactor maintenance detailing the most recent inspection of the facility... which it had passed with flying colors. Informational only. Nothing that needed attention. She set it aside to file.

Rufus, meanwhile, settled back into his chair and returned his attention to the book.

* * *

The first thing Rude noticed as he approached the Shinra residence was that the elaborate gate that kept the general public from getting too close to the family's home was unlocked and hanging slightly open. His eyes narrowed behind tinted lenses and he drew his gun, just in case. It wasn't like Tseng... or the security personnel for the house, for that matter... to leave things unsecured.

He closed the gate behind him before making his way cautiously up the driveway on foot, keeping to the cover of the hedges that lined it. He paused just long enough to send a short message to Tseng's PHS... coding it just to be sure that no one else could understand it. There had been no reply by the time he reached the front door. Rude frowned and skirted around towards the back of the residence. Even a fresh rookie wouldn't have been foolish enough to walk in the front door under such circumstances.

When he encountered no security on the grounds, he began to worry. Tseng had insisted on regular patrols and a visible presence. He should have seen at least a guard or two by now. Suddenly the back door was looking almost as unappealing as the front. He glanced upwards, eying the second floor balcony above him, and internally groaned. He was _not_ a climber... Reno was much better suited for that sort of thing. In fact, the redhead probably would have already been up there in the time it took Rude to consider what a pain in the ass getting _himself_ up was going to be.

But... it was by far the safest point of entry. Rude shook his head and slipped over to the side of the building.

* * *

He really should have insisted on lunch first. Skipping meals was never good for him, and he would have finally had the chance to sit down with Elena for a little while if they'd gone for something to eat beforehand. But no... he'd been in a hurry to get started on this, simply because he knew that the longer these guys were left unsupervised, the more work he'd end up having to do in the long run... and he really _did_ want to make good on his offer to take Elena down to lower Junon later.

Reno sighed as his stomach growled at him again, and turned to direct the maintenance personnel installing the new security cameras to point them at the doors... not the fucking wall.

"Come on, man... I don't wanna be stuck doin' this all day anymore than you do, but at least _pretend_ like ya give a shit," he muttered, irritably. After this, they still had the main entryway, and the executive residential wing... as well as Rufus' office. Rufus' private quarters were being outfitted with an updated alarm system, and the office would have a panic button installed. To be honest, Reno thought the whole thing was a bit overkill... Junon was already about as secure as secure got. As long as the vice president didn't take off to parts unknown yet again, he was probably even safer here than he would have been in Midgar. Personally, he was beginning to think implanting a tracking device in the son of a bitch would have been far more efficient. Or hell... put the little shit on a leash.

Tseng hadn't been too keen on that idea, though. Unfortunately.

Which left Reno here in Junon. His orders were to oversee the upgrades... and that's was he was going to do. He still wished he'd grabbed something to eat first, though. It was past time for lunch, and dinner was a long way off.

To be fair, though, that was only a minor inconvenience. On the whole, he couldn't have asked for an easier assignment, which he had to admit, was a nice change of pace. Thanks to Elena, he didn't even have to deal with Rufus today, for the most part. He grinned slightly to himself at the thought of her having to put up with the snobbish executive all afternoon, and wondered if he'd return to find them at each others' throats. He was pretty sure Rufus would play his usual little game of insults and threats, winding the rookie up until she was ready to punch him in that smug face of his. He half-hoped she'd actually do it... though he didn't envy her having to explain _that_ to Tseng.

Reno was _actually_ rather fond of Rufus, truth be told... but he wasn't above seeing the bastard taken down a peg or two every once in awhile. For all his cold aloofness, the vice president could occasionally make for decent company, as long as you kept in mind that he didn't really mean half of what he said to you. Rufus _lived_ to provoke. And he'd been trying to provoke a reaction out of the redhead for years... mostly to no avail, because Reno had figured out his game a long time ago and generally refused to rise to the bait. It had resulted in an interesting relationship between the two, involving mutual bickering and an unspoken acknowledgment of some level of respect on both sides. Reno usually found it more entertaining than annoying... though there _were_ times when he just wasn't in the mood to play.

He was fairly certain that Elena didn't quite know _what_ to think of the vice president yet. She was used to people being more direct with her. Her early days as a Turk aside, none of the team ever went to any great lengths to mask there intentions around her. Rufus, on the other hand... sometimes it was hard, even for the redhead, to tell what his motive _really_ was. Reno, admittedly, enjoyed trying to puzzle it out. Elena wasn't nearly as fond of mind games, however, and if the executive held true to form, he was probably already getting on her last nerve.

* * *

Rude silently pushed the balcony door open, and stepped into Rufus' bedroom. The space had a dejected, unoccupied feeling to it... the Shinra heir hadn't been in residence at the family home in months, and his room seemed to have been left largely ignored, save for the occasional dusting by the maid.

As he peered into the hallway, the silence that permeated the huge house made his skin crawl. He'd been here before any number of times... It was never _this_ quiet, even when the family was out. There was always some member of the household staff cleaning or cooking or tending to the back garden. Today, the place seemed abandoned.

And _still_ there had been no reply from Tseng.

Rude frowned and crept down the hall, checking rooms as he went, but finding no one. At last, he came to the staircase that led down to the first floor foyer... and finally caught sight of the Wutaiian Turk.

"No..." he said softly, quickening his pace, his senses suddenly on even higher alert than they'd already been. Tseng sat motionless on the cold marble floor, slumped against the wall. His head hung limply against his chest, long black hair shielding his face. The smell of smoke and sulfur hung heavy in the air. Rude hurried down the stairs, years of training forcing him to instinctively scan the area for threats. Aside from the destroyed doorway leading into the sitting room – and evidence beyond that door of a small but powerful explosive – there didn't appear to be any threat. The pair of them seemed to be alone.

"Tseng?" Rude knelt beside the fallen Turk, fingers carefully reaching for his wrist in search of a pulse. He allowed himself to relax slightly when he found one, strong and steady. The man was alive... but out cold. He left him for the moment, and moved towards the destruction at the other end of the room. In all likelihood, whoever was responsible was long gone. Not many people would stick around to push their luck after knocking out a Turk... but it never hurt to be sure.

Rude pushed aside what remained of the decoratively inlaid door, stepping into the sitting room. The source of the explosion wasn't difficult to find. An expensive-looking table sat several feet in front of the entryway, its top charred. Tseng had almost certainly walked into a trap... the fact the that table the bomb had been resting on was still mostly intact, and that the rest of the room was relatively unscathed, meant that the force of blast had to have been directed almost entirely towards the door. Whether the Turk leader had specifically been the target or had simply had unfortunate timing, he couldn't be sure. All things considered, Tseng was lucky not to have been killed. The explosion had thrown him a good fifteen feet directly into a wall with enough force to knock him unconscious. It could easily have done far more damage.

He swept the room, as well as the ones beyond it, before returning to Tseng. There was no one here... Malloy – if that indeed was who was responsible – had already been and gone. And likely had Juliet Shinra with him as a hostage. Or a co-conspiritor.

Rude had just reached the table again when a soft, but insistent, beeping to his left made him freeze.

"Shit..." he swore and broke into a run. It was too late. The blast came moments later, and Rude's world went dark.

* * *

"Useless... Utterly useless," Rufus muttered, snatching a sheet from one pile and depositing it in another. "I suppose you've been putting _all_ of the requests from lower Junon into the general maintenance pile."

"Er... Y-yes, sir... I just assumed..."

Rufus swept his arm across the desk, knocking the neatly sorted papers to the floor. "Start over," he demanded, "And do it _right_ this time."

That was the last straw. She'd been putting up with his running commentary on her abilities for nearly two hours. She'd _almost_ been finished in spite of it... and now he expected her to start over?

"I am _not_ your secretary, sir," she hissed at him angrily, rising to her feet and staring at him defiantly.

" _You_ are whatever I happen to require you to be. Right now, I require a secretary," the executive replied, evenly, "I think later I'll require a maid. Maybe I'll even order your pathetic excuse for a superior to supervise you while you clean. _Although_... he does have a rather twisted sense of humor. He might actually enjoy something like that. I wonder... is _that_ what attracted you to him? That perverted nature he's so proud of?"

"Leave Reno out of this... sir," she ground out through clenched teeth.

"Hmm... you really are quite defensive of that lazy, idiotic slum rat, aren't you?" Rufus snorted in contempt.

She knew she should just walk away. Rufus was baiting her again, and she was letting herself fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. Hearing him talk about the redhead as though he were beneath him, though... it got to her. Reno might not have been especially sophisticated or cultured, but he was genuine and sweet, and she was really starting to hate it when people put him down.

Before she could respond, however, someone else broke in on the discussion. "I hear someone talkin' about me?" Reno asked, grinning ear to ear. At the sound of his voice, she calmed, as reason finally caught up to her emotions. Rufus looked decidedly irritated by the interruption.

"We werehaving a _private_ conversation regarding company personnel," came the cool reply from the executive.

"Soooo... some _other_ lazy, idiotic slum rat, then?" the redhead prodded, still grinning. Rufus scoffed and shooed Elena out from behind his desk and taking a seat.

"I assume that, since you've decided to once again grace me with you questionable presence, you're done for the day?" Rufus asked, pointedly changing the subject.

"Nope... not even close. The maintenance guys are waitin' on some more cabling from Midgar, though. Can't do much more without it. Should be here in an hour or so. 'Sides... I'm starved and 'Lena's gotta be, too, by now."

"Of course you are," the executive said, in a dismissively dry voice.

"If there's nothing further, sir?" Reno queried, smirking slightly. Elena found herself growing rapidly more and more confused. The redhead seemed to alternate between overly-familiar and professional, seemingly at random. Rufus, meanwhile remained as stuck up and snappish as ever, but acted as though the Turk's responses were perfectly acceptable and expected. She _really_ didn't get it.

Rufus waved a hand, dismissing them, and Elena found herself being guided towards the door. Once they reached the hallway, she could feel the soft trembling of Reno's silent laughter against her side as he walked her to the elevator. She held her tongue until the doors slid closed behind them.

"That doesn't _bother_ you?" she finally cried in frustration, and Reno burst out laughing. It took him several seconds to recover, and by the time he did, they'd arrived on the ground floor.

"What are you talkin' about, 'Lena?" he asked, innocently. The rookie glared at him. "Okay, okay... Look... I've told ya before. Rufus isn't so bad. He just likes to fuck with people. Takes some gettin' used to, that's all."

"He called you a lazy, idiotic slum rat," she pointed out, shaking her head in response to Reno's attitude. The redhead shrugged.

"Ah, he always calls me a lazy, idiotic slum rat... actually, that's one of his more mild insults. He's got much better ones than that."

"And that _really_ doesn't botheryou?" she asked, incredulously.

"Might... If I actually thought he meant anything by it. It's all a game to him. Best way to beat him at it is not to let it get to ya... 'cause that _seriously_ annoys the crap outta him. I play along 'cause I _like_ annoyin' the crap outta him."

Elena stared at him disbelievingly. "You're a complete lunatic."

"Have I ever denied that?"

"Reno..."

"Hey... if he wants to play games with me, then I'm playing a few of my own in return. And anyway... the guy's a dick, but he's not _really_ as big a dick as he lets on. Think about it. If that stick were really as far up his ass as he acts like it is, I'da been skinned alive years ago. Rufus is _far_ from harmless... but if you can earn even a little respect from him, he can be a powerful ally."

"I'm not sure his respect is worth the effort," Elena muttered. Reno frowned slightly and and studied her for a moment.

"Don't write somethin' like that off so easy, 'Lena. It's good to have friends in high places. Good to have 'em in low places, too, for that matter."

"I guess," she sighed, "He's just such a... a..."

"Dick. Trust me, that's the word you're lookin' for," the redhead said, grinning widely, "Truth is, though, right now I think he's mostly just bored and lookin' for something to keep himself entertained. He really doesn't have much to _do_ here and he's one of those people who _hates_ not havin' anything to do. Don't let him get under your skin too bad. And seriously... I know it's tempting, but don't kill him."

Elena sighed and shook her head, allowing a small smile at that. "I'll try. So... how bad is the airbase cafeteria?"

Reno pulled her tight against his side and kissed her on the cheek. "Not _nearly_ as bad as the Shinra Building cafeteria. But I promised you a trip to lower Junon... so whaddya say we hit up a nice little cafe I like down there instead?"

* * *

Rude's ears were still ringing faintly when he woke up. Everything was pitch black. He groaned quietly and tried to force himself to his feet... only to discover that he was securely bound.

"Are you alright?" a familiar voice queried from the darkness.

"... Think so. You?"

"Aside from feeling very bruised and more than a little foolish, I'm fine," Tseng responded. "I assume you're also restrained?"

The corner of Rude's mouth quirked upwards into a smirk. You'd almost think this was a daily occurrence the way the Turk leader was reacting to being tied up in a dark room, not knowing where he was or what was planned for him. He pulled at whatever was binding his wrists behind his back. It bit painfully into his skin. Wire, most likely. That was going to be tricky to get out of without doing some nasty damage.

"Yeah... I am. Any idea where we are?"

"The basement, I suspect... though I woke up much as you did, so it's really only a guess."

"What happened?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, I... rather stupidly... let myself be lured straight into an obvious trap," Tseng said, and Rude could hear the self-directed disgust in his voice. "I'm more than a little disappointed in myself. Juliet called out for help and I responded. I should have known better than to rush in like that."

"Malloy?"

"I never saw him, but I assume so, yes."

Rude frowned to himself. If the woman was calling for help, that certainly made it harder to believe that she was involved in whatever was going on. On the other hand... she could just as easily have intentionally baited Tseng into coming after her. He shook his head, trying to clear the lingering disorientation from the explosion. He was suspicious by nature, but Juliet Shinra had him second-guessing himself at almost every turn. And of course there was one question it was impossible not to ask himself.

"Why aren't we dead?" he voiced aloud.

"Mmm... that _is_ the question, isn't it? I can only surmise he has some later use for us. Though I, for one, don't plan on being here when he returns."

Rude heard the other Turk shift positions, followed by a soft string of unfamiliar Wutaiian... which judging by the tone was nothing complimentary. A loud snap echoed in the darkness, accompanied by a somewhat pained grunt.

"I suppose it would have been asking too much for him to have simply used our handcuffs. It would have made this far less unpleasant."

"Out of practice, Tseng?" Rude asked, finally realizing what the other man was doing. It was a technique Veld had insisted on teaching his protege that involved dislocating one's thumb in order to slide out of a particularly tight wrist restraint. Rude had never managed it himself... the last time he'd tried, he'd _broken_ his thumb. That had been the end of his attempts.

"I was never very good at this, if you'll recall... despite the fact that Veld always made it look rather effortless. Ah... That's got it."

There was a quiet shuffling, and then footsteps, and moments later the lights came on overheard. Rude blinked in the sudden brightness, made even more uncomfortable by his lack of sunglasses.

"As I thought... the basement," said Tseng, who was now standing beside the light switch at the bottom of the stairs as he flexed the fingers on his left hand, assuring himself that everything was back in its proper position. He moved toward his fellow Turk, intent on releasing him as well. Once both men were free, Tseng reached for his PHS... only to find that it, along with everything else he'd been carrying, was gone. Rude quickly made the same discovery.

"Seems he was thorough," he commented, annoyed more by the lack of his favorite accessory than his other missing possessions.

"Let's check the house. It's unlikely Malloy would remain here, but perhaps he left behind something that will point us towards where he's run off to with his sister."

"Should we call Reno and Elena back to Midgar?"

Tseng shook his head. "We can handle this on our own. I'd prefer to have them close to Rufus, just in case."

Their reconnaissance of the house proved fruitless, however. In the end, all they discovered were several dead security guards and a badly traumatized maid locked inside one of the upstairs closets. She had only been able to tell them that a man had attacked her and shut her in. Her description matched that of Jessup Malloy, but beyond that little bit of confirmation, she had nothing useful to offer. In the end, they'd left her in the care of a neighbor and turned their attention elsewhere.

Rude and Tseng made their way swiftly down the long driveway, emerging onto the street. The Wutaiian Turk suddenly stopped short, one hand instinctively going to his right pocket. Rude was surprised to catch the angry twitch of one eye.

"Something wrong?"

"He took my car," the Turk leader ground out. Rude's eyes widened slightly. Tseng wasn't an especially materialistic man... in fact, his home was downright spartan by most people's standards... but if there was one possession he truly valued, it was that car. Rude remembered vividly the one and only time Reno had... _borrowed_... it as a teenager. He'd never been forthcoming about what his punishment had been, but when Rude had jokingly suggested doing it again, his friend had vehemently refused to even consider it.

"Guess I don't have to ask if taking him alive is a priority," Rude replied. He was only half kidding.

* * *

Lower Junon wasn't quite what she'd expected. When Reno had described it as a nicer version of the Slums she'd pictured the same somewhat despondent and hopeless scenery she'd become used to in the underside of Midgar. Not the rundown yet welcoming little village she discovered when the pair of them stepped off of the massive elevator platform from the city above.

It wasn't exactly bustling with activity, but people were out and about, shops stood with their doors open invitingly, and a soft breeze blew in from the direction of the ocean. Reno led her along a pebble-strewn pathway between two buildings, finally emerging in a little courtyard lined with tables.

"Reno?" a soft, lilting voice called out, "I haven't seen you in months!"

Elena's eyes instinctively sought out the source of the greeting, at last falling on a tiny woman with short shoulder-length strawberry blond hair. Well... tiny in all respects but one.

"Uh... how _many_ months, exactly?" Reno asked, a little nervously. The woman giggled and made her way over to the pair of them.

"More months than I've been like this," she said, patting her protruding abdomen. "Don't worry... You're not even in the running for responsibility for this little guy."

"Fuck, Abby... give a guy a heart attack, why don't ya?"

If she hadn't felt so awkward coming face to face with one of Reno's previous lovers, she would have laughed at the look of sheer relief that came over his features.

"Oh, believe me... when I told him, I think I nearly did. We're getting married in a few weeks!" she replied, excitedly, before dropping her voice to an almost conspiratorial tone, "So... if you were dropping by hoping I might keep you company tonight, sorry. I'm not on the menu anymore."

"Just here for lunch. I'm... not _exactly_ available anymore, either, actually."

" _You_? _You_ finally found someone to keep you honest? I have to meet this miracle worker sometime..." Abby teased.

Reno grinned and nudged Elena forward slightly. "You're lookin' at her. Abby, meet Elena."

"Um... hi," the rookie said, a sudden shyness gripping her.

"Hi!" the woman laughed, shaking her head, "Wow... I can't believe someone finally managed to pin him down. What's your secret?"

"I-I... I don't really..." Elena began, flushing slightly, "It sort of just... happened." It seemed a little pompous to say that all she'd had to do was ask... even if that was, quite literally, all she'd really had to do in the end. She smiled slightly. It hadn't fully hit her until now just _how_ easily Reno had agreed to give up his womanizing habits for her.

"I'll bet _that_ broke a few hearts back in Midgar..." Abby said, giggling, "Well, come on... I have the perfect table for you two!"

They were quickly ushered to a table off to the side of the courtyard, partially screened off by a trellis inundated with twisting vines. Tiny blue flowers were just coming into bloom along the vines, giving the air the subtle scent of spring. Abby left them with menus promising to return shortly for their orders.

"Was _not_ expectin' to see Abby... uh... expectin'," Reno chuckled. Elena looked up from the cafe's offerings and smirked.

"Well, that _is_ sometimes what happens when men and women get together, you know..."

"Yeah... I know how things work, 'Lena," he replied, snickering. "Scared me for a second, though... I couldn't actually remember how long ago we last hooked up. I mean, I'm careful but... things happen."

"Worried there might be some little Renos running around somewhere?" Elena prodded, only partly joking. Like he'd said... things _could_ happen. She hadn't actually considered that possibility before today... and she wasn't quite sure how she should feel about it.

Reno shook his head. "Not especially... Just caught me off guard, is all. And freaked me out a little..."

"So... I guess that means you don't want children?" she asked, hesitating a bit. It wasn't as if she were overly anxious to start a family herself or anything. Her career was important to her, and she intended to put everything into being a Turk for as long as she could. But that didn't mean she'd couldn't possibly picture herself as a mother... under the right circumstances.

"Well, I definitely don't want 'em this afternoon..." the redhead laughed.

"Sure... but... _have_ you ever thought about it?"

Reno blinked, apparently caught off guard for the second time since they'd arrived at the cafe.

"I... uh... H-have you?" he stammered, suddenly nervous.

"Well, I definitely don't want 'em this afternoon," she parroted, before turning a little more serious, "... but... I don't know. Maybe. Someday. So... has it ever crossed your mind?"

Reno gave her an awkward shrug. "Not really... I mean, not beyond havin' the goal of _not_ gettin' someone knocked up."

"Oh..." She could certainly understand. And she'd never hold it against him. It was a huge decision to make, especially given how dangerous their lives could be. But still, Elena had to admit... she was a little disappointed hearing him say so.

"I'm not sayin' I wouldn't," he quickly added, "Just... that I've never given it much thought. I always kinda figured on bein' a bachelor for life. And I'm not such an asshole I'd ever wanna leave some girl on her own with a kid, so... " He shrugged again, trailing off. He smirked suddenly, and fixed her with an amused gaze. "I know I'm kinda new at the whole boyfriend thing, but do _most_ women make a habit of bringin' up the idea of havin' kids witha guy they've been seein' for all of three weeks? Or is it just you?"

Elena felt her cheeks blaze furiously, and she ducked behind her menu. "T-that's not... I wasn't trying to... to _imply_ anything!"

The redhead placed a finger at the top of the menu, gently nudging it down. He smiled, eyes locking onto to hers. "No fair hiding... You know I love seein' you blush. And I don't get to see it nearly enough now that most of my jokes aren't so much jokes as they are suggestions for the evening..."

The rookie rolled her eyes, and forced herself not to laugh at that comment as she went back to studying the menu. "So... what's good here?" she asked, in a not-so-subtle attempt at changing the subject before her face actually managed to catch fire from the heat it was generating... and thanked her lucky stars that Reno hadn't taken her line of questioning for anything more than the idle curiosity it was meant as.

"Everything. Abby is Junon's Rude... minus the sunglasses and Shadow & Sword obsession," Reno replied, grinning widely.

Elena snickered quietly. "Does Rude know you've been cheating on him with another chef?"

"Ha. Ha," the redhead dryly responded, before adding with a wink, "... and no. He doesn't. So don't ruin my side action."

* * *

"Turn left," Tseng instructed. Like the Turk leader, Rude had discovered that his keys were missing. His truck, however, had still be right where he'd left it. It had taken him a few minutes to hotwire it, but now the pair of Turks were on their way across the Plate. Juliet still kept an apartment in Sector 4... with no other leads, that seemed as good a place as any to start. And it was on their way back to the office...

Tseng had no intention of recalling his two absent Turks, but he wanted to at least keep them in the loop. That required a replacement for his PHS, and _that_ required returning to headquarters. Replacing both men's weapons was also a priority... as, unfortunately, was reporting Mrs. Shinra's disappearance to Heidegger and the president.

"That's it, up ahead," he said, "Pull around to the back of the building. There's little sense in advertising our presence on the off chance they actually _are_ here..."

Rude turned down a side street and parked. As he and Tseng made their way inside, he couldn't help but wonder if this was wise.

"If we know about this place, what are the odds Malloy does, too?" he asked.

"I suppose that would depend on how long he's been watching her," Tseng replied, "Whether they were in contact or not, it seems clear that Malloy, at least, has known about her for some time even if she didn't know about him." Rude had been thinking along the same lines.

"Then we should be careful walking into that apartment," he said. "I don't feel like getting blown up twice in one day."

They took the stairs to the fourth floor, avoiding the elevator and main corridors. Rude made short work of the door's lock, and cautiously stood to one side as he turned the knob. The door swung inward and...

Nothing.

The two men stepped inside. The little apartment was empty, but clearly that hadn't been the case earlier. It had been ransacked... drawers pulled out and emptied of their meager content, closets open, furniture upholstery shredded... Whatever Malloy had been looking for here, he'd certainly been thorough. And, Rude thought, it stood to reason that he'd found it. They hadn't seen this level of destruction at the Shinra family manor.

"Interesting..." Tseng murmured, picking up a photo in a shattered frame on the floor. The frame had cracked, leaving the image hanging halfway out. It's edge had been folded over.

The visible portion showed Juliet Shinra as a young child standing on a beach, looking out at the ocean in a yellow swimming suit, next to a young man. Rude could only assume it was her father. Tseng pulled it from behind the broken glass and unfolded the other half of the snapshot. An olive-skinned woman with pale blond hair sat on a beach blanket gazing up at the pair, a boy of two or three held on her lap.

"That's not Juliet's mother, is it?" Rude asked.

"No... it's most certainly not," the Turk leader replied grimly. "It seems her father didn't severe ties with his mistress after all."

"What's going here, Tseng?" He was having a hell of a time reconciling everything. And he was no closer to determining whether Juliet Shinra was a victim or a threat than he had been several hours ago.

"I don't know..." the Wutaiian Turk said with a scowl. "You're certain there was no evidence of her having any sort of contact with Jessup Malloy?"

"None I could _find_."

"But you still suspect?"

"..." The evidence pointed one way... Rude's instincts pulled him strongly in the opposite direction. He never liked it when the two were at odds. "I can't prove anything one way or the other," he finally said.

"But you _do_ suspect."

Rude gave a hesitant nod. It wasn't an accusation he made lightly, but he couldn't deny that the suspicion continued to nag at him.

"As do I," Tseng confirmed. "Let's get back to headquarters... We have some digging to do."

* * *

"We should probably head back up..."

Reno grinned and gave a large seashell a kick as they strolled along the narrow stretch of beach. "We've still got some time. 'Sides... soon as we go back up, I have to abandon you to your fate with Rufus again. You really tellin' me you'd rather not put that off just a _little_ bit longer?"

"Good point," the rookie replied suppressing a groan. It _had_ been a fun little break, though, in spite of the time limit. Abby's food really _had_ been amazing... She'd only been kidding around about cheating on Rude, but she still felt just the tiniest bit of guilt for enjoying it as much as she had, when she knew just how much pride the other Turk took in his own cooking.

When they'd finished lunch, Reno had shown her around a little. They'd finally ended up walking along the shore. Lower Junon was an odd place... overshadowed by the neighboring military installation, and a bit neglected... but pleasant all the same. She could see why the people wanted to stay, even with the air base looming over them. It was strangely peaceful, in spite of the tools of war above. And it was nice to finally be able to spend some time with the redhead without concerns about being pulled away for guard duty or a chase through the slums. She had missed that.

She'd missed _him_ , even though he hadn't gone anywhere.

Elena giggled softly as they wandered along the sandy shore. It wasn't like the beach in Costa del Sol. Here the sand was darker, and coarser, and strewn with smooth pebbles washed up by the surf. "I wonder if Tseng and Rude are having as easy a day as _we_ are?"

"Heh... If they're still waitin' on our target to show his face... which, since we haven't heard otherwise, I'm guessin' they are... he 'n Rude are _probably_ cursin' at me'n my shit handwriting right now for leavin' so many reports in the to-file folder for 'em again..." he said, laughing softly. The rookie elbowed him gently.

"Reno... I _thought_ you were going to try and be better about getting things filed on time..." she scolded him.

"Hey, I _did_ try... but I think I'm allergic."

Elena rolled her eyes at him. "You're 'allergic' to paperwork, huh?" she deadpanned.

"Must be... I feel sick every time I even have to look at it."

"Well then, _maybe_ I need to take you back to Dr. Ward and have her testyou for allergies... You don't mind having a little more blood drawn, right?" she teased.

"Not funny..." the redhead replied, looking concerned at the prospect.

"Wimp," she grinned.

"Bein' concerned about havin' sharp, pointy shit jabbed into your veins is a perfectly rational fear," he countered.

She giggled. "And I suppose being terrified of crying women and holding babies are both perfectly rational, too..."

"Damn right..." he agreed, an amused smirk crossing his lips, "Now quit pickin' on me for it."

She returned the smirk with one of her own. "Why should I?"

Reno snickered and without warning, swept her feet out from under her, taking her to the ground. He cushioned her fall, laying her carefully on the sand and straddling her waist to keep her in place. Elena squeaked in delight as his lips trailed teasing kisses along her throat for a few moments. And then it all stopped. She glared at him, annoyed by the sudden lack of attention.

"'Cause if ya don't... I'm gonna stop doin' this and take ya back up to Rufus instead." He gave her a smug grin and simply waited for her response.

The rookie's arms found their way around him, and pulled him back down. "You're terrible," she giggled.

"Mmhmm..." he agreed, resuming his tantalizing exploration of her neck.

"I thought we were supposed to be profess–" She gasped suddenly and shivered as he nipped delicately at the skin below her ear. "–ional..."

"Lunch is personal time, remember? Too bad we don't have enough of it left to _really_ get into this..."

"Oh, I remember, alright. And if you think I'm _ever_ going to agree to that again, you really _have_ finally lost your mind..." Elena replied, laughing softly. Though even to her own ears, she didn't sound nearly as adamant as she'd intended.

"Not like we have to worry about Tseng and Rude walkin' in on us _here_..." he breathed, loosening her tie and focusing his efforts on the junction of her neck and shoulder.

"No... just potentially the entire town..."

He chuckled and raised himself up slightly, capturing her lips and effectively silencing her protests. Elena let her eyes drift shut, marveling at just how intoxicating the redhead could be and wishing that they weren't expected back so soon. When he finally pulled away, she sighed.

"Time to go," he said, nuzzling her, and Elena couldn't stop the soft whine of frustration that escaped her lips. He grinned as he climbed off of her, and pulled her to her feet. The rookie hurried to brush the sand from her uniform and make herself presentable, groaning internally as she realized just how turned on she was now... and that she had to go back to work.

"You are so cruel..." she snickered, shaking her head.

"That's what ya get for makin' fun of me," Reno said with a wink.

* * *

It had been sheer luck.

Luck that a moving van had cut them off, forcing Rude to brake hard as the traffic signal turned red. Luck that, less than five seconds later, a familiar black sports car came flying through the intersection heading down the cross street. And luck that the occupants of said car didn't notice the two Turks staring after them in varying degrees of disbelief.

Rude had somehow managed to recover first from the shock of so easily stumbling across the target they'd been chasing futily for over two weeks and floored it, running the light and following at a distance.

"I don't think he's seen us yet..." Tseng commented as he watched his car weaving through the traffic on the overpass, cringing as it came just a little too close to sideswiping another vehicle.

"... Is it just me or is he heading for the Shinra Building?"

The sports car took the next exit and Tseng nodded. "It certainly seems that way."

* * *

"What took so long?" Rufus demanded, arms crossed over his chest.

Elena fought the desire to simply reverse course and walk back out the door. Reno had joined up with the maintenance team in the lobby, leaving her to find her own way back to the vice president. "We were only gone an hour, sir."

"Hmph... In _that_ amount of time, the slum rat could have devoured half the food in Junon."

She mentally sighed, and reminded herself of Reno's advice not to let him get to her. "Yes, sir."

The vice president did, indeed, look vaguely annoyed by her lack of reaction... for a moment. The expression quickly shifted to one of barely concealed glee.

"In any case, I have good news for you," he replied, coolly. "My father has at last seen fit to approve at least _one_ of my requests, and ship the contents of my library to my little prison here in Junon. It arrived while you and your less than ideal suitor were off gorging yourselves."

"Why is that good news for me, sir?" she asked cautiously, pointedly ignoring the slight towards the redhead.

"Because you now have the enviable task of unpacking, sorting, and reshelving them in my quarters. I'm certain you'll enjoy it."

Elena's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. That was it? _That_ was the best he could come up with? Putting a few books away?

"Yes, sir. I'd be happy to." She forced a smile just to show him that she wasn't going to play his game anymore. Rufus, however, looked decidedly smug as he headed for the door.

"Follow me."

The rookie obediently trailed the Shinra heir to the elevator, joining him on the ride up one floor to the executive suite. The pair of them stepped through the door, and Elena went still, eyes widening in dismay. When the man had said library, he'd apparently meant it literally.

"I have quite the collection," Rufus commented, as she stood, frozen on the spot. Well over forty large boxes were lined up along one wall. "There should be plenty of space for them. Alphabetically, by author, if you please. And be careful with them. I have a number of first editions and rare volumes that are collectively worth more than your precious redhead's miserable hide... and I won't hesitate to extract compensation for any damages from it directly."

"Yes, sir..." she said. She was _not_ going to let him get under her skin this time. Rufus, apparently not content with merely the idea of her toiling away, planted himself on the window seat across the room to supervise, and opened his book again.

Elena, meanwhile, turned to the first of the boxes.

* * *

Tseng roughly pinched the bridge of his nose, and momentarily closed his eyes. It just _had_ to be _his_ car, didn't it? Rufus had gifted it to him years ago... it was one of a kind, custom built... and a stark reminder of the younger man's rarely voiced gratitude.

"Force him over," he said at last. Rude's eyebrows rose in surprise. Tseng mentally sighed, picturing the damage that would almost certainly result. "Just do it. He has _my_ vehicle and _my_ ID card. That gives him, at the very least, access to our secure parking deck. And if he has another bomb..." He trailed off shaking his head. The car didn't matter. The safety of the company and those in the building mattered.

"... Hope you're not planning to hold this against me..." the bald Turk replied, and accelerated, catching up to the other car. As he pulled alongside, Tseng spotted Mrs. Shinra in the passenger's seat. He frowned. Tseng didn't like the idea of putting her at risk, if she really was innocent in all of this... but on the other hand, letting Malloy get so close to the Shinra Building was a far greater danger. Ultimately, the president was a higher priority than his wife.

"Do it."

Rude jerked the steering wheel to the left, colliding with the side of Tseng's car just as the driver finally realized who they were. Malloy sped up, squeezing past the slower truck – leaving several deep gouges in the car's pristine black paintjob in the process – and darting across four lanes of traffic. The maneuver sent two other vehicles into the median as they swerved to avoid the sports car, and forced Rude to cut off a massive semi to avoid _them._ The semi braked hard and jack-knifed, resulting in several more collisions as Rude tried to keep up with their target.

"Let's at least _try_ not to kill anyone but our target, shall we?"

"You want to drive instead?" Rude asked before turning his full attention back to the road. The sports car was rapidly outpacing them. "How fast _is_ that damn car of yours?"

"Fast enough that we don't have much hope of catching it like this. We need to cut them off somehow."

"Hmph... I can do that," the other Turk replied, smirking, and before Tseng could ask how he planned to accomplish such a feat, Rude peeled off the freeway at the next exit, tires squealing loudly as he took a sharp right onto city streets at top speed.

"You do know this is a one way street, don't you?" the Turk leader asked, cringing at the sound of the horns that were currently blaring at them from several other cars. Cars that were headed straight for them.

"Only need to go a couple blocks."

"And here I always thought Reno was our resident maniac behind the wheel..."

A hard left followed, as Rude turned down an inclined driveway, driving straight towards a metal gate that barred off access to a city maintenance tunnel.

"You can't be serious..."

"They cut straight across. Comes out right where we need to be. Hold on."

Tseng instinctively braced himself moments before the truck collided with the gate, sending it flying wide open and granting them access to the tunnels.

* * *

Fourteen boxes down... Shiva only knew how many more to go. Elena stood up straight for a moment, pressing her hands against her lower back in an attempt to relieve some of the tension. It had been almost three straight ours of bending over, lifting, bending over, lifting... Assuming her spine didn't simply snap in two, she was going to _beg_ Reno for a massage later.

She was sorting as she went, alphabetizing the growing pile of tomes as she pulled each one out of a shipping container. If she ever found out who had packed these boxes, she was going to kill them. Nothing was in any particular order. It seemed as though the books had been packed with the single objective of maximizing the available space. If a book could fit, it had been slotted in, like some unholy game of Tetris. She sighed and opened the next container.

The vice president's interests certainly seemed to be varied... assuming he even read them. Elena had met plenty of people who kept collections like this just for show. But thus far she'd found fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose. As she began unpacking the current box, she realized that nearly half of _this_ batch were written in Wutaiian, the elegant, but unreadable – at least to her – characters standing out on the covers and spines.

'How am I supposed to put _these_ in any kind of order?' she wondered to herself. She flipped one open, hoping for something more familiar on the title page, but as met with more of the same.

"I take it you don't read Wutaiian," Rufus commented, and the rookie startled in surprise. She hadn't noticed him coming up behind her.

"Er... no, sir. I don't." She _had_ actually tried picking up a little of the language shortly after she was promoted to the Turks. She'd been hoping to impress Tseng just a tiny bit... but it had proven far more difficult than she'd thought it would be. In fact, she really hadn't gotten much past basic greetings and a few common phrases before conceding defeat. Written Wutaiian was well out of her repertoire.

"Set them aside, then... I'll deal with them myself once you've finished with the others." He handed her the book he'd been reading all morning. "You can shelve this one as well."

A small smile crept across her lips... She loved this book. Her father had read stories from it to her and her brothers throughout her childhood. She'd even shared several of them with Reno... when she could actually talk him into letting her read to him, that is. She was certain he secretly enjoyed it... but, just like the first time she'd done it – when she'd woken him from a nightmare and wanted so badly to lull him back to sleep – he always complained that he felt ridiculous any time she suggested it.

"Does something about my choice of reading material amuse you?" Rufus' irritated voice cut in on her thoughts. Elena looked up, in surprise. His tone was different somehow... and given that she'd been listening to the man nag at her almost all day now, the change was readily apparent.

"N-no, sir. Not at all," she said hurriedly, "It's just... this is one my favorites."

He stared at her for a moment, as though gauging the veracity of her reply... and for the briefest of moments, he looked almost vulnerable. It was gone so quickly, she was nearly convinced she'd imagined it. Nearly.

"Mine as well," he said at last.

"The Mouse and the Fly was always my favorite story..." she offered, offhandedly, as she placed the old book on the appropriate pile. Maybe a little common ground would smooth things over between the two of them. "I usually ended up fighting with my brothers over it because I asked my dad to read it at bedtime so often..."

"I myself am fortunate to have never had that problem. One of the many benefits of being an only child."

"Your father read them to you, too?"

Rufus gave a harsh laugh. "Hardly." He said nothing more, and returned to his perch. The rookie shrugged slightly and went back to sorting. At least the conversation had been civil, if not entirely friendly. The silence remained, stretching on between them longer and longer. The young executive seemed to have lost interest in her for the moment... something for which Elena was somewhat grateful. If he wasn't talking, she didn't have to worry about losing her temper... though, if she was being honest, it had been slowly getting easier to let his constant stream of negativity roll off her back.

"Your brothers..." he suddenly began. "They're in Midgar, I assume."

She shifted a few books around, wedging volume on birds of Mideel into a nearby stack. "No, sir. My oldest brother lives in Veraheim, with my grandmother."

"And the others?"

Elena silently groaned. She certainly didn't mind having a less antagonistic conversation with the vice president, but this was the absolute _last_ subject she wanted to discuss... especially with the acerbic, cold young man.

"Other... I only have two." She sighed almost inaudibly. " _Had_ two..." she corrected herself, and trying to keep the sadness out of her voice, "My other brother... passed away not long ago."

Rufus didn't respond right away, leaving the rookie to her task for a few more moments.

"... I wasn't aware," he said at last, "My condolences."

Elena looked up, somewhat surprised, searching the man's face for any sign of sarcasm, but found none. He actually seemed sincere, albeit not especially emotional about the revelation.

"Thank you, sir."

"I always preferred having The Lizard King read to me as a child," he said, abruptly switching back to the previous subject, and Elena was glad he didn't seem interested in pressing her any farther about Bel. The vice president paused briefly, apparently debating whether or not to continue. "It... was my mother's favorite to read as well. I have several meetings this afternoon. I assume you can manage on your own without doing _too_ much damage..."

He didn't wait for a reply, instead opting to simply sweep from the room, leaving Elena to stare after him in confusion. It took her a moment to realize that he certainly wasn't talking about _Juliet_ Shinra. It took her several more moments to remember that his mother had been murdered right in front of him when he was just a boy.

* * *

Tseng flinched as they emerged from the tunnels into the bright afternoon sunlight. It had been quite the harrowing ride, and he couldn't help but wonder just how often Rude did this sort of thing, given that he seemed to know the layout just a little _too_ well.

"There!" he shouted, as the sports car came into view. Rude cut the target off, and Malloy swerved, narrowly missing the pickup truck containing the two Turks. The sports car jumped the curb into a parking lot, slamming into the side of parked sedan.

"Still in one piece, at least" Rude commented, glancing at the abused vehicle as they exited the truck.

"Barely." But Rude was right. It held up admirably. And it could be fixed. It would be pricy, but it could be fixed.

Malloy was unconscious, slumped against the driver's side airbag. Tseng forced the passenger side door open, extracting the president's somewhat shell-shocked wife. "Are you injured?" he asked, escorting her away while Rude dealt with Malloy. The woman managed to shake her head in the negative... though he wasn't about to take her word for it. Ward would see to her as soon as they returned to headquarters, and ensure that she really was alright. Malloy, on the other hand... gazing back at his car, he wasn't feeling especially generous towards the man. "What was he trying do?"

"He... he made me go with him! He was going to use meto get into the building," she replied.

"To what end?"

"I... I don't know. He never told me. I was only trying to help him... at first. He's... my brother," Juliet admitted, sniffling, unable to look her rescuer in the eye. "But then, he... he started saying things. About Shinra Company... about h-how they were going to regret everything. And then after what happened to Rufus... I'm sure he did it. I told him to leave me alone. That I didn't want any more to do with him. And then, when he showed up at the house..." She shook her head, running a hand over her eyes.

Before the woman could say anything farther, a sharp cry tore his attention away from her.

"Tseng!" Rude called out from some distance away. The Turk leader turned in time to see him go down, hitting the ground hard as Malloy managed to overpower him. Apparently he hadn't been as unconscious as he'd led them to believe. Malloy drew a gun from inside his jacket, taking aim at his sister.

Tseng didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't armed, and he wasn't close enough to disarm their attacker. He moved in front of Juliet half a second before the gun went off. Almost instantly, he felt the familiar searing pain of metal penetrating flesh. His shoulder felt as though it were on fire as he pushed the woman to the ground. Two more shots rang out, one striking the side of the truck, and the other sending a second wave of pain through his right side. Tseng fell to one knee, one hand pressed to the injury. His vision swam briefly, but he forced himself to stay upright.

When he heard the fourth shot, he was certain it was over for him... until he looked up and saw his fellow Turk pinning the man to the ground, fighting for the weapon. Rude finally forced it from his hand, and slammed Malloy hard against the concrete. He went still. Tseng sank to the ground, relieved, and leaned back against the side of the truck. Rude was beside him momentarily.

"How bad?"

"I think I'll take tomorrow off..." he replied. He had no idea how bad it really _was_ but it certainly, as Reno would say, hurt like a bitch. He was still conscious, though. That was promising.

"... Caught me by surprise," Rude ground out, angrily, as he did what he could for the Wutaiian Turk's injuries before daring to move him.

"Don't worry about me. Get her off the street," Tseng said, nodding toward the woman on the ground beside him. She, at least, seemed unhurt. Just terrified. He, on the other hand, was beginning to feel dizzy... Sleepy. Blood loss, he mused. That wasn't good.

Before Rude could do anything, however, a massive explosion sent up an enormous fireball. The ground trembled with the force of it, and Tseng felt himself being pulled down alongside the president's wife, out of harm's way. When it was over, he followed Rude's gaze towards what was left of Malloy... and the smoking remains of his car.

"Ah. Of course... insult to injury," he managed, before darkness claimed him.

* * *

"'Lena, you would not _believe_ the fuckin' day I've had..." one very irritated redhead proclaimed as he strolled into the staff quarters later that evening. "I don't know if these guys are really as big a bunch of idiots as they act like, or if they were totally screwin' with me all day... but thank _fuck_ that's over."

"So... I guess that means you're not in the mood for a back rub?"

"I'd _love_ a back rub..." he replied, grinning.

"I meant for me," Elena giggled, "But that's okay. Come on over here." She patted the bed beside her and smiled.

"Nah..." Reno crossed the room, and sat down settling himself behind her. His hands rose to her shoulders, kneading gently and eliciting a soft sigh of content from the rookie. "You asked first. Only fair. You can do me later..." He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, before adding, "... and feel free to interpret that whichever way ya want."

"I thought we were supposed to stay professional on this trip..." Elena murmured as his fingers moved lower, teasing out the stiffness in her muscles.

"Only when we're on duty..." he laughed softly, "Fuck, 'Lena... the hell's Rufus had you doin' all day? Feels like one giant knot back here..."

She didn't answer right away, opting instead to sink down onto the bed to give the redhead better leverage. She pulled a pillow toward her, snuggling against it. "Playing librarian..." she said at last.

"Sounds kinky... Should I be jealous?" he chuckled, redoubling his efforts.

Elena turned her head and shot him a half-hearted glare before rolling her eyes. "Yes, Reno... I'm sorry, but Rufus and I are running away together. I'm leaving you."

The redhead snickered and scooped her up, lifting her onto his lap. "Hmmm... Anything I can do to win ya back? Or am I just gonna have to throw myself off the end of the mako cannon in utter heartbreak over losin' ya to that jerk?"

"Well..." Elena began as she wrapped her arms around his neck and urged him closer. Her lips just barely grazed his in a gentle temptation before she pulled away again, smirking. "You could take me to dinner. That might do it."

"Heh... When'd you get to be such a tease, 'Lena?" he asked.

"Consider it payback for this afternoon."

"Guess I really outghta know better than to cross you, by now," he laughed, "So... I'm almost afraid to ask, but how'd _your_ afternoon go? Rufus still alive, or am I gonna be helpin' you hide a body tonight?"

"It really wasn't terrible. He sort of just let me alone towards the end of the day."

"Yeah?" the redhead asked, cocking an eyebrow, "How'd ya manage that?"

"I'm... not exactly sure, to be honest. We got to talking a little about a book we both liked and how his mom read to him like my dad did. And then we somehow got onto the subject of my brothers."

Reno's eyes narrowed somewhat angrily. "He say somethin' that upset ya?"

Elena shook her head. "Actually... no," she replied, "And I was even kind of waiting for it, after I mentioned what happened to Bel. But he didn't. He just... changed the subject. And then he said he had meetings to deal with and headed back to his office."

"Oh..." Reno said, as though it made perfect sense to him.

"Care to enlighten me?" she prodded, curious now.

The redhead sighed, and scratched at the back of his neck, hesitating. "Yeah... uh... it's not exactly common knowledge, but... Rufus' mother. She was about four months pregnant when she was killed. So he didn't justlose _her_ that day."

Elena's breath caught in her throat as she processed that. She'd had no idea.

"He doesn't talk about her much," Reno added, "I'm surprised you got as much as ya did outta him, really. Maybe stay away from that topic in the future. Ya know... unless _he_ brings it up. The guy's cold, but he's not heartless."

"I guess that explains why he took off so suddenly," she said softly.

"It's not always an easy thing to talk about. I should know."

The rookie glanced up at his face, noting the veiled sadness there. "Oh... Reno. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up."

The redhead quietly laughed. "Don't be. I've told ya before, 'Lena... I don't mind talkin' about my mom. But there _was_ a time when I couldn't do it at all without breakin' down completely. So I know how he feels."

"I still I feel like that about Bel sometimes, too..."

Reno laid back on the bed pulling her down on top of him, and held her tight. "I know. Don't be afraid to talk to me, though... if ya ever feel like it. That's Rufus' problem, I think... he really never had anyone. From what I've heard, Tseng did what he could, but there was only so much time he could spend with him after it happened. And the president prefers to pretend she never existed."

Elena toyed with a strand of his hair. "You know... it's a little weird that he's such an asshole to you when you have something like that in common. Does he even know?"

"Oh, sure, he knows," Reno replied, smiling faintly. "It's one of the few lines he doesn't cross when he lays into me."

* * *

The helicopter touched down on the roof of the Shinra Building just after ten on Friday morning. As glad as he was to be home again, Reno had found it difficult to leave Junon that morning... the upgrades had been kind of a pain in the ass, but it had finally afforded him at least _some_ downtime with Elena. Their return to Midgar meant a return to long days, ruined weekends, and exhausted nights after tracking down leads and waiting for their target to show. She hadn't said so explicitly, but he suspected the rookie was feeling much the same. Still... it couldn't last forever. The son of a bitch had to turn up sooner or later.

"So, 'Lena..." he asked, as Elena was shutting down the engine, a playful note in his voice, "Tell me again how I don't have to be jealous of you 'n Rufus..."

She looked up from the controls, and rolled her eyes. "What are hinting at _now_?" she laughed.

"Oh, nothin'..." He released himself from his seat's harness and reached behind him, grabbing his bag, and rummaged through it for a moment. "I was just wonderin' why he asked me to give this to ya when we got back to Midgar..." He finally came up with a small package, wrapped in plain brown paper.

"What is it?" she asked, more than a little confused. Reno shrugged.

"Didn't tell me. Just said to give it to ya."

Elena took the package and slid a finger beneath the strip of tape at one end, carefully prizing it open. The redhead groaned, shaking his head.

"Seriously? Come on, 'Lena... It's not even _nice_ paper. Just tear it..."

"But if I did that, I couldn't torture you like this..." She giggled at the expression of frustration on the man's face. Reno looked as though he was moments from snatching it and unwrapping it _for_ her just to end the suspense. She tried not to look too smug as she forced herself to open it as slowly as possible.

"I hate you, sometimes," he lamented with a dramatic sigh.

"Well, if that's how you feel, I'll just open it later." The rookie calmly folded the partially removed paper back over, and had to bite her lower lip to try and keep a straight face when the redhead's eyes went wide.

"That's just evil."

She smirked and finally gave in, pulling away the paper. Elena blinked in surprise at the sight of the familiar object inside.

"Tell me that's not another romance novel..." Reno groaned.

"No..." she breathed, softly, "It's my favorite book." A very old and rare first edition of it... the same one he'd spent most of yesterday reading. She looked up at the redhead. "Why would he give this to me?"

"Guess that means ya passed the Rufus test.," he said, grinning slightly. Elena eyed him, not quite understanding. "Consider it a stamp of approval. Anyway, you can read your present later. Come on... Tseng's bound to be waitin' on us."

Elena carefully tucked the book into her own bag and followed Reno into the building.

"Think they've even _heard_ anything yet?" she asked. They stepped into the elevator and she pressed the button for their floor.

"Well, I know _Lira_ heard somethin' right before we left. Rude was gonna head down 'n talk to her for me. 'Course if it turned out to be anything important, you'd think he'd've let us know..." the redhead replied, "... Don't make plans for the evening. We're probably gonna be workin' late again."

The elevator chimed, and the doors opened. The two Turks stepped into the hallway, heading for the main office. Reno pushed the door open... and froze.

"Wha–" Elena began, but he quickly turned around and shushed her, then motioned her into the room. She stepped inside, peeking curiously around from behind him and followed his gaze towards Rude's desk. Elena snickered as softly as she could at the sight. The bald Turk was thoroughly passed out, head resting on a stack of folders, sunglasses askew. The rookie glanced towards Tseng office, but it appeared to be empty.

"Workin' hard, I see..." Reno whispered, a slightly maniacal grin spreading over his lips. He calmly sauntered up to Rude's desk, and carefully plucked away the glasses, setting them aside. In one swift motion grabbed the folders and jerked them out from under the sleeping Turk. Rude's head hit the wood with a soft thump. Moments later he sat up straight, suddenly awake and blinking in confusion until the snickering redhead came into focus.

"Rise 'n shine, Sleeping Beauty!"

"... Very funny," Rude replied, rubbing tired eyes. Reno leaned against the corner of the desk.

"What's up? Not like you to be caught sleepin' on the job, partner... Where's the boss?"

"Midgar General."

The grin suddenly fell from Reno face, and Elena gasped.

"What happened? And why the fuck didn't you call me?"

"Tseng was shot. He's fine... relatively speaking. Gonna be on light duty for a few weeks, though. I've been dealing with the mess all night. Haven't slept."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't call," Reno persisted, not sounding too happy about being left out of the loop.

"PHS is in about a thousand pieces at the moment. Tseng's too. I'm still waiting on a replacement. Ward offered to notify you, but Tseng asked her not to. Said you'd just come running home, worried."

"Damn right I woulda... Not like we were real busy in Junon," the redhead muttered, "What the hell'd you two get up to yesterday?"

"Rescuing a kidnapping victim, preventing headquarters from being bombed, taking down a known danger to the company. A typical Thursday, really..." a somewhat tired-sounding voice replied, and Elena jumped, spinning to face the source. Tseng smiled, entirely too amused by the reaction.

"Sir!"

"... You're supposed to be in the recovery ward," Rude stated.

Tseng chuckled, and then flinched in pain. "I was."

"So why the fuck aren't you _still_ there?" Reno asked, folding his arms over his chest. Tseng sank down on the couch by the window and let his head fall back, closing his eyes. One arm wrapped protectively around his abdomen.

"Someone has to keep an eye on you three..."

"Sir, are you sure you should be here right now? You... don't look well," Elena said, worriedly. And the man did indeed look more than a little pale.

"Tch... seriously, Tseng... take a day off once in awhile," Reno added.

Tseng shook his head, with a small smile. "I'm only here for the debriefing with Heidegger and the president. Had it not been the president's wife who was taken, I wouldn't even be here for that."

"No."

"I beg your pardon?" Tseng responded, an eyebrow rising in surprise.

"You're not in any condition to do anything. And that means _I'm_ in charge right now. 'Lena... Give the Doc a call and have her help ya haul this fuckin' workaholic's ass back to the hospital. And make sure it stays there. Rude can fill me in, and then we'll handle –"

"I should have known I'd find yeh here! Yer getting ta be almost as much trouble as _that_ one, Tseng!" Dr. Ward interrupted, storming into the office, and nodding towards the redhead. "Yer barely twelve hours outta surgery. What in the wide world d'yeh think yer doing on yer feet right now?"

"As it happens, I am _not_ on my feet. I am on couch," Tseng pointed out.

"Don't yeh give me that. Yeh know perfectly well what I mean," she warned, and motioned to someone in the hall, "And don't yeh even _think_ I'm leaving yeh here to go and pull those stitches loose, either. Yer going back to bed 'til I say otherwise." Two orderlies shuffled inside carrying a stretcher between them.

"Justinia... I can assure you that I am perfectly capable of –"

"This isn't up for negotiation," she said firmly, turning to the two men in hospital scrubs, "Get him loaded up." She looked back over at Tseng, fixing him with a steely gaze. "I've been dealing with that little troublemaker over there more years than I can count... I've got keeping you lot in line down to a science, so don't yeh dare ta give me any trouble, Tseng Itsudake. Yer going back and that's final. Don't yeh test me."

"Reno... Would you please inform Dr. Ward that I'm fine?" Tseng sighed.

The redhead glanced from Tseng, over to the decidedly cross doctor, and then back to the Turk leader again and smirked. "Boss, if you seriously think I'm dumb enough to get between the Doc and one of her patients, you're in even worse shape then you look," he said at last.

"Rude?"

"Hmph... Don't look at me," the other Turk answered, "I'm not that stupid either."

"And neither is 'Lena, so don't bother askin'," Reno added.

The Wutaiian Turk groaned in defeat – and no small amount of pain – as Ward's reinforcements lifted him onto the stretcher and carried him out. Elena left Reno with a quick kiss on the cheek and then wordlessly hurried after them.

"So... Ya gonna tell me what I missed?" he asked once they were gone.

"Finally caught up with Malloy. Long story short, he stole Tseng's car and we ended up chasing him across half of Midgar before we finally brought him down."

"Damn... Boss musta been pissed when the fucker took off in his car," Reno sniggered.

"I think he may have been slightly more pissed when the car blew up."

The redhead blinked, not sure how to respond to that. Tseng loved that car. He babied it. He barely let anyone else sit in it, let alone _drive_ it.

"Guess I don't have to ask if the idiot survived."

~fin~


	35. Birthday Girl

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 35: Birthday Girl**

 **by Desha**

Elena woke to the sudden absence of her blanket. She shivered slightly at the unexpected exposure of bare skin to cool air.

"Can't... have it..." a voice mumbled beside her, muffled beneath the thick fabric. "Mmph... electric... meatballs..."

The young woman snorted in laughter and sat up in bed, leaning over the cocooned lump next to her. "Reno..." she called out softly, shaking him, "Wake up..."

"Huh?" the lump grunted in acknowledgment, and after a brief struggle to extract himself, the redhead managed to peer out from beneath the sheets. Elena giggled at the confused expression he wore, which she could just make out in the pale moonlight that had made it through a narrow gap in the curtains. "'Lena? What's wrong?" he asked, blearily.

"Oh, nothing... except that I'm freezing because _someone_ stole all the covers."

"Heh... Sorry." He yawned, and untangled himself before finally rolling over and covering her body with his, returning the purloined bedclothes. He grinned and pressed a tender kiss against her lips. "Weird dream... Guess I got a little greedy. Want me to warm you back up?"

Her hands drifted around him, lightly caressing the soft skin along his back. "I wouldn't complain... but _first_ Iwant you to tell me about the electric meatballs... and who exactly can't have them."

"Uh... yeah..." He buried his face against her shoulder laughing. "Like I said... _weird_ dream."

"Not a bad one, I hope..." She brushed back his hair. It hung loose from it's usual ponytail, draping him in wild, untamed crimson. Elena let her fingers make their way to the back of his neck, massaging gently.

"Nah... just bizarre," he replied, closing his eyes and relaxing against her. "That feels fuckin' amazing. Keep doin' that..."

"And what do I get in return?" she teased. This was something she'd only recently discovered. The redhead had a handful of areas that he loved having someone touch. The back of his neck was one of them... In fact, if she kept at it long enough, he'd probably end up going right back to sleep.

"Anything..." he murmured, sleepily. "You can have anything..."

"Anything, huh?" She kept her voice soft, trying not to disturb him too much. He was so cute like this... so relaxed and content.

"Mmhmm... anything..." He was barely conscious by now, his slight weight resting comfortably on top of her. Elena smiled to herself. She'd had only a few boyfriends over the years before she'd met Reno – and only two serious enough to have also been lovers – but none of them had ever made her feel as completely adored as _he_ did.

The rookie's fingers trailed down along his back, stroking lightly along his spine, the way he liked. His breathing gradually slowed, becoming deep and even, and Elena bit back a giggle, not wanting to wake him again. It was ridiculously easy to make him happy. And he asked so little of her.

Elena let herself sink back into the pillows, closing her eyes, intent on rejoining him in a good night's sleep now that she had her blanket back.

She'd just started to drift off when a loud, pulsing tone... exceedingly shrill at two in the morning... jarred them both awake again. It took her a moment to realize what it was, groaning as she groped with one hand at the table beside the bed. Her fingers finally closed around the PHS, glancing at the screen and noting the caller.

"Y-yes, sir?" she answered, failing to completely stifle a yawn.

"Elena?" Tseng's voice answered, sounding slightly surprised. It was only then that she realized...

"This... um... this isn't _my_ PHS... is it, sir?" she managed, feeling an all too familiar heat rise in her cheeks. The redhead next to her in bed snickered softly and plucked the device from her hand.

"I'm guessin' you're lookin' for me. What's up?"

"Get dressed and get to the office, priority one. And since it saves me a call, bring Elena with you."

"Crap..." he muttered, flinging the covers aside. "We're on our way." He ended the call, and staggered blindly across the dark room, flipping on the lights.

"W-what's going on?"

"No idea, but Tseng just gave us both a priority one order to report."

Elena blinked and hurried to join him in hunting for her clothing. Priority one meant no delays... whatever it was, it was important, and couldn't wait. They were expected to drop whatever they were doing and report within fifteen minutes. She'd never received a priority one order before. Her stomach fluttered nervously as she wondered what could have gone so wrong that Tseng needed them there so urgently.

"Where the hell is my bra?" she muttered, dragging on the handful of garments she _had_ managed to locate. Reno had been a little... enthusiastic... earlier in the evening. The various pieces of her uniform had been flung to every corner of the room.

"No idea... and we don't have time for a scavenger hunt, right now. You'll have to go without." He was already mostly dressed, and waiting somewhat impatiently just outside the bedroom.

"Ugh... fine..." she said, pulling on her shirt, and then the holster for her sidearm, followed by her jacket. Her tie, likewise, had vanished to realms unknown, so she did without that, as well. She trailed him out the door, grabbing her shoes and tucking in her shirt as best she could as she went.

* * *

The rookie yawned as they pulled into the parking deck. In spite of the adrenaline, it was still only a little after two in the morning, and she was tired.

The pair of them exited Reno's car and rushed to the elevator, hitting the button for headquarters. Elena caught sight of herself in one of the metal wall panels and rolled her eyes at her reflection, before running her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt at making it look at least somewhat presentable. It was times like this she wished it was longer so she could simply pull it all back like Reno's. The redhead really didn't look _that_ much more ruffled than he _usually_ did, at the moment.

When the doors opened, Elena and Reno stepped out, expecting to find the Turk leader waiting for them in the office. Instead, he greeted them in the hallway, looking undeniably irritated and accompanied by a stopwatch-wielding Heidegger.

"Hmph... Thirteen minutes, fifty-two seconds." the executive stated, "Acceptable."

Reno scowled. "This was a fuckin' _drill_?"

Tseng gave him an apologetic nod and Elena had to force herself not to groan out loud. Reno, meanwhile, looked as though he had a few choice words in mind for their esteemed department head, but wisely held his tongue.

She wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do now, so Elena simply followed Reno's lead, moving to stand to Tseng's left. She frowned thoughtfully at the sight of the Turk leader. He was masking it well, but he was clearly in pain... not surprising, given that he was still recovering from a fairly serious gunshot wound. He was technically still on medical leave for another two days. Apparently, Heidegger hadn't gotten the memo.

It wasn't long before the elevator doors opened again, admitting the final member of their team. Rude exited, and just as the redhead had done, scowled as realization set in.

"Fifteen minutes, seven seconds," Heidegger bellowed, just a little too gleefully, "You're late."

"..."

Anyone who wasn't especially well-acquainted with the man probably wouldn't have thought much of his reaction... or distinct lack thereof. Elena, though, knew him well enough to recognize the stiffening of his jaw and the twitch of an eye behind dark lenses. Rude was definitely not amused.

"And of course you know the penalty for failing to respond to a priority one order on time..." he continued.

"... Yes, sir."

"Gya ha ha! Excellent. You're all dismissed," the executive declared, tucking the watch into a pocket and heading for the elevator. He was still chuckling quietly to himself as the doors closed.

"Um... W-what's the penalty?" Elena asked, nervously. Whatever it was, Rude didn't look too happy about it.

Reno shook his head. "A week as Heidegger's personal office slave. Sucks ta be you, partner. Tch... Seven fuckin' seconds. Ouch."

Rude sighed in defeat. "Elevator at my place is out. Had to take the stairs."

"Unfortunate timing for such maintenance," said Tseng, leaning back against the wall behind him and closing his eyes. His hand rose to his side, pressing lightly against the still-healing injury.

The redhead's attention shifted immediately. "You alright, boss?"

The Wutaiian Turk managed a somewhat forced smile. "Aside from the thirty eight stitches holding things together? Perfectly."

"You should really be in bed, sir," Elena broke in, and Rude nodded in agreement.

"That is _precisely_ where I was, and had intended to stay... right up until Heidegger came and collected me, demanding a surprise drill tonight. I suspect it has to do with the rather unpleasant conversation you detailed to me following our recovery of Mrs. Shinra... He's attempting to look more directly involved with us for the president, I think," the Turk leader said. "In any case, I apologize for having to disturb you so late. Go home. Get some sleep, if you can manage it at this point." He chuckled softly and turned his gaze on Reno and Elena. "Or, barring that... go back to whatever you may have been doing before I so rudely interrupted."

Elena's face reddened, as Rude unabashedly snickered behind her.

"Hmm... Caught in the act again?" he teased lightly.

"No!" the rookie vehemently denied, prompting still more laughter from the opposite direction, as Reno joined in.

"Nah... we were done by then," he said, grinning lewdly, "Weren't we, 'Lena..."

"Oh, for Shiva's sake..." she groaned, "It's not fair when you all gang up on me!"

"Alright, enough..." Tseng snickered, "Go home... all of you. Reno, if it's not too much of an imposition, I suspect that Heidegger is already long gone in spite of the fact that he _was_ my ride. Would you mind?"

"'Course not."

* * *

It was a bit of a detour, dropping Tseng off at home, and the redhead had lingered a few minutes to ensure that he was settled before leaving the injured man on his own. By the time he returned to the car, Elena had moved to the newly vacated passenger seat and was curled up, sound asleep.

He climbed in behind the wheel, and stared at her for a moment. Maybe he was a little biased, but to him, she really was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Sometimes it was still hard to believe she was all his.

Reno grinned and started the engine, heading back to his apartment. She was still out like a light by the time they arrived, and he couldn't bring himself to wake her again. Instead, he opened the door and eased her out, lifting her effortlessly into his arms, and closing it behind him as quietly as he could. He carried her upstairs, nestling her back into bed and crawled in beside her.

Sometimes he truly envied other people's ability to sleep so soundly. Any little movement or sound tended to wake _him_ up unless he was utterly exhausted. Much of it was learned behavior, stemming from self preservation and paranoia. He'd simply spent far too many nights during his younger years in places that were less than safe. He couldn't afford to be off his guard back then. By now, it was deeply ingrained in his subconscious.

Though he _had_ noticed that the more nights he spent with Elena, the less she accidentally woke him up. He wasn't sure if she was somehow adjusting to _him_ and moving less in her sleep... or if he was simply growing used to _her_ being there.

Whatever the case, it was a thought for another time. He was tired, and her body was warm and inviting. The redhead sighed softly and pulled her into his arms, snuggling against her.

* * *

"You're no fuckin' help at all."

"... What do you want me to say?" Rude calmly replied, biting into the lettuce wrap. The cafeteria's offerings were much improved since he'd taken them to task, but he still wasn't quite willing to forgive and forget. He'd brought his lunch from home every day this week, now that he actually had the time and energy to prepare it. He'd also spent far more time than usual dodging the redhead's requests to share because of it... though he wasn't sure why he bothered. He inevitably gave in eventually, and offered his friend a few bites of whatever he happened to have packed.

"Come on, man... I need ideas. 'Lena's birthday is barely a week away and I got nothin'."

"Perfume?"

The redhead rolled his eyes dramatically and swiped a handful of almonds from Rude's lunch. "That's what I gave her for Christmas. Just how much ya think a woman uses? She doesn't _bathe_ in it."

"Never known _you_ to have a problem figuring out what sort of gift to get someone..."

Reno groaned softly and laid his head down on the table in defeat. The worst part was Rude was absolutely right. _Usually_ , he barely had to think about it. He almost always had something in mind well in advance of birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whatever other gift-giving opportunities presented themselves. This time though... this time he was drawing a complete blank.

Christmas had been so easy. He'd spotted the nearly empty bottle as she was tucking it carefully among her most important possessions the night he'd helped her recover them from her rather crispy apartment. It had caught his interest because it had seemed such an easy thing to replace, and there was hardly any left anyway. She certainly hadn't bothered with any other cosmetics... not that she really wore much makeup to begin with. At the time he'd simply filed it away as a minor oddity. It was only when he remembered it much closer to the holiday and had attempted to find the same scent that he'd discovered how hard it was to get. He'd finally had to enlist the assistance of Kel and the man's friends among Midgar's black market dealers... Reno had sworn to himself that he would never admit to _anyone_ just how much he'd spent on that one little bottle of perfume.

But even though tracking it down had taken some effort – and a fair-sized chunk of his paycheck that week – the idea itself had been perfectly obvious. This time, he was at a loss.

What was more... he knew why. Elena had given him the _perfect_ gift. She'd given him El. And he couldn't come up with a damn thing that could compare to the thought and effort and love she'd put into that little stuffed rabbit. He desperately wanted to find something that expressed how much she meant to him, the way _she_ had. And he was failing miserably.

"Um... Is everything alright?"

Reno somehow managed to hold back the surprised yelp that threatened to escape as he sat up and discovered the very subject of his thoughts was suddenly staring directly at him, a plate balanced on her hand and a slightly concerned expression on her face.

"Yeah... Fine. Great! Everything's perfect!" he quickly answered. As unconvincing as his response was, it was made even more so by Rude's barely concealed laughter on the other side of the table. He glared at his partner, willing him to shut the hell up.

"O... _kaaay_..." Elena replied, clearly not buying it. He needed to beat a hasty retreat before this got any worse.

"So... yeah... I've got a shit ton of forms to fill out with Tseng on medical leave and all... so... uh... later!"

Elena watched in confusion as the redhead all but leapt from his seat, and backed away from the pair of them before bee-lining for the cafeteria door.

"Did... did he _really_ just say he was skipping out on lunch to do _paperwork_?" she asked, incredulously, turning to Rude... who was still snickering quietly to himself.

"... First time for everything," he said with an amused smirk, and the rookie eyed him suspiciously.

"Is there something going on that I should know about?"

Rude simply shrugged, and went back to his lunch. Elena shook her head and took Reno's vacated seat across from her fellow Turk. Apparently it was a secret... and Rude wasn't in a sharing mood.

"So... how's _your_ day going?" she asked. This was the first she'd even seen of the man all day... he'd been sequestered on the executive floor, at the beck and call of Heidegger, since he'd arrived. She couldn't help but wonder if it was really as bad as Reno made it sound.

"Depends... Can I talk you into shooting me so I can go hang out with Tseng?"

"Is it really that bad?"

"... Yes." It was all the answer she got, and she wondered just what the executive had him doing upstairs all morning.

* * *

By the time the weekend rolled around, Rude had already had more than enough of his forced servitude. For the past two days, he'd been a valet, a waiter, a chauffeur, a secretary... and just about ever other demeaning, menial job Heidegger could throw at him. Even the _one_ request he'd made that might not have been truly awful... that Rude make his lunch personally instead of simply fetching it from that cafeteria... had been met with criticism just for the sake of criticism.

Rude didn't mind his cooking being critiqued... but for Odin's sake, the man would've complained that water was too wet rather than acknowledge the Turk's culinary skills. And he still had a further three days of this nightmare. Thank goodness for the weekend.

"Hey... you still with us, partner?" Reno prodded, nudging him slightly with an elbow. Rude looked up from the beer he'd been staring at for the last thirty minutes. The redhead grinned. "Aw, come on, Rude... ya got two days of peace 'n quiet before Heidegger's breathin' down your neck again. Quit sulking and enjoy it!"

"Oh, leave the poor guy alone," Elena cut in, "He's had a rough couple of days."

"Exactly... which is why he oughta be ecstatic that he gets a break. Not mopin' around still nursin' the first beer of the night."

The rookie frowned and set her own bottle down. "Not _everyone_ thinks that drinking solves everything."

"Never said it did," the redhead countered, "But it sure as hell lightens the mood sometimes. Fuck, 'Lena... whatdya got against just kickin' back after a long week all of a sudden?"

"Nothing. But _maybe_ not everyone _wants_ to 'kick back' the same way you do."

Rude, meanwhile, seemed to have been largely forgotten. He glanced over at the rookie, noting her annoyed scowl. His eyes shifted to Reno, who, apparently, was blissfully unaware of just how peeved his girlfriend seemed to be getting... which may have had something to do with the six empty bottles in front of him. He'd hit the pleasantly buzzed but not quite drunk stage of the evening... which almost certainly meant his mouth was miles ahead of his brain.

This wasn't going to end well.

They were all a little stressed, to be honest. Rude, because he'd been stuck with the bastard executive from hell for two days straight, and Reno, because he'd essentially been pulling double duty all week, filling in for Tseng _and_ doing his best to keep up with his regular workload. And since Rude's unexpected transfer to the executive offices, Elena had spent the end of the week juggling her own training – which had been largely self-directed, as Reno simply didn't have the same amount of time he usually did to devote to her – and taking care of whatever tasks she could in Rude's place. The Turks were essentially two men down, and it was starting to show.

It hadn't helped that it had been a busy week from the start. _Thankfully_ , not as relentlessly paced as things had been prior to Malloy's capture and subsequent death, but they definitely hadn't been sitting idle. Rude had begun to hear stirrings from their quasi-insider with Avalanche that the group was moving again, and he'd been devoting a fair amount of his time to ensuring that if they had something in the works he'd hear about it well in advance. At the same time, in the Sector 2 slums, Jericho's gang was causing trouble for a number of his informants. He'd actually lost two... one dead, the other missing but likely in much the same condition. It was making it hard for him to keep tabs on the sector, as people were becoming hesitant to talk to him.

Reno, already utterly bogged down in meetings, reports, requisitions, and all of the other minutia involved in keeping the Turks functioning that Tseng seemed to handle so effortlessly, had his own problems to contend with. They'd had six separate security escort requests that week... one of which, he'd had no choice but to send the rookie off on her own. Rude had already been occupied with Scarlet at the time, and the redhead had been summoned to Junon to look into the disappearance of some experimental material attached to one of Hojo's projects.

"Chill out, 'Lena... Not like I'm pourin' it down anyone's throat."

"Ugh... You know, we're only here because _you_ wanted to come," she said, accusingly.

"What are you talkin' about? It's fuckin' Friday! We always come here on Friday."

"Well... Maybe we should try something else once in a while!" Elena finished off her drink and stood up.

"H-hey... Where are ya goin'?" Reno asked in surprise.

"Home. I'm tired and stressed out, and this place is just too busy and loud to be relaxing."

Rude watched as the young woman gathered her jacket from the back of her chair and stormed out, leaving the somewhat bewildered redhead to stare after her.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked, blinking in confusion.

"Apologize to her," the bald Turk advised. He doubted it was either the regularity of their visits to the Phoenix Nest _or_ Reno's drinking that had triggered the little argument. In fact he doubted very much that she was really angry with _Reno_ at all... just, as she'd said, tired and stressed and looking for a convenient outlet for it. Which, unfortunately, was something the redhead excelled at providing.

"For _what_? I didn't do anything!"

He finally took a long sip of the beer he'd been staring at all evening, relishing in the cool liquid as it slid down his throat. "Just apologize to her. It'll be over faster that way." He smirked and downed the remains of his drink.

Reno sighed and ordered them both another round. "Rude, man... I'm not sure I'm doin' so great at this boyfriend shit."

* * *

Saturday morning... far, _far_ earlier than he would normally be awake on a weekend... found Reno slightly hungover and standing hesitantly outside of Elena's door. He still wasn't entirely sure what he was apologizing for exactly, but Rude was right. He didn't want to drag this out, and this was the quickest way to reestablish peace. He was just going to have to swallow his pride on this one. With that thought in mind, he knocked, fully prepared to beg if he had to.

The door opened and for a moment, he was worried he'd gone a little harder on the booze last night than he'd thought... because the person standing in front of him definitely wasn't Elena.

The man was probably fairly close to his own age, with jet black hair and a jaw so chiseled he half-wondered if it was even natural. His eyes were a cold, steely gray, and even though he wasn't any taller than Reno was himself, the redhead couldn't help but feel slightly dwarfed by him. Where Reno was streamlined and slender, the stranger was broad-shouldered and very obviously a fan of the gym. Toned and tanned, the fucker _looked_ like he'd stepped right off the cover of one of Elena's romance novels. All he needed was...

"Something I can help you with, my friend?" he asked, his voice musically accented in the cadence familiar to Costa del Sol locals.

… That. Because _of course_ someone who looked like him had a fucking accent.

"Yeah... you can tell me what you're doin' in my girlfriend's apartment at six thirty in the mornin'..." he replied, narrowing his eyes. The way the man smirked in response, there was no mistaking his opinion of the redhead.

"Who is it?" Elena's voice called from inside, and the Turk quickly took advantage of the man's momentary distraction and shouldered his way past him. The rookie was sitting in a chair in the living room, her foot propped up on the coffee table and draped with an ice pack. "Oh! Reno!" she said, smiling.

"I suppose this means that I am no longer needed," Elena's early-morning guest said, glancing at the other Turk, "Unless you would perhaps like for me to stay?"

"Oh... no, really. I'll be fine. But thank you so much for helping me out, Antonio... I really do appreciate it!"

"Until next time, then, my lovely Elena..." he replied bowing slightly, and Reno's eye twitched slightly as the rookie giggled. 'Antonio' slipped out the door, closing it soundlessly behind him, leaving the two of them on their own. Reno took a deep breath, forcing himself _not_ to ask the first question that came to mind for once. Elena was probably still ticked enough at him as it was, and he was trying very hard not to jump to any of the completely unfounded conclusions his asshole brain kept coming up with... but for Ifrit's sake... he was only human.

"Okay..." Reno said once he was certain the interloper had retreated down the hallway, "In order of importance here... Are you alright, what happened to your foot, and who the fuck was _that_?!"

Elena snickered softly. "I'm fine. It's just a little sprain. I was out running, and I took a new route, and I ended up tripping over some cracked concrete. I was actually going to call _you_ to come and get me... but it turns out my new route is Antonio's regular route, and he was nice enough to help me limp home."

"And who exactly is Antonio?" He moved forward, kneeling beside the table and lifting the ice pack away. Her ankle was definitely swollen, and turning an interesting shade of purple. "You sure this is just a sprain?"

"Pretty sure. And Antonio is my new neighbor. He moved in down the hall a couple of weeks ago," she replied, watching him with an all too amused grin on her face. "Are... Are you _jealous_?"

"What? No!" he vehemently denied. Of course he wasn't jealous. What did he have to be jealous of? Some over-muscled pretty boy with good timing... and perfect hair... and an exotic accent? And just where the _fuck_ did he get off talking about ' _my_ lovely Elena'? She was definitely _not_ Antonio's lovely Elena...

"You _are_!" she said, laughing. The redhead scowled and set the ice pack back over her ankle.

"I am not..." he scoffed emphatically. Reno rose to his feet and gently lifted her from the chair, "Come on... I don't like the look of that bruising. We're gettin' you an x-ray just in case."

"You're going to feel ridiculous when they tell you it's just a sprain..." She was still grinning maddeningly.

"Fine... So I'll feel ridiculous. 'Least that's _one_ thing I won't have to worry about."

"Have it your way. But I reserve the right to repeatedly say 'I told you so' for the rest of the day," she teased, holding onto him as he carried her toward the door. "Incidentally... what are you doing here so early, anyway? You're never up before nine on the weekends unless someone drags you out of bed..."

"I... uh... came over to apologize."

Elena blinked, slightly confused. "For what?"

"For bein' a jerk last night..."

"Oh. Oh, Reno... I was just in a really lousy mood after work last night. I'm so sorry if I make you think I was mad at _you_. You don't have anything to apologize for." She kissed him on the cheek and nuzzled him as the pair boarded the elevator. Elena smirked and pressed the button for the ground floor. "And you have nothing to be jealous about, either."

"I'm _not_ jealous!" the redhead insisted.

* * *

"Reno, what in Leviathan's name did you _do_ to my office?"

The work week hadn't even officially started yet... he'd barely even made it through the door. But apparently _someone_ had been waiting for him. He glanced around and realized that their main office was still empty save for one very irritated Wutaiian, who was presently standing in the doorway that led to his private little corner of their space, arms folded across his chest.

"Mornin' boss... glad to see you're feelin' better..."

"Reno..." he intoned, the warning clear.

"Yeah... I _meant_ to get that cleaned up for ya..." he replied, sheepishly, "And then I _kinda_ forgot all about it."

"The scattered paperwork and remnants of what I'm fairly certain was once a peanut butter and cheese sandwich I can understand. But why is there a hole in the wall?" Tseng asked evenly.

"Uh... Interrogation subject. I was kinda tryin' to multitask. Which is why he wasn't in an interrogation room at the time. He got away from me for a second or two."

"I suppose that also explains the scorch marks on my desk."

"Actually... that happened later," he admitted, "Scarlet sent a new upgrade for my EMR down on Wednesday. Packs more of a punch than I expected. Sorry. Probably shouldn't've tried it out in there."

Tseng pinched the bridge of his nose lightly and shook his head. "Just clean it up, please."

"Heh... yes, sir," he replied, grinning slightly, "Hey... I know Rude's still on slave detail, but where's 'Lena? She decide to sleep in or somethin'?" He hadn't stayed with her last night... In fact, he generally tried to avoid Sunday nights, because as much as he loved being with her, she was impossible when she returned from her weekly Shadow & Sword viewing party with Rude. A person could only take so much fangirling. Fortunately, her ankle really _had_ only been sprained... or he would've stayed regardless of the inevitable onslaught.

"I sent her downstairs to submit some requisition forms for me. She'll be back in a few minutes."

"Yeah? In that case, since I gotcha alone..." he began calmly, before his expression turned pleading, "You gotta help me, boss... I got three more days to find 'Lena somethin' for her birthday, and I am failin' _miserably_ here."

Tseng's eyebrows rose in surprise. " _You_ can't find a gift?"

"Can we skip the whole shocked disbelief shit? I already got that from Rude. _Help. Me._ "

"Hmm..." Tseng thought for a moment. "She did mention to me not long ago that she was looking for a new coffee maker..."

Reno snorted in contempt. "Oh, yeah... that's real romantic."

The Turk leader chuckled softly. "Well, I do tend to favor more _practical_ gifts, you know..."

"Next you'll be suggestin' I get her socks."

"Does she need socks?" he queried, teasing the increasingly annoyed redhead.

"Come on, boss... ya gotta have _somethin'_ I can work with..."

"Reno... I'm sure whatever you give her she will be perfectly happy with. If you're not enthralled by the practical, then perhaps something related to one of her interests. Shadow & Sword, as I understand it, has a truly impressive amount of licensed merchandise available. She can't possibly own it all quite yet."

The Turks second-in-command shook his head. "No way. She's a little more than just a casual fan and I don't know nearly enough about the show or its collector's items to know what she'd want without actually askin' her. It'd be like her tryin' to find _me_ a new video game. Too many options and a lot of 'em wouldn't interest me." He sighed, and sank down into the chair behind his desk. "Besides... I really wanna give her somethin' that'll make her think of me. I give her somethin' like that and she's more likely to think about Rude."

"Ah... Then I fear I'm not going to be of much help to you," Tseng replied, resting a hand on his lieutenant's shoulder. The redhead groaned and let himself fall forward onto the desktop, his head hitting it with a loud thump. Tseng chuckled and gently patted him in comfort.

"Sir, I... Reno? Are you okay?" Elena asked as she strolled through the door to the office. The redhead immediately looked up.

"Sure... great... never better!" he replied, trying not to cringe. That was twice now she'd damn near caught him begging for help with her gift. And when the fuck did he get so terrible at sounding convincing? "I... uh... should probably get to work on the mess I left in your office, huh, boss?" He didn't wait for a response... simply darted into Tseng's office, slamming the door behind him in his haste.

"Sir?" Elena asked, curiously.

Tseng just smiled and shook his head.

* * *

It was already Tuesday, and he still hadn't made the slightest bit of progress on finding something Elena would really love. It was starting to become one hell of a distraction. Tseng and Rude had been completely useless. He was so desperate, he'd very nearly slunk down to the medical suite to get Dr. Ward's opinion that morning.

Thankfully, he'd come to his senses before he'd risked walking in there and walking out with several injections and Ifrit only knew what else. She'd been pestering him for weeks to come see her again because apparently his recent blood tests had decided to whisper in her ear that a vitamin B shot might not be a bad idea. He strongly disagreed. It sounded like a terrible idea to him.

Though if he didn't come up with something soon, he supposed the Doc would have to be considered as a last resort...

Right now, however, he had other things to worry about. With Tseng back in the office, he could catch up on the items on his to-do list that he'd had to put on the back burner while he'd been filling in. One of those things was paying a little visit to Lira.

She'd become more and more of an asset to them lately... particularly after all the trouble she'd gone to helping them find Malloy. It had been a risk for her to make it known she was looking for him, even if it had only been to the other girls at the Honeybee. And if she hadn't taken that risk, they might not have caught up to him in time. It had actually been Rude's idea to push for more regular meetings with her. He'd even offered to handle them himself... though Reno didn't think Lira would have appreciated that. She _liked_ Rude, but she could be a bit paranoid as a matter of self-preservation. Reno had earned her trust a long time ago. Rude was still working on it.

Besides which... now that he was officially spoken for, he very likely wasn't going to be seeing nearly as much of her outside of Turks business. Even if they were no longer lovers, Lira was one of his oldest and dearest friends. He'd known her since he was fourteen, and they'd been through a lot together. The last thing he wanted was to lose touch with her.

Reno stepped off the train and made his way into the residential part of the sector. Lira wasn't working today... which was just as well. He didn't want to become _too_ familiar a face around the Honeybee. It was bad enough a few of the girls recognized him as it was. He made his way through the streets to the little boarding house she lived in, hurrying upstairs and knocking.

The door opened slightly, cautious eyes peering out at him, before it was thrown wide.

"Finally! I was starting to think you'd forgotten all about me!" she said, grinning, and dragging him inside. The next thing the redhead knew, her arms were around him and her lips were intently plundering his own. He blinked in shock, and moved to push her away, but Lira pulled back first. "Now don't get upset. Last time I saw ya, you were terrified of doin' somethin' to drive Elena off. I just wanted one last little kiss, is all. I wouldn't _dream_ of tryin' to spoil things for you." She guided him over to the couch, pressing him firmly down onto the cushions and took a seat beside him, her arm snaking around his waist. "So... to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Got a little bit of a proposition for ya..."

"Oh, yeah? I mean, not that I'd ever say no to _you_ ,but are you sure Elena's okay with that?" the woman teased. Reno snickered softly. Lira never changed.

"Not _that_ kind of proposition."

"There you go, gettin' my hopes up... You're such a tease..." Her fingers walked their way up his back, finally coming to rest at the base of his neck. "And tense as all hell... poor thing," she added, squeezing gently. Reno instinctively let his eyes close, finding it very difficult not to enjoy the relaxing sensation. Elena had found that spot recently, too... but Lira _really_ knew what to do with it. Unfortunately, he really shouldn't have been doing this, no matter how pleasant it was.

"Lira... Cut it out, will ya?"

"Oh, now come on... You've _always_ loved this. I promise, I'm not tryin' anything. I just don't like seein' you in knots," she purred, redoubling her efforts. "Now... what's this proposition of yours?"

She'd stop if he insisted on it. Somehow, though, he couldn't quite manage to get the words out. Finally he sighed, and pressed on with the real reason he'd come down here. "How'd you feel about seein' a little more of me? And Rude... and maybe 'Lena, too?" he asked.

"Feelin' a little adventurous, are we? Do I need to reserve the Group Room over at the Honeybee?"

The redhead couldn't help but laugh, as a truly disturbing vision came to mind at that suggestion. He shook his head, pulling away from Lira's massage and turning to face her.

"Oh, thanks a lot, Lira... it's gonna take me all day to get the image of Rude and that fuckin' group of gym rats with the hot tub fetish you keep tellin' me about outta my head."

The woman grinned widely, and leaned back, casually crossing one leg over the other. "Glad to be of service. All jokin' aside, though, what is it you're askin'?"

"We'd kinda like more regular reports from ya... if you're okay with it. That means someone'd be down here to see ya more than just when we need somethin' specific. And it comes with a much better paycheck..."

The grin quickly faded.

"Oh... Reno... I-I don't know about that," she replied, looking a little frightened at the prospect, "It's one thing for me to pass along the occasional gossip or help ya out with somethin' important for a little extra gil... but goin' full-on informant? In Wall Market? That could land me in an awful lotta trouble if I ever got caught..."

"I know... and I promise you, we'd be very careful. Last thing I'd ever want is for somethin' to happen to ya on my account."

Lira fidgeted nervously and reached for a pack of cigarettes on the coffee table. She lit one and took a long drag off of it before answering. "I _do_ want to help, but... Look, can I have some time to think about it?"

"Sure. There's no rush."

"Thanks." She smiled slightly, and took hold of his hand, toying with each finger in turn. "I can't imagine _that's_ what's got you so worked up, though... Why so stressed?"

"... It's 'Lena," he replied with a sigh. The woman's eyes narrowed at him.

"Don't you _dare_ tell me you're back to that whole 'she's too good for me' bullshit... 'cause, Shiva help me, I _will_ beat some self esteem into you if it's the last thing I ever do."

Reno laughed. "She _is_ too good for me, and she's always gonna _be_ too good for me no matter how many times you slap me... but for some reason, she wants me anyway, so _that's_ not my problem right now."

"Then what?"

"Her birthday... I have no idea what to get her, and it's drivin' me nuts."

Lira giggled, and released his hand. She stubbed out the cigarette and smirked. "Oh, well that's easy, then. All girls love jewelry..." she suggested.

* * *

"Get her flowers."

"Tch... that's what ya get someone when you've royally fucked up and have to beg 'em for their forgiveness."

Kel shrugged and popped a french fry in his mouth. "Get her chocolates, then."

"Too cheap. And anyway, they'd never last long enough to give 'em to her. You know me 'n sugar," Reno replied with a shake of his head.

"... Fuck her?" he suggested, laughing at the sudden angry expression the redhead cast at him, "What? Not like the two of you aren't goin' at it, anyway. I'm just sayin'... don't underestimate how much a woman appreciates good sex. Last I checked, Elena was still a woman. A smokin' _hot_ woman. It's win-win!"

"First of all... don't talk about 'Lena like she's some chick I picked up after work. And second... have you always been this bad, or am I somehow gettin' less perverted?"

"Oh, yeah... trust me, that's all you. You didn't even look twice at that absolutely _gorgeous_ little brunette that walked by not two minutes ago. The Reno I know woulda had her phone number within about thirty seconds. And if he wasn't really interested, he woulda shared with his good friend Kel." The hotel concierge grinned, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You got it bad, pal. Head over fuckin' heals. I almost feel sorry for ya, tyin' yourself down like that, no matter how hot Elena is."

The redhead rolled his eyes and leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair. Perfectly good four star restaurant in the damn hotel and Kel dragged him off for 2-gil burgers down the street. Eh... food was food. "Fuck, man... No wonder you're divorced. You're probably the _last_ person I should be askin'for advice..." He reached across the table and snatched a few fries for himself.

"Hey! Come on, man... You had your own. Quit stealin' mine."

"Like ya need 'em..." Reno shot back with a smirk. He finished off his burger, and sighed. "Ah hell, I gotta get back to work. Thanks anyway."

"Hey, hang on..." Kel replied, watching Reno get to his feet, "Look, don't discount my idea completely. She likes all that romantic shit, right?"

The redhead's eyebrow rose in guarded curiosity. "Yeah... What's your point?"

"Well, what's more romantic than a night of hot, mind-blowin' sex?"

He snorted in contempt and turned to go. "See ya later, Kel."

"Ah, for fuck's sake... You really are an idiot, ya know that? Bring her to the Swan for the night. You ever _once_ had a lousy evening there? She'll fuckin' love it."

The redhead paused, considering it. It really wasn't a _terrible_ idea, now that he thought about it. Great restaurant... or room service, if they didn't want to leave the suite... huge, insanely comfortable beds... private jacuzzi in the rooms... The Silver Swan was luxury at its finest, and a romantic night would _definitely_ be something Elena'd be into. On the other hand, she kinda of knew about his history of bringing dates to the Swan before they got together. He really didn't want her making the wrong kind of association on that. Still... Kel was right. He'd never had a bad time at the upscale hotel... and neither had anyone he'd brought with him.

Kel grinned, knowingly. "You're thinkin' about it, aren't ya? Tell ya what... we're not exactly packed this week. I'll keep somethin' extra nice available for ya, just in case. When's her birthday?"

"Thursday... but, uh, actually... ya think maybe you could swing me somethin' for the weekend? If I decide to go that route, I mean? It'd be nice not to have to get up and go straight back to work in the morning..."

"Consider it done," said Kel, "Just let me know by Friday so I can make sure the weekend manager knows you're my guests..."

"Thanks, man... I owe ya."

* * *

As soon as he returned to the office, the very familiar sound of a very familiar doctor berating a patient met his ears. It was only the fact that, judging by the yelling, Ward wasn't here for _him_ this time that prevented the redhead from doing an immediate about face and stepping back into the elevator.

"I may be getting on in years, but I clearly remember what I told yeh, Tseng... My signing off on yeh coming back to work was conditional. If yer still in _that_ much pain, yer not fit ta be in the office, and I don't appreciate yeh trying ta hide it from me!"

Reno pushed open the door to the main office, finding their shared space a little more crowded that usual.

"What's goin' on?" he asked.

Tseng was resting on the couch, apparently having been forced to lay down by the borderline irate doctor that was hovering over him. Rude and Elena, meanwhile, had wisely opted to retreat to the opposite side of the room and allow her to handle her patient as she saw fit.

"It's nothing serious... I simply –"

"Nothing serious, he says. Enlighten me, then... justwhere did yehgo to medical school? Stubborn thing. I'll wager yeh've torn out a stitch or seven. I knew I shouldn't've let yeh talk me inta letting yeh come back so soon. You're a bloody workaholic is what yeh are... Can't _stand_ ta leave things ta someone else for a bit..."

Tseng quickly sat up, a firm response to her accusation ready, but he never got the chance. Instead, the suddenly movement triggered a sharp yelp, and he fell back against the cushions.

"Yeh see... I told yeh. Yeh can barely move. Now quit yer arguing with me. Yer going downstairs so I can have a closer look at yeh, and then yer either going home 'til I say otherwise... or back ta Midgar General, depending on how much damage yeh've done to yerself!"

"What the hell happened?" Reno asked, concerned. Tseng had seemed fine this morning. Still recovering, but not in obvious pain.

Rude crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. "He came upstairs to check on me. Tried to give me a hand moving Heidegger's desk across the room and ended up on the floor. I brought him here because he wouldn't let me take him to medical."

"Which is exactly where yer takin' him _right_ _now_ ," Ward piped up. Tseng looked as though he would have liked to have argued the point, but kept silent. "Don't yeh give me that look. Like it or not, yer no more invincible than any of the rest of yer Turks, so stop pretending ta be."

Reno elbowed his partner. "Come on... let's get him downstairs before Ward decides she's not takin' any chances and puts us _all_ on bed rest." He carefully eased the Turk leader's arm around his shoulder and lifted him to his feet. Rude took his weight from the opposite side.

"I _am_ capable of walking..." Tseng insisted.

"Yeah... and I'm capable of runnin' like hell. But I'm not gonna piss off the Doc any more than she already is and have to actually do it," the redhead replied, smirking. "'Lena... keep an eye on things here for 'til we get back, will ya? Just in case Heidegger comes lookin' for Rude..."

"Er... right," she replied, watching them half-carry Tseng out. Ward shook her head and sighed in frustration, turning to the rookie before she followed suit.

"Stubborn as sin, that one. I don't know which of them is worse sometimes. Him... or Reno. Hmph... between the pair of them, they'll drive me to an early grave yet."

"Tseng _is_ going to be alright, though... isn't he?" said asked, cautiously. The elderly doctor chuckled quietly and smile.

"Don't yeh worry. He'll be fine... I'm sure it hurts like everything, but I don't _really_ think he'll haveset his recovery back too much. But that _certainly_ won't stop me from giving that man a piece of my mind," she replied with a conspiratorial wink. "Oh... and just on the off chance I'm _not_ back up here later this week ta yell at one of yeh for ruining all my hard work keeping yeh healthy... happy birthday, dear."

* * *

Reno groaned and set another report into the completed pile. This was what he'd been reduced to... data entry. He had to admit, he'd been a little surprised by the sheer number of reports he'd discovered he'd been tucking into the to-file folder lately. He had actually thought he'd been doing _better_ about his habit of procrastinating. Apparently not.

Tseng had demanded he make some progress on it. It had been the last order the Turk leader had been allowed to give yesterday before Ward had officially relieved him of duty and put him on medical leave again for the remainder of the week... with the further stipulation that he report to her first thing on Monday for her to evaluate. Given the expression on the Wutaiian's face when she'd done so, Reno didn't dare put this nightmare off any longer. He'd been at it most of the afternoon.

The morning, on the other hand, had been dedicated to far more entertaining pursuits. He'd decided to switch up Elena's training a bit... and essentially made _her_ the instructor for a change. They'd been on the firing range for quite some time earlier.

Reno had never been terribly gifted with firearms. He was competent, certainly... and not a bad shot, either. Or at least he _hadn't_ been. Their little run-in with the pack of zenenes on the mountain had concerned him a bit, and this morning had confirmed it. He'd let himself get out of practice.

Understandable, given that he almost never bothered with a gun beyond having one on hand as a backup. His EMR was more than sufficient for dealing out enough staggering pain to floor an opponent. And because he favored a close range fighting style, even when he did use one, whatever he happened to be aiming at wasn't usually too far off. He hadn't had to pick off a target from any significant distance for quite some time... not until the zenenes, at any rate.

Elena had jumped at the chance to be in charge of _him_ for once. And she certainly hadn't gone easy on him, either. Not that he stood a chance of out-shooting the rookie, even on his best day, but she hadn't let him break for lunch until she was satisfied that his accuracy had improved. He couldn't deny he'd been impressed... Elena was a remarkably good teacher when she put her mind to it.

"Hey."

The redhead looked up from his keyboard, grateful for the interruption.

"Ya know... the office sure was quiet for a change without _you_ around, partner," he said, with a teasing grin.

Rude snorted a laugh. "I'll try and keep it down now that I'm back," he replied.

"Officially released from servitude, then?"

"Yep."

"Thank fuck... Doin' my job _and_ Tseng's job _and_ half of your job sucked ass. 'Lena's gonna be glad you're back, too. Think she's got a whole new respect for just how much intelligence you have to sort through."

The bald Turk smirked and leaned against Reno's desk. "Speaking of Elena... I'm making the cake tonight. You find out what she wants?"

"She's got a thing for carrot, apparently. Not what I'da gone for, but hey... it's her birthday, not mine."

"What'd you tell her?"

Reno grinned. "Just that I'm takin' her to dinner. She doesn't know it's gonna be at Tseng's place, or that you're the one makin' it." It wasn't really a surprise party, per se... He hadn't gone to any great lengths to hide their plans from the rookie. He'd just neglected to mention specifics.

"You ever find her a gift?"

"Yeah... I mean, I got her _somethin'_ anyway. I'm still not sure about it... it's a little... uh... I dunno. Sappy?" He'd just picked it up at lunchtime, in fact.

"What is it?" Rude asked, curious. Reno glanced over at the door... Elena was in the archives pulling records on the Sector 2 gangs for him. She'd be awhile. He opened a drawer and withdrew a small box, placing it on top of the desk. Rude raised an eyebrow, and picked it up, opening it and pulling out the object inside, studying it carefully.

"She'll love it."

"Think so?" Reno asked, a bit uncertain. "Well... even if she thinks it's incredibly lame, I still got one more surprise for her. But it's gotta wait 'til Friday night."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"I got us a room at the Silver Swan for a couple of nights..."

Rude chuckled. "So in other words, _you're_ the present. Hmph... you get her a gift receipt in case she'd rather have something else?"

The redhead glared and returned the box with his gift to the drawer. "What the fuck are you talkin' about now?"

"Heard you think you've got some competition... Someone named Antonio?"

Reno groaned. "What'd she tell ya about that?"

"Just that you got a little jealous when you found him in her apartment..."

"Aw, for the love of... _I AM NOT JEALOUS OF ANTONIO!_ " he shouted. The sound of hysterical laughter suddenly reached his ears... It was coming from the hallway. A few seconds later Elena pushed open the door.

"Could you say that a little louder?" she giggled, "I don't think they heard you on the executive floor..."

* * *

It was Thursday afternoon, and Elena was spending it staring at the clock. It just figured... they'd been so busy, being understaffed for so much of the past two weeks, yet today, she mysteriously had next to nothing to do. There weren't even any reports to kill some time entering... Reno, of all people, had actually managed to finish them off yesterday, leaving her without her go-to activity for slow days. And to think... it hadn't been that long ago she'd been sick to death of paperwork. Today she was actually yearning for it!

Rude certainly didn't have the same problem. She'd done her best to filter through the massive amount of tips and reports his network of informants delivered to him, but frankly, by the second day she'd given up any hope of doing more than simply logging it for him. She didn't know how he kept it all straight... and so much of it seemed completely banal and unimportant anyway. It wasn't easy sifting through it to find the things that really mattered... things that could be crucially important to them. Up until now, she had never realized just how difficult Rude's role in the Turks really was.

Oddly enough, he seemed overjoyed to be back at it, too... in spite of the disorganized chaos Elena had been forced to leave him with. In fact, he seemed almost happy to be untangling the mess she had no doubt in her mind that she'd made of his cataloging system. But then again, if _she'd_ just spent a week at the beck and call of Heidegger, that might look pretty inviting to _her,_ too...

But if she was being honest... she didn't really care about the sudden lack of activity. Having a break was nice. What was really bugging her was that the day was going by at a snail's pace because she was looking forward to the evening. She'd actually been looking forward to it all week. Reno was taking her somewhere for her birthday tonight... though he hadn't said where.

"... It only moves slower if you stare at it."

She jumped, startled, and looked up to see Rude smirking at her. Apparently, her gaze had been fixed on the clock a little too long. Elena leaned back in her chair.

"I know..." she sighed.

"Only an hour to go..."

"That is exactly one hour too damn long," she muttered, and Rude laughed.

"And I thought _Reno_ could get impatient when he knows there's going to be presents..."

"I hear someone mention my name and presents in the same sentence?" the redhead's voice interrupted as he walked through the door, a large cardboard box awkwardly clutched to his chest. "What'd ya get me?"

Rude snorted softly. "It's like he can sense it when you're talking about him..."

Reno chuckled and set down the box on top of Rude's already overly-cluttered desk. "Speakin' of presents... Got one for _you_ ,partner."

"What's this?"

"Computer from where Malloy was livin' before he went into hiding. Tseng thought it might be worth takin' a look through since he had contact with Avalanche a while back. Probably not gonna find anything useful 'bout that little meeting, but it never hurts to check."

Rude opened it and peered inside. "... Why is there an alarm clock in here?"

"The fuck do I know about this shit? Last time, you got pissed at me 'cause I left somethin' you wanted behind. So this time, I just grabbed everything on the desk that looked like it could be plugged in and shoved it in the box," he replied, grinning.

Rude rolled his eyes. He may not have been an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but Reno knew perfectly well what went with a computer. He was just being an ass. The Turk pulled the clock out, handing it to the redhead. "Here... happy Elena's birthday."

"Tch... Ya could've a least wrapped it..." the redhead shot back, grin widening before he turned to the rookie. "How's my favorite birthday girl?"

"Bored out of her mind," she laughed, "And you still haven't said where we're going for dinner... or what I should _wear_ for dinner..."

"I dunno... What do you think, Rude? This place too fancy for jeans and a t-shirt?"

"Hmph... If I say yes, does that mean I get to make you wear a tie?"

"No... It means 'Lena gets to make me wear a tie. Ya know... if she wants to be completely _heartless_ and make me suffer _horribly_ all evening."

"You _do_ look good when you dress up..." Elena piped up with a soft giggle. Reno groaned.

"... Keep it casual," Rude snickered, taking pity on his friend.

* * *

Shortly after five thirty Elena answered a knock at her door, beaming as she opened it and let the redhead inside.

"Fuck, 'Lena... Is there anything you _don't_ look good in?" Reno asked, looking her over. She was dressed in black pants that hugged her body in all the right places, and a dark blue button down top. It was simple and casual... and she looked beautiful. She kissed him softly, and smiled.

"Ilook absolutely terrible in orange," she assured him, "So are you _finally_ going to tell me where we're going?"

"Well... I was gonna, but then I realized that I could make it a surprise and totally prolong your agony." He spun her around gently so that her back was to him, and the next moment she found her eyes covered by a soft strip of fabric. Elena laughed as he spun her several more times, leaving her thoroughly disoriented, before guiding her out of the apartment.

"So... just so ya know, I'm only givin' ya half your present tonight. The other half you don't get 'til we're off for the weekend."

By now, she could feel concrete under her feet and a cool evening breeze on her face. Moments later she was tucked into his car and buckled in.

"This weekend, hmm?" she mused aloud, "That _must_ mean you have something planned... Are we going somewhere?"

The redhead smirked to himself, and pulled onto the freeway. "Sorry, 'Lena... but you're not gettin' any more info outta me. You're just gonna have to wait and see."

She laughed. "If I'd known you were going to torture me, I'd have made you wear that tie after all, you jerk..."

"Heh... Why dya think I waited to tell ya?" he grinned in response.

By the time they pulled up in front of Tseng's apartment, Elena was starting to get impatient. Reno caught her twice trying to subtly lift the blindfold to see where they were.

"Oh, no you don't," he said, catching hold of her hand before she could pull it away. "That stays on 'til I say otherwise."

"Oh, come on! We're _here_ aren't we? Why do I have to leave it on?"

"'Cause I said so," he snickered, climbing out. Once again, the rookie found herself being carefully guided, blindly, towards their destination. All she knew for certain was that it didn't _sound_ like anyplace she'd have guessed they were going for dinner. The sound of other people, even traffic, was virtually non-existent.

Once they were inside, however, the delicious aroma of food hit her immediately, making her mouth water, and music was playing softly from a stereo to her right. A wide smile crossed her face. This was no restaurant. The blindfold was suddenly removed, and she blinked at the unexpected return of the light, before quickly recognizing the familiar sight of Tseng's living room... along with the even more familiar sight of Tseng himself, and Rude.

"Happy birthday, Elena," all three of her cohorts chorused, and she grinned.

"You guys are so sweet..." she giggled.

Reno ushered her towards the couch, and pulled her down beside him. "So... presents first, 'cause it's this isn't the fuckin' Christmas party, and Tseng's stupid rule to make a person sit 'n stare at 'em 'til he says they can open 'em doesn't apply."

"It's not a stupid rule. It's free entertainment for everyone else," Tseng joked. "Believe me... It's indescribably amusing to watch you suffer through that every year."

"Sadist," he shot back.

Tseng chuckled and handed the rookie a neatly wrapped package. "As Reno has complained that my usual choice of gifts tends to be a bit too practical for his taste, I opted for something slightly less so just this once..."

Elena smiled and slid a finger under the paper, gently prying up the tape, before glancing over at the redhead with a smirk. He looked as though he was barely holding back commenting on her method of gift-opening. She snickered quietly and tore the paper away, laughing out loud at the look of relief that came over him.

"Ah... I see I'm not the only sadist at this party..." Tseng teased, joining in the laughter.

The rookie lifted the lid of the box, and smiled. "Oh, sir... It's beautiful..." She gently lifted the little wooden box from its confines. It was delicately carved in a distinctive Wutaiian style, and lacquered in black. On the lid was a carefully wrought floral design... lotuses, she was pretty sure... inlaid with mother of pearl and silver. She opened it, and was greeted by a gentle melody.

"The tune is a very old Wutaiian folk song from the region where I grew up... It has always been a favorite of mine."

"It's wonderful... Thank you."

"Hmph... Now that Tseng's shown us all up..." Rude commented, handing her another gift, "This is from me."

Elena grinned as she pushed aside the tissue paper inside the colorful bag and was rewarded for her efforts with DVD case. Reno groaned aloud when he saw the title.

" _Please_ don't make me watch that with ya..." the redhead begged.

" _Please_ make him watch it with you..." Rude countered, swiftly earning a dirty look from his partner.

"No promises either way..." the rookie replied, grin widening. The three-part TV movie was the only thing she was still missing from her Shadow & Sword collection. It had premiered before she'd gotten into the show, and hadn't been released as part of the box sets she owned, so she had never seen it. She'd been shopping around for a good price for a couple of months now. Which she vaguely remembered mentioning to Rude a few weeks ago.

"What the hell do you guys have against me that makes ya wanna see me suffer so bad?" Reno asked, shaking his head. He pulled one final gift out of his pocket. "Here's mine..."

Elena accepted the package and tore away the paper, a bit surprised at the little box inside. It was embossed with the logo of a jewelry store in Sector 4. That was unexpected... She opened it, curious as to what he might have picked out for her.

"Oh... Reno..."

The silver locket rested on soft black velvet. It was oval-shaped and just a little bigger than her thumbnail, with an iridescent stone in the center that shimmered with flecks of blue and green and gold. She carefully lifted it out of the box and opened it.

"You can put a different picture in it... ya know, if ya want to. I don't mind... I just didn't want to leave it empty," he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Elena giggled softly, admiring the tiny image of the redhead inside.

"I wouldn't dream of it..." she replied, leaning over and pulling him in for a kiss.

Rude snickered softly and elbowed Tseng. "Is he blushing again?"

"Mmm... It seems to be becoming something of a regular occurrence lately..." the Turk leader concurred. Elena finally released him, and the redhead turned to his two fellow Turks, with a half-hearted glare.

"Seriously... What the hell'd I do to deserve this shit from you two?"

* * *

If she had been anxious for the end of the day on Thursday, Friday had quickly become almost unbearable. And it didn't help that Reno had been dropping hints about their weekend plans from the moment she'd stepped into the office. Somehow, though, she'd made it... it was five minutes before five, and soon, she'd be walking out that door.

Tseng leaned against the edge of her desk and chuckled. "Elena, I'm beginning to think you might be just a little excited."

The rookie flushed slightly and smiled. "Just a little," she agreed, "Er... _You_ don't happen to know what he's got planned... do you, sir? I _know_ that Rude knows, but he's impossible to break."

"And I'm not?" he chuckled, one eyebrow rising in mock-offense, "I'm afraid all I know is that he made me swear upon pain of death not to call either of you in this weekend, even if the the city spontaneously erupted into utter chaos. Though his phrasing of the request was a bit more... colorful."

"And you'd better fuckin' _not_ either," Reno said, grinning as he strolled through the door, Rude in tow. He set a small bag on her desk. "It's five o'clock, you're all packed, and Rude's gonna take care of Snuffy for ya... We're outta here."

"I... You're not even going to let me go home and change first?" she asked, surprised.

"Nope."

"Have a good time," Tseng said with a casual wave, "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"Tch... I wanted this weekend to be _fun_ , boss..." the redhead quipped, as he herded Elena out the door. They stepped into the elevator, and Reno hit the button for the parking deck.

"So?" Elena prodded.

"So what?" he asked innocently.

"Dammit, Reno... you've been tormenting me all day! Would you _please_ just tell me where we're going?" she laughed, poking him playfully in the ribs.

"Nope." His teasing grin was truly maddening, and when he held up an all-too-familiar strip of cloth, the rookie groaned.

"Not again..."

Reno said nothing. He simply smirked and blindfolded her for the second time in as many days.

* * *

Wherever they were, there were other people. A lot of them. She could hear them all around her, some talking, some rushing by, others moving at a more relaxed pace.

"Ready?"

"Yes!" she cried, giggling. The redhead took the blindfold away, and Elena found herself standing in front of a revolving door. "The Silver Swan?" she asked, gazing up at the tall building. The next thing she knew, he was escorting her inside.

"Ah, Mr. Donovan and Ms. Brewer... we've been expecting for you... Welcome to the Silver Swan!" a familiar voice, with a decidedly unfamiliar formal tone, greeted them. Elena blinked as Kel bowed stiffly, and gestured for them to follow. A snap of his fingers summoned a bellboy to take their bags. "We've prepared one of our finest rooms for you. I'm certain you'll enjoy everything we have to offer."

She laughed softly as the concierge showed them to the elevator. "Quite the welcome..." she teased, as the doors slid shut.

"We at the Swan strive to make everything truly inviting and luxurious for our guests," he replied, then winked and finally broke from his professional persona, "S'pecially the pretty ones..."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Who do I complain to about the fuckin' concierge hittin' on my girlfriend?"

"Well, you _could_ complain to the front desk, but that just goes straight to me, so... I s'pose ya could just skip the middle man and yell at me directly if ya want," Kel replied, smirking.

"Tch... Yeah, that sounds like it'd accomplish a lot," the redhead snickered, "Oughta demand a refund..."

"Of your free room, ya mean?" Kel shot back, and Elena couldn't help but laugh. The elevator dropped them off on the thirtieth floor, and Kel led them to the end of the hallway, unlocking and throwing wide a set of double doors for them.

The rookie's jaw dropped. "Oh, wow..." she breathed. The room was huge. And beautiful. A massive double poster bed stood to one side, draped in sheer white curtains, and the french doors at the far end looked out onto a balcony. Their bags has somehow managed to beat them to the room, and had been placed on the side table, near a very, _very_ well-stocked mini-bar, and peering through a doorway to her right, Elena caught sight of a marble tub – that could very well have been a small swimming pool – set into the floor.

She'd been in one of the Swan's rooms before... back when she and Reno had tried to play a prank on Tseng... but it had been nothing compared to _this_.

"Ya like it?" Reno asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind and placing a gentle kiss on the side of her neck. "It's all yours 'til Sunday... And ya get everything that comes with it."

"Oh, yeah? And what exactly comes with it?" she sighed, enjoying the attention.

"Access to all hotel amenities... room service, the restaurant and bar, our pool, the billiards and gaming rooms, in-room massages... and if we don't provide it, we can certainly try to arrange it for you," Kel said, automatically, and the rookie got the impression that it was a question he tended to answer a lot.

"In other words," Reno added, teasingly nipping at her earlobe, "Whatever ya want."

She giggled softly and twisted in his embrace to face him. "What if I want _you_?"

"I come with the room, too..." he replied with a suggestive grin.

"Heh... and on _that_ note, I'll just get outta your hair," Kel snickered, subtly backing out the door. "Have fun!" He pulled the doors shut behind them, leaving them alone in the room.

"Reno, this is amazing..." she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Thank you..."

"Happy birthday, 'Lena..."

~fin~


	36. Jealousy

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 36: Jealousy**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:** Today's my birthday, so my readers get a present. Hmm... I guess technically I should have posted the previous chapter today instead of this one..._

* * *

Rude heaped another serving of jasmine rice onto Elena's plate, and refilled her wine glass, trying not to laugh at the woman's obvious excitement.

"I've never stayed anywhere like that before... I mean... I've been to the _Swan_ before, but that room... I didn't know they had anything like _that_. And the view from the balcony was gorgeous... You could see all the way to the western shore, and it was amazing when the sun set."

The bald Turk poured himself a little more wine as well, and settled back into his chair. "Did you try the restaurant? It's one of the best in Midgar."

Elena nodded, forcing herself to swallow the bite she'd just taken before answering. "We went downstairs for dinner the first night, and again for lunch the next day, and then we just kept ordering room service constantly. It was _so_ good..." she said, giggling, "And did you know there's a flower garden on the roof of the hotel? Reno took me up there, and we just walked and talked and drank wine and..." She suddenly blushed, eyes suddenly unable to meet the man's gaze. "... did some other things..." she trailed off, awkwardly, reaching for her glass and downing about half of it.

This time, Rude did laugh. "Some _other_ things, huh?" he smirked and the rookie rolled her eyes.

"Reno's right... I _do_ talk too much," she said, shaking her head, and her dining companion chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure he only means that in regards to work."

"And apparently when discussing my sex life."

"Actually, _that_ sounds like something he'd encourage..." Rude pointed out, snickering.

"You're probably right," she laughed, delicately dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "I don't know, Rude... Before I met Reno there's no _way_ I'd be having a conversation like this. With _anyone_. I'd be embarrassed just to know that someone _else_ knew what I'd been up to all weekend."

Rude shrugged. "He has that effect on people."

She sighed contentedly and took another sip of wine. "Why'd I wait so long?" she asked, "Why'd it take me so long to see how incredible he is?"

The other Turk laughed at her sudden philosophical outburst and pointedly recorked the bottle of wine. "Think you've had enough of that... Otherwise I'm gonna have to drive you home later."

"I'm serious!" she giggled, "How could it have taken me so long to see what I had right in front of me all this time? Am I really that oblivious?"

Rude shook his head. "No... You're not. Reno comes on strong, and some people find that intimidating at first. Takes persistence to look past all that joking around and actually get to know him."

She gently fingered the locket that hung around her neck... the one Reno had given her just a few days ago. "I've never been with anyone who makes me so happy..." she said, smiling, "I feel like I'm constantly walking around with a stupid grin on my face lately."

"That's because you have been," he teased. "So has he, for that matter. It's a little nauseating to watch, actually. My only consolation is that eventually you two will regain your sanity and tone it down."

"Hey!" Elena cried, laughing.

Rude grinned and finished off the remaining wine in his glass, then glanced at the clock. "Five minutes... ready for the show?"

"Oh, dear Shiva, yes! Poor Lysander... I don't see how he'll ever be able to get out of that cell alive," she said, thinking back to last week's episode. "I think this may finally be it for him..."

"Doesn't look good for the guy..." he agreed, getting up from the table, and clearing away the dishes before joining her in the living room.

* * *

Reno sat, hands cupped behind his head as he leaned as far back in his chair as he safely could without it falling over, and studied his partner from across the room. The man had been quiet since he'd come in. Not that that was _unusual_ for Rude, but he'd barely gotten a 'good morning' out of him.

"Okay... What the hell's with you today, partner?" he finally asked, unable to take it anymore.

"... Nothing," Rude replied in a sullen tone. Reno shook his head. It was almost like the guy was sulking.

He turned to the rookie for answers instead. "'Lena? Care to enlighten me?" They'd checked out of the Silver Swan on Sunday morning – though neither of them had been quite ready to leave – and spent the rest of the day wandering around Sector 4's shopping and entertainment district. They'd parted ways later that evening so that Elena could make her usual date with Rude for Shadow & Sword. She'd been with him until late last night, Reno was sure, gushing over that damn show. Elena sighed, sounding almost as morose as Rude did.

"Iliana died."

The redhead blinked, not quite understanding at first. He didn't know of anyone Rude was acquainted with named Iliana... And then it finally dawned on him.

"Oh, for _fuck's_ sake..." he groaned. "Rude, man... You need help."

"Reno!" Elena chided, "Show some compassion. She was his favorite character..."

"Emphasis on _character_..." Reno muttered. He sighed in resignation. "Please just tell me this isn't gonna be like _last_ time..."

"... Last time?" the rookie queried, curious.

"Yeah... last time. The _last_ time that damn show killed off his favorite character..." he began, before pausing, a thoughtful expression on his face, "... What the hell was her name again? Matisse?"

"Martesh," Rude corrected.

"Yeah... her. When _she_ got killed off, Rude here decided to try his hand at fan fiction. And guess who had to read it... All hundred and seven _pages_ of it." He shuddered violently at the memory. "And of course I couldn't _not_ read it, 'cause he really wanted me to and I felt kinda bad for him and I can't fuckin' say no to him when he gives me that look." He stared pointedly at Rude. "I am _not_ doin' that again. Not even for you, pal."

Elena smothered a giggle at the absolutely serious expression on Reno's face... though she suspected that if Rude actually _did_ ask for a similar favor, he'd be inclined give in to the request anyway. The rookie stood and walked over to Reno's desk, circling around behind him and running her hands over his shoulders.

"Be nice..." she said, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. Reno glanced up at her and rolled his eyes. "I know _you_ don't like the show, but Rude and I do. We get really into it."

Reno sighed. "Fine... I'm sorry the writers decided to make Iliana get eaten by a moogle or whatever the fuck happened _this_ time..." he said to Rude.

Elena poked him in the ribs. "For _your_ information, she sacrificed herself to save the man she loved from certain death in the dungeons of Nar'she." She teared up slightly just thinking about it and sniffled. "She didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to Lysander. It was heartbreaking..."

Reno slumped forward onto his desk, burying his head in his arms, and conceded defeat, silently musing that he never should have asked. The door to the office opened just then, admitting the team's missing member.

"Reno... Scarlet would like to see us..."

"Oh, thank Ifrit!" he cried shooting to his feet, and straight out the door, leaving his fellow Turks to commiserate on their own. Tseng's eyebrow rose as he watched his lieutenant head for the elevator.

"... upstairs. I don't believe I've ever seen him so excited about having to deal with Scarlet..." he commented incredulously to the pair of them, clearly confused, before hurrying to follow.

When they were gone, Rude chuckled softly for the first time all day. Elena grinned as well, and wandered across the room, leaning against his desk.

"So..." she began, smiling widely at him, "Did you _really_ write a hundred and seven page fan fiction about Martesh?"

Rude shifted awkwardly, and cleared his throat. "... Yeah."

"And did you really make him _read_ it?" she giggled.

"... Yeah. I did," Rude laughed.

* * *

Elena sighed in relief as she made her way up to her apartment later that evening. It had ended up being a long... and in the end, somewhat horrifying... day. Tseng was back in the office, but Dr. Ward had imposed a strict light duty schedule on him... meaning that Reno was still partially filling in for him on the tasks Ward had forbidden the Wutaiian Turk from handling. It had resulted in Elena being sent off with Rude to Sector 2 again... though, thankfully, this time she returned to headquarters undamaged.

Rude was doing his best not to let it show, but she could tell that he was getting frustrated. They'd set out to track down another of his missing Sector 2 informants that afternoon... and had, at least, been successful in finding her. Unfortunately, they'd found her in several pieces. Rude suspected it had been done as a message to _him_. Elena had felt ill for some time afterward.

In fact, it was _still_ bothering her a little, and she would have liked nothing more than to curl up on the couch with Reno for awhile. The redhead, however, was working late, overseeing the transfer of some very valuable equipment between Sectors 1 and 6 for Urban Development. He probably wouldn't be home for another hour or two... and he'd likely be tired when he _did_ finally get home. She felt bad even thinking about calling him and dragging him back out so late just because _she_ wanted someone to cuddle.

The elevator opened at her floor and she was so lost in her own thoughts that she walked right into the person waiting to board.

"Oh!" she cried in shock, "I-I'm so sorry. Excuse me..."

"It is no trouble at all, dear Elena... Running into a pretty lady is never a bad thing," a deeply accented voice replied, and the Turk looked up, blushing slightly, as she recognized her neighbor, Antonio.

"That's very gracious of you to say," she replied, feeling decidedly stupid.

"Not at all... You seem a bit, ah... what is the word? Disjointed?"

She giggled softly. "I think you mean 'distracted'... but disjointed might not be that far off, either. I had a _really_ long day at work."

"Yes, this I understand," the man replied, nodding, "I, too, had, as you say, a long day. I was going to run a few miles before it is too dark to see my path in front of me. Perhaps you would like to join me? I find it is an excellent way to unwind."

She smiled a little. " _That_ sounds like a terrific idea. Let me just go and change."

* * *

Reno dropped heavily into the driver's seat of his car. He was supposed to have been supervising... not helping them load the damn things. He could already feel the muscles in his back and shoulders stiffening in protest of the abuse they'd suffered. The redhead closed his eyes for a moment, debating on what to do first.

He was starving... The job had taken longer than he'd planned, and he'd stupidly put off dinner, planning to grab something on the way home. He was also sore and tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep... preferably with his head on Elena's lap.

Reno cracked his neck and shoved the key into the ignition. What he really wanted right now, he realized, was to be taken care of for a little while. He loved being the center of Elena's attention – and the way she played with his hair until he was barely conscious – but he really didn't like just _asking_ her to spoil him like that. It seemed... selfish. And that was the last thing he wanted to be around her.

He'd made up his mind when she'd first agreed to give this relationship a shot that she would always come first. He'd never really considered himself boyfriend material before Elena... and he didn't want to give _her_ any reason to come to that same conclusion.

Still, though... he was sorely tempted to at least stop by and say goodnight in person rather than calling her from his own apartment. And maybe drop a few hints that he needed a little TLC and hope she took the bait. That in mind, he skipped past the turn into his building's lot and headed for her place instead.

Reno pulled in and parked, intent on heading upstairs as he climbed out of his car. Before he could head inside, though, a familiar laugh met his ears, pulling his gaze towards the sidewalk. He blinked in surprise as he spotted Elena... and someone else, as well.

"Ah, not _this_ guy again..." he muttered under his breath, recognizing the muscular figure beside her in the dwindling light of evening. Elena was in sweats... apparently she'd been out running. Though at the moment she was contentedly eating an ice cream cone and talking animatedly with her disgustingly attractive neighbor. The redhead scowled and shut the car door behind him. The sound got Elena's attention, and she quickly waved to him.

"Reno!" she called out, quickening her pace towards him, and he hurried to shove his usual grin into place before she was close enough to notice. "Are you just _now_ getting back from Sector 6?" she asked.

"Heh... yeah. Took fuckin' forever to get that mess with the construction equipment sorted out. They ever actually finish buildin' that Sector, it'll be a miracle," he replied, moving to drape an arm over her shoulders. She ducked out of the way.

"Oh, Reno, don't... I'm all sweaty and gross right now," she said, as Antonio joined them.

"Ah... Hello, my friend. You are the one visiting the lovely Elena the day she tripped and needed rescuing," the man said.

Elena laughed softly to herself. "Oh, that's right... I never really introduced you, did I? Reno, you remember Antonio," she said with a subtly teasing smirk, and the redhead had to try very hard to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Oh yeah... he _remembered_ Antonio, all right. "Antonio, this is my boyfriend, Reno..."

"Hey," he managed, without _too_ much animosity and suspicion in his voice. Something about the guy rubbed him the wrong way. And it wasn't that he was jealous, dammit! If either of them noticed the slight inflection in his tone, they ignored it.

"Have you eaten yet?" Elena asked, and Reno shook his head as the three of them headed into the building and stepped into the elevator.

"I literally got done right before I came over here. Haven't even been home yet."

"Oh, good! We can have dinner, then..." she said grinning, "All I've had is this." She held up the sticky remnants of the ice cream cone. As the car deposited them on the eighth floor, Antonio turned to her with a slight bow and and gently kissed her hand.

"Goodnight, dear Elena... I enjoyed having such wonderful company for my run this evening. We will have to go again sometime."

"I'd like that," the rookie, a subtle blush staining her cheeks. Reno's eye twitched, but he said nothing... only followed Elena into her apartment, watching Antonio retreat down the hallway out of the corner of his eye. "So... pizza?" she suggested.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds good," he replied, somewhat distractedly, "So... uh... ya ran into him while you were out runnin' again, huh?" Sure, the first time was probably coincidence. A second time though? That was pushing it a little. The last thing Elena needed was another stalker.

"No, actually I _walked_ into him. As I was getting off the elevator," she snickered. "He was just leaving for his run and he invited me to go with him. You order the pizza, and I'll go take a quick shower. I smell terrible."

"Ya... just decided to go out with him?" Reno asked, hesitantly Elena turned back to face him and smirked.

"We didn't _go out_ ," she laughed, "We just ran a couple miles, that's all."

"And stopped for ice cream..." he couldn't stop himself from pointing out. Elena rested her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Reno... I told you. You don't have any reason to be jealous of Antonio. He's a nice guy... he's just a little on the friendly side, that's all. And besides, he knows you and I are together." She frowned slightly. "Don't you trust me?"

"'Course I trust ya..." the redhead assured her with a warm smile, which she returned before disappearing into the bathroom. Once she was gone, Reno let the smile slide from his face. "It's that Antonio asshole I don't trust..." he muttered.

He sighed, irritated, and pulled out his PHS, pulling up the number for his favorite pizza place.

* * *

Reno shuddered involuntarily as Scarlet 'accidentally' pressed herself up against him... again. He and Tseng had been summoned to the weapons research department to continue yesterday's meeting. They, along with Heidegger and Scarlet, were presently gathered around a hulking behemoth of a robot.

"We're calling it the Proud Clod," she said, just a little too close to his ear for his taste, and he cast Tseng a pleading look when her hand trailed suggestively over his hip. "As you can see, it's equipped with both machine guns and laser weapons... in addition to devastating physical attack capabilities. _AND_ a secret weapon... a specially designed materia canon guaranteed to incapacitate even the strongest opponent."

"Impressive," Tseng commented, as he casually stepped in between the executive and his lieutenant under the guise of getting a better look at the thing. To be fair, he actually meant it. He detested the woman on a personal level, but when it came to weaponry, Scarlet was in her element. "But I must confess, I fail to see how we can assist." This was clearly a weapon meant for the army. Not the Turks.

"You're going to test its offensive capabilities. By engaging it," Heidegger piped up. Tseng's cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

"Wouldn't Soldier be better suited for such a task, sir?" he queried.

"Hmph... We already _know_ it can stand up to brute force. We _want_ to see if it can stand up to a more subversive attack," said Scarlet.

"We'll be conducting the test on Friday. Have your team prepare..." Heidegger said, before smirking, "Though I don't expect any of you to succeed in bringing it down."

"Understood, sir," the Turk leader replied, and taking the statement as a dismissal, he headed for the door, motioning for Reno to follow him. The two men didn't speak until they were safely in the elevator.

"Well... This is gonna be a giant pain in the ass," the redhead groaned as the doors closed.

"Agreed." Tseng sighed and shook his head, before giving a soft laugh. "Though come to think of it... I very seriously doubt Ward will lift my light duty restriction in time for me to actively participate."

"You suck."

"I want you working with Elena on this in lieu of her regular training this week," he continued, ignoring the comment. "As Heidegger said, it's very unlikely we're going to be able to bring that monstrosity to it's knees... but I'd like to, at the very least, make a valiant effort. We have a reputation to maintain, after all."

"You got it, boss. What about Rude?"

"Include him when he has time... but only when he has time. The situation with his informants takes priority." he replied. "Incidentally... I didn't have to opportunity to ask yesterday. How was your weekend?"

The two men stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hall, and Reno grinned. "Terrific. 'Lena loved it... And before ya ask, yes, we _did_ occasionally leave the room."

"I wasn't going to ask," Tseng chuckled, "Frankly, I neither need nor desire the level of detail I'm sure you'll provide on the subject. I _am_ glad you had the opportunity to enjoy yourselves, though. I'll be curious to see whether or not she'll be able to top that when _your_ birthday rolls around in a few more months."

"Tch... She doesn't have ta do anything for my birthday. Long as she hasn't kicked me to the curb by then, I'm good."

Tseng cocked an eyebrow. "That's an odd statement... particularly coming from you."

"Eh... Don't mind me. I'm still tryin' to convince myself I'm not just dreamin' all this. Seems too good to be true some days." Tseng pushed open a door at the end of the hall and ushered the redhead inside. Reno suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, looking around in shock at their current location. "What the fuck are we doin' down _here_?" he asked, nervously.

"Yer getting that B-12 shot I've been trying ta get yeh down here for... That's what," Dr. Ward said, strolling casually out of her office, syringe in hand.

Reno glared at his mentor. "You son of a bitch... You fuckin' tricked me!"

"I apologize... but being restricted from all strenuous activity, I could hardly drag you down here as I'm usually forced to, and Rude has more important matters to attend to at the moment," the Wutaiian Turk replied, with a smug smile. "Distracting you seems to be a far more efficient method, anyway. You don't pay attention to much of anything else when you're talking about Elena..."

"Aw, come on. Don't make me do this, boss. The Doc said it was fuckin' optional!"

" _And_ recommended. So I'm opting you in," Tseng calmly replied, "Have a seat and let Dr. Ward do her job."

The redhead grumbled and perched himself apprehensively on the exam table. Ward clucked her tongue.

"Oh, for Holy's sake, don't look so terrified. The way yeh scream and moan about a simple little injection, yeh'd think I was going ta be performing surgery on yeh without anesthesia," Ward said, shaking her head, "Now take off that jacket and roll up yer sleeve." She smirked slightly. "Unless, of course, yeh'd prefer ta bend over for me instead... Either way works for me."

Reno scowled and slipped out of his jacket, before undoing the button on his cuff and pointedly shoving his sleeve up well past his elbow.

* * *

"Quit fuckin' laughin', 'Lena... this is serious."

"I-I'm s-sorry..." the rookie replied, fighting to get her giggling under control, "But Reno... seriously... What in the world is that thing supposed to be? It looks like a potato with rocket engines and claws."

"It's _s'posed_ to be the new weapon we're gonna be goin' up against at the end of the week." He folded his arms over his chest as the rookie's fit of laughter picked up again and Rude tried his best not to join in as well. Reno rolled his eyes and flipped the dry erase board over to the blank side. "Fine... so I can't draw to save my life... Forget the drawing. Long story short, Scarlet's got a new weapon. The Proud Clod. It's a robotic heavy armor built to be controlled by two pilots, with a fuckin' insane amount of armament, and we're s'posed to try and take it down."

Elena finally sobered enough to get a _real_ question out. "Why us? This sounds like something Solider should be doing."

"Heh... Tseng said pretty much the same thing. Apparently, they're pretty confident on it holdin' up against physical attacks. They want us to see if we can find some _other_ kind of weakness in it."

"Hmph... You want to find something most people wouldn't think to exploit, who better than us?" Rude acknowledged. "Do we get actual schematics, or are we stuck working with your potato?"

Reno shot his partner a condescending look. "Yeah, we'll get real schematics later this afternoon... redacted, naturally, 'cause Ifrit forbid they actually make this a fair fight. This meeting's just to get you two into the loop, and maybe come up with a game plan for figurin' shit out."

"You said two pilots, right? Do we know who?" Elena asked.

"Scarlet's doin' it personally. Don't know who's gonna be her second, though."

Rude snorted in laughter. "Easy victory, then. Reno can just strip naked... Scarlet'll be drooling so badly over him, she'll short out the controls."

Elena snickered, and vehemently shook her head. "No way... What if it doesn't short right away? I've seen what she does when she's got Reno at her mercy. Imagine what she could do to him with the armored potato. I like having him in one piece _and_ unmolested!"

"Tch... Too late for that. I've already been violated twice today. First by Scarlet, then by Ward," the redhead replied, unable to resist joining in. " _Anyway_... Soon as we get hold of the schematics, I want you to take a look at 'em, partner. You've got a better eye for technical shit than I do. Me 'n 'Lena'll start workin' on a training space after lunch."

"What's Tseng going to be doing?" Rude asked.

"Sittin' on his ass, laughin' at us, probably... Ward won't approve him for regular duty yet. He already tried while she was busy holdin' _me_ down. That's all I got right now. Any other questions?"

Rude shook his head and stood up, heading for the door. "Nope. Let me know when we get the potato schematics."

"Well, _I_ have a question," Elena said tersely once he'd gone, getting to her feet. "Why were you down in medical? Is something wrong?"

"Nah... Ward was just pissed 'cause I've been ignorin' her for a couple of weeks now, so she got Tseng to sucker me into walkin' in there," he replied, as he turned the dry erase board over and moved to clear away his drawing. He paused and thought better of it, then left it where it was, before turning back to the rookie, surprised to see the worried expression she now wore.

"Why has Dr. Ward been trying to get you to come see her for a coupleof weeks?" she asked, suspiciously, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Tch... I'm _fine_ ," he said, exasperated, "Ya remember all that blood she took?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, apparently whatever she did with it told her I might've been a little lacking in vitamin B-whatever. Not exactly life or death... but the woman's fuckin' relentless. I let it slip I got so much as a splinter and she'd probably want to operate..."

"Oh..." Elena said, sighing in relief, "Is that all? You had me scared for a minute there."

The redhead snickered. "Why? I mean, come on 'Lena... I hardly ever get sick."

The rookie wrapped her arms around his waist, and nestled her head against his shoulder. "But I still worry... You're not indestructible."

Reno grinned, and returned her embrace. She was being entirely too over-protective, but hey... free hug. The door opened and he glanced up as Tseng entered.

"This weekend wasn't enough for your two?" he chuckled upon seeing them, and Elena quickly released the redhead, embarrassed.

"Your fault, boss... 'Lena found out ya dragged me down to see Ward and got all concerned about me."

"Ah... Well, perhaps if you were more in the habit of actually reporting to the good doctor when asked to do so, such unexpected visits wouldn't be necessary. I assume you've filled everyone in?"

"Yep." A roll of papers tucked under Tseng's arm caught his eye. "Those the schematics?"

"Yes... but we can take a look at them after lunch. For now, go and get something eat."

"Don't have to tell _me_ twice..." Reno said with a laugh. He laid an arm across Elena's shoulders and escorted her out. They'd only just made it into the hallway when the Turk leader's voice pulled his gaze back toward the meeting room.

"Reno... Why in Leviathan's name have you drawn an angry potato in here?"

* * *

Later that evening, Reno stepped out onto Elena's floor. He wasn't in a rush. The movie didn't start for another hour... but he'd wanted to hang out with Snuffy for a bit while she got ready.

"We meet again so soon. You spend so much of your time with the lovely Elena..." an accented voice piped up before he'd made it more than a few steps. The redhead cringed, and turned.

"Antonio," he greeted him, with a less-than-thrilled sigh.

"Perhaps a bit too _much_ time, yes?"

"A bit too much time, no," Reno said, flatly. "Not that it's any of your business."

The Costan smiled widely, and held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Of course. I do not wish to, as they say, step on any toes... But she is a beautiful woman. You cannot blame me for being enchanted by her," He paused, looking the redhead over for a moment and chuckled, "She certainly has... interesting tastes."

Reno's eyes narrowed. "Just so we're clear... she's _not_ available," he responded in a tone that very clearly said, 'Touch her and I'll fuckin' rip you in half'.

"Ah... Such bravado. But a woman wants what a woman wants... It is you she is wanting for tonight. Perhaps some other night, that will change," Antonio said, his smile never wavering as he disappeared back into his apartment. Reno growled low in his throat, and turned on his heel, storming towards Elena's door and knocking.

"You're early," she said, grinning when she opened it.

"'Lena, I don't want you talkin' to that Antonio guy anymore," the redhead said, joining her inside, and slamming the door behind him.

"E-excuse me?" the rookie managed, more than a little mystified.

"Just stay the fuck away from him. He's trouble... Trust me, I know his type."

Elena frowned, and followed the agitated redhead into the living room. " _What_ are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that asshole tryin' ta make you the next notch on his bedpost."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, not again. Reno, he's not..."

"'Lena, I'm fuckin' serious. No more runnin' with him, no more ice cream... I don't even want you givin' him the time of day if he asks."

It was right about that time that he realized the rookie's irritated frown had morphed into an infuriated scowl.

"Are you _really_ trying to dictate to me who I can and can't be friends with? You know... just because we're together doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do! I will talk to whomever I want, _whenever_ I want."

"Yeah? Well, keep in mind that I'm not just your boyfriend. I'm also your superior. And I'm orderin' you to stay the fuck away from him."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd fucked up. Not just fucked up, but done something that was so far over the line he couldn't even _see_ the line anymore. He quickly tried to backpedal... but before he could even form a coherent sentence, Elena's hand made contact with the side of his face with a resounding crack. Reno rubbed his stinging cheek and blinked somewhat owlishly as he recovered from the shock. "'Lena..."

"No. Don't you dare say one more word! That was low, Reno... You do _not_ get to treat me like that."

Oh, yeah... she was pissed. And, worse, he really couldn't blame her. He'd just taken controlling jerk to a whole new level. What the _fuck_ had he been thinking?

"You know what?" she continued, "Forget dinner, and forget the movie. Get out."

"But... I..."

"Out!" she said firmly, pointing towards the door. Something about her tone told him that this was _not_ the time to try and reason with her... or even attempt an apology. Eyes wide, he hesitantly backed away and slipped into the hallway.

"Well, that went well..." he muttered to himself, as he slunk back to the elevator, defeated. Hopefully, she'd cool off in an hour or two and he could try and explain himself. Preferably without inserting his foot firmly into his mouth this time. As the elevator doors closed, he caught sight of Antonio again, leaning calmly against the door to his apartment, an infuriatingly smug look on his perfectly chiseled face.

* * *

Reno groaned as his alarm went off, and gave very serious consideration to simply hurling it across the room. He snatched at one of his pillows, pulling it over his face in the hopes of drowning out the noise. Finally, though, he couldn't take it anymore. He rolled over and shut it off.

Last night hadn't been fun. He'd tried calling Elena about an hour after she'd thrown him out... but she wasn't speaking to him. Every call went to voicemail, and every text was ignored. He'd finally given up around eleven. The redhead yawned and dragged himself out of bed. He hadn't gotten much sleep after that. When he wasn't lying awake, desperately _trying_ to fall asleep, he was caught up in his dreams... most of which seemed to be centered around the multitude of ways Elena could rip his heart out and crush it into dust.

Reno tried – with little success – to rub the sleep out of his eyes, and staggered to the shower, turning it to cold. He hated cold showers... but at least it might wake him up. He stepped into the icy stream, flinching as it made contact with his skin and forced himself to stay there for several minutes before shutting it off and drying himself down.

He dressed automatically, thoughts more on the rookie than the task at hand. He _hoped_ that she had calmed down after a little sleep... at least enough that she'd talk to him and let him try and set things right. When his PHS rang moments later, he sighed in relief, and hurried to grab it from the table, expecting to see Elena's name on the display. His relief was short-lived.

"Yeah, boss?" he answered. It was unusual for Tseng to be calling him so early... particularly when he was going to be seeing him in about twenty minutes anyway... which meant something was up.

"Head to the Sector 2 slums instead of the office this morning. Rude is already on his way down. He'll wait for you at the station."

"Don't tell me... another informant got picked off."

"Nearly. This one managed to elude his pursuers and contact Rude. He wanted to go in immediately. I finally talked him into waiting for backup, but be aware... he's impatient. Don't take the scenic route."

Rescue mission, then... That was a nice change.

"Got it. I'm leavin' now," he said, shoving his sidearm into its hostler, and grabbing his mag-rod.

Reno covered the distance to the station in five minutes flat, glad he'd been fortunate enough to miss the morning rush... though he still had to run to catch the next train down or risk having to wait for the next one. He swung himself aboard the last car in line just as it cleared the platform and stepped inside, dropping into a seat.

He was finding it hard to concentrate. Every train of thought seemed to segue back to Elena. The way she'd looked at him last night... she was angry. Incredibly angry. But she'd also been hurt. He could see it in her eyes. He hadn't meant for that to happen... he'd only wanted to protect her. And he'd screwed it up royally.

The redhead couldn't help but wonder just how _badly_ he'd screwed up. Not enough to ruin their friendship, he was pretty sure... but their romantic relationship? That he wasn't so certain of. As much as Reno tried to tell himself that he was just upset and sleep-deprived and Elena would eventually forgive him, his anxiety seemed to be getting the better of him.

He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told Tseng yesterday that things with Elena seemed too good to be true sometimes. It was very much the same way he'd felt when he'd first been recruited. For months after Tseng had brought him topside, he'd been convinced that he was just one stupid mistake away from being dropkicked right back into the slums and left there for good. People like him didn't leave the slums. They struggled for years to survive and then they died there, forgotten and alone. He never wanted to go back to that life. That life had taken from him the only family he had and forced him to build a new one piece by piece from nothing. He didn't think he could do that again.

Just like he didn't think he could ever love anyone else the way he loved Elena. If he fucked this up, there probably wasn't even going to _be_ another Elena in his future. He'd end up going back to the way he used to be... taking whomever happened to be convenient to bed to satisfy his physical needs, and burying the emotional ones behind a thick veneer of sarcasm and jokes.

Reno was so deeply lost in thought that he almost didn't realized the train had stopped. It was only the sudden influx of new passengers on their way up that roused him, and got him moving. He hopped off onto the platform, looking around for his partner, finally spotting him near the station's exit.

"I was starting to think you'd missed the train... What kept you?" Rude asked as he approached. Reno shook his head, forcing himself to focus.

"Nothin' that's important right now," he replied, "What's goin' on?"

"Got a call thirty minutes ago... One of mine. He's hiding, but they're still looking for him. Which means we might run into some trouble getting him out."

"You know who's after him?"

Rude nodded. "He recognized one of them. They're with Jericho's gang. I'm guessing Jericho is responsible for my other assets turning up dead, too."

"Tch... The fuck'd you do ta piss _that_ asshole off?" Reno asked, as they began walking into the sector.

"He's never been happy about me keeping tabs on him and the other gangs. But I think I might've finally gone too far when I had Elena shoot his lieutenant awhile back."

"She kill him?"

"No... just wounded. But you know Jericho. And his ego."

"Yeah... I know Jericho and his ego, alright," he muttered with a snort of disgust. Jericho had always been a bastard. Thought the whole sector belonged to him, and anyone who disagreed usually regretted voicing the opinion. Reno had always made it a point to avoid the guy when they were kids... Even back then, he was more trouble than the redhead wanted to deal with. The only exception had been when Jericho had forced himself on Lira one night while _he'd_ been off working at the Lonely Dragon in Sector 3. When he'd found out, Reno had gone after him, out for blood... and ended up with a knife in his stomach for his trouble. He still had the scar. "You give any consideration to the possibility this might be a trap?"

"I'm almost certain it is," Rude replied, "That's why I agreed to wait for you."

* * *

Elena sat at her desk, scowling intently at the door to the Turks' main office. After what he'd said to her last night, Reno could've _at least_ had the decency to be on time today so she could glare at him until she had the opportunity to rip him a new one in private. She'd been silently rehearsing it all morning, and he wasn't getting off easy.

She just didn't understand why he felt so threatened by Antonio. It wasn't as if the guy had done anything inappropriate. If anything, he seemed perfectly accepting of the fact that she was involved with someone and not looking for anyone else. He was just... friendly. And besides... even if he _had_ tried something, Reno knew she wasn't the type to cheat.

And even then... a little jealousy she could forgive. It was actually kind of cute, in a way, that Reno was still a slightly worried someone else might be able to compete with him for her affection. But pulling _rank_ on her like that? That had ticked her off. Relationships were complex enough without throwing their job into the mix... and after so much time being trained to stand up for herself – by the redhead himself, no less – she wasn't about to let herself be bullied by someone with authority over her. Even if that someone was Reno.

"What exactly did that door ever do to you?"

Elena squeaked in surprise and turned in her seat to see Tseng standing in front of her desk, looking at her with a rather bemused expression on his face. She took a deep breath, and shook her head.

"I'm not really mad at the door, sir. I'm mad that _someone_ hasn't walked through it yet so I can be mad at _him_ instead."

The Turk leader's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "And just what has 'someone' done to earn your ire so early in the day?"

The rookie sighed. "Reno and I had a fight last night," she said.

"About …?" Tseng prodded, and Elena's cheeks reddened slightly.

"About my neighbor," she replied.

Tseng chuckled softly, and pulled up a chair, taking a seat across from her. "Is this the 'Antonio', I've been hearing so many rumblings of disquiet about?"

"H-he told you about that?"

"Insomuch as he asked my opinion," he said with a gentle smile, "He wanted to know if I thought he was making too much of it."

"Well, he definitely _is_ ," she said, firmly, "You would think he'd trust me..."

"He trusts _you_ implicitly, Elena. His misgivings are centered entirely on your friend, Antonio. And... I must confess that based on what Reno's told me, I share them to some extent."

Elena blinked, taken aback. "... Sir?"

"I will certainly acknowledge that it's entirely possible you're right, and Reno's mistrust is rooted in his own insecurity..." He looked at her rather pointedly. "And make no mistake, he _is_ more than slightly insecure when it comes to your relationship. More than I think you realize. But I know Reno... He's never been one to make wild accusations, and he has exceptionally good instincts when it comes to other people."

"But Antonio hasn't done _anything_ that would justify that!" she insisted.

"He's taken an interest in _you_ , which I think is more than enough to put Reno on edge. From what I've been told... which is admittedly secondhand knowledge and probably a bit biased... this man is somewhat... drawn to you."

"That's hardly a good reason to act like a complete jerk..."

Tseng leaned forward, resting his elbows on her desk, propping his chin up. "Elena... Do you _really_ not understand why Reno might be just a little overly-cautious about someone paying you unwarranted attention? I don't think I need to remind you that it didn't end well the last time. He still blames himself for that, you know..."

Elena's eyes widened slightly. It hadn't occurred to her that Reno might not be threatened _by_ Antonio, so much as he sawhim _as_ a threat to her. She still didn't think Antonio was anything more than he appeared to be... but putting things in that context certainly made the redhead's demand that she avoid him a lot more understandable.

"Let me see if I can guess what happened," Tseng continued, seeing realization set in, "Reno went off on something of a tirade about how he doesn't want you to have anything to do with this man without really saying why." Elena nodded. "And I expect you took offense to such treatment... not only for yourself but also on behalf of someone who, as far as you are aware, has done nothing to deserve such vitriol."

"Yes, sir..." she admitted.

Tseng smirked, shaking his head. "The two of you are entirely too much alike sometimes. You both have a tendency to speak without considering the consequences of your words... particularly when you're emotional." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I never have managed to fully break Reno of that habit... though believe it or not, he's considerably _better_ about it than he used to be."

Elena stared down at her hands, and wished she'd tried at little harder to understand why Reno had been so upset last night. "I owe him an apology, don't I, sir."

The Wutaiian Turk reached forward and patted her hand comfortingly. "Yes... And he owes you one as well. I'm afraid it will have to wait, however. He won't be walking through that door for awhile yet."

"Sir?"

"He and Rude are below in Sector 2 attempting to extract one of Rude's informants before the people who have been systematically eliminating them catch up to him. I suspect they'll be gone most of the morning."

The rookie internally groaned. She didn't want to wait. She hated waiting.

"In the mean time... I _could_ use a hand going over Scarlet's schematics in preparation for Friday's testing," he offered.

* * *

"Got another one. To the right of the building with the yellow door... crouching in that alcove."

"... That only makes four. Seems too easy."

"Tell me about. And I haven't seen Jericho yet, either. If this is a fuckin' set up, he's gotta be watchin' from somewhere. He's too full of himself not to be."

The two Turks had climbed to the top of a small building, and were presently studying the situation below. They'd had little difficulty locating the old warehouse Rude's informant had taken shelter in... What had been far more troublesome, however, was losing the tail they'd picked up shortly after leaving the station. It had taken much too long to distance themselves their shadow, and longer still to reach their current location undetected. There had been spotters everywhere... though both men were fairly confident they'd slipped past unseen.

Now, though, they had a new problem. It was painfully obvious that the area was being watched... not quite so obvious was just where those watchers were hiding. Between the two of them, they'd spotted four of Jericho's men, but neither of them actually believed for a second that was all there were. The gang leader was known for brute force and numbers. If he'd gone to all the trouble of luring Rude down here with one of his informants, he wouldn't risk letting him, and whoever came in with him, walk out alive by only throwing a handful of thugs at them. They had to be missing something.

"What'dya think, partner? This guy really worth the hassle?" He didn't like leaving some poor schmuck in there on his own with a target on his back... but he didn't much like getting his ass handed to him, either.

"... I abandon him, word's gonna get out. Jericho will make sure of it," said Rude. "Half the reason my people are willing to talk to me in the first place is because I do whatever I can to keep them safe in exchange. You know that."

"Yeah..." Reno sighed. "Guess we don't have a choice, then. You get your guy... I'll keep 'em distracted."

"Watch yourself. I don't like this."

"You 'n me both, partner..."

The pair split up, Rude moving along the rooftops while Reno headed for the street. Since there was little he could do until they managed to flush a few more of the gang members out, the redhead opted to go after the four he knew about first.

One man was waiting in an alley... slipping behind him was trivial. Reno caught him from behind, his forearm pressed against the man's throat, and hauled him back, dragging him farther into the shadows. The struggle was brief. It wasn't long before his target silently passed out. Reno dropped him to the ground. He briefly considered finishing him off... but it wasn't likely he'd be waking up anytime soon, and even the Turks tried to avoid needless killing. He was no longer a threat, so he left him where he was.

His next victim didn't get off so easily.

Reno thought he'd had him, but at the last moment something gave him away. He wasn't sure what. Regardless, his quarry turned, and lashed out with a blade. The redhead barely had time to dodge. He hit the ground to avoid it, and swept the other man's legs out from under him, sending him sprawling onto the concrete. The man recovered far faster than he expected, however, and in one fluid movement, threw himself at the redhead, trying to pin him with the knife poised above his throat. Reno saw it coming, and caught his attacker's arm.

"Get the fuck offa me," he growled. Without warning, the redhead brought his knee up between the other man's legs... who's howl of pain was swiftly cut off by a sharp blow to his esophagus... giving Reno the upper hand. He grabbed the knife, forcing it upwards beneath the man's ribs. He was bleeding badly by the time Reno shoved him aside. "You can thank my girlfriend for that little move..." he said, smirking as he left the man. In retrospect, it might actually have been kinder to finish him off, rather than leaving him to bleed out... though given that the fucker had just tried to slit his throat, Reno wasn't feeling overly kind at the moment.

He moved on to the third lookout.

* * *

Rude watched his partner from above as he swept through the known targets on the street. He'd just dispatched number three with another sleeper hold and was heading for the fourth and final man they'd spotted earlier. _That_ one was going to be trickier. The lookout was perched on a second floor ledge, mostly hidden by a tattered banner. There really wasn't a good way to sneak up on him... which meant Reno would have to either opt for a direct approach, which would leave him completely exposed for however long it took him to get up that wall, or risk taking him out from a distance and advertising their presence to anyone else that might be in the area. Neither option was ideal.

His PHS vibrated silently in his pocket and he pulled it out, glancing at the screen and the message from Reno now displayed there.

" _Gonna have to shoot the last one,"_ it read. Rude sent back a brief acknowledgment and asked his partner to wait. If Jericho's people were going to find out they were here, he wanted to be on the way out with his asset when they did. He moved quickly down to the street, and found himself crouched next to a dumpster, a short distance from the door to the building. Reno wasn't far off, and the man nodded to him silently. Rude sent him a new message.

" _Keep watch. Open line."_ Moments later, his PHS vibrated with an incoming call, which he answered before tucking it back into his pocket. Going in alone meant he'd be out of Reno's sight... but at least now his partner could hear him if something went wrong. Rude covered the few steps it took to reach the door and slipped inside.

His first thought was that it was much too dark. A line of windows ran along the top of the wall near the ceiling... Even though the area was mostly mako-lit, there should have been at least some light coming in. Rude tucked his sunglasses into his jacket's breast pocket and waited for his vision to adjust to the darkness. When it finally did, he could just make out something covering each of the windows.

He frowned at the distinct possibility that those coverings were a recent addition, and kept close to the wall, straining to hear anything that might indicate that he wasn't alone here. He was met with silence as he moved forward, and cautiously left the meager cover of the wall to cross the open space. His informant had told him he'd hidden himself in a small office space at one end of the building, and Rude could see the outline of a small door at the far end.

Halfway there, the lights came on, nearly blinding him.

"Nice of you ta take me up on my invitation, Rude..." a voice called out from above him, and he shifted his gaze to a narrow metal walkway some forty feet off the main floor of the warehouse. Jericho was there, the informant kneeling next to him with his hands, apparently, tied behind his back and tape over his mouth. "After what you and that little bitch did to my second, I figured I owed ya some payback. Got a reputation to keep up, ya know?" He rested his foot on the informant's shoulders. "Knew you'd come out to play if I started messin' with your snitches."

"... I'm here. What now?" he asked. This wasn't good... Jericho had the high ground, and probably several of his men in hiding as well. And he had a hostage...

"Now? Now ya die, of course. You've been a pain in my ass for too fuckin' long, ya piece of Shinra scum," he called down. Jericho grinned. "But first..."

He shoved the informant forward with a kick to his back, sending him toppling off the walkway with a muffled scream. Rude watched him plummet, only for his fall to be suddenly arrested as the rope around his neck went taut. He heard the painful snap of the man's neck as he was jerked to a halt, mere inches above the floor, swinging lifelessly from the rafters.

"Didn't want him runnin' off to another one of you Turk bastards..." Jericho said with a shrug, laughing at Rude's angry expression. "Kill him."

Rude somehow hadn't noticed the two men moving toward him... he'd been too focused on Jericho and the informant... but he certainly saw them now. And in spite of the stealthy approach, he was ready for them. The first one went down easy... and stayed down. Rude's first punch had caught him under the jaw and his second had slammed into the side of his head. He was out cold before he hit the ground.

The second attacker was faster, however, dodging out of the way before the Turk could make contact. Rude recovered swiftly, however. He delivered a brutal kick to the man's knee and heard a very satisfying crack before he, too, fell, writhing and nearly sobbing in pain.

Those two dealt with, he took cover behind an old piece of machinery before another wave could begin... and it was fortunate he did, because the next sound he heard was gunfire.

"Get out where I can see you, ya fuckin' coward!" Jericho shouted over the noise, and Rude very nearly laughed. Surely the son of a bitch didn't think he was _that_ stupid. For the moment, he simply waited... and a few seconds later, Jericho found out exactly what the Turk was waiting _for_.

There was a loud crackle and one of Jericho's men screamed... and then fell from the walkway to his left. Rude looked up to where he'd been perched, but Reno had already moved on. He smirked.

"You might want to give up now," he called out to the gang leader as another gunman went down, and then another. Rude drew his own weapon, now that he had the opportunity to break cover, and took out a fourth man at the far end of the building. After that, things were nearly instinctive for the two of them... Reno dealt with the Jericho's men from above, and Rude took care of the ones below, along with any who managed to survive the fall from the catwalks. When he was confident it was clear, he ran for the stairs at the side of the building, and climbed up to where Jericho was now trapped... and looking far less smug. Reno approached from the opposite end of the walkway, effectively pinning their target between them.

"Didn't anyone ever tell ya us Turks don't work alone?" he asked, mag-rod held loosely at his side, ready to be used if the man came toward him. Jericho backed away from the redhead, turning to run... only to realize that his path in that direction was blocked by the much larger... and angrier... Rude.

"Fuckin' Shinra..." he spat, "You think this shit is over? Think again!"

Something dropped onto the catwalk with a metallic clank, and a split second later, a cloud of smoke filled the air. Rude aimed for the gang leader, but by then he'd lost track of him... and Reno was directly behind the bastard. He couldn't risk firing blindly.

A moment later, however, he heard the familiar crackle of Reno's EMR and a gunshot, and something dropped from the walkway, landing on top of a pile of broken crates and various other odds and ends some twenty feet down. Rude smirked... Jericho hadn't stood a chance. The smoke finally began to clear, and he started towards the other end, expecting to see Reno grinning victoriously.

The sight of an empty catwalk and an open window at the far end, however, told him something was very wrong. He quickened his pace, nearly running and stopped just above the pile, looking down.

"Reno!"

The redhead neither answered nor moved.

* * *

Tseng found Elena curled in on herself in the chair next to Reno's bed. Every few seconds, she would raise a hand to her face, and wipe her eyes.

"He's going to be fine. They were only keeping him sedated because Ward was concerned about possible injuries to his back. The x-rays showed no damage. He'll be waking up in an hour or so."

"I know," the rookie sniffled. "Dr. Ward already told me."

Tseng walked further into the room and let as hand rest on Elena's shoulder. "Then what's wrong?" he asked, gently.

"I just keep thinking... the last thing I said to him was 'Get out'. He tried calling me so many times last night, and I refused to pick up. What if this had been a lot worse? What if that had been the last thing I _ever_ said to him?"

"That's a lesson every Turk learns sooner or later. Every day we come into work, there's the possibility we may not return home. It's never wise to let disagreements fester for too long. It's a hard lesson... but a good one to take to heart."

She sniffled softly and sat up straighter in the chair, wiping her eyes again. She reached out to the unconscious redhead, and stroked his hair back. "Has Rude found any trace of Jericho, sir?" she asked.

"No... and I've ordered him to return for now. I don't want him down there on his own so late, particularly in Sector 2," Tseng replied, "Why don't you let me take over for awhile? Go and get some dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"You should eat anyway. You skipped lunch. Go... I'll keep an eye on him."

Elena sighed softly and stood up. "Yes, sir..." She made her way to the hallway, hesitating at the hospital room door for a moment, before at last disappearing from view, her footsteps echoing slightly on the tile. Tseng claimed the chair the rookie had just vacated, settling in next to the redhead.

"You're going to drive that poor girl mad with worry one of these days," he chuckled softly and leaned back. He hadn't been there long when he heard the soft creak of the door behind him. Turning, he discovered Rude peering inside.

"Still out?"

Tseng nodded. "It shouldn't be much longer, though."

"Where's Elena?"

"I thought it wise to send her off to the cafeteria before she passed out from hunger. She's rather upset... I don't know if Reno mentioned it to you or not, but it seems they had an argument last night and didn't part on the best on terms."

"Thought something was bothering him..." Rude replied, "Didn't have time to discuss it, though."

"What's it like in Two?"

"Not good. Jericho's disappeared, and there's a rumor going around he's dead. Can't confirm that one way or the other, though... I don't know what kind of damage Reno managed to do to him before he fell. We didn't take out anywhere near the entire gang... but it was a pretty sizable chunk, and from what I'm hearing, a lot of his top people were there. The other gang leaders are already trying to stake their claims on his turf," he said, "At this point, even if Jericho turns up, I'm not sure he'll have the power he needs to hold his territory. He may just cut his losses and run to one of the other sectors. Either way, Two's gonna get real bad, real quick."

"That... is unfortunate," Tseng said with a sigh. Sector 2 certainly didn't need a gang war... but if the balance of power really had shifted as much as Rude seemed to think it had, it was likely inevitable. Short of sending in Shinra troops to quell the violence – and unless important assets, like the pillar or the trains, were at risk it was very unlikely to be approved by the executive board – the sector was not going to be a pleasant place to be for awhile.

"About the only good thing that came out of this is that my informants feel safer now, and they're talking again. Word's getting around fairly fast that Jericho was the one attacking them."

"That's something, at least," the Turk leader agreed.

"Can't you assholes keep it down? How's a guy s'posed ta get any fuckin' sleep around here?"

Tseng turned away from his conversation at the unexpected interruption, to find the redhead grinning at him.

"It's about time you woke up..." Rude stated, "We've been waiting for hours."

"Not my fault you two got nothin' better to do than stare at me..." Reno joked, "So... what's the damage this time? Gotta admit, other than a splittin' headache, I'm not really feelin' it."

"Surprisingly little, considering you knocked yourself out after you took a twenty foot fall into a pile of scrap. Ward is keeping you overnight for observation in case of concussion, but barring any such complications, you're free to return to work tomorrow morning."

"Huh... Don't remember fallin'... or much of anything else 'bout how I ended up here, for that matter." The redhead pushed himself up in bed, taking stock of the various monitors tracking his heartbeat and oxygen levels. He smirked slightly.

"Don't even think about it," Tseng said, flatly. He'd seen that look before... usually right before the prankster yanked off an electrode or three and sent the medical staff into a panic.

"Tch... You could at least let me have a little fun, boss..."

Tseng shook his head and turned to Rude... "Before he gets himself into _too_ much trouble and we're all thrown out for instigating it, perhaps we should contact El– "

"Reno!" a voice cried from the door, relief evident.

"Nevermind..." the Turk leader finished, smiling as the rookie crossed the room, ignoring the other two Turks, and threw her arms around the redhead.

Reno blinked in surprise, but gently wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Uh... 'kay, not that I'd ever complain about a seriously hot blonde throwin' herself at me, but... Who's this and why's she so happy to see me?" he asked, confused.

~fin~

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** What do you think, reviewers... Am I really **that** evil?_


	37. Memory only slumbers—never dies

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 37:** **Memory only slumbers—never dies**

 **by Desha**

The strange woman pulled back a little staring at the redhead. "Reno... That's not funny. I was really worried..."

"Yeah... I kinda got that when you jumped into my arms," he replied, with a thoughtful frown as wracked his brain trying to findsomething – _anything_ – familiar about her. It was obvious she knew exactly who _he_ was, but she was a complete blank to him. At a loss, he glanced over at Tseng, who's expression mirrored his own. "But I'm not jokin'... and I'm guessin' that's probably not a good thing."

Tseng turned to Rude. "Go and find Ward," he said, before moving closer to the bed. The bald Turk gave a curt nod of acknowledgment and vanished from the room. "You don't recognize her? At all?"

Reno looked at the woman, focusing on her face, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to spark a memory of her. And even with _his_ proclivity for acquainting himself with new women on a regular basis, he was fairly certain he'd've remembered someone as pretty as this one... even if he hadn't caught her name at the time.

"Sorry... I got nothin'," he said, finally. The wounded look in the woman's eyes didn't go unnoticed. He felt a little guilty for that, though there really wasn't anything he could do about it.

"What's the last thing you _do_ remember?" Tseng asked, his calm tone not entirely masking the concern he very obviously felt. Reno closed his eyes for a moment and thought back.

"... Last thing I can remember before wakin' up here is bein' in your office. You wanted to talk to me about scarin' off that asshole that keeps handin' out those fliers in front of the building. Heh... I was actually really annoyed 'cause I was s'posed to be meetin' Jessica from the accounting office for dinner, and the girls down there get kinda ticked if you're late..."

Tseng's frown deepened and he took a seat in the chair beside the bed. "Reno... tell me something. How old are you?"

"Tch... _That's_ kind of a weird question, don't ya think?"

"Humor me," the Turk leader said, firmly.

"Come on, boss," he said with a laugh, "You know how old I am..."

"Yes... I do. What I'm curious about is whether or not _you_ do."

The redhead eyed him nervously as he suddenly realized that things might be a little more serious than he'd thought.

"Twenty four?" he replied, not quite as certain of that as he had been a few moments ago. Tseng shook his head and shifted his gaze to the woman, who, Reno noted, had hardly dared breathe during the entire exchange and was still awkwardly clutching him. Her grip tightened slightly at his answer.

"Well... That would certainly explain why he doesn't recognize _you_." The Wutaiian calmly pressed his fingertips together, returning his focus to the redhead, and Reno cringed. He'd seen that look before... it usually accompanied bad news.

"Don't sit there tryin' to figure out the best way to say it. Just fuckin' tell me."

Tseng let his hands drop. "The incident you referred to... I vaguely remember it. It was quite some time ago." He paused for a moment, but finally pressed forward. "Reno... you're twenty six. In fact, you'll be twenty _seven_ in a few months. You've somehow lost a little over two years."

He felt himself go cold. Two _years_? No... that wasn't possible. A few hours, he could understand. Maybe even a day or two, if he'd taken a hard enough knock to the head. But two _years_? Tseng had to have spontaneously developed a sense of humor and started bullshitting him... because there was no was in _hell_ that he could have just forgotten two years of his life...

"R-Reno? Are you okay?" a soft voice asked, and he blinked, shaking himself from his internal monologue to find the pretty blonde woman staring at him with a distinctly worried look.

"Uh... No. No, I'm definitely not..." he managed, feeling more than a little in shock. The woman pulled him into a tight embrace, coaxing his head down onto her shoulder and lightly petting his hair. The redhead let his eyes close for a moment. He might not have known who she was, but he could certainly get to like having her attention focused so exclusively on him. "Are ya ever gonna tell me who you are?" he asked, as some of his tension eased.

"This is Elena... our newest Turk and _your_ rookie," Tseng stated. "As it happens... she's also your girlfriend."

Reno suddenly jerked to attention, eyes going wide. "My... _what_?!" he asked, incredulously. Before his mentor could answer, however, Rude returned, Dr. Ward in tow.

"Now what's all this about yeh not remembering anything?" she asked, and though her tone was light, Reno could clearly see that she was concerned. "Elena, dear, I'm going ta need yeh ta move for a bit..."

The redhead found himself reluctantly abandoned, and the woman... Elena, he silently amended... retreated to Tseng's side. He frowned in response, finding that he really hadn't wanted her to leave him. He'd felt safe with her, for some reason. Now he felt exposed and a little lost. Ward leaned over him, and he grimaced as the elderly doctor shined a light into each eye. He blinked, trying to clear the spots from his vision.

"Fuck, Doc... ya tryin' ta _blind_ me, too?" he said, scowling.

"Hmph... unless yeh can convince me that yeh've somehow _also_ managed to forget how I feel about language like that, yeh best watch yer mouth..." she replied, before taking a firm hold of his chin, holding his head in place. "Follow my finger."

He did as requested, eyes trailing the movements of the digit as she moved it from point to point. "Any dizziness? Blurred vision? Nausea?"

"Nah... just a headache. Had it since I woke up."

"How bad is it?" the doctor asked.

"Not _that_ bad... it was worse when I first woke up. It's already gettin' better."

"Hmm..." Ward leaned back from him and turned to Tseng. "Well... his scans from earlier didn't show any swelling, but that doesn't mean some hasn't developed in the interim. I told yeh I was a bit concerned about a concussion. Memory loss would certainly be a symptom. Can yeh tell me just how pronounced it is?"

"Two years, give or take..." Tseng replied, "He has no memory of Elena at all..." Ward's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"That's quite the timeframe..." she replied. "Right... First order of business is ta get yeh some fresh scans and find out what's going on in that head of yer's. I'll go and see ta that right now."

Ward straightened and moved towards the door.

"Justinia..." Tseng called after her, and she turned back, "Just how serious do you think this is?"

"I'd hesitant ta say quite yet... Head injuries can be tricky," she said, shaking her head. "He might wake up and remember everything tomorrow morning, for all I can tell yeh right now. I'll have a better idea once I get those scans."

* * *

As Elena stepped into the elevator alongside Tseng, she could already feel the tears she'd been holding back threatening to break free. Rude had volunteered to stay with Reno tonight and contact them with any important updates. _She_ had volunteered first, but Tseng had pointed out... as tactfully as possible... that a familiar face might be more comforting to the redhead, who had been, understandably, disturbed by the whole situation.

That had hurt.

"I can't imagine what this must be like for you..."

Elena looked over at her superior, and took a shaky breath. "It's all gone. Everything. He has no idea who I am or how much he means to me..."

"For now, perhaps," Tseng replied.

"What if he never remembers?"

He drew her in, pulling her against his chest, and Elena couldn't help but be surprised. The Wutaiian wasn't exactly well-known for displays of physical affection. Apparently she was looking far more distraught than she'd realized. "He's still Reno... That hasn't changed. Whatever he may have lost, he is more than capable of regaining in time."

"But there's so much..." A tear slipped through her attempts to hold it back, sliding down her cheek, and Tseng gently wiped it away.

"You're much too focused on the worst-case scenario, Elena," he said firmly. "There's no reason to get ahead of ourselves. Let's wait and see what Ward has to say tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir..." she sighed. They stepped off of the elevator and made their way out of the building to the parking deck, walking slowly toward Elena's car.

"Would you like me to drive?"

They'd arrived together... Tseng still hadn't gotten around to replacing his own vehicle. She was about to refuse, not wanting to show any more weakness than she already had, until she realized that she really _didn't_ want to have to focus on keeping them on the road right now. And what did it matter anyway? Even if she put on a brave face and turned down the offer, the man would have seen right through it. Elena nodded and handed over the keys.

* * *

"I." _Thud._ "Feel." _Thud._ "Fine." _Thud. CRASH._ "Gah! Fuck. Hey... uh... Rude? Ya think ya could maybe hide that before Ward sees it?"

Rude pointedly took the pillow the redhead had been carelessly tossing at the ceiling away from him, before shaking the bits of shattered ceiling tile off of the blanket and nudging them beneath the bed.

"Think she'll notice?" the younger man asked, staring up at the gaping hole above him.

The bald Turk gave a soft snort of laughter.

"Yeah... You're right. I'm fucked."

"If you're trying to get thrown out for damaging hospital property, I don't think it'll work."

"Noted," he acknowledged, grinning. Reno leaned back, cupping his hands behind his head and stared up at the hole. "So... you guysaren't just fuckin' with me, are ya? Ya didn't... I dunno, drug me n' bring me here, and try ta sell me this bizarre story, right? 'Cause, I'll admit, that'd be one hell of an epic joke, but if there's a punchline, it's _way_ overdue..."

"Sorry," his partner replied.

"That's what I was afraid of," Reno sighed, "And that blonde chick... Elena? We're really together? Like... together, together..."

"Yep. For about a month now."

"How the fuck did that happen?" he asked, chuckling softly. At best, there were a few women who'd kept him entertained enough that he continued to invite them over for the night from time to time. And of course, Lira turned up at his place pretty regularly. But he'd never pictured himself finding someone on a more permanent basis... or maybe it was more accurate to say he'd never pictured anyone putting up with _him_ on a more permanent basis.

"It almost didn't... Mostly because you're an idiot."

Reno turned his head and glared at his partner. "Oh, _thanks_. I'm layin' here with two years worth of memories missin', and you call me an idiot."

"Only because it's true," Rude snickered. "You almost let her get away."

Reno skeptically cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, please... Now I _know_ you're shittin' me."

"Nope. Like I said. You're an idiot."

He shook his head, propping himself up on one elbow. "Come on, Rude... level with me. What's so special about her? I mean... she's hot as hell, I'll give her that, but... _Me_? Gettin' tied down like that? I don't get it."

Rude shrugged. "She's one of us," he said simply.

"Which brings up another point..." the redhead continued, "I know there's no specific rule against hookin' up with other Turks... and believe me, I've had occasion to checked on that before... but, uh... Tseng didn't have anything to say 'bout me gettin' involved with someone I'm s'posed to be mentorin'? Hell, for that matter... What the _fuck_ am I doin' gettin' involved with someone I'm s'posed to be mentorin'? Boss finally trusts me with a rookie, and I'm immediately in bed with her? The fuck's wrong with me?"

His partner sniggered... softly at first, but after a moment, it became a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Reno stared at him confused, and a little insulted.

"What's so goddamn funny?!" he demanded. It took Rude a few more seconds to calm down enough to answer him.

"There nothing 'immediate' about it," he replied, still fighting to keep himself under control. "I think even _Lira_ was starting to think it would never happen. Elena's been a Turk for over a year now."

"... It took me a fuckin' _year_ to talk a girl into sleepin' with me?"

The bald man snickered loudly. "No... it was a year before _she_ finally got around to seducing _you._ You wouldn't even try."

" _What?!_ " That... definitely didn't sound like him, rookie or not.

"I really should be recording all of your reactions..." Rude commented, still unable to keep a straight face upon seeing Reno's expression of pure disbelief.

"That fuckin' phone comes out, it's going straight out the window," the redhead growled, as menacingly as a man in hospital gown could possibly manage to be. But a few moments later, his face fell. "So... I guess _she's_ gotta be pretty upset, then, huh?"

"Goes without saying," Rude agreed.

"Fuck." He flopped onto his back and resumed staring up at the ceiling. She'd seemed nice... He didn't like thinking about her off on her own, worried about _him_. Though surely Tseng would look after her tonight if she was really that upset. "Is it... like... serious? Between me 'n her, I mean? Or is it just... ya know, a whenever it's convenient kinda thing...?" Maybe things weren't as bad as his partner was making them seem... He'd had arrangements like that before with female Turks. It was never really a relationship... just a sort mutual agreement to fuck when one party or the other didn't feel like trolling for a date. Simple, convenient, and no messy emotions to get in the way.

"... It's more than just sex with her. A lot more," Rude replied, all teasing gone from his voice. Reno internally groaned. It figured. "I almost hate to say it right now given the circumstances, but... you've been in love with Elena practically from her first day."

Reno's gaze shifted minutely toward him. "Gettin' a little sappy there, don'tchya think, Rude... ?"

"I mean it. Took you forever to actually _admit_ it to yourself, but we could all see what was happening. She's important to you, and has been from the start."

" _Was_ important to me..." he muttered. Tears of frustration came, unbidden, gathering in the corners of his eyes, and he rapidly blinked them back before he lost control of them. "I don't remember anything _about_ her right now. How do ya just forget somethin' like that, man?"

"Not my area of expertise. You'd have to ask Ward," Rude said, shrugging. The redhead went silent for a while, lost in his own thoughts. The truth was, finding someone like that was a tempting fantasy he'd always just assumed he was never meant to have. He was too flighty... too immature. And much, _much_ too tainted. He was great for a little fun, but when it came to anything of substance, he just didn't measure up, and he'd accepted that fact a long time ago. It was hard to imagine he'd somehow changed _that_ much in just two years.

* * *

"Well, I have good news for yeh..."

"They're servin' somethin' other than this sludge for breakfast?" the redhead shot back as he lifted a spoonful of oatmeal and let it ooze slowly back into the bowl. He didn't mind it really. It was perfectly edible... even if it _was_ indescribably bland and had the texture of glue... but you would think a hospital would at least _try_ and serve something that wouldn't make most people sick to look at it.

"No," Ward replied, "But yeh _are_ free ta go just as soon as yeh finish that."

Rude looked up in surprise. "You're letting him leave?"

Dr. Ward nodded. "All of his scans came back clear. There _is_ some swelling and evidence of a very minor concussion but nothing that would warrant keeping him here any longer." She looked pointedly at her patient. "And frankly, I think yeh'd be better off somewhere else anyway... if only ta save the rest of the ceiling from yer destructive boredom."

"Uhh..." Reno glanced up at the missing ceiling tile above his bed. "No idea what you're talkin' about Doc. It was like that when I got here. Right, partner?"

Rude wisely ignored him. "But he still can't remember anything from the past two years..."

"That little detail hasn't slipped my mind, believe me..." the doctor assured him, "But unfortunately, there's nothing we can do but wait and see if fixes itself. He's otherwise fine. Keeping him here wouldn't be of any use ta anyone... in fact, it may actually do more harm than good. Sometimes, all it takes in cases like this is being surrounded by the familiar for a bit."

"So's that mean your clearin' me to go back to work, or am I stuck stayin' at home in bed?" Reno asked. He was already stripping away the electrodes connected to the heart monitor. Ward reached over and shut it off before the alarm could sound.

"Yeh can go in... but no field work, and no training, until that concussion resolves itself. Yeh can keep Tseng company in the office until then. I'd say by Monday I'll be clearin' yeh both for active duty... though I expect yeh to come see me _immediately_ if yeh have any new symptoms or the memory loss gets any worse."

"... How am I s'posed to remember to come see ya if I forget about you tellin' me to come see ya?" the redhead asked with a smirk. The doctor shot him a warning look. "Alright... geez... Just kiddin'."

"I mean it... I don't want ta see yeh bein' carried in against yer will like yeh usually are, and yer ta take things slow and easy until I say otherwise. Now... a few things ta keep in mind..."

Reno rolled his eyes and did his best to listen... but his thoughts kept wandering.

* * *

Elena chewed softly on her bottom lip as she read through Reno's notes. Even with Tseng still on restricted duty, Reno in the hospital and Rude keeping an eye on him, Heidegger expected them to be ready for Friday's weapon test. At the rate they were going, she might very well be the only Turk who showed up tomorrow... a prospect that didn't exactly thrill her.

At some point on Tuesday, Reno and Rude had sat down with the blueprints the weapons department had sent them. She rolled her eyes and couldn't help the tiny laugh that escaped when she noticed that Rude had crossed out the text at the bottom that read "Proud Clod", and relabeled the schematics "Armored Potato".

From what she could gather from the notes, the pair of them had determined that the actual weapon itself was relatively weak, offensively... at least by Shinra Weapons standards – though it would certainly be more than capable of doing some significant damage to a comparatively tiny, unarmored Turk. Defense was where it _really_ excelled. It was virtually indestructible, meaning it would be able to wear down whatever happened to be facing off against it, no matter how powerful the opponent was.

She shook her head. Even with all four of them fighting it, they'd be lucky if they so much as dented the thing. With only two... three at most, if Reno was somehow able to join them... it was impossible.

She groaned and leaned forward resting her head in her hands. As if her week hadn't sucked badly enough as it was...

"Things aren't going well, I take it?" Tseng's voice said behind her. Elena groaned again in response.

"I'm in _so_ far over my head, sir..." she replied, not looking up.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing that I've brought you some help..."

The rookie lifted her head, turning towards the meeting-room-turned-planning-center's door, and her eyes widened.

"Reno!" she cried, getting to feet. Moments later she was hugging him.

"Heh... Hey, Elena..."

She loosened her grip on him and leaned back, frowning at the use of her full name. "You still don't remember me, do you?"

"Uh... no. Sorry. But I'm definitely not complainin' about the greeting..." he replied, cocking his head to one side and grinning teasingly. Elena managed a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid Reno's lack of recovery means it's going to be just you and Rude against Scarlet's Proud Clod... He's been sidelined, and Ward has outright refused to release _me_ from her restrictions by tomorrow," said Tseng.

"But the good news is that means ya basically get me for whatever else ya need. I _literally_ don't have anything to do 'til Monday. There aren't even any reports in the backlog for me to file... and someone is _definitely_ gonna have to explain to me how the fuck _that_ happened..." the redhead added.

"I'll leave that explanation to Elena. Rude will be joining you after lunch..." the Turk leader assured them, turning to leave, "Should you require _my_ assistance, I'll be upstairs... attempting to talk Heidegger into postponing this idiotic exercise. I expect I'll be at it for awhile."

Reno joined her, palms resting on top of the table as he leaned over her shoulder and peered at the schematics. "So... from what Tseng told me, this thing's built to be run by two people, right?" Elena nodded. Having him that close was almost akin to torture, knowing that everything between them had suddenly been blinked right out of existence. Reno swore, clearly annoyed. "Who the fuck let _me_ take notes? And what the fuck's a 'naked canner'?"

Elena suddenly laughed in spite of herself. "That says 'mako cannon'," she giggled. "I always _knew_ you couldn't read your own handwriting..."

"Hey... I can read _most_ of it," the redhead responded, defensively. "I... just have a tendency to try 'n write too fast sometimes and it gets a little outta control." He paused for a moment. "Wait... _you_ can read that shit?"

The rookie smiled widely and nodded, smugly.

"Ya know... You have a nice smile," the redhead suddenly commented, and grinned. "Heh... and kind of a nice everything, actually..."

She hadn't been expecting that. It wasn't the teasing sort of flirting she'd grown used to hearing from the redhead before they'd started seeing one another. Elena blushed and dropped her gaze.

"What?" Reno asked, slightly puzzled, "I thought we were an item. I never tell ya how pretty you are?"

"It's not that..." she replied, shaking her head in denial, "It's just... a little strange."

"'Cause I hardly know anything about ya?" he offered.

"Well... that. And you kind of never really said things like that to me before. At least not seriously."

Reno looked at her, thoroughly confused. "So, hold on... _You're_ tellin' me I never came onto ya... and Rude told me that _you're_ the one who got this whole relationship thing started..." He blinked and took a seat in the chair next to hers. "What kinda bizarre, fucked up alternate reality did I wake up in? Next you'll be tellin' me I've started watchin' that Shadow & Sword crap with Rude..."

Elena snickered softly. "No... you still hate Shadow & Sword."

"Oh, thank fuck," he sighed, relieved, "I'm not sure I coulda lived with the idea of me actually gettin' _into_ that stupid show."

"Hey! _I_ happen to _like_ that 'stupid show'."

"Oh, dear Ifrit... You're one of _them_?" the redhead groaned, closing his eyes in mock dismay and slumping forward in the chair, sprawling across the tabletop from his seat.

Elena gently poked him in the ribs until he sat up. "Yep. You're dating a romance novel reading, teen pop loving, over-achieving, neat freak Swordie," she informed him with a smirk, listing out everything she could think of that he liked to tease her about.

" _Teen pop_?" he repeated, looking slightly horrified. The rookie laughed at his expression for a moment before sobering as she realized that, no matter how amusing watching him react to things like that might be, it was only driving home the point that every interaction she'd ever had with the man had been wiped from his memory. Something in her own face must have changed, because the next thing she knew, she was in his arms. "This kinda sucks, huh?" Reno said, one hand gently rubbing her back.

"Yeah."

"Look... at the risk of bein' way more serious than I usually like... I spent most of last night layin' around thinkin' about shit. I know things are gonna be a little weird between us for awhile, but I don't like the idea of lettin' go of someone special. Even if I can't remember what _makes_ 'em so special at the moment. I don't have nearly enough people like that in my life to just forget one. So... I guess what I'm sayin' is just try and treat me the way you normally would. I'll figure it out from there."

Elena looked up at him. "Does... does that mean that Ward doesn't think you'll get you memory back?" she asked, somewhat miserably.

Reno snickered. "She hasn't got a fuckin' clue, I don't think. How's that for modern medicine? But she did say that sometimes bein' around familiar people 'n shit can trigger somethin'." He tucked a few strands of hair back behind her ear. " _So_... that in mind, how 'bout you spend some time with me bein' familiar?"

She smiled a little. "Did you just ask me out?"

"Dinner tonight?" he replied, grinning. Elena laughed... it was actually a little flattering having him make a serious effort at hitting on her. It was something he'd only ever done as a joke before... In a way, she'd largely missed out on experiencing that part of his personality.

"Absolutely. I'd love to," she said. "But right now, we really do need to focus on the Proud Clod..."

"Yeah, fine. So... about that naked canner..."

* * *

Elena's foot tapped impatiently as she waited for the elevator to reach her destination. It wasn't helping matters that she'd somehow stepped aboard at the same time as half the residents of the building... all of whom seemed to be getting off on a different floor. At last, the couple heading to the sixth floor disembarked, the doors sliding shut behind them, and she was carried upwards toward her apartment.

She didn't know why she was in such a hurry, really... It wasn't as if Reno was going to start dinner without her if it took her a few extra minutes to get changed and feed Snuffy. The elevator chimed and opened, and Elena hurried out... only to slam face first into a solid body.

She staggered back a step with a soft _oof_ and looked up at the unexpected obstacle.

"We seem to be bumping into each other very often lately, yes?"

"Antonio... I'm so sorry. I was in a hurry and not paying attention at all..." she said, embarrassed. That was twice in less than a week now. The guy had to be thinking she was some sort of ditzy airhead.

"It truly is no great inconvenience... but if you are feeling bad about it, perhaps you will join me for dinner as an apology?"

"Oh... Well, I... That's very nice of you to offer, but I'm actually already running later for a dinner date as it is..."

"Dates can always be broken, yes?" he said, with a dashing smile, moving a step closer to her.

Elena took a step back, reclaiming her personal space. "Er... I... I appreciate the offer, but..." she began.

"But you already have made arrangements with the redhead." He shook his head and stepped toward her taking her hand in both of his. "He is a worm. I saw him after you threw him out, slinking off into the night... no doubt to someone else's bed. Men like that do not deserve a lovely woman like you. You should have far better than a scrawny nothing who does not appreciate what he has..."

Elena pulled back her hand, somewhat angrily. "You don't know the first thing about him, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't talk about him like that."

"I do not know the first about him? Ha. I know he thinks of you as something he must possess, and treats you as such. I could hear you shouting at him. He is no good. But I... _I_ would treat you as though you were something precious."

"... You were listening to us?" Elena felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The man lived several doors down, and she'd _seen_ him heading for his own apartment... She and Reno certainly hadn't been so loud he could have overheard them from there. He had to have been intentionally eavesdropping... and that _definitely_ creeped her out. The rookie gave a humorless laugh, and pushed past him. "Reno was right about you. I actually _defended_ you and told him he was being ridiculous, and he was right all along." She shook her head in disgust and headed for her apartment. Antonio seized her arm, hauling her back towards him.

"You will not walk away from me!" he said insistently, "No woman simply walks away from Antonio de la Vega."

"Let go of me."

The Costan smirked. "And what will you do if I do not?"

"Let go of me. Now." Elena said warningly, narrowing her eyes. Antonio laughed and leaned forward, trying to kiss her. He didn't have the chance. Her knee connected with his groin, and a few seconds later his face became intimately acquainted with her right fist. Antonio went down hard. "If you ever come near me again, I'll _really_ do some damage." With that she stalked off, entering her apartment and slamming the door behind her, leaving him moaning in the middle of the hallway.

* * *

Reno glanced at the clock again. She was late... Not _terribly_ late, but late. He'd expected her almost ten minutes ago.

A part of him couldn't help but wonder if maybe she'd changed her mind. He wouldn't have blamed her if she did. The whole situation had to be unbelievably bizarre from her point of view. It was pretty weird for him, too, but at least _he_ wasn't stuck with memories of being with someone who, for all intents and purposes, didn't exist anymore. And that really _was_ the issue at the moment. For him, the last two years never happened. He'd been, for lack of a better term, reset... to a time before they'd even met. He didn't feel any kind of loss. He didn't even know Elena, really. But he could very plainly see that this was affecting _her_... and that fact left him feeling guilty.

He'd always taken great care not to lead anyone he got involved with on. He may have been something of a slut... but he wasn't a jerk. Or at the very least, he tried not to be. It wasn't his goal to hurt anyone.

But Elena... this was definitely hurting her, and from the short amount of time he'd spent with her, he'd very quickly decided that he didn't want that. It really wasn't that hard to understand how he could have fallen for someone like her – though he still failed to see what the hell she saw in _him_. Elena was warm and funny, and she didn't seem at all bothered by his jokes, no matter how lewd or just downright awful they got. In fact, the only other person who'd ever been able to tolerate his sense of humor to _that_ extent was Lira, and that was mostly just because she shared it. Even Rude would _eventually_ get fed up with him and tell him to knock it off.

The redhead frowned and wandered around his apartment for the umpteenth time since he'd returned home from the hospital. Much like himself, it, too, was the same but not. There were things he recognized, and things he didn't... things that weren't where he remembered leaving them, things he couldn't find to save his life, and things that didn't seem to belong at all.

The most glaring... and upsetting... oddity was the little stuffed bunny tucked lovingly into his bed. The fact that there was a stuffed animal there was nothing unusual... it was the fact that it wasn't the one he was expecting it to be. Mr. Foo-Foo had been his most treasured possession since childhood... Discovering him missing, and a very obviously new toy in his place, had thrown him. And Mr. Foo-Foo was _definitely_ missing. He'd been over the whole apartment. There was no trace of the toy anywhere.

What he _had_ found, eventually, was a collection of photos... dozens of them, in fact... safely nestled away in a drawer in his bedroom. A few were of himself, along with Tseng and Rude, but most were pictures of Elena. There was one of him posing next to her with the mysterious new bunny – which he'd made a mental note to ask her about – several of her looking awkward or embarrassed, either on her own or with his arm slung casually over her shoulders, a few where she looked as though she kinda wanted to slug him, and a handful of them both – which seemed to be more recent – looking decidedly content in each other's company... though perhaps strangest of all, was the one of the two of them looking utterly spent and disheveled, the young woman's hair apparently dyed to match his own. He'd left the photos on the counter with the intention of showing them to the rookie over dinner and picking her brain for specifics.

At long last, a sharp knock interrupted his train of thought, and he grinned, more than a little glad not to have been stood up after all. Reno opened the door to find her waiting for him.

"Hey..." he said, standing to one side to let her in.

"Hi," Elena replied, looking a bit annoyed, "I know I'm a little late... I had to beat up my neighbor."

The redhead cocked an eyebrow. "Uh... That happen often?"

"No... Usually guys like that back off after the first warning. And _definitely_ after the second."

"He do somethin' to ya?" Reno asked, frowning. Amnesia or not, Elena was still _his_ rookie and his responsibility. And he wasn't about to let some asshole start harassing her...

A tiny smile twitched the corners of her mouth upwards. "He tried. But I don't think he'll be trying it again." She sighed, and shook her head, glancing up at him apologetically. "I can't believe I didn't see it coming, especially after what happened with creepy gym guy... I should have just listened to you. You tried to tell me what a total creep he was, and I... I just got mad at you."

"... No idea what creepy gym guy you're talkin' about, but knowin' me, I probably deserved it..." he offered, hoping to make her feel better. He quickly came to the conclusion that that was the wrong thing to say. The little smile disappeared.

"You didn't. You just didn't want something to happen to me... again," she replied, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Except I was too self-righteous to realize it at the time." Elena took a somewhat shuddering breath. "I was so angry with you, I threw you out of my apartment. And then _this_ happened," she said, gesturing to nothing in particularly, though Reno didn't have much difficulty figuring out what she meant.

Reno silently groaned, and reminded himself that he really _was_ a complete moron. He should have known better than to bring up the subject of his memory loss so flippantly... Now the rookie was upset and it was entirely his fault. Worse, he got the impression that if he didn't do something in the next few seconds, he was going to be dealing with a woman in tears... the thought of which sent a slight surge of panic through him, given that it was _also_ his responsibility to fix her if she did start crying. What in the nine hells had ever possessed him to chose a female rookie as his first protege? He hated seeing a woman, Turk or otherwise, get so emotional... and they tended to do it a lot. He was starting to wonder if he'd turned into some kind of masochist over the past two years...

Elena suddenly snickered softly, and he realized that she was looking up at him again.

"What?" he asked, thoroughly confused by the rapid about face in emotions.

"The look on your face," she giggled, "I know you don't like it when women cry, but you look so completely terrified right now..." She shook her head and laughed again. "It's okay... I'm not going to start sobbing uncontrollably."

The redhead relaxed a bit. "Thank Ifrit for that. So I guess _that_ hasn't changed much in the two years I can't remember, at least..."

"You _were_ getting better about it... at least with me."

"Heh... Was I really so hard on ya that I had ya in tears often enough to get used to it?" he asked, though he was a little concerned that he might really have made her that miserable. For all he knew he'd been an absolute slave driver... though, he mused, if that were the case, they probably wouldn't have ended up dating...

Elena smiled.

"No... You've just been there for me every time I really needed someone. There have been so many times that you've dropped everything to make sure I was alright... even when you had every right to be annoyed with me..."

"Good to know I'm not a complete asshole," he said, grinning. "So... ya hungry? Pizza got here right before you did... It's been sittin' in the kitchen torturin' me for about ten minutes now."

"Sure... Let's eat," she replied, laughing as she followed him towards the little kitchenette. In a matter of minutes, they were pulling slices from the boxes, and Reno spotted the stack of photos he'd left out. He picked them up, along with his plate, and carried them over to the table, joining his date for the evening.

"What's that?" she asked, clearly curious.

"Found 'em earlier today. I... uh... was kinda hopin' maybe you could tell me about them. Ya know... try 'n jump start my memory."

Elena took the pictures from him, and picked up the one on top. It was her and Reno, the redhead's arm snaking around her shoulders as she rolled her eyes at the camera.

"I... think this is the picture Rude took when Tseng told us we were going on our first undercover mission together," she chuckled. "You made him take one for the scrapbook."

"I have a scrapbook?" he asked, an eyebrow rising incredulously, and the rookie giggled.

"You know something? I don't actually know..." she said, chuckling. "I assumed you were just joking around at the time... but you _did_ have a hard copy of the photo made, so..." She slipped the picture to the back of the stack, studying the next one, and he saw her smile widen as she apparently recognized it.

"This is after a mission in Wall Market. Lira made me dye my hair so I could get hired at the Honeybee Inn and sneak into Don Corneo's mansion..."

Reno suppressed a shudder. He'd sent a _rookie_ into Corneo's camp? And undercover as one of the brothel's rent girls, no less... Was he out of his damn mind?

"What the hell was I doin' sendin' you into a place like that?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well... we didn't really have a better choice," Elena replied. "We had a target to rescue, and it was the safest way to get her out. It didn't go quite the way we planned it, and I got a little roughed up before you were able to come back for me, but we saved her. This was on the train back to the Plate. Rude said we looked like twins. That's why he took it."

Reno snickered. "The hair _does_ make us look a little... uh... related. I kinda like you as a redhead."

"Well, it was an absolute nightmare until it finally washed out. I _still_ don't know how you stand all the attention."

"I like attention," the redhead shrugged. Elena giggled and flipped to the next photo. This was the one of the two of the and the stuffed bunny.

"This one is from this past Christmas," she said. "We took it after Tseng and Rude had left for home on Christmas morning."

"Yeah... _That_ one, I was meanin' to ask you about specifically..." said Reno. "I found the bunny, too. And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you're the one who gave it to me..."

Elena nodded.

"So... I guess that means you know about... uh..."

"Mr. Foo-foo?" she offered, with a teasing grin. Reno felt his cheeks redden slightly. He didn't typically tell anyone about his stuffed friend. He loved the little bunny dearly, but still... it was embarrassing.

"Yeah. You, uh... wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

 _'Smooth, Reno. Keep it subtle. She'll never know how much you're worried about that damn toy...'_ He silently told his inner voice to fuck off.

The rookie gave him a somewhat sad look and sighed. "It was all my fault..." she replied. Reno felt his heart sink. That didn't sound promising.

"... _What_ was you fault?" he cautiously asked.

"I... I was going to fix Mr. Foo-foo up a little for you. As a surprise." The rookie chewed softly on her lower lip for a moment, looking as though she'd like to be just about anywhere but here at the moment. "It... um... It didn't _exactly_ go as planned."

Reno froze. "What _exactly_ does that mean?"

"Please, _please_ don't get mad..." she said, suddenly looking nervous in the extreme and shifting awkwardly in her seat. "You were so angry the last time, I was afraid you'd never speak to me again..."

"What did you do?" the redhead asked in measured tones. The toy hadn't exactly been fragile... but it certainly hadn't been in the best of shape anymore, either. If he found out she'd damaged it... or worse...

"It was an accident... I swear..." Elena replied.

"What did you _do_?" he repeated, more forcefully this time.

"I... I kind of... sethimonfire."

Reno blinked. She'd said it so quickly and in such a quiet and borderline terrified voice, it took him a moment to process the actual words. "You... _what_?"

Elena swallowed sharply. "I accidentally... set him on fire. I tried to save him, but... well... there wasn't much left to save."

"And then, what? You thought you'd just get me a new one?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

 _'Keep it together, asshole... She's already been through this once, remember?'_ his subconscious cautioned him. No, dammit, he _didn't_ remember. That was his entire damn problem! The revelation had hit him hard, and he was torn between being furious with the woman, or utterly devastated by the loss. At the moment, anger was ever so slightly edging out despair.

"No!" the rookie cried, apparently noticing his indecision on which emotion to go with. "It... it wasn't like that."

"You have no idea how much he meant to me..." he said, more coldly than he'd intended.

"Yes, I do... because you told me. Reno, I'm so sorry. I felt awful when it happened. I _still_ feel awful every time I think about it. I was just trying to cheer you up a little, and it ended up being probably the cruelest thing I possibly could have done..."

"... Don't. Move," he ground out, before standing and stalking off, disappearing into his bedroom. Reno forced himself to to breathe, trying to let go of the anger and the hurt. This had happened... well, he wasn't sure how long ago, really... months, at the very least, given that he received the new bunny for Christmas and they were now well into spring. Obviously he'd found a reason to forgive the young woman... though he was having a difficult time guessing what that reason _was_ at the moment. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide what to do...

Right now, what he _wanted_ to do was scream at her. He'd only barelystopped himself from doing just that a moment ago, and only then because she'd looked so frightened and remorseful it had caught him slightly off guard and given him a moment of pause. The little bunny stared at him, almost reproachfully, from the bed, and he snatched it from the pillow it sat on, glaring at it. It wasn't even an especially well-made toy, he noted, with a sneer. The stitching was uneven in places and head was slightly too big for the body. Not that Mr. Foo-foo had been particularly fancy himself, but this looked like something that had come out of a Sector 1 sweatshop.

 _'That's because she made it for you, you idiot.'_

He blinked in surprise. He wasn't sure where the thought had suddenly come from... but he knew almost instantly that it was true. Reno flipped the bunny over, looking at it more closely. The stitching _had_ definitely been done by hand. He'd done enough amateurish self-repairs of torn clothing back in the day to recognize that much. He felt his fury quickly deflate after that... Elena had taken the time to make something that was as close to what he'd lost as she could. He ran a finger along the edge one of the little ears that stood up on top of its head. One of Mr. Foo-foo's had accidentally been torn off and inexpertly sewn back on years ago... it had always flopped over backwards after that.

The redhead sighed and turned back to the door, calmer now, though still more than slightly upset by Elena's unexpected confession... though not so much at her. Mostly he was just sad over the loss. He set the bunny back on the pillow, then thought better of it and took it with him, returning to the kitchen.

He very nearly laughed when he did. His poor rookie almost looked as though she'd taken him literally, and hadn't moved a muscle the entire time he'd been gone. He took a seat across from her, setting the bunny down next to his plate.

"You can move now," he said, forcing himself to keep a straight face.

"H-how mad at me are you?" she asked, nervously, though, he noted, she still seemed half-frozen, as though any sudden movements might be hazardous in spite of his permission to end her impromptu impression of a statue.

"I'm not..." Reno sighed, "Not really. I mean, I am... but not at you so much as the universe in general for givin' me such shitty luck sometimes..."

Elena seemed to relax at that statement. "I really _am_ sorry, Reno..."

"You _made_ me this one, didn't you..." It was more a statement than a question, and the rookie nodded.

"I wanted it to be special."

This was getting to be a lot more... intense... than the friendly dinner date he'd envisioned. Neither of them were having much fun at this point, and frankly, he didn't want to spend the whole evening dwelling on guilt and an accident he couldn't do anything about. It was time to change tactics...

"... Ya know... I never eat at the fuckin' table when I'm on my own. Come on. Grab your plate and let's go sit on the couch. It's more comfortable." He didn't wait for a reply before picking up his own plate, along with the remaining photos, and heading into the living room. Elena followed, a little uncertainly. He took a bite as she joined him, picked up then next photo on the pile. "So... how 'bout this one?"

The rookie studied it, brow furrowed, and for a moment, Reno thought that perhaps even _she_ couldn't place it. It _was_ admittedly kind of an odd one. The pair of them were propped up against one another, side by side, in the back seat of what had to have been Tseng's car... which he only recognized because of the five-point harnesses in place of the standard seatbelts. He was pretty sure Rufus had added them to the customizations as a not-so-subtle dig at the Turk leader's infamous tendency towards breaking the speed limit on most roads by a factor of three or so any time he was in a hurry. He and Elena looked to be sound asleep... but the truly bizarre aspect of the photo was his own hair. Instead of the bright, fiery red he was used to seeing, it was a deep, sapphire blue. Elena suddenly groaned.

"Oh. My. God." She shook her head. "I'm going to _kill_ Rude if he took any _other_ pictures of this..."

"Why? And what the hell happened to my hair?"

Elena sniggered. "I snuck temporary dye into your shampoo... It worked really, _really_ well."

"... Why would you _do_ that?" the redhead asked, indignantly.

"Because _YOU_ put so much cayenne pepper, and Shiva only knows what else, in my sandwich at lunch, that after one bite, I thought my mouth had caught fire! I looked like I was having some kind of psychotic episode in the middle of the cafeteria, and you just sat there, laughing hysterically! I couldn't taste anything for the rest of the day, you jerk!"

Reno grinned widely. Yeah... that sounded like something he'd do.

"Aw, so I played a little joke on ya. Looks like ya got me back. Why so upset about a commemorative photo?"

"Because this had to have been taken after Tseng and Rude played a joke on both of _us._ Those two bastards knocked us out, took us to a hotel, and left us there... _naked_... in bed together. Then they just waited for us to wake up and freak out."

Reno blinked in confusion. "Why would that freak us out? I thought we were dating..."

"This was _way_ before any of that. I'd only been a Turk for a couple of months... and I still _really_ didn't like you very much."

"You... didn't like me?" the redhead asked, sounding somewhat hurt. Elena giggled and shook her head in the negative.

"You were such an asshole to me... right from the beginning, too! I hadn't even walked into the building yet before you started in on me. You went out of your way to make me feel uncomfortable or incompetent or just plain stupid. _All the time._ You were relentless..."

Reno suddenly felt more than a little disgusted with himself. He was a lot of things, but he'd never been a bully. Least of all toward a woman, and, of all people, one he was supposed to be training. There were few things he hated more than seeing someone of the fairer sex mistreated... and it sickened him that he'd done something like that. Elena's arms slid around him as she moved closer.

"It wasn't because you wanted to..." she said, easily interpreting the look on his face. The rookie laid her head on his chest, hugging him tightly. "I let people push me around too easy... You wanted me to stand up for myself. So, for awhile, you did things that forced me to."

"And even after all that, we still somehow ended up together?" he replied with an incredulous laugh.

Her lips lightly grazed his cheek. "You've made it up to me a hundred times over."

"How do ya make up for tormenting someone on a daily basis, for weeks on end?"

"Months," she corrected him, with a soft laugh, "And you did it by finally being yourself..." She kissed him again, not so fleetingly this time, her soft lips somewhat timidly finding his. The rookie pulled back just enough to look at him. "The _real_ you is a very sweet person..."

Dear Ifrit, her eyes were beautiful... They were honey-colored and full of life and laughter, and he found himself momentarily mesmerized, lost in her gaze.

 _'Just fuckin' kiss her already, dumbass...'_

He wasn't quite sure when his inner monologue had become so self-insulting... but he decided to listen to it. It seemed to have a far better grasp of what was going on than he did at the moment, anyway. Reno's fingers found their way to the back of her neck, lightly coaxing her forward again, his lips meeting hers.

It was almost electric. But more than that, it was tantalizingly familiar, like some half-remembered dream that danced just beyond his reach... and he wanted more. He wanted everything that faint familiarity so teasingly promised him. Before he even realized what he was doing, he'd let himself lay back, dropping down onto the couch, and pulling her along with him without ever breaking the kiss. Elena seemed just as eager as he was, and he couldn't help but be amazed at how unbelievably _right_ this felt with her.

But there still remained that one annoying detail that tugged at his sense of morality.

He finally pulled away, panting softly, surprised at just how much one little kiss had affected him. "Wait..." he managed. The rookie obligingly paused in her efforts, though it was clear she didn't really want to stop quite yet.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothin'... just... my head might not remember you, but the rest of me sure as fuck seems to. We keep this up and one of two things is gonna have to happen in the next few minutes. Either we take this into the bedroom, or I'm gonna need a _really_ cold shower. Up to you..."

Elena smiled slightly and leaned forward, nuzzling his throat and drawing a quiet moan from the redhead. "Bedroom it is, then..." she replied.

* * *

He could only stare.

She was so... perfect. He could watch her sleep for hours. And, more to the point, she was his. Propped up on one elbow, he leaned over her. Reno let the backs of his fingers glide along her check, barely touching her. Just enough contact to feel the softness of her skin. He'd never know how he'd managed to get so lucky.

His heart twisted at that thought. It wasn't just figurative... there was a very real possibility that he might never know. Because as beautiful as she was, and as right as everything felt with her... everything that had been between them was still missing. He'd been in love with this woman, for Ifrit's sake! And now... well, he certainly couldn't say with any honesty that he felt _nothing_ for her. He couldn't remember ever having wanted someone _that_ badly in his life, and it had absolutely nothing to do with his amnesia.

But love? He was almost ashamed to admit, even to himself, that no... he wasn't in love. There was a definite attraction... the woman sexy and _very_ willing. And stunning. Especially like this, satiated and sleeping, looking so utterly peaceful and content. No matter how he tried, though, he couldn't find that connection everyone kept insisting had been there before.

Reno's fingers twisted into the bedsheets, clenching the fabric tight in his hand. Why was everything in his life so fucking hard? Nothing had ever been handed to him. Nothing had ever been easy. He'd fought for the life he had, and paid for it in blood and sacrifice. And now a part of it... a part that was gradually seeming more and more desperately important... had been stripped from him. It was like there was some cosmic puppet master who enjoyed watching him struggle and suffer for its own sick amusement, all the while dangling something irresistible in front of him to keep propelling him forward.

Frustrated tears threatened break free, and had to force himself to take a breath, blinking rapidly to stop them. It wasn't fair! He'd never even realized how much he wanted something like this. He'd always thought he could be perfectly content with the multitude of options the Shinra secretarial pool availed to him and his random hookups he hardly had to try for, decrying any real emotional connection as superfluous.

But somehow, he didn't think he could keep her without that connection. Oh, sure... he could treat her like a goddess, and say all the right things, and she might even be happy with that. For awhile. Even so, it felt painfully dishonest to him, if he couldn't actually feel what he'd felt before... and he really wasn't sure whether or not he could. He was intimately familiar with being in lust with someone. Being in love, on the other hand... that was totally foreign.

"Reno?"

She was looking up at him, suddenly awake, eyes watching him in the moonlight.

He made the mistake of letting a quiet sob escape. There was no stopping it after that. Elena pulled him tight against her, guiding his head down onto her chest, and tenderly petting his hair, doing what she could to comfort him.

"I want it back," he managed to get out before frustration and self-pity finally got the better of him, leaving him sobbing against the warm softness of her bare skin.

* * *

"... You look like hell."

"Feel like it, too," Reno replied, his voice muffled. He was sitting at his desk, head resting on his arms. He didn't remember much of anything after he'd finally broken down last night... but he had a hell of a headache, and didn't feel well-rested at all, so he could only assume he'd actually cried himself to sleep. Which was... embarrassing, to say the least. Thankfully, Elena had been kind enough not to bring it up that morning, though she hadn't left until she was satisfied that he would be alright on his own. She'd even made him breakfast.

He was almost shocked she'd stayed at all. He knew he'd been a mess... If it'd been him in the rookie's position, he'd have been sorely tempted to sneak out at the first opportunity rather than deal with someone else's pain.

"How much?"

Reno looked up, somewhat blearily. "How much what?" Normally, Rude didn't have to elaborate on questions like that... the redhead knew him well enough that he could pick up on what he meant fairly easily. But right now, his focus really wasn't what it should be.

"How much did you have to drink last night? You look like you crawled out of one bar and into another. Three or four times."

"I'm not hungover," he muttered, finally deigning to lift his head off of his arms and sit up, "I almost wishI _were_ hungover. I'd probably feel significantly less shitty and humiliated than I do right now."

"... Something happened with Elena." More of an observation than an inquiry.

The redhead snorted a soft laugh... and instantly regretted it when it briefly made his already throbbing head feel like it was going to explode. "Oh, yeah... somethin' happened, alright..." he replied, somewhat sardonically, "And it was fucking amazing... and then it all went to shit." He let his head drop back into his arms with a groan.

"..." Rude stood and walked over to him, resting a hand between his shoulder blades.

"Why am I torturin' myself like this, Rude? She likes me... She wants me. And I'm too hung up on maybe never bein' able to remember all the shit I forgot to just accept it and enjoy the ride."

And that was just _one_ of his problems. Granted, at the moment, it seemed like the biggest, but there were other consequences of losing two years' worth of memories beyond his love life. It had occurred to him, suddenly, on the drive into the office. There were likely contacts he couldn't remember, arrangements he didn't know he'd made, and countless other details that were recorded nowhere but his own head. His little collection of shady characters that owed him favors paled in comparison to Rude's network of informants, but they were just as valuable. But _unlike_ Rude, he didn't keep a physical record of them... and his memory was two years out of date. It, simply put, made him a far less effective Turk, and the anxiety that realization had started to generate was rapidly becoming hard to ignore.

Added to that, was the fact that physically, he may have been fine... Mentally, though? Between the amnesia and the rapidly spiraling anxiety, even _he_ was beginning to wonder if he was really fit for duty... and that thought scared the hell out of him, because if he couldn't be a Turk, then what was he?

"How the fuck am I s'posed to function like this?!" he finally shouted.

"... Alright... That's enough." Rude hauled the redhead out of his seat, and hoisted him over a shoulder.

"H-hey! What the fuck're you doin'?" the younger Turk protested, irritation quickly supplanting inner turmoil for a moment. "Ya know, just 'cause I'm smaller than you and you _can_ carry me around like a fuckin' sack of mimett greens doesn't mean I fuckin' _enjoy_ it!" He squirmed, trying to free himself, but Rude seemed far more determined than usual to hold him in place. He couldn't get any leverage.

"Just relax."

"Tch... Relax? This isn't exactly _comfortable,_ ya know... Put me the fuck down!"

By then, they were halfway down the hallway.

"What's going on?" a familiar voice asked, and Reno tried unsuccessfully to twist towards the source.

"Boss! Thank Ifrit. Tell this asshole to let go of me!"

"Rude?" Tseng questioned, and Reno could quite clearly picture the inquisitory expression he almost certainly now wore... even if he couldn't see it.

"Intervention. Taking him to Ward," the bald Turk replied.

"Ah. Carry on, then."

Reno scowled at the wall... the wall being the only thing currently in his range of vision. "Fuck you both," he muttered in defeat as Rude continued toward the elevator. As the doors closed, he caught sight of Tseng at last, watching the pair of them, concerned.

* * *

Justinia Ward looked up in surprise as the two Turks walked into the medical suite. Well... _one_ was walking. The other was being carried, and swearing up a storm. She sighed softly and shook her head, wondering why she hadn't expected this.

"Well? What's wrong with yeh now?" she asked, as Rude deposited the angry redhead on her exam table. She studied him a moment as she waited for his answer. Bloodshot eyes glared back at her, giving her at least some insight. He clearly hadn't slept well. She suspected, though, there was a bit more to it than simple insomnia.

"He's driving himself crazy," Rude answered for him, and the redhead turned his glare on the other man.

"That so? Alright... I'll look him over. Yeh go on back ta work and leave him ta me."

"Don't _I_ get a fucking say in any of this?" her petulant patient snapped. She bit back a laugh... She always marveled a bit as just how different Reno could be when he was out of sorts. He was almost a different person entirely.

"Language! And no, not with a head injury yeh don't."

"Sure you don't want me to stick around?" Rude asked, the question directed at her rather than the redhead. Ward shook her head and waved him off.

"Don't be ridiculous. I've been wrangling this little troublemaker for more than a decade. We both know he's all bark and no bite around me. I'll manage just fine."

She'd become accustomed to the young man's snappish protests long ago. Reno liked to whine and moan and swear, but in the end he trusted her far more than he cared to admit, and would do as he was told. It had become something of a ritual by now. Rude finally withdrew, casting one more glance back at his partner before disappearing through the door.

"I'm –"

"Yer obviously _not_ fine, so don't yeh try and sell me on that nonsense. I know yeh too well ta fall for it," she said, neatly cutting him off before he could even get the words out. "Now... what's been going on since I last saw yeh?" Ward stood in front of him, and drew a small penlight from the pocket of her lab coat, clicking it on, and shining it into the redhead's eyes. The pupils contracted sharply in response... a perfectly normal reaction. Reno flinched.

"Gah... little warning, huh, Doc?!"

"If I warned yeh, yeh'd just complain more and yeh know it," she teased. She lifted a hand to the back of his head, gingerly probing the lump that still remained from the blow he'd taken. It had gone down considerably, but judging by the way the redhead tensed, it was still a bit tender. "Off with the jacket."

Reno grudgingly obeyed the command, and Ward rolled up his sleeve to take his blood pressure. As she'd suspected, it was a little elevated.

"Nothing ta say then?"

"Tch... Whatdya wanna hear? Unless you can get my memory back, there's fuck all _you_ can do," he replied, looking away from her.

"Oh, for Shiva's sake..." Ward sighed, and didn't bother scolding him for swearing this time, "It hasn't even been forty-eight hours yet, and yeh've already started obsessing about this being permanent, haven't yeh? Probably got yerself so worked up over it yeh couldn't sleep last night. I _told_ yeh... head injuries can be tricky things. Hard ta predict, and a bit slow ta heal."

"So... it might still not be?" the redhead asked, tentatively. "But... I tried everything I could think of to get somethin' to pull me outta this. Just ended up cryin' on Elena's shoulder all night..." The doctor had to work very hard at not rolling her eyes out of pure frustration.

"Yeh didn't hear a word I said to yeh the other day, did yeh? I should've known yeh were paying more attention ta getting out of that hospital bed than yeh were ta me."

Reno stared for a moment, clearly trying to recall whatever it was he'd been told. Ward chuckled softly and decided to help him out.

"What I told yeh was that there's a fair bit of evidence of a concussion. Not a serious one, mind yeh, but enough that I'm not surprised you're having some symptoms of it. Now, I'll grant yeh, memory loss is a fairly dramatic symptom, particularly given that the injury _is_ so minor, but that's no reason to think that once the concussion resolves itself yer memories won't come back. In the mean time, being in familiar places and around familiar people _might_ speed things along and trigger latent memories to surface... and I'll wager that last bit's the _only_ bit that yeh managed ta latch onta."

"So you're sayin' it's not permanent..." he breathed.

"I'm sayin' it's still too early to say anything for sure. But yer young and healthy and yeh heal quick. It might take some time, but no... If I had ta bet on it, I don't think this'll be permanent."

The look of relief on his face was so pronounced, she couldn't help herself.

"Oh, come here, my little headache..." Ward said, pulling him into a comforting embrace, one that he happily leaned into. "Poor thing... Yeh'd started ta work yerself inta a panic, hadn't yeh?" She released him a moment later, with a small smile. "If yeh were _that_ worried, why in the wide world didn't yeh just come see me first thing this morning so I could set yeh straight?"

The redhead blushed faintly. "I didn't think there was anything you could do..."

"Oh, so why bother asking for any help at all, then, is that it? Yeh daft thing. I've half a mind ta send yeh home for the day ta make up for the sleep yeh clearly didn't get last night..." she said, lightly chastising him, and smirked at the slightly horrified expression that crossed his features at the threat, "... but that'd probably just drive yeh stir-crazy."

"Don't fuck with me right now, Doc. I've had a rough mornin'..."

"Watch that language. If I have ta warn yeh again, there'll be no treat for yeh," Ward said, sternly. As much as she hated to deny him, she always followed through when he slipped up... if she didn't, he'd just start to ignore the threats eventually.

And beyond her personal distaste for swearing, threatening to take away something he wanted was useful in ways beyond making the little redhead do as he was told. When he was concentrating on not swearing – a habit that was equally, if not more ingrained in him than her own disapproval of it – he wasn't worrying quite so much about other things, like needle sticks or memory loss. It also settled him down and helped to curb his hyperactive nature... and it was just as effective now as it had been when he was a teenager.

The doctor smirked slightly to herself. And the boy thought _Tseng_ was sneaky...

"Now, tell me something. Yeh said yeh tried a few things ta encourage yer memory ta cough something up for yeh. Did yeh have any luck at all?"

"Not really..." the redhead sighed, shoulders sagging.

"Not really? That didn't quite sound like a 'no'..."

"I don't know... It wasn't like I could remember anything specific. Just... certain things _felt_ familiar. Like when I kissed Elena. And... when we were in bed together. _That_ was definitely somethin' I've done before. And I don't mean just in general."

Ward's eyebrow rose. "Well, now... I knew the two of yeh were close, but I hadn't realized yeh were quite _that_ close. Seems I need ta do a better job of keeping up on company gossip..."

"Heh... Don't worry. I don't think you're that out of the loop. Apparently it hasn't been goin' on very long..."

"That's a good sign, then, I'd say, if yer remembering something relatively recent. Means those memories are likely intact... just inaccessible. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised yeh'd remember sensations before things like events and people. Yeh've always been the tactile sort. So... do yeh feel a bit better now?"

Reno gave a soft laugh. "Yeah, Doc. I kinda do..."

"Good. Then yeh'll be wanting this, I suppose," Ward said, holding out a purple sucker. The redhead grinned, and took it. The piece of candy never stood a chance at that point. It was stripped of its wrapper and in his mouth before the doctor even had time to draw her hand back. "Right... off with yeh, now. I'll be checking in on yeh later this afternoon ta make sure yer still doing alright... and don't yeh bother arguing with me. Yeh know perfectly well there's no point in it," she said, before he could protest.

"... Fine..." the redhead grudgingly muttered. "Uh... Doc?"

"Yes?"

"You're... not gonna mention me hugging ya to Rude, right? 'Cause he's seriously never gonna let me hear the end of it if you do..."

* * *

"There's just no way..."

"..."

"Well, there isn't! I mean... can _you_ see anything that might give us a chance against that... that stupid _potato_?" Elena spat in frustration. By now, they'd given up all pretense of referring to the Proud Clod by its proper name. Mostly out of spite.

Tseng had been unsuccessful in convincing Heidegger to postpone... which mean that in another two hours, she and Rude – as Tseng had been equally as unsuccessful in convincing Ward to lift his medical restriction early – were going to be face to face with Scarlet's new heavy armor.

"And where's Reno? He's supposed to be helping us with this..."

She hadn't seen hide nor hair of the redhead since she'd left his apartment early that morning. In truth, she'd been a little reluctant to leave him at all. Last night, which had started out so promisingly, had ended up being terrible... She'd never seen him so broken before, and there had been nothing she could do to help. She was almost afraid she might have made things worse for him.

"Medical," Rude replied, flipping to the second page of schematics and looking them over yet again.

"What?!" Elena shrieked, alarmed. The other Turk actually jumped in response to the sheer volume of her voice and grimaced.

"Don't worry... He's alright. Just needed some of Ward's special brand of hand-holding."

The rookie blinked, not quite sure what he was talking about. "... I don't... What do you mean?"

"He needed her to remind him that he's an idiot," Rude said with a slight smirk.

"And again... fuck you, partner," the aforementioned redhead interjected from the doorway. The two Turks swiveled in their chairs, turning to face the newcomer.

"Better?" Rude asked. Reno promptly rolled his eyes.

"Yeah." He walked around the table and took a seat across from them. "... and... ya know... thanks. So... you guys make any progress on this shit while I was gone?"

"... No."

"There are just no weaknesses," Elena elaborated, watching the redhead closely. At the very least he _looked_ a lot calmer than he'd been when they'd parted ways. "Are you sure you're okay? What did Ward do?"

"Basically told me I'm an idiot," he replied, grinning. Rude snorted softly.

"Told you so," he said, looking at Elena askance somewhat smugly.

"What? ... I was a little stressed out. Ward smacked some sense into me, and I'm all good now. Movin' on..."

Rude chuckled softly. "Stressed out. Try neurotic." Reno glared at him and Elena shook her head.

"How do you just get completely over something _that_ quickly?"

"Not a big deal," he replied, with a shrug, "I was just lettin' my imagination run a little wild's all."

"In other words, he's not really _over_ it," Rude clarified, "He's just not panicking over one of his worst fears anymore."

"Pushin' it, Rude..." the redhead cautioned. The bald Turk gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment and obligingly went back to the schematics. Reno grabbed one of the pages, pulling it towards himself to look over.

"Your worst fear?" Elena pressed, and she was pretty sure she saw him cringe.

"Can we just drop it for now? I don't need a fuckin' therapy session, and you two have a sparring match with the armored potato pretty soon."

"O-okay... I guess," she said hesitantly, though she was still curious. She knew of plenty of things Reno was afraid of... though none of them seemed like legitimate fodder for a 'worst fear'. She'd actually always kind of assumed that losing a part of their little family was what he feared most. It certainly terrified _her_. But apparently, there were other things that were just as bad... at least from Reno's point of view. "But I don't really know what else we can do. We've been over these diagrams so many times, I can hardly see straight."

Reno looked up at here, eyes wide. A moment later he returned his gaze to the schematic.

"Say that again?"

"What?"

"What you just said."

"What? All I said was –"

"That you can hardly see straight..." the redhead finished, looking up again, this time with a wide grin. "Fuck... I'm an idiot."

"Thought we already established that," Rude teased.

"Shut it," Reno shot back, the smile on his face never wavering, "And I fuckin' mean it. I really _am_ an idiot. It's been starin' me in the face this whole time."

" _What_ has?" Elena prodded.

"They got two pilots... We got two Turks." He flipped the page he'd been looking at around so they could see it. It showed the Proud Clod's cockpit. "I fuckin' missed it completely. Just look at this shit. The way the controls are set up."

"Half of it's been redacted... What am I supposed to be looking at?" the rookie asked, thoroughly lost as her eyes scanned the page. The Turk beside her, however, didn't seem to share her confusion.

"There's no way she'd do that... There'd be no fallback," Rude said, incredulously. He lifted his sunglasses and leaned forward to get a better look.

"I think she _did_... because the thing's so fuckin' big and the armor creates such a fuckin' massive blindspot."

Elena pulled the schematic closer to her and stared. Whatever the two of them were getting so excited about, she just wasn't seeing it.

"Okay... I give up," she finally said, defeated.

"Look at the controls, 'Lena... they're not facin' forward. They're angled towards opposite sides," Reno replied, pointing at the diagram. "I'm pretty fuckin' sure this isn't a pilot/co-pilot setup, like our helicopter. This is made for two independent pilots workin' in tandem."

"Two pilots that can never see everything the other one sees because of the blindspots the armor around the cockpit creates," Rude added.

"W-wait... So... One pilot controls one side..."

"And the other controls the other side," Reno finished for her. "We don't have to beat the potato... we just have to beat the pilots."

"Hmph... divide and conquer," said Rude, "I like it."

"Heh... well, now that we have somethin' to actually work with, how 'bout we get some lunch before we hash out a plan of attack?"

Rude gathered the pages of the schematics and rolled them. "How about we take these _with_ us and hash out a plan of attack _over_ lunch?"

"'Long as lunch is involved somewhere..."

Elena gave them both a roll of her eyes, but quickly followed them out the door. She'd taken only a few steps, though, when she stopped short, jaw dropping slightly in realization. A moment later a smile spread across her face.

Reno had called her 'Lena.

* * *

Elena checked the clip in her gun for the third time. Still full.

"Relax, will ya? You're makin' _me_ nervous and I'm not even fightin' the thing."

"You're certain of this plan?" Tseng asked.

"Certain as we _can_ be," Reno answered, "I mean... all we have to go off of is a bunch of half-redacted diagrams. Best guess, Boss."

"I suppose that will have to do. Heidegger has agreed to partially disable the Proud Clod's weaponry in the interest of not maiming anyone. This is only test, after all. The miniguns and materia cannon will not be used, and the laser weapons will be at minimal power. I would point out, however, that it's several times bigger than either of you... More than capable of causing damage even without its weapons."

"Noted," Rude replied, flexing his fingers inside his favorite pair of gloves.

"Just keep movin'. The more time they spend trackin' you, the less time they have to target you. Keep ahead of 'em and look for an opening."

"I just wish I knew what I was looking for an opening to _do_ ," said Elena, "We can avoid it all day... but we may still never see a way to disable it."

"Remember... you're not _tryin'_ to disable it. You're tryin' to put on a good show, and prove the armored potato isn't as perfect as Scarlet thinks it is. If you _happen_ to get an opportunity to do some damage, take it, but don't let yourself get too focused on that. It'll just get ya hurt."

Elena nodded, and checked her clip again.

"Good luck," Tseng added, "And be careful."

The pair of injured Turks retreated to the small viewing gallery some twenty feet above the demonstration arena's floor, leaving Elena and Rude to wait for the Proud Clod.

"What do you think their chances are?" the Turk leader asked.

"Of not endin' up in the hospital? Pretty good, if we're right about this," Reno replied. "Of actually beatin' the thing? Yeah... not so great."

Tseng studied his second in command for a moment. "Are you worried?"

"'Course I'm worried. That's my best friend down there... and my rookie."

"She's still just your rookie, then..."

"'Til somethin' changes... yeah." Reno looked over at his mentor and sighed. "You have no idea how bad I wanna remember everything about her, Boss... but I can't. And I can't pretend that I feel somethin' I don't, either. It's not fair to her. Ward thinks things'll fix themselves eventually... but there's still a chance they might not. I don't want to get her hopes up too much and end up leadin' her on. 'Least no more than I already have..."

"You speak as though you're afraid you can't feel anything for her if you can't remember her," Tseng chuckled softly, "Somehow I think that, even if you had to start over, you would eventually end up in exactly the same place. In fact, I think you would actually have to try very hard _not_ to."

Reno's eyebrow rose in surprise. "I really got it that bad for her?"

Tseng laughed outright this time. "Worse than you can imagine."

* * *

The heavy metal doors in front of them inched open with a mechanical hum, and Elena half-expected a dramatic whoosh of smoke to accompany the Proud Clod into the arena. Instead, the huge robotic armor simply lumbered forward, coming to a stop a few yards in front of them. She glanced up at the cockpit.

"Rude..."

"Hmm... Didn't expect that."

Scarlet sat, smiling viciously... and Elena had the distinct impression that it was aimed squarely at her. But that wasn't what had caught her by surprise. _Heidegger_ was seated next to her.

"Let's skip the pleasantries and get right to it, shall we?" Scarlet's voice called down to them, and her fellow pilot laughed, obviously amused. The next thing Elena knew, the Proud Clod's arm had been raised, and was poised to come crashing down... right on top of her. The rookie gasped and dove to her left, away from Rude and the Proud Clod, falling into an awkward roll and springing back to her feet with little time to spare before the arm swung towards her along the ground. She dodged it... barely... and scrambled to move into one of the blindspots so she could regroup.

Meanwhile, Rude had taken off in the opposite direction, drawing Heidegger's attention. The arm he controlled hit the ground ahead of him, blocking him, and Rude heard the soft whine of one of the Proud Clod's laser's energizing. Instead of retreating... which, he assumed, was what Heidegger was expecting him to do, he charged, hitting the ground and rolling directly between the armor's legs.

"She's out to get me!" Elena panted as he got to his feet not far from her. It wasn't surprising, he mused to himself... Scarlet could hold a grudge like nobody's business, and Elena had pissed her off royally not that long ago.

"Switch sides," he replied, and darted off into Scarlet's range of vision instead of Heidegger's.

* * *

"... What the hell's Scarlet tryin' ta do?!" Reno shouted, jumping to his feet. The rookie'd had two narrow misses already, and the executive wasn't giving her a moment's peace. Tseng stood as well, looking out grimly at the spectacle, and watched as Elena and Rude swapped positions.

"Scarlet... _dislikes_ Elena," he replied, and Reno couldn't help but notice the deep note of concern in his voice.

"That's dislikin' someone? Fuck, she coulda killed her with that first move if 'Lena had been a little slower!" A laser blast from Heidegger's half of the weapon sent Elena scurrying for cover, but unlike his fellow executive, he didn't continue to dog her as she recovered and returned fire. The bullets bounced, ineffectively, off the thick armor plating. "What the hell's she got against her?!"

"The two of you were assigned to her as security escorts. Elena did something we've all wanted to do for quite some time, and Scarlet was... shall we say, less than pleased. I think there's a fair amount of jealousy involved as well."

The Proud Clod swung around, and Tseng could clearly see the expression of surprise on Heidegger's face. The armored machine staggered awkwardly as he tried to compensate for the unexpected change in direction. More laser fire was directed at the rookie, this time from Scarlet's half... and it didn't let up.

"This has gone quite far enough. Scarlet is _trying_ to injure her at this point," he said removing his PHS from the inner pocket of his jacket, and dialing Heidegger's number. The executive had grudgingly agreed to allow the Wutaiian Turk to call an end to the exercise if the safety of his personnel was at risk. And it was most certainly at risk right now. Heidegger, however, seemed too preoccupied trying to keep up with Scarlet's relentless targeting of the younger woman to answer.

It was becoming painfully clear to the redhead that Elena was beginning to tire, and when she landed badly after vaulting over the massive metal arm that had just landed in front of her, his breath caught in his throat. It was only due to Rude being close enough to push her out of the way that the leg that swept in behind her missed. Unfortunately, it _did_ make contact with him. It was a glancing blow, but enough to send him flying. The unlucky Turk landed hard on his back several yards away, the wind obviously knocked out of him.

Reno didn't stop to think about what he was doing. He hopped the railing and let himself drop the twenty feet to the arena floor, hitting the ground running.

"Reno!" Tseng's voice called out behind him, alarmed. He ignored it. Scarlet had the rookie in her sights again, and it was clear she was hurt. Rude was forcing himself to his feet, but he wasn't going to be able to save the woman a second time. The redhead ran for her, full-tilt, tackling Elena and forcing her out of the path of the oncoming appendage. The pair of them rolled to a stop, Reno on top of her, shielding her... though he wasn't sure what kind of protection he would have to offer if Scarlet just decided to take them both out.

He didn't have to wonder about it long, however. A loud crash echoed throughout the demonstration room and when he turned to look over his shoulder, the Proud Clod was lying on it's back. Rude joined the two of them moments later.

"What happened?" Reno panted.

"She tired to follow you, and Heidegger couldn't keep up. Thing tripped over its own two feet," the other Turk replied, joining him in helping Elena up. "You both okay?"

The rookie winced as she tried to put some weight on her ankle and found it entirely too tender. "I've been better... but I think I'll live."

"You stupid cow! What did you think you were doing?!" Heidegger's voice boomed from the direction of the fallen weapon.

"Me?! This is all _your_ fault, you worthless hunk of lard!"

"Oh, go shove it up your ass, Scarlet... I have half a mind to –"

" _Half_ a mind? If you had a _quarter_ of a mind, I'd consider it a vast improvement!"

Reno look over at his partner. "Uh... Think we oughta do somethin'?"

"No," Tseng interjected in a disgusted tone, finally having made his own way into the arena and towards the little group. "We're done here. Let those two idiots sort it out."

Reno snickered softly. "Hey Rude? Did I get hit on the head again?"

"Don't think so... why?" the bald Turk asked, one eyebrow rising being the dark lenses of his sunglasses.

"'Cause I coulda sworn I just heard the boss refer to a couple of executives as idiots when said idiots are well within earshot..." he said, grinning as he lifted Elena off of her feet, prepared to carry the injured rookie. Her arms wrapped securely around his neck in response.

"I very seriously doubt they're paying any attention to us... and in this instance, I feel it's justified, regardless," the Turk leader replied, without a trace of joviality. "Let's go. Elena needs medical attention, and personally, I have no desire to listen to them argue any longer than I have to."

* * *

"Three of yeh. There are only four of yeh to begin with and _three_ of yeh are now on medical restriction." Ward shook her head and finished wrapping Elena's ankle. It wasn't broken, but it was the same ankle she had recently injured while running, which had resulted in a fresh sprain on top of barely healed damage. It hurt quite a bit more than the earlier injury, too. She'd been banned from putting any weight on it for at least a few days... not that she was enough of a masochist to even try at the moment. "What _am_ I ta do with the lot of yeh?" The doctor looked directly at the rookie. "Stay off it. I mean it. Ice it, keep it elevated as much as possible, and we'll reevaluate on Monday."

"Come on, Doc... it's not like any of us get hurt on purpose," Reno retorted, "S'pecially since it means seein' more of _you_..."

"Oh, suddenly yeh don't enjoy my company?" the doctor replied with a teasing smile. "Yeh seemed quite friendly this morning..."

Elena held back a giggle as the redhead seemed to be rendered somewhat speechless before subtly shaking his head, eyes flickering towards Rude and Tseng, who stood on the other side of the room locked in their own conversation. She wondered just was it was he didn't want them to know about... The doctor chuckled.

"Speaking of which..." she continued, and Reno's eyes widened slightly, "How are yeh feeling by now?" The rookie snickered behind her hand when he suddenly relaxed... apparently he'd expected the elderly woman to reveal whatever it was he was hiding.

"Fine."

The doctor huffed and tugged the rookie's pant leg down over the wrap. "Fine, he says..." she said, rolling her eyes. "I don't really expect yeh ta say yes at this stage, but have yeh been able ta remember anything?"

"Nah... Still nothin'."

"That's not true..." Elena interjected. Reno looked up at her curiously.

"What are you talkin' about?"

She grinned slightly. "You finally stopped calling me Elena. Right after you came back from the medical suite this morning. I'm 'Lena again. You've been doing it for hours."

The redhead blinked. "I have?"

"I believe she may be right about that..." Tseng said, wandering over with Rude in tow. "And I'm rather embarrassed to admit that _I_ hadn't really noticed it either, until she pointed it out. I suppose I've simply grown accustomed to you doing so."

Reno glanced questioningly at Dr. Ward. "Yeh see? I told yeh you were worryin' yerself sick over nothing. It's just going ta take a little time, that's all. Now... one of yeh, and I really don't care which... take this poor girl home so she can put her feet up and rest that ankle."

"Can I?" the redhead asked, turning to Elena. "I promise not to make a complete ass of myself this time..."

"Absolutely..." she laughed.

~fin~


	38. Restoration

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 38:** **Restoration**

 **by Desha**

Reno had curled himself up at one end of Elena's couch, the woman's head resting comfortably on his lap, as two unfortunate teenagers were decapitated, their screams of terror abruptly curtailed in a shower of blood.

"Tch... Shouldn't've gone in there..."

"Five to one odds the next one to go is the guy who just slept with his best friend's sister..."

The redhead grinned. "Nah... my money's on the goth chick gettin' it first." He looked down at the rookie, and ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't believe you actually _like_ shit like this... I have to _beg_ Tseng and Rude to watch 'em with me... and even then I'm lucky to get 'em to sit through one, let alone four. And Kel's a total fuckin' wuss. Freaks out if I even suggest it."

"What about Lira?"

Reno snickered. "Eh... I've tried the movie night thing with her a few times before. Always ended up missing the end 'cause she lost interest and we started doin' somethin' _else_ halfway through."

It was nearly one in the morning, but neither of them were ready to call it a night. Reno had brought her home hours ago, and settled her on the couch with her injured ankle propped up on a pillow and an ice pack draped over it. Then he'd ordered in Wutaiian take-out and joined her for the impromptu marathon. She wasn't even sure which of them had suggested it at this point, but she had been so thoroughly taken care of from the moment he'd carried her through the door, it hardly mattered.

"Well, I guess they just don't have our level of sophistication when it comes to entertainment," she joked, as another teenager met her grisly end in a vat of acid. "Damn... you were right."

"Your guy'll be next," the redhead said, grinning. "So... we do this a lot?"

Elena snuggled against his thigh and giggled. He hadn't remembered anything else since that afternoon, but he seemed far more reassured now that that would change as he healed. "Only every time we find something new to watch. It's so much better than watching alone. I've had these sitting around for a couple of weeks now. I was going to invite you over _last_ weekend, but you had other plans for us." She smiled, thinking back to her birthday weekend.

"Okay... That would seriously fuckin' _hurt_..." the redhead said, cringing slightly at what was currently happening to a young man on screen. "Other plans, huh? Somethin' fun?"

"You took me to the Silver Swan for the weekend. For my birthday."

"Heh... oh, _those_ kinda plans..." he sniggered. Reno pulled his gaze away from the screen and looked down at her. "Fuck, 'Lena... Is there anything about you that I _don't_ like? Besides the whole Shadow  & Sword thing, I mean, but I can tolerate that..." he asked, with a teasing grin.

"And just what makes you think I'm going to tell you about all the awful, terrible things you hate about me?" the rookie retorted, smirking slightly.

"I'm havin' a hard time finding anything to hate about you," he replied, toying with a few strands of her hair, and Elena rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Hey, I'm bein' serious here. You're amazingly hot... You don't get ticked off at me every time I make a joke... _AND y_ ou're a total horror junkie. You're almost too good to be true... but there's gotta be _somethin_ ' about you I can't stand. No one's this perfect."

"Nope... I'm just going to go with perfect..." she laughed, poking him playfully, and then gasped, "Oh... No! Don't go upstairs, you idiot!"

"Yeah, she's a goner. Hey, ya need some more ice?"

"Umm..." Elena prodded the ice pack with her uninjured foot. Water sloshed inside, and she vaguely wondered how long ago it had melted. "Yeah... looks like I do."

"'Kay... hang on." He gently lifted her head off of his lap and slipped out from underneath her, and headed for the kitchen.

"Should I pause it?"

"Nah... this'll just take a second..." he called back. A scream echoed from the speakers. "She dead?"

"Not yet... she's– Nevermind, she just got impaled... Oh, hang on, she's still mov– … Okay, he crushed her head with a sledgehammer. I think she'd dead now." Elena sat up and moved her foot and the pillow it was on to the coffee table as Reno returned with the ice. He paused, staring at the screen for a moment.

"Fuck... talk about overkill." The redhead knelt down and gently probed her ankle. "Still looks pretty swollen. You gettin' uncomfortable layin' on me like that or somethin'? I can move if ya want the whole couch to yourself..."

The rookie shook her head and patted the cushion beside her, smiling. "No... I just feel bad that I've been using you for a pillow all night. Why don't you take a turn?"

"Wasn't botherin' _me_..." he grinned in reply, "But if you insist." He happily stretched out on his back, letting his head rest much as hers had been a few minutes ago. Elena lost interest in the violence on the screen for little while, studying him as he relaxed. Her hand found it's way to the top of his head, lightly petting his hair.

They stayed that way until the last of the teenagers... the young virgin heroine who never did anything even vaguely immoral, of course... escaped into the night, eluding the killer and reaching the safety of a small diner – only to find herself surrounded by the aftermath of a massacre. As a menacing shadow appeared behind her, the credits began to roll.

"Saw _that_ comin' a mile away," the redhead murmured as he let his eyes drift shut, enjoying the attention the rookie was lavishing on him. "I fucking love it when you pet me..."

"You do?" she queried, wondering vaguely if he was speaking from experience, or just commenting in general.

"Yeah... Reminds me of the first time ya did it." So it _was_ a memory. Or part of one, anyway. Either way, he was getting sleepy now, she could tell.

"When was that?" she asked, hoping to coax it along. To be honest, _she_ wasn't even sure what he was talking about at the moment, and she couldn't help but be a little curious.

"Veraheim..." the redhead breathed, and he rolled onto his side, curling up, almost catlike, and nuzzling her. Elena giggled and took the hint, extending her range of motion and letting her hand slide along his back, as well.

"What do you remember about Veraheim?" By now, her voice was barely above a whisper. Elena slipped her hand behind his neck and gently squeezed, drawing a quiet moan of pleasure from her lover, and grinned.

"You took care of me..." he sighed, drifting off. She smiled silently at that little bit of success. Elena shifted slightly so she could lay back herself, trying not to disturb him, and let him sleep.

* * *

Reno jerked awake suddenly, roused by a bizarre vibration against his chest. It took him a moment to figure out that it was the PHS he'd silenced before they'd started the first movie last night. The redhead groaned, fumbling for it and rubbing his eyes.

"What's going on?" a barely awake voice asked, and he realized that Elena was still with him on the couch. The redhead mentally kicked himself. He'd meant to put her to bed so she'd be comfortable... He must have let himself fall asleep first.

But there was nothing for it now... Reno yawned and glanced at the screen. "Ah, fuck... boss wants somethin'..." he muttered, answering the call. "Yeah, boss?"

"You _do_ realize it's nearly ten..."

Reno sat up and stretched, looking over at the clock on the wall. Yep. It was nearly ten alright. "I swear to Ifrit, Tseng... if you woke me up on a Saturday just to tell me what time it is, I'm gonna kill you."

The Turk leader chuckled softly. "I only mention it because, normally, you're up by now."

"Late night. So since we're discussin' my sleeping habits, I'm guessin' this is a social call..."

"It is," Tseng confirmed. "I... was hoping you might be willing to to help me with something, if you haven't already made plans for the day."

"Sure... I mean, I don't have anything _specific_ in mind today, besides waitin' on 'Lena hand and foot..." he responded, flashing the rookie a grin. She rolled her eyes and hit him with a throw pillow. "But, ya know... if ya really need me for somethin', I think she'll survive without me around for a little while."

"... I detest the train system." Tseng replied, and Reno's brow furrowed, not quite sure where that had come from.

"Yeah, I'm not so crazy about it either... What's that got to do with anything?"

"I've been relegated to taking the train since the unfortunate demise of my car, and I'm tired of it. As much as it pains me, I need to find a replacement, and I could use a second opinion on my options. As well as... moral support."

"... What happened to your car?" the redhead asked, baffled. Tseng took better care of that damn car than he did himself sometimes. Elena suddenly snickered.

"It blew up..." she whispered. Reno's eyes widened.

"There was an... incident... involving a target a few weeks ago," Tseng replied over the phone, and the Turks second-in-command could clearly hear the underlying anger in that statement. "Unfortunately, what was left of it wasn't salvageable."

"Uh... heh... Just so we're clear here, boss... I didn't have anything to do with this, right?"

"You're still alive aren't you?" Tseng deadpanned.

"Point taken..." he said, grinning to himself. "Uh... yeah, gimme like... half an hour or so. I'll come pick ya up." He glanced over at the rookie, who was looking a little disappointed at being abandoned in favor of the Wutaiian Turk. "Ya mind if I bring 'Lena along, too?"

"So long as you're willing to accept any blame from Ward for her not following the good doctor's instructions to the letter..."

"Done. See ya in a few." He ended the call, and turned to the rookie. "Feel like goin' shopping?"

Elena sighed. "You know... normally, I'd love to. But all that walking... or hobbling, as the case may be... from one store to another doesn't really sound like much fun right now."

"No stores... and ya won't have to walk _or_ hobble. Promise," he replied with a wide smile. "And trust me... you're not gonna want to miss this. Tseng's goin' car shopping."

"Okay... _What_ is the deal with Tseng and cars?"

The redhead laughed. "It's not cars in general, trust me. He really couldn't care less. _His_ car, specifically, though... that's a whole other matter entirely," he replied, "Heh... I guess that means ya never rode in it when the boss really opened it up, huh? See... Rufus gave it to him. Had it custom built in Junon... The thing was _seriously_ tricked out. Kinda too bad you never got to see what it could do, actually. It was pretty impressive. The boss really loved it... Rufus isn't exactly the kind of guy that says 'thank you' real often. That was his way of doin' it. It meant a lot to Tseng."

"No wonder he's waited so long to start looking for a new one..."

"Heh... yeah. It's gonna be interesting," he replied before suddenly flashing her a mischievous grin. "I... uh... _borrowed_ it once, ya know."

"Why do I get the feeling you're using the term 'borrowed' very loosely?"

"Hey, borrowin' without askin' is still borrowin'. _Although_... borrowin' Tseng's car without askin' was definitely not one of my better ideas. S'pecially since I _technically_ didn't have a license yet. I'm pretty sure I'm only still alive because I was in police custody when he found out..."

"Just how many times have you been arrested as a Turk?" Elena asked, somewhat incredulously, and judging by her tone, the redhead got the distinct impression that she'd heard tell of other such incidents. Reno's grin widened.

"Oh, let's see," he replied, thinking, "Eight? No... nine. Almost forgot about the time I... uhh... _yeah_... nine. Ya know, unless there are some more in the last couple of years I can't remember right now. Doubt it, though. It was mostly back when I was a teenager."

"... _Nine times_?!"

"Yeah... Rude probably still has a collection of my mugshots lyin' around somewhere. He liked to post 'em in the office the next day every time he had to bail me out... 'cause you better believe I always called _him_ first. Rude just put up the bail and hauled me home. Tseng woulda bailed me out for the sole purpose of kickin' my sorry ass into next week," the redhead replied with a slightly embarrassed laugh. "And Veld... Fuck, I don't even know for sure what Veld woulda done to me, but I don't think I'd've enjoyed it..."

Elena simply shook her head. "You really _were_ a nightmare as a rookie..."

"Look...I'll level with ya. Things are a lot different in the slums. You can get away with all kinds of shit down there, and no one bats an eye. It _kinda_ took me awhile to get used to the way things work up here, which is probably why Tseng tended to cut me a little bit more slack than he would've otherwise," he replied, "Anyway... I'm still in uniform. So I'm gonna head home, grab a shower and change, and then we'll go see if we can find the boss a new car, 'kay?"

Elena laughed. "Okay. But at some point, you _are_ going to tell me about every last one of those arrests."

* * *

Tseng was a little surprised when the doorbell rang almost exactly thirty minutes after his call to Reno. The redhead wasn't well-known for his punctuality... even less so prior to Elena joining them, which was essentially the state in which he currently existed. He made his way to the door and opened it.

"Mornin' boss!" came the exuberant greeting. Reno was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt... though it was what was on his back that really caught Tseng's attention.

"Ah. I see you've taken to _wearing_ Elena, now," he teased, with a shake of his head. "Reno... I realize you haven't fully recovered your memories, but I would have assumed that it went without saying that rookies are not fashion accessories..." The rookie in question grinned and loosed one arm from around his neck to wave at the Turk leader from her piggyback position.

Reno shrugged... or made some semblance of the gesture at any rate. It was difficult to do with her clinging to him. "I promised her she wouldn't have to walk if she didn't want to..."

"I have crutches in the car, sir," the woman added.

"Perhaps this should wait until Elena's injury has healed. I hadn't meant to impose."

"Oh, no... you're not gettin' out of this that easy, Tseng. You're replacin' that car. Today," the redhead replied, insistently grabbing his mentor by the arm and leading him down the walkway towards the parking lot. "I don't care if we gotta drag ya to every dealership in Midgar. You said it's been weeks. Time to let it go..."

Tseng frowned slightly but sighed and followed, pulling the door shut behind him. He didn't _want_ a new car. He wanted _his_ car. And though the Wutaiian Turk realized how entirely irrational and impractical that was, given the circumstances, it didn't change the way he felt about it. Reno was right, however... in the end, it was only a thing, and it was past time to let that thing go.

Besides which... he wasn't sure he could tolerate another week of being sandwiched in between his fellow commuters on one of Midgar's trains every morning and evening. Not only was it starting to give him a definite sense of claustrophobia, he was inevitably far later in arriving at the office than he would have liked.

"Surprised ya didn't ask Rude to join us..." Reno commented as they walked.

"He had a prior engagement. Some sort of seminar on bakeware. Apparently the speaker is rather well-known in culinary circles."

"Bakeware?" Elena echoed, "I know he takes his cooking seriously, but... r _eally_? _"_

The other Turk snorted in laughter. "Tch... only _Rude_ would wanna spend his day off listenin' to some guy talk about pots and pans..."

"Mmm... and what had _you_ intended to do today that was so much more appealing?" Tseng prodded.

"'Lena," he replied, with a slightly twisted grin.

"Reno!" the young woman squealed, her face going red. "You know... I'm in the perfect position to choke you out right now..."

"Indeed. I really thought I'd taught you better than that, Reno," Tseng chided him, "Never anger someone who has the upper hand on you..."

"I was just kidding, geez!" the redhead replied, rolling his eyes.

"Somehow I doubt that..." the Turk leader chuckled softly. Reno smirked and wordlessly opened the car door for Elena, and she slid from his back, settling into the passenger seat of his convertible. Tseng said nothing more until she'd pulled the door shut.

"I take it, then, that the two of you have come to some kind of understanding regarding the situation with your memory?" Tseng asked, as they headed around to the other side of the car. Reno shrugged again.

"It's gonna come back eventually," he replied, "And I figure even if somethin' goes wrong and I don't remember _everything_ ,my instincts haven't steered me wrong yet... and to be honest, right now, pretty much every instinct I have wants to be with her. You were right. As usual. Bizarre as I still think it is bein' someone's boyfriend, I think I really _would_ have to make an effortnot to like her. Everything just feels so right with 'Lena..."

He opened his own door and leaned the seat forward, giving the other Turk access to the back.

"So... who wants the top down?"

"As if _we_ have any say in the matter," Tseng commented, "I'm surprised it's not already."

* * *

"This one is fuckin' awesome..."

"No."

"Ah, come on, boss... Just test drive it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Reno... I didn't bring you along just so you could point out the most absurdly conspicuous cars in the lot..." The Turks leader sighed and shook his head at the white two-door with coupe with the red and purple flames painted along the sides.

"Yeah, yeah... I know it's a little flashy, but–"

"No."

It was only the first dealership and already Tseng was beginning to think asking the redhead to come with him had been a mistake. At least Elena was here. She was doing a remarkable job of keeping him relatively under control... though that may have had more to do with the fact that the man couldn't flit about the lot as effectively as he normally would have been able to while carrying her on his back.

"What about that one, sir?" the aforementioned rookie piped up, pointing to a small dark gray sedan a few rows over.

That one was a bit more to his taste, he had to admit. Though it still lacked the sleek style of his old car.

"Tch... sure. You _could_ go with the most boring one here..." Reno replied, grinning as he intentionally turned so that Elena was no longer in Tseng's line of sight – much to the rookie's annoyance. "Or you could come take a look at this one over here..." He was already subtly backing towards the far corner of the lot, and the Wutaiian Turk instantly saw why.

"No convertibles," he said, flatly.

"Whatdya got against ragtops?"

"They're cold in the winter."

"Not if you turn up the heat..."

"They leak when it rains."

"Tch... They do not."

"... I don't enjoy being buffeted by a typhoon every time I need to go somewhere."

"But that's half the fun of drivin' one!"

Tseng roughly pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, and fought the urge simply walk to the nearest train station.

Things continued in much the same vein at the second lot... and the third. By the fourth, even Reno seemed to be growing bored of it, and Tseng was rapidly developing a headache. This shouldn't have been so difficult, he mused. It was just a Leviathan-foresaken car. It was intended to carry him from point A to point B... nothing more.

' _Well..._ ' he silently amended, watching as his second-in-command gravitated toward... something... that barely even resembled a car, ' _It would also be nice if it wasn't an utter embarrassment to drive..._ '

"Let's take a break and get some lunch," the rookie's voice suggested, breaking in on Tseng's thoughts and also effectively stealing the redhead's attention away from the odd little three-wheeled vehicle. She cast a supportive glance at the other man, and he smiled gratefully.

"Excellent idea," Tseng quickly agreed, seizing upon the opportunity. For a moment, Reno almost looked torn between the prospect of food and continuing his search for the most ridiculous car he could get the Wutaiian to test drive, but a moment later, it was very clear that food had won out. He grinned and wound his way through the rows, back towards Tseng, happily bringing the rookie along for the ride... in fact, Tseng was fairly certain he'd taken a few extra twists and turns just for her benefit.

"There's a pretty good Costan place down the street," Elena offered as they approached. "Just don't bother ordering their Cosmo Candle. They're terrible there."

"That suits me... Reno?" Tseng replied, glancing at the younger man... who, he was somewhat surprised to see, seemed to be a bit distracted all of a sudden. "Reno?"

He shook his head. "Sorry... zoned out a little there for a second. I've made those for ya before... They're your favorite..." he said, glancing over his shoulder at Elena. The rookie leaned in a bit and kissed him on the cheek.

" _Especially_ when you make them..." she said, grinning.

"Just how much _have_ you remembered?" Tseng asked.

"Not really sure. It's mostly just random bits and pieces, and I don't even think I've been rememberin' shit in any kind of order. Like, for example... I can very clearly remember 'Lena's final evaluation for her promotion... but I can't remember her first eval at all, even though I had to've been _there_ , too. It's weird as all fuck, actually. Every once in awhile, I'll just suddenly know somethin' I didn't know five minutes ago."

"I see." The Turk leader regarded his lieutenant thoughtfully for a moment. It was certainly a good sign that the younger man was improving... _and_ that the improvement seemed to be accelerating. He smiled slightly. "Incidentally... you actually were _not_ at Elena's first evaluation. You were supposed to be, of course, but you and Rude were held up on a small assignment that rather unexpectedly turned into a much larger one."

"Heh... Guess I won't be rememberin' _that_ , then..." the redhead laughed.

"Thank goodness..." Elena replied, cringing as her face reddened, "That's something _I'd_ kind of like to forget..."

Tseng chuckled. "Yes, I rather imagine you would..."

Reno glanced back at Elena, and over towards Tseng, staring at him expectantly. After a few moment passed in silence, he gave an irritated groan. "Come on, boss... ya can't just say shit like that and then not tell me!"

* * *

By the time they returned to Elena's apartment, the sun had already set.

"Well... that was bust," the rookie said as she maneuvered herself through the door. The novelty of an all-day piggyback ride had eventually worn off, and she'd abandoned her mount in favor of her crutches. Reno had protested... though she had a feeling he was quietly grateful for the break. The redhead may have had energy to burn, but he didn't have Rude's physical strength... or even Tseng's for that matter. She could tell carrying her everywhere was gradually exhausting him, despite his denials.

"Nah... I think we did pretty good, actually."

"What in Shiva's name are you talking about?" she asked, as she opened Snuffy's cage to fill his food dish. The little ferret chirped happily at the sudden freedom and darted straight for Reno, climbing him like a tree and taking up a perch on his shoulder. Reno scratched him between his ears.

"Hey, Snuffy... ya miss us? Seriously, 'Lena... I think we made pretty decent progress today. We got him look, at least. I was expectin' him to try 'n skip out _way_ before we made it to that last lot. Trust me... this isn't gonna happen quickly. He was really, _really_ attached to that car..." The ferret sniffed curiously at Reno's hair, nosing him gently as he pawed at it.

"Too bad we can't find him another one just like it..."

The redhead blinked, and slowly grinned. "... Says who?" he asked. He plucked the inquisitive rodent from his shoulder and set him back in the cage, alongside his dinner. Snuffy trilled, clearly annoyed, but moments later, contentedly set to eating.

"I thought it was custom built..."

"Yeah... So? Come on... Shinra never throws anything out. The specs have gotta be on file somewhere. Bet we can get hold of 'em. And if _we_ can't, I know who _can_..."

"Rufus?" Elena speculated. After all... he was the one who'd had it built in the first place.

"Got it in one," Reno replied, grin widening.

"... You know... that's not a terrible idea."

"'Course there _are_ still a couple of problems..."

"Like what?"

"Payin' for it, for one..." the redhead shrugged, "I mean... it's not like any of us are hard up for cash, but somethin' like that's gotta be pricey. I don't think Tseng'd fork out for it, even if we did get him the plans. In case ya haven't noticed, the guy isn't really too big on splurging on himself. Hell... even if you, me, 'n Rude went in together to get it _for_ him, somethin' tells me we'd all be on a much tighter budget for awhile..."

"You really think it'd be that expensive?" As Reno has said... she was hardly hurting for money, but putting a significant dent in her savings just for the sake of a gift that wasn't _really_ a necessity – even one meant for Tseng – had her thinking twice.

"I can almost guarantee it. Plus, the second problem is gettin' someone to build it. I'll betcha anything Rufus had those plans classified... which means there are only a few people in the company who're even allowed to _see_ 'em. And I think ya know who handles buildin' classified equipment for Shinra..."

Elena groaned. "Scarlet..." Just the thought of asking _that woman_ for any kind of favor turned her stomach... particularly given that the executive had damn near killed her just a day ago. Tseng had later told her that Scarlet was claiming it had been a malfunction in the Proud Clod's targeting computer. The rookie didn't buy it for a minute... and she could tell that Tseng hadn't either.

"Yep..." Reno joined her on the couch and lifted her onto his lap, drawing a laugh from the young woman.

"What are you doing?"

"Holdin' you," he smirked in reply.

"I can _see_ that... Why?"

"'Cause you'll let me..." he grinned, "Wonder what Scarlet would even want to get her to do it?"

"Oh, I can answer that," the rookie said, a sour look on her face. "She'd want you."

The redhead shuddered slightly. "Guess that means Tseng's gonna have to find his own damn car... 'cause that's _not_ happenin'."

"Damn right, it's not," Elena said, emphatically, and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You're mine... and I'm definitely not sharing with _her_."

Reno snickered softly. "Gettin' a little possessive there..."

"I can't help it." She laid her head on his shoulder, one hand trailing up along his arm until it came to rest at the back of his neck. Reno cocked his head to one side, studying her with a somewhat perplexed expression. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'... Still kinda tryin' to wrap my head around the idea that I somehow got _this_ lucky. I keep thinkin' eventually someone's going tell me it's all a big joke." He shook his head, and his grip tightened around her. "Please tell me no one's gonna tell me that..."

"No one's going to tell you that," the rookie said, smiling.

"Good. 'Cause I'm startin' to think you're about the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I could say the same thing about you, you know..."

"Me? Come on, 'Lena... I'm nothin' special," Reno replied, grinning. Elena frowned and nuzzled him.

"Don't say that..."

"Why not? It's true," he chuckled.

"No it isn't, and I've never liked it when you put yourself down like that. You're not just a slum rat and you're more than good enough for me, and I don't care how many times I have to say it... eventually I'm going to get you to believe it. There's no one I'd rather be with. I want _you_ , not some perfect guy that probably doesn't even exist."

Reno looked at her, surprised. "So... I guess that's a discussion that's come up once or twice before, huh?"

"Once or twice," the rookie said, giggling softly before turning a little more serious, "I still don't really understand why you keep insisting on it..."

"Guess I just spent so long not bein' wanted by anyone, I got used to the idea." He shrugged indifferently, and untangled himself from her embrace. "Should probably get some ice on that ankle. Ward'll kill me if it's still swollen on Monday and she finds out I talked ya into runnin' around all day."

He stood and made his way into Elena's kitchen, filling the ice pack. The rookie watched him intently until he returned to her. He grabbed a pillow from one end of the couch and propped her foot up on the coffee table, setting the ice pack over her injury.

"Was it really that bad after your mom died?"

The redhead looked up at her, a little sadly. "It coulda been worse, I s'pose. I mean... the people at the orphanage fed me, and they gave me a place to sleep 'n clothes to wear 'n shit like that. Wasn't getting' beat up. Wasn't gettin' touched. But it wasn't really a home. My first few weeks there, I missed her so bad, I cried every night... After a few days, they just told me do it quieter, 'cause I was keepin' the other kids awake."

Elena could only stare, horrified. "Oh... Reno..."

"That's just the way things were for me 'til I got a lot older. Lira was really the first person who ever wanted me to stick around, and I didn't meet _her_ 'til I was fourteen."

Elena took hold of his hand, teasingly toying with his fingers. She flipped it over and ran her thumb across his palm. "No one deserves to be treated like that..."

"Won't argue with ya there." He pulled his hand from her grasp and raised it to her cheek in a gentle caress. "Believe it or not, I had it better than some kids down there. I wouldn't wish _Lira's_ family on anyone."

"What do you mean?"

Reno visibly cringed. "I... really shouldn't have said that. She doesn't like to talk about it, and I don't think she'd like _me_ talkin' about it, either. Let's just say that Lira had things pretty rough and leave it at that."

"Why is she still down there, then?" Elena asked, curious about this woman who had known Reno so much longer than _she_ had.

"Hell if I know. I've never had much luck convincin' her to leave. I've even offered to get her a place up here and find her a job with Shinra. If she wanted out, she knows I'd _get_ her out. But she's been turnin' me down for years," he said, sighing, "Never _has_ told me why she wants to keep workin' for Corneo... but Lira does what she wants. Always been that way." He smirked slightly and wrapped an arm around Elena. "Now _me_... I couldn't _wait_ to get the fuck outta there. Tseng coulda told me he wanted to give me to Hojo to experiment on and I'da probably still gone with him."

"How'd you meet Tseng, anyway? You've never told me..."

The redhead eyed her curiously. "Why the sudden interest in my life story?" he asked, and the rookie snickered.

"It's not really sudden... I always like hearing about you." She smiled and shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch. "And... I was just thinking that maybe talking about things you _do_ remember might segue into a few things you _don't_ remember."

"Sneaky, 'Lena..." he laughed. "Ah hell, why not? Not like there's anything to lose... Let's see. Met him a _few_ times actually, before he finally recruited me. Didn't even realize who he was the first time we met."

"When was that?"

"Almost two years before I became a Turk. Came staggerin' into the bar I was workin' at in Sector 3 one night. Figured he'd been chucked outta one of the other bars in the area at first, and just made his way over to the next one... Saw that kinda thing all the time. Long as they didn't cause trouble, I didn't mind servin' 'em."

"What was _Tseng_ doing drunk in the Sector 3 slums?" Elena blurted out... before she realized that the redhead hadn't actually said he _was_ drunk. Just that he thought he'd been. The undeniably amused look on his face very quickly confirmed that to be the case. "Oh..." She blushed deeply and shook her head. "So then then what was really going on?"

"Heh... Mission gone bad. Got himself ambushed and shot. Nothin' too serious, but from what he told me later, he'd been outnumbered bad enough that it was gonna be a problem if they caught up to him again. Wasn't in any shape for another fight, so he was lookin' for a place to lay low 'til he had a chance to get back to the Plate."

"I guess a bar would kind of be a good place to hide out, wouldn't it?"

Reno nodded. "'Specially at that time of night. It'd be about the only place in the sector that would've been fairly crowded and easy to blend in... Sector 3's never had much of a night life. Couple of strip clubs that did decent business among the people too broke or too lazy to head over to Wall Market, but mostly it was just the bars."

"So he just hid out there?"

"Tch... It'd be kind of a crappy story if _that's_ all that happened," the redhead snickered. Elena rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Well, what _did_ happen, then, Mr. I'm Way Too Interesting For My Own Good?"

"Some guys came in lookin' for someone. Kinda had a feeling he might've been who they were after... ya know, given that he was bleedin' and lookin' like he'd just lost a fight. Figured if they got into it, they'd probably trash the place and _I'd_ be the one cleanin' up the mess afterwards... so I warned him before they caught sight of him. Let him hide behind the bar. _Still_ had to clean up the mess."

Elena giggled softly. "So they saw him, then..."

"Nope..." the redhead grinned, "Guess they didn't quite believe me when I told 'em I hadn't seen him. Picked me up and threw me into shelf full of booze. Thank fuck my boss didn't take _that_ outta my paycheck. I'd probably still be payin' it off."

"Were you hurt?" she asked, concerned.

"Nah... couple scratches and a bruised shoulder. No big deal. Anyway... owner came out of the back with a gun. Told 'em to fuck off before everyone in the bar decided to kick their asses, and they hauled ass outta there. By the time I got shit cleaned up, Tseng was gone, too. Never even saw the fucker leave. Heh... left me a nice tip, though." His grinned widened noticeably. " _And_ I managed to salvage about half a bottle of pretty decent vodka. My boss let me keep it, since he couldn't sell it. Made for a hell of a weekend."

"I can't imagine _you_ getting drunk off half a bottle of vodka," Elena laughed.

"Never said I did," Reno smirked, "Lira, though... _she's_ got the tolerance of... well, actually, come to think of it, _you_ could probably drink _her_ under the table. Doesn't take much, and she's almost as much fun as you are when _you're_ drunk." For some reason, Elena couldn't help but think he looked decidedly pleased with that statement. "Which apparently means that I can remember that time I got you completely hammered," he added, grinning, "Fuck... this really _is_ workin'..."

The rookie mirrored his grin and cuddled up closer to him. "Well, in that case... Tell me about the _next_ time you met Tseng."

"Ya know... I don't think anyone's everbeen _this_ interested in me..." he teased.

"Quit stalling, and talk."

"Yeah, alright..." he leaned back against the couch, his free arm stuck behind his head. "It was a little over a year later. It was the day I... I took Lira to Wall Market." Elena could hear the regret in his voice. Reno sighed. "I didn't want her to have anything to do with that place. Fact is, though, Wall Market's a hell of a lot safer than Sector 2, even for Corneo's girls, and I couldn't be there every minute of the day to look out for her... She'd already got hurt _once_ when I wasn't around. So I didn't try real hard to talk her out of it. But I sure as fuck wasn't gonna let her head over there on her own. Unless you're plannin' on goin' the long way around, you had to go through one of the worst parts of Sector 2 to get there 'cause the trains didn't run between the all sectors down below back then. Tracks weren't finished yet."

She'd never realized that. The Plate had always been thoroughly interconnected. She could remember taking the train with her mother as a child to all of the various sectors. Her mother had loved to explore the city. Elena had always just assumed that the Slums had been built up in the same way... though, in retrospect, that didn't really make any sense. The Slums were largely comprised of a number of small towns that Shinra had bought out and simply built on top of. It was easier than attempting to tap the vast mako stores that lay beneath them from a distance.

"I'd dropped her off and was headin' back home and decided I was gonna try take some time off my trip, since it was gettin' kinda late... so I cut through a part of Sector 1 that wasn't a whole lot better than Sector 2. Thing is... people in Two knew me. Most of 'em liked me to some extent. I could _usually_ talk my way out of trouble. People in One, though... I was nobody to them. And I was makin' okay money over in Three, so I was a little better fed and better dressed than your typical gil-less slum rat. Kinda made me stand out."

"So... you got jumped?"

"Yeah. Always been scrawny, so people tend to see me as an easy target. Usually regret it, too," he said, smirking. "This guy was no exception. He wasn't too hard to beat. Had a knife on me, and I was more than willing to use it if I had to, so when he tried to take me down I stabbed him in the chest. He went down and I figured that was the end of it."

"You killed him..."

"Thought I did. The fucker had to've been on somethin', though... Second my back was turned, he was on me again. He caught me by surprise and grabbed the knife... Put my own blade to my throat and told me I was gonna die. And I believed him, 'cause he was about twice my size and had the drop on me."

Elena's eyes widened. "How did you get away?"

"Didn't. That's when Tseng turned up," Reno said, chuckling. "That son of a bitch shot the guy right between the eyes while he was holding me up like a fuckin' human shield. Hell of a shot, too. He intentionally grazed me, just to prove a point."

"What point?"

"That he _could_. I mean, Tseng hit the guy dead fucking center. He coulda aimed a fraction of an inch farther to the right and missed me completely. He didn't."

"But... why?" Elena asked, confused and more than a little disturbed. Reno grinned.

"Tseng was different back then. He was pretty cocky, actually. But don't ever tell him I said that. I kinda enjoy livin'," Reno said, with a joking wink, "He was the best and he made sure ya knew it. He's mellowed a lot over the years. Don't know if he's ever told ya what happened to his sister but... that changed him. A lot."

The rookie nodded. "Yeah... He told me about that," she said, softly.

"First and last time I've ever seen him cry. Fucked him up pretty bad for awhile. I don't think he's ever completely forgiven himself for her death. Probably never will. He told me once that he'd never make the mistake of puttin' loyalty to the company before family again... because he didn't think he could live with it twice."

"But... how can he send us out on missions that could get us killed if that's how he feels?" Elena asked, a little confused.

"There's a difference between duty and blind loyalty, 'Lena. We all signed up for this job. We knew the risks, and we're willing to take them. But if it came down to a situation where there was a choice between keepin' one of us alive or obeying an order to let us die, he'd do everything in his power to protect the people he cares about." He paused for a moment, looking a little unsure of whether or not he should continue. "So would I, for that matter. You guys are are my life."

Elena hugged him tight, pulling his head down onto her shoulder. She felt him relax in her arms and smiled. "I know..." They stayed like that for a few more minutes, before the redhead finally sat up.

"Heh... I think we drifted away from the story just a little," he laughed. "Anyway... _After_ he shot the guy, I was more than a little freaked out. Didn't recognize him at first... and when I finally did, I think I was even _more_ freaked out. I asked him why he saved me, and he just said that he owed me... and that if I was gonna try and kill someone who wanted to kill me, I'd better learn to make damn sure they're dead before turnin' my back on 'em. Told me I'd be seein' him again soon and disappeared."

"Lucky he was there... or you might not have walked away from that."

"Oh, it wasn't luck," Reno chuckled, "He was watchin' me. Not constant surveillance or anything... but when he had the time to do it, he was keepin' tabs on me. Tseng was pretty sure he wanted me for the Turks right from the start... but I was just a kid. Wasn't ready. He didn't want to lose track of his potential new recruit, though, before he got around to actually recruiting him. I kinda got the feelin' that might not've been the _first_ time he'd saved my ass, either."

"That's _almost_ creepy..." Elena giggled.

"Tch... no it's not. I watched _you_ for months."

"W-what?"

"Yeah... Soon as Tseng told me I could have a rookie, I started goin' through the candidates in the recruitment program. Had it narrowed down to five or so, and started keepin' an eye on 'em... during training _and_ outside of training. Eventually, I was only watchin' you."

"You... you _stalked_ me?" Elena cried, with a somewhat disbelieving laugh. Reno quickly joined in.

"Heh... this rememberin' shit is gonna get me in trouble pretty soon. Yeah, I guess I kinda did..." he admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "You were kind of a big deal. I really wanted to be absolutely sure I was pickin' the right recruit."

The rookie rolled her eyes and snickered. "Well, I _suppose_ it's nice to know I was so important to you even before we officially met..."

"A lot more important than ya know, apparently..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guess it's never come up then," Reno replied, "You're my first."

"Oh... _that_. I knew that."

"Yeah... but I'm guessin' no one has ever told ya exactly what that means," he said, smirking slightly, "First rookie isn't just about me trainin' a new recruit on my own. It's also a kind of a test for a second-in-command. Tseng expects me to take over for him one day. But he also expects me to prove to him that I'm capable of bein' responsible for the team. That starts with bein' responsible for you."

"I... You never told me that..."

Reno shrugged. "Like I said... guess it's never come up. Would've eventually, since at some point _you_ get to evaluate _me_."

"I do?"

"Yep... but when that happens is entirely up to Tseng. I don't have any say in it and I'm not allowed to know if it's comin' up. Kinda like Hell Week, but without the advance warning."

A grin slowly spread across Elena's face. "So... does that mean that one of these days, I'm going to get some revenge on you for what you put me through during Hell Week?"

"... Uh... I guess that's _technically_ one way to look at it..." he said, cautiously, "What exactly did I _do_ to ya during Hell Week?"

Elena giggled quietly, and said nothing.

* * *

Elena yawned and sat up in bed. And suddenly realized that it was a lot brighter in her bedroom than it should have been. She looked over at the clock and froze. It was already five after eight. She was supposed to have been up an hour ago!

She darted out of bed, very nearly re-spraining her ankle in her haste, and began pulling clothes out of her closet... and silently cursed the fact that virtually her entire weekend had been preoccupied with working on getting Reno's memory back. She'd skipped out on laundry detail. With an annoyed huff, she pulled on the same pants she'd worn on Friday, hoping no one would notice the wrinkles in the fabric.

At least they had made some progress. She'd been hoping for a little more, but anything was better than nothing. Every recovered memory brought him one step closer to being whole again, and she wanted Reno back... _her_ Reno. The one who knew her inside and out. The one that loved her more than anything in the world... because as much as he enjoyed spending time with her at the moment, she was still painfully aware of the fact that he didn't feel the same way about her as he had before he'd been injured.

Elena pulled a brush through her hair, glaring at the stray pieces that insisted on sticking up in back. She _hated_ rushing in the morning. Her fingers fumbled her tie into place and she raced out of the bedroom, pausing only long enough to dump more kibble into Snuffy's cage... about half of which landed on the disgruntled ferret's head.

"Sorry, Snuffy! I'm late..." she called back to him. By then, she was already halfway to the door.

* * *

"Feeling better?"

The redhead shrugged, and propped his feet up on his desk. "S'pose so... I mean, a lot's come back, so it's not so bad now. Still a hell of a lot missing, though." He smirked. "How was the bakeware seminar?"

"... Informative."

Reno snorted softly and leaned back. "Fuck, man. You've seriously got the most boring social life of anyone I've ever met. If it wasn't for me, you'd spend _all_ your free time in the kitchen."

"You don't complain when my boring social life results in free food for you..."

"Heh... Fair enough," he responded with a grin. "Seriously, though... a _bakeware_ seminar?"

"..."

Reno cocked an eyebrow. There was something Rude wasn't telling him. "Spill it."

"... I wasn't really that interested in the seminar," his partner admitted, "I just went for the speaker."

The redhead's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Oh yeah? Who was the speaker?"

"... Illisa Chan."

Reno laughed. "The hot chick with the huge rack from the cooking channel?! Oh... _now_ I get it. Yeah, I can see how she might actually make bakeware interesting." He grinned as Rude blushed faintly. "You've got a crush..." he teased, "Your bartender down in Seven's gonna be jealous..."

Rude rolled his eyes at him. "You can't remember having a girlfriend, but you remember _that_..."

"Well, sure... I mean, there are only so many things I can mock you for. Important to keep track of 'em." He sat up, removing his feet from their perch. "On a more serious note, though... What are we gonna do about Tseng's transportation issue? It's ten after... he's _late_. Tseng is _never_ late."

"Elena's late, too..." Rude pointed out.

"Nah... she had an appointment with Ward this morning to check out her ankle. She's probablyjust downstairs still. Tseng is _late_."

"You have a suggestion?"

"Not really... that's why I was askin' you. Saturday wasn't a _complete_ waste of time, but he's definitely not ready to jump right in and buy a new car. Me 'n 'Lena talked about askin' Rufus for the plans to his old one..."

"Won't happen."

"Why not?" Reno asked. Sure, they'd already come to the conclusion that building him an identical replacement probably wasn't feasible, but surely they could at least get ahold of the plans...

"Rufus destroyed them after it was finished. It was one of a kind."

"How the fuck do you know that?"

"Scarlet wasn't happy about it. She entered a formal complaint."

"And again... how the fuck do you know that?"

Rude shrugged. "It's in her file."

"Been readin' the executives' files, have we? Thought those were off limits without permission from Heidegger..."

"They are," Rude replied, smirking. "But when you're stuck as Heidegger's office slave for a week, and have unlimited access to his computer any time he's not there, you can bypass the middleman. I... made the best of a bad situation."

"Nosy bastard," Reno snickered, "Better not let the Boss find out about that..."

"Wasn't planning to."

" _But_... I guess that means a replica's out." He leaned back in his chair again. "Ah, well... probably wouldn't've worked anyway. Like I told 'Lena... we'd probably have to get Scarlet to okay buildin' the damn thing. I don't think she'd be real inclined to do us any favors."

Before Rude could respond, the door to the office was shoved forcibly open, as a very irritated – and damp – Wutaiian entered.

"Enjoy the mornin' commute, boss?" Reno asked. Tseng's jaw clenched.

"No," he said, emphatically, stripping off his jacket. "If I have to take that Leviathan-forsaken train... One. More. Time..."

"Guess that means I'm givin' ya a ride home tonight... if only to prevent a mass murder..." the redhead sniggered. Tseng sighed.

"I would greatly appreciate that."

"So what happened to your jacket?"

"A college student with a very large cup of coffee happened to it," he replied, draping the wet garment over the arm of the couch by the window.

" _Thought_ I smelled hazelnut..."

Tseng glared, clearly not nearly as amused as his lieutenant. "Where's Elena?"

"Medical, I would assume. Ward wanted to sign off on her ankle before she came upstairs this morning."

The Wutaiian Turk visibly cringed, and swore under his breath in his native tongue.

"Boss?" Reno queried, slightly concerned. It wasn't often he saw Tseng so frustrated.

"I was _supposed_ to be down there myself first thing to finally be released from this damned medical restriction."

The redhead suddenly cackled in glee. "Oh... that's too good. _You_ missin' an appointment with Ward! She's gonna chew ya out, you know. _You're_ s'posed to be the responsible one."

"Weren't _you_ due to be re-evaluated today, as well?" he countered.

Reno grinned. "Yeah... but _my_ appointment's not for another half hour. See... unlike some people, _I_ don't schedule shit like that for the second I walk into the building."

"Hmph... Only because you'd rather not go at all," Rude commented. Reno flipped him off.

"Indeed. In fact, why don't you just accompany me while I try to placate her? I'm sure the doctor will be able to squeeze you in a bit early."

"... I'd... kinda rather not..."

"It wasn't a request."

Reno groaned and stood up. There wasn't much sense in arguing. He was outnumbered, and if he didn't go willingly, he had a feeling his partner would be more than willing to 'help' him to the elevator, as usual. And at least Elena would probably still be down there by the time they arrived. Maybe she'd stick around and keep him company. "Fine... but I see _one_ needle that's meant for me, I'm outta there. That wasn't part of the deal today."

Tseng chuckled softly and escorted him out the door.

As they stepped aboard the elevator, Reno couldn't help but feel a strange... and entirely unwarranted... sense of foreboding. Along with a distinct feeling of deja vu. His vision swam, and he was suddenly overtaken by dizziness so extreme that he had to brace himself against the wall of the car. He was distantly aware of Tseng's voice... and moments later Tseng's hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't seem to answer him.

The redhead inhaled sharply as the memory assailed him... huge, hairy legs crashing down, puncturing the roof of the elevator like it was made of paper... Elena screaming... Ward's voice, too, frightened... and then Elena, vanishing into darkness and an all too familiar terror engulfing him. Fear, mingled with desperation, mixed with the stomach-turning sensation of loss. And then everything went black.

* * *

"'Lena!?"

His eyes snapped open, and he almost immediately squeezed them shut again, half-blinded by the horrendously bright light above him. He'd tried to sit up, as well, but the motion was quickly arrested by firm pressure against his chest, forcing him to lay back down. He opened his eyes again, more cautiously this time, and found himself face to face with Dr. Ward... who seemed far more interested in blinding him for a second time than asking him how he was. The redhead flinched away from the bright light at the tip of whatever instrument she was holding in front of his face.

"Just relax. Yer perfectly safe... now stop yer fidgeting and let me look at yeh..." Ward said, calmly.

"What the fuck just happened? Where's 'Lena?"

"I'm afraid the answer is 'I don't know' ta both those questions," she replied, firmly gripping him by the chin and holding his head still so she could look at his eyes. "What do yeh remember?"

Reno growled, and tried to pull away. What he remembered was Elena. In trouble. He couldn't lose her... not now. Not after she finally knew how he felt about her. Not after he'd won her over.

A moment later, his entire thought process seemed to grind to a halt.

"Reno?" Ward prodded, concerned by the sudden blank expression on the young man's face. The redhead blinked and focused on her. "What do yeh remember?"

His eyes widened in realization. "... Everything."

Tseng suddenly appeared from behind the woman, moving toward him. "What do you mean, 'everything'?" he asked. Reno raised a hand to his eyes, trying to rub away the spots that still littered his vision. He had a splitting headache. He tried to sit up again, and this time Ward allowed him to.

"I mean I fucking remember everything. At least I think I do." He looked up at her. "Where' 'Lena?"

"She missed her appointment this morning. I was about ta give her a call when Tseng hauled yer sorry behind in here half-unconscious and mumbling about spiders... What in Shiva's name happened to yeh before yeh got here?"

"Don't know... just... it hit me like a goddamn freight train."

"What did?" Ward gently coaxed.

"The elevator... that fuckin' spider that took 'Lena... And then everything else, I guess. I couldn't keep it anything straight after that. I just felt so... dizzy and overwhelmed. Like someone was tryin' to pour everything I've ever done back into my head all at once." He shook his head trying to clear it, and groaned as the pain in his head spiked at the sudden movement.

"Lay down..." the doctor said, gently easing him back, "And for Shiva's sake... watch yer language."

"Is he going to be alright? What happened to him?" Tseng asked.

"I'd like ta transfer him over to Midgar General for a quick scan just to make sure everything's alright in there... but my best guess? The block in his memory finally broke. Probably blacked out from sheer information overload."

"Seriously? _Another_ trip to the hospital? I'm fine," the redhead grumbled. "Now would _someone_ fuckin' find 'Lena already? She's s'posed to be down here..."

* * *

Elena pulled into her parking space, and spared a second to look at the clock on her dash. She groaned. She was supposed to have been at work twenty-five minutes ago. Why was it that, whenever she was in a hurry, she seemed to hit every red light in Midgar? She pushed the door open and hauled her crutches out. She didn't really need them anymore, but she'd already ignored one of Ward's demands and gone out with Reno and Tseng on Saturday. She didn't want to risk raising the woman's ire any more than she had to.

She rushed for the elevator, momentarily debating on whether she should check in at the office first or just go straight to Ward, before finally hitting the button for the ninth floor. Ward first... then the office. Tseng was liable to be far more forgiving.

Even the elevator seemed determined to hold her up this morning, stopping at three floors to pick up other passengers before at last depositing her on Nine. Elena sighed. Of all the days to oversleep. She hurried down the hallway towards the medical suite, and slipped inside, fully expecting to be chastised for her tardiness by the acerbic doctor. Instead, she found Ward's attention focused exclusively on the redheaded patient on her exam table. She felt her stomach drop in panic, as she wondered what more could have possibly happened.

"Reno?!"

At the sound of her voice, the redhead sat up, grinning wildly.

"'Lena!" he called out, trying to get up, only to be held in place by both Tseng and Dr. Ward. "Would you two let go of me already? I told ya, I'm fine!"

"W-what happened?" she asked, a little frightened by the possibilities, as she made her way over. She reached his side just as his pair of captors finally gave in and released him. Reno was on his feet seconds later, and she suddenly found herself lifted off of her own. He hugged her against his chest and spun her before finally claiming her lips with his own. It took her breath away. Elena's arms slid around his waist, pulling him closer as she happily returned his enthusiasm. Eventually, though, he pulled away.

"I love you."

The rookie blinked in surprise. "R-reno?"

"I remember everything, 'Lena," he said, grin widening, and Elena's own expression quickly mirrored his. She couldn't seem to find any words herself. She kissed him again instead, reveling in the warmth of his embrace, the sensation of his body against hers.

The moment was cut short by the sharp clearing of a throat behind her, and Elena was suddenly _very_ aware that they still had an audience. She broke away, eyes going wide as she turned to stare at Tseng and the doctor.

"I hate to interrupt..." the Turk leader said, smiling warmly. Elena's face reddened. "But Dr. Ward would like to run some additional tests on Reno, and I believe that you and I are also due for evaluation this morning."

* * *

"... They're slipping again," Rude muttered, disgusted, as he prodded a small lump of what was, ostensibly, potato salad. He shoved it to one side of his plate, and dove into the turkey sandwich instead. That, at least, wasn't half bad.

"I don't know... I actually sort of like it. It tastes downright _bizarre,_ but it's not really _bad._ Just a little... unexpected," Elena replied. The bald Turk stared at her incredulously, mid-bite.

"You've been spending too much time with Reno lately," he said at last. The rookie giggled and took another bite. It was true... She'd hardly left Reno's side since Monday. In fact, this was probably the longest they'd been apart since his memory had returned – he'd been staying at her place every night this week. But this afternoon, he'd had to go check in with Lira in his continuing efforts to convince her to work for them on a more regular basis.

"I'm just glad to have him back."

Rude gave a soft laugh. "Don't blame you. How is he? Really?"

"He's himself again... but I think he feels bad for putting me through all that, even though there really wasn't anything he could have done about it. He's practically been my own personal servant all week. Won't let me do anything for _him_." She smiled and shook her head. "It's a little hard to complain, though... especially when he's rubbing my feet or massaging my shoulders or bringing me tea."

"He'll calm down," Rude replied, "He gets a little... clingy... sometimes after something major happens. Always has. Best not to bring it up and just let him work through it on his own. Doesn't usually last long."

"Thankfully," a new voice added. Tseng joined them at the table, setting his own plate down in front of him. Rude chuckled.

"Tseng's not fond of it."

The Turk leader cast him an affronted look before picking up his fork. "I would never begrudge Reno a little affection, but he _does_ tend to to be very... physical. I'm not overly fond of having my personal space invaded..." He calmly speared some of the potato salad on his plate and took a bite. "... which is something he's quite adept at. What in Leviathan's name did I just eat?"

"We're not sure... but Elena likes it."

"Then Elena has been spending _far_ too much time with Reno lately."

Rude smirked at the annoyed scowl that crossed her face. "Told ya so."

* * *

Reno sighed softly as deft fingers danced along his spine, lightly massaging, teasing out the tension in his shoulders. He groaned as they made their way to his lower back, the pressure increasing expertly, and he felt himself relax.

"I shouldn't be doin' this..." he murmured.

"Like hell you shouldn't. You're more wound up than I think I've ever seen ya."

"I'm on duty. And 'Lena –"

"Hey, now. Don't go thinkin' this is gonna turn into somethin' more than a little backrub," Lira laughed. She pressed her knuckles firmly into the tense muscles, eliciting a moan from the redhead. "So... you _really_ couldn't remember anything about her?"

"Mmmph... Nothin'. Worst part was, I could see how much it was upsettin' her, and I felt bad about it. And now that I remember exactly how much she means to me, I feel even _more_ guilty for makin' her suffer like that." He sighed softly as Lira's hands found a particularly sensitive spot. "Plus, my asshole brain keeps comin' up with new reasons for her to break things off."

"Like what?" Lira asked, her voice calm and quiet.

"Like maybe she doesn't want to worry about bein' stuck in that position ever again. Or maybe losin' the part of me that knows her made her think about what it'd be like if somethin' worse ever happened to me. Might be a little easier to get over somethin' like that if we weren't together..."

Lira snorted in contempt. "What if you lost _her_? Would it be easier for _you_ if you weren't together?"

"Don't even fuckin' say that..."

"I'm just pointin' out the obvious," she chuckled, "Reno... you need to get over this delusion you have that she's more important to you than you are to her. You couldn't stop loving her if you tried. Why can't you accept that you mean just as much to Elena?"

"... 'Cause she means everything to me."

"And you _still_ don't think you could possibly be that important to someone?" When Reno didn't answer, Lira rolled her eyes. "You're impossible." She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades. "And you're a fucking mess... but you're an adorable mess, so I'm not going to give up on you." She gave his spine one final caress. "Time's up."

"I can't have been here an hour already..." the redhead replied, rolling onto his side to look up at her.

"You've actually been here an hour and a half... which means you owe me another fifty gil," she said, grinning as she extracted his wallet from his back pocket and removed the requisite amount.

"Tch... Remind me to do this when you're _off_ work from now on. Shit's costin' me a fortune."

"Like you can't afford it..." Lira teased, tossing the wallet back to him.

"Did I at least talk ya into workin' for us? Ya know... _before_ we started my therapy session..."

The woman sighed. "I never _could_ say no to you." She shook her head and stood up, collecting Reno's shirt and jacket from the chair in the corner and handing them to him. "Alright... on a _trial_ basis. If I feel like snitchin' to Shinra is puttin' me _or_ any of the other girls in danger, it stops. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good," she said, and giggled, "Now go explain to your girlfriend why you just spent your afternoon half-naked at a brothel."

"Yeah... I don't think I'll be phrasin' it quite like that. I'd rather live to see tomorrow, thanks."

"I mean it, Reno," Lira said, one finger prodding him in the chest, "Talk to to her. If she _knew_ how fuckin' paranoid you really are about screwin' things up with her, she'd make sure you didn't have a reason to worry about it so much. Don't _make_ me talk to her myself... 'cause I fuckin' will."

"Yeah, okay... I'll get around to it." He pulled his shirt back on, buttoning it, and shrugged into his jacket.

"Reno..." she said, warningly.

"I _will_ get around to it. Promise."

"You'd better. Or I'll make it a provision of me workin' for ya." She leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek. "Take care, okay?"

"Yeah... You, too, Lira. See ya soon."

Reno made his way out onto the street in front of the Honey Bee Inn. He hadn't meant to spend quite so long here, but Lira had always been good at getting her way. He'd long since gotten used to the fact that he seldom left her company until she was good and ready for him to go. Even now that they were no longer lovers, she still held that sway over him to some extent.

He shook his head and started towards the station, wondering if she was serious about making her services as an informant contingent upon him having a heartfelt discussion with Elena about his own insecurity. Knowing her... she probably was. Lira didn't typically bluff. He really wasn't looking forward to that discussion...

He was so lost in his own thoughts, he failed to notice the eyes watching him from a darkened alley.

~fin~


	39. No Rest for the Weary

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 39:** **No Rest for the Weary**

 **by Desha**

"A-are you sure about this?" Elena asked, nervously.

"Yep."

She glanced beyond Reno towards Tseng, somewhat pleadingly. "Sir..."

"If Reno thinks you're ready, then I will defer to his judgment."

"But..."

"Come on, 'Lena... you got this. I can't hold your hand forever. Gotta try it on your own _sometime_. 'Sides... you'll be gone, what... hour and a half, tops?"

The rookie took a deep breath, and glanced down at the controls in front of her. It was all so very familiar. She'd sat here dozens of times before. It shouldn't have been _this_ intimidating.

"B-but..." she began again, but Reno firmly shook his head, arms crossed.

"No buts. You're goin'. You'll be fine... and if ya need us, we're a phone call away."

"If I _need_ you, odds are I'll be stranded on the side of a mountain again," she muttered, as she reached for her harness to strap herself in, and Reno laughed.

"Ah, relax... Rude checked the copter over thoroughly, didn't ya partner? Nothin's gonna blow up this time."

"You're good to go," Rude said with a nod. Elena groaned. She definitely wasn't going to be getting out of this. Flying to Junon wasn't a big deal... she'd done it a couple of times already. And she'd grown steadily more and more confident with the aircraft. Even her landings had vastly improved. But she'd never done _any_ of it alone.

The rookie suddenly found herself absolutely terrified.

Reno climbed in next to her. "Doesn't fly any different without me in it," he said, leaning over and kissing her. She relaxed slightly at the feeling of his lips on hers, and tried to prolong the contact as long as she could, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. Far too soon, though, the redhead broke away. "Nice try..." he said, smirking, "But I'm not gonna make out with ya just so you can avoid work." He grinned teasingly. "We can do that we you get _back_."

"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," Tseng commented from outside the helicopter.

"Hear what?" his second-in-command called back over his shoulder, feigning innocence. He turned back to her. "'Kay... Enough stallin', 'Lena. You're playin' delivery girl today whether you like it or not. So take that..." He pointed to the case that sat innocuously on the co-pilot's seat. "... to Rufus, and then come straight home. And stay outta the bar."

"Why would I go to the bar?" she asked, staring at him oddly. Where the hell had that come from?

Reno shrugged. "What? That's what Tseng told _me_ the first time _I_ flew to Junon solo..."

Elena laughed in spite of her nervousness. The Turk leader, as well, shook his head chuckling quietly in amusement. The redhead grinned and pressed another quick kiss to her cheek before leaving her alone in the cockpit. She watched as they backed away to a safer distance, and took second calming breath before starting up the engines.

Less than a minute later, she was airborne, the helicopter fading into the distance. Reno stood, watching it go, and sighed.

"'Kay, well... if anyone needs me, I'll be at my desk bein' a nervous wreck for the next hour and a half or so."

* * *

"Calm down. I think _you_ may be more nervous than Elena was," Tseng said. The corners of his mouth quirked upwards into a slight smile as he set a mug of tea in front of the redhead. The fingers drumming against the top of his desk abruptly stopped, and Reno looked up at him, accusingly.

"That's not coffee."

"No... it's chamomile. Without sugar. You're entirely too wound up right now. The last thing you need is a caffeine high."

Reno hesitantly picked it up and sniffed at the steaming liquid, his nose wrinkling in distaste. He took a sip anyway. "Ugh... Why would anyone actually _want_ to drink this shit?"

"Because it's naturally relaxing and soothing."

"Tastes like fuckin' pond water."

Tseng rolled his eyes and gave an amused laugh before returning to his own office, leaving the other two members of his team on their own. Reno set the mug down and nudged it away from himself. He was sureElena would be perfectly fine. There was no doubt in his mind that she was ready for a solo flight... hell, she was ready for the final certification exam, as far as he was concerned. But for some reason, he couldn't stop imagining the worst.

"She'll be okay," Rude commented from his own workstation.

"I know."

"She's a good pilot."

"I know."

"And she's only going to Junon and back..."

"I _know_." He glared at his fellow Turk, who simply shrugged.

"... And I thought Tseng was bad when he sent _you_ on your first solo flight..." Rude said with a soft snort.

"I will pretend I didn't hear _that_ , either," the aforementioned Turk called out from his office.

* * *

As soon as the skids touched down on the landing pad, Elena slowly let out the the breath she'd been holding through her entire descent. If she hadn't known it was impossible, she'd have sworn she'd been holding it since she'd left Midgar. She groaned in relief as overly-tense muscles finally relaxed. For a moment, she just sat there, glad to be back on the ground again.

It really hadn't been that bad. In fact, the whole flight probably couldn't have gone smoother if Reno had been with her, flying the helicopter himself. Still, she was glad it was over. Well... half over. There was still the little matter of the return trip to deal with.

But, she mused, no matter how nervous she'd been, she'd made it in one piece. She hadn't crashed into anything along the way. Even her landing had been almost picture perfect, aside from being slightly off-center on the helipad due to an unexpected crosswind. Elena smiled slightly to herself... all in all, a perfectly successful first solo flight.

Feeling a little less shaky, she released her harness and stood, grabbing the case for Rufus from the other seat. She wasn't entirely certain what was in it... Tseng had only told her that its contents were classified and thus being transported by the Turks rather than one of Shinra's regular couriers. She stepped down from the aircraft, onto the massive flight deck and headed for the vice president's office in the main administration building.

As she entered, Rufus didn't even acknowledge her, most of his attention, instead, focused on the large model of the Junon cannon that sat on his desk. The miniature seemed to have seen better days. Some of the supports had collapsed and the barrel of the cannon itself had a large crack running along its length.

It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't simply studying it.. She cleared her throat softly and he jumped slightly, startled. His hand jerked back from the model, followed by a tiny _crack_. The executive glared at her.

"I see your timing is just as poor as that of your mentor..." he said sourly. "You couldn't have waited five more seconds?"

"I-I'm sorry, sir..." she said, flustered. She'd only been trying to let him know she was there. She hadn't meant to interrupt.

"Nevermind." Rufus said, with a dismissive wave. "Bring that over here. And be careful of the model."

"Yes, sir." Elena hurried forward, carrying the little case with her and set it down on a clear corner of his desk before taking a step back and standing silently, her hands behind her back, waiting for her next order. Rufus rolled his eyes and unlocked the case, lifting the lid. The rookie Turk stared in confusion as he drew out... another Junon cannon barrel.

" _That's_ the 'classified material'?"

Rufus set it carefully on his desk alongside its damaged twin.

"You are not to speak of this to anyone," he said seriously.

"You've got to be kidding..." she blurted out.

"I most certainly am not!" The vice president scowled at her, and Elena quickly clamped her mouth shut. He sighed and sank down into his chair. "I had it classified because... if my father ever learned that I'd damaged this, I would likely be banished to the research station on the Great Glacier instead of merely to Junon," he admitted, somewhat awkwardly. "I finally had to admit defeat and request a replacement from the fabrication lab in Midgar."

Elena had to bite down on her lower lip to prevent the laughter that threatened to slip out. She wasn't quite successful.

"I'm being entirely serious. Keep your mouth shut."

"Yes, sir... Not a word to anyone," she replied, doing her best to sober herself before she got into trouble.

"And that includes that obnoxious lover of yours," he stipulated. "Gods help me if the slum rat finds out. I'll never hear the end of it..."

"Understood, sir. Er... if you didn't want anyone to know, why not just wait until I left to open the case?" she asked, curious.

The young executive's eye twitched. "Because... Much as I'm loath to ask, replacing the barrel is going to require two sets of hands if I'm to have any hope of doing so without causing further damage, and there are few people in Shinra with a better sense of discretion than the Turks. Covering things up is in your job description. Now... hold onto the base while I remove the old one."

Elena quickly did as requested. It was a little surreal, to be honest. She was _actually_ helping Rufus Shinra – vice president of the company and heir apparent to the Shinra fortune – fix something he'd broken so that he wouldn't get in trouble with his parents. She snickered to herself... She'd helped Del do much the same thing when they were little and her brother had accidentally shattered a decorative plate that had belonged to their great grandmother. The shoddy repair work had gone undetected for years... In the end her mother had bumped it a little too hard while dusting, sending it tumbling to the floor a second time, and thought that she'dbroken it herself. They never _had_ come clean.

"I _had_ expected Tseng to be bringing this... Hold that piece back," Rufus said, hefting the new barrel, and the rookie did as she was ordered. "Did he find something more important to do, or is he still too damaged to fly... I'd heard he was injured recently."

She was a little surprised to hear a note of veiled concern in his voice... though she wasn't quite sure why. Reno _had_ told her that he and Tseng were friends of a sort.

"Yes, sir... he was shot a few weeks ago. He'd planned to come himself... but Reno convinced him to let me do it instead. I'd never flown solo until today and the run to Junon is an easy one to start out with."

"The redhead's not here, then?" Rufus queried, looking slightly surprised. "Hmph... and here I was beginning to think you never went anywhere without him. You were quite obnoxiously attached to one another on your last visit."

The cannon settled neatly into it's slot, and Elena released her hold on the little tab that locked it into place.

"No, sir... I'm here alone," she replied, ignoring the commentary. He seemed different this visit. Less... antagonistic. Still decidedly stuck up, she noted, but he wasn't going out of his way to insult and provoke her at every opportunity.

"And... Tseng? He's recovered?" Rufus asked, so casually that had Elena not known better, she'd have sworn it was nothing more than idle curiosity.

"Yes, sir... fully recovered," she replied, "Though I wish I could say the same for his car..."

Rufus glanced up at her... That had certainly gotten his attention.

"His car?" the executive repeated, in a conversational tone, "What happened to his car?"

She couldn't help but think he had more than a passing interest.

"Well, it kind of... blew up, sir," the rookie replied, "The man who shot him tried to use it to get a bomb into company headquarters. Tseng and Rude stopped him before he got that far, but it went off before anyone could disarm it."

Rufus nodded minutely. "That's... unfortunate. Very well... I have farther work to do on this, but I should be able to manage on my own from here on out. You're free to return to Midgar. _Try_ not to crash the helicopter into any mountains on the way back, will you? They're quite expensive to replace, and the vehicle maintenance department is already over-budget for this quarter..."

Were it anyone but Rufus, she would have been almost certain that had been a joke. Even _being_ Rufus, she was fairly sure it was. Since when did he joke with her, she wondered.

"I'll do my best, sir," she replied, before taking her leave, trying to keep a straight face. Still a little bemused, the rookie headed back towards the helicopter... but not before she made one more brief detour...

* * *

"Ya think I should call her? Check in?"

She wasn't even really overdue yet, Tseng noted, glancing at his watch... though she did seem to be taking her time. She'd been gone going on two hours now.

"I'm sure Elena is fine. Rufus likely detained her for a short while to entertain himself. I doubt she'll be gone much longer," Tseng replied. "In the mean time, you must _surely_ have something to occupy yourself with. Have you set up the meeting with Lira for Rude?"

"Yeah, yeah... It's taken care of, boss. Like I told Rude earlier... She's expectin' him at her place tonight to go over specifics of the arrangement."

"And you've filed the reports you've been putting off all week?"

"Yep."

" _All_ of them?" he prodded, suspiciously.

"Did all mine _and_ two of yours. Folder's empty."

"And the transcription of yesterday's interrogation?"

"Finished, formatted, and filed. I even proofread the fuckin' thing. Twice."

Tseng smirked at the redhead's annoyed alliteration. "Perhaps we need to send Elena off on her own more often. This may be the most productive I've ever seen you..."

Rude snorted with laughter before quickly going back to pretending he wasn't listening in on the conversation from across the room.

"Lunch?" the Turk leader finally suggested. It was a little early, but if it took Reno's mind off of his absent rookie for a short while, it was fine by him.

"Not hungry."

Both men suddenly froze, staring at him in shock. Rude turned to look at his commander.

"Did... Did _Reno_ just say he wasn't hungry?"

"... I'll call Dr. Ward. This could be life-threatening," Tseng replied in a mock-serious tone. He smiled. Reno really _must_ have been nervous about the rookie soloing if it had managed to kill his appetite. That was a rare occurrence indeed.

"Oh, shut the hell up," the disgruntled redhead muttered. "Just let me suffer in peace."

Tseng chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, then moved to the other side of the room, leaning calmly against Rude's desk.

"I think you were right. He's much worse than I was."

"... About a tie," the bald Turk responded, not looking up from his current task. Tseng cast him a sidelong glance.

"I realize I was... on edge... waiting for him to return from his first solo flight, but there's no need to exaggerate."

Rude snickered and finally looked up. "When have you ever known me to exaggerate, Tseng?"

"'Lena!" the redhead suddenly cried, and shot to his feet. "What the hell took so long?"

Tseng quickly followed his gaze, and saw that Elena was, indeed, standing in the open doorway.

"Rufus didn't send me back right away," she replied, and the Turk leader quickly cast Reno a look that all but screamed 'I told you so'. " _And_..." she said, smirking slightly, "I know you told me to stay out of the bar... but I stopped in anyway and got you a present..."

She produced a bottle from behind her back, handing it to him with a grin.

"Aw... You got me my favorite..."

Tseng eyed the bottle with only mild interest. He recognized the label as one he'd frequently seen at the more exclusive of corporate functions... Typically the ones that only the VIPs were invited to, which meant that it was good odds Ultima Ale was on the pricy side... though he was hardly a connoisseur. In fact, he didn't much care for beer at all, to be honest. Tseng typically preferred wine... as well as the occasional cocktail or glass of quality cognac or scotch. "Just what he needed, I'm sure..." he teased. "How was the flight?"

"Getting there was a little nerve-wracking... coming back was a lot better."

Reno grinned and draped his arm around her shoulders. "See? I told ya you'd be fine."

The other two Turks exchanged a glance, and Rude quietly laughed.

" _Anyway_..." the redhead said, pointedly ignoring the sounds of mirth behind him, "Let's grab some lunch. Boss said we can go early today."

"I..." Tseng began to protest, before suddenly realizing that an early lunch _had_ actually been his suggestion not five minutes ago. "... suppose I did."

* * *

Rude moved silently through the narrow streets of Wall Market's residential district. It was getting late... much later than he typically liked to be in the slums. Wall Market, though, was a little different from most of the other sectors. It came alive at night. Still, though... he wasn't nearly as intimately acquainted with it as he was elsewhere down below. The denizens of Wall Market preferred to keep their own counsel. It had been quite some time since he'd had an active informant in the red light district.

He could easily understand why. Discretion was the name of the game here. People from all walks of life visited Wall Market, and not all of them wanted that fact advertised. Breaking a client's trust generally meant losing the client... or worse. Reno had told him that Lira was reluctant... and that her cooperation was contingent upon her safety and that of the other girls she worked with. He was going to have to be extra careful. His partner wasn't going to be happy with him if he got the woman into any kind of trouble. Rude wouldn't have been particularly happy with himself, either, as far as that went.

Which was why he was presently creeping stealthily through an alley that reeked of leftover takeout.

He had little difficulty finding the building he was looking for, and he slipped around to the back of the little boarding house. The back door was locked, but not much of an obstacle. He was inside in seconds and on his way up to the second floor. At last he knocked on the door. It opened a few moments later.

He was slightly surprised by the sight that greeted him. The young woman was wearing only a towel, her short, damp hair plastered loosely against her forehead.

"Hurry up and get in here," Lira said, quietly, waving him inside, "Last thing I need is someone seein' ya."

Rude didn't argue, and hurried past her. She shut the door behind him, throwing the deadbolt. Once he was safely concealed, she seemed to relax.

"Sorry," she said with a wide grin, "Thought I'd have a little more time to get cleaned up after work. Kinda forgot that you're a lot more punctual than Reno tends to be. Give me just a minute..."

Before he could say much of anything, Lira had tossed the towel into a nearby laundry basket and sauntered off to her closet. Rude cleared his throat, turning to stare out the window across the room instead of at her – admittedly alluring – backside.

Lira turned back at the sound, pausing in her search for clean clothes. "Oh, give me a break," she giggled. "You have any idea how many men have seen me naked? Go ahead and look if ya want."

"..."

It wasn't as if he had any particular hangup about the human body... especially having spent so much time around Reno... but still. He hadn't exactly expected a strip tease when he'd prepped for this meeting. Given what he knew of Lira, though... he probably should have. Rude shrugged and brought his gaze back over to the woman. If she didn't care, why should he? It certainly wasn't an unpleasant view...

He had to admit... he'd always thought Lira was pretty. It wasn't hard to see why she was one of the Honey Bee's most popular girls. Lira slipped a long t-shirt over her head and escorted him to the couch, settling in next to him.

"So... she purred softly, much closer to his ear than was strictly necessary. "You want me to turn snitch, huh?"

"... We'd appreciate it."

Her hand found the end of his tie, twirling it between her fingers. "And just how... appreciative... are ' _we_ ' gonna to be?"

"Lira..." he began, cautiously, pulling away from her slightly.

"Oh, lighten up," she laughed, "I'm just teasin'." She grinned and sat up, vacating his personal space a bit. "Now, then... let's get down to business. Got a few ground rules for ya."

"... I'm listening."

"First off... Like I told Reno. I start gettin' worried that me talkin' to you is puttin' me _or_ the girls I work with in danger, we're done. No exceptions."

"Understood," Rude replied. His partner had already informed him of that stipulation, and he found it perfectly reasonable.

"Second, I don't want ya comin' _here_ unexpected. My landlady knows damn well what most of the girls here do for a living and she frowns on her tenants... entertaining... in their rooms. Prefers us to keep male visitors to a minimum, and I don't wanna start drawin' attention. You need to send someone to my place, send Elena. Otherwise, we can chat at work or I can meet ya somewhere else."

"Done," he said, nodding.

"Third... I'll pass ya information on clients. I'll pass ya information on Corneo. But I won't snitch on the other girls without a damn good reason. Plenty of shady shit goin' on behind the scenes at the Honey Bee... Most of it ya don't need to know about."

He could live with that. "Fine. Anything else?"

"I think that'll about cover things."

"My turn, then," Rude said, smirking slightly. "Weekly reports. Anything you think I might be interested in... even if it's something minor. We'll arrange a system of contact. In return, you get regular payments, made the same way we've done it in the past, plus a bonus for any extra assistance you might be willing to provide as needed. And... should you need my help, all you have to do is ask."

Oh... does that mean I have my own personal Turk now?" she asked, teasingly.

"Within reason."

Lira grinned. "A girl could get used to that. Sounds like we've got a deal." She paused a moment, looking at him thoughtfully. "Actually... there _is_ one more thing I need from you."

"What's that?"

"Tell Reno that I still expect him to tell his girlfriend how paranoid he is about screwin' things up with her."

Rude gave a short laugh and shook his head. "I'll give him the message."

* * *

Someone was watching him. He could practically feel their eyes on him. Rude made his way through the streets of Wall Market heading for the train station, calmly and without acknowledging his shadow for the moment.

He wasn't quite sure when he'd picked up a tail... though he was certain it hadn't been there when he'd arrived at Lira's place. He was relatively confident that it hadn't been there when he'd left her, either, but it was difficult to know with any certainty. Still there was no point in taking chances...

Rude disappeared into an alleyway, quickening his pace once he'd reached a point where he had to have been out of sight of his pursuer, and hiding himself in the shadows. And he waited. At the alley's entrance a figure paused, as though debating the wisdom of following a man of Rude's size and build into a dark, confined space. A moment later, it vanished, footsteps receding into the night. He smirked and went after the stranger.

It didn't take long to catch up to him. The boy was young... perhaps seventeen. Rude watched him as he tried to pickpocket a drunk on the corner. The young women the other man was chatting with spotted the little thief and chased him off... probably, Rude thought, not willing to lose out on her _own_ paycheck tonight.

He quickly decided that there was no threat here. Just a slum rat who'd almost made the mistake of making a grab for a Turk's wallet. He turned back in the direction of the station.

If he'd watched a little longer, he might have seen a second figure retreat into the night.

* * *

"Stop it! I'm _trying_ to make you a nice dinner, you jerk..." Elena giggled. She swatted playfully at Reno, who'd grabbed her from behind as she was trying to drain the pasta. He ignored it and nuzzled his cheek against the back of her neck, arms still locked around her.

"Ya know, if we ordered in, we'd have about thirty minutes to kill before it got here," he said, voice muffled slightly by her shoulder.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Don't you think about _anything_ besides what we could do to kill thirty minutes?"

"Sure I do. Sometimes I think about sex," the redhead replied, a little too innocently. He nipped lightly at her earlobe. "Why? What'd you think I meant?"

"Go sit down!" she demanded, laughing. He heaved a grossly exaggerated sigh and obligingly took a seat at the table.

"Tch... You been takin' lessons from Rude or somethin'? He fuckin' _hates_ it when people bug him in the kitchen..."

"I thought you weren't _allowed_ in Rude's kitchen..."

"I'm not. But I used to be. He usually chased me out after the first five minutes..."

"Well if you were all over _him_ , too, I wouldn't blame him. It's hard to cook when you're being groped," she shot back, smirking at him.

"Heh... If I'd ever tried to grope Rude in the kitchen, I think he'd have done a lot more than ban me..." he snickered.

"What _did_ you do to get banned, anyway?"

"You... uh... ever seen what happens when you poor water on a grease fire?"

"Forget I asked..." the rookie said with a groan. "And remind me to never let you anywhere near _my_ stove."

Reno looked up at her, affronted. "Hey... I've gotten a lot better at not lightin' shit on fire when I cook," he teased.

"What were you making?"

"... Blueberry pancakes," he admitted, somewhat sheepishly. "I figured if I had a shit-ton of butter in the pan, they wouldn't stick when I tried to flip 'em. Mighta used a little too much..."

Elena snorted softly and poured the pasta into a colander, letting the water drain.

"But hey... at least the fire made him forget all about me forgettin' to put the lid on the blender..." he went on.

The rookie turned around, slightly dumbstruck. "You... tried to blend pancake batter?"

"... It seemed easier than stirrin'," Reno shrugged.

"Who taught you how to cook?" she wondered, more to herself than to her snickering boyfriend.

"Eh... No one, really. I kinda made it up as I went when I was a kid. Rude came over to my place one weekend and tried to fix me awhile back. Lesson lasted until I got a knife stuck... He gave up after that."

"Got a knife stuck where?" she queried, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Rude's foot."

"You _stabbed_ Rude while he was trying to teach you how to cook?!"

"No!" the redhead quickly denied, "Well... yeah, kinda. But it's not like I did it on purpose! I just sorta knocked it off the counter is all. I wasn't _tryin'_ to hit his foot. And it was just a flesh wound. His boot stopped it before it could go _that_ deep... Hardly even bled."

Elena turned the heat down on her sauce and gave it a quick sir before turning around to face him. "Uh huh... Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Go sit in the living room until this is ready... and don't go near any of the cutlery on your way out."

Reno laughed and leaned back in his chair. "Ah, come on 'Lena. That was years ago. I'm not nearly as dangerous now..." Elena silently stared him down. "... Alright, alright. I'm goin'. Tch... banned from another kitchen, and I didn't even _do_ anything this time..." he muttered. He planted himself on the couch, stretching out on his back with his arms behind his head before turning his gaze toward the coffee table, looking for the TV remote. Instead, his eyes fell on an open envelope.

"Got a new pen pal or somethin'?"

"Oh! I was going to tell you this morning, but then you sprang that surprise solo flight on me and I completely forgot," the rookie called back, "That's from Nana... She and Del are coming to visit next week!"

Reno sat up a bit, interest piqued. He hadn't seen Elena's grandmother in months... and her last visit hadn't been under the best of circumstances.

"Seriously?" he asked, grinning widely. "Sweet! Josephine's fuckin' awesome..."

Elena giggled quietly and stuck her head out into the living room. "How many times is she going to have to tell you to call her Nana before you actually start doing it?"

The redhead shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "I feel weird doin' that," he replied, awkwardly. "I mean... she's _your_ grandmother. Not mine." Hell... the woman hardly knew him, really. He didn't feel right co-opting her like that, no matter how much he would have liked to.

"We've been through this... she's already adopted you, for all intents and purposes," Elena pointed out, "You might as well just go with it."

Still out of her line of vision on the couch, Reno smirked to himself. "And that doesn't bother you?"

"... Why would it bother me?" she asked, sounding thoroughly confused.

"Well... if I've been adopted by your grandmother, doesn't that make me like... your uncle or somethin'?" he joked. "I mean, seriously... after what we did over the weekend? And what I fully intend to do to you againtonight...?"

"Reno, just shut up and get your adoptively incestuous butt in here. Dinner's ready," Elena laughed.

* * *

Elena put six more bullets into the target, a neat little cluster of holes right in the center, and hit the button to return it from the far end of the range. Tseng reached past her as it arrived and pulled it from the clips.

"Sometimes, Elena, I wish you weren't so accurate," he said with a sigh.

"Sir?"

He smiled slightly. "You make the rest of us look rather pathetic by comparison."

"Speak for yourself, boss." Several more rounds went off before the Turk leader finally turned his attention to the redhead in the next firing lane. By the time he did, Reno's target was also on its way back. Tseng chuckled as he noted the four stray holes in the paper, each a few inches from the cluster in the middle.

"I suppose that pattern was on purpose, then?"

"Tch... just gettin' a little creative, that's all."

"... If you were any more creative, you'd have hit _my_ target," Rude taunted him. Reno glared back.

"Yeah? And just how tight did _you_ manage to keep 'em?" he challenged. The bald Turk called the target back to him, nonchalantly pulling it down with a smirk. Only one of his shots had been off-center... and not by much. "Ah, shut up."

Elena giggled quietly, trying not to catch the redhead's attention. Fortunately, he seemed more interested in challenging his partner to another round of target shooting to notice.

"Shall we leave them to it for a moment?" Tseng asked, quietly, "There was something I wanted to speak to you about. Privately."

"Er... yes, sir." The rookie followed him to back of the range. He swiped his ID card through the reader on the ammunition locker, and removed a fresh box, reloading his weapon. Elena followed suit.

"You've been a Turk for well over a year now," he began.

"Yes, sir... It'll be a year and a half next month."

"Which also means that Reno had been _training_ you for well over a year..."

She nodded, uncertain as to where he was going with all of this.

"I trust that you haven't forgotten about Hell Week in all that time?" he said, a slight smile curving his lips upwards.

She laughed a little. "No, sir... I have _definitely_ not forgotten about Hell Week. I don't think I'll _ever_ forget about Hell Week."

"Would you like a little retribution?" Tseng asked, slipping the clip back into his gun and locking it into place.

"Sir?" she asked, a grin carving it's way across her face. She suddenly had a feeling she _did_ know what this was about after all... Reno had mentioned it to her not that long ago. "Is Reno going to be evaluated? As my mentor, I mean?"

"Ah... He's already told you about that, then..." the Wutaiian Turk chuckled. "Yes, I've decided that it's about time. And for that, I will need your help. But first and foremost... I must stress that you are not to say anything about this to him. Part of the evaluation is not knowing that one is being evaluated."

"I understand," she replied, nodding.

"For the record... I strongly suspect that Reno is convinced he still has quite some time before he has to worry about this. In fact, I'm not sure he even believes I've been considering it yet, let alone planning it, so it should come as quite a surprise to him. I intend to begin in a few weeks. We'll discuss the specific details of what I require of _you_ a little later, but I wanted to give you something of a heads up."

"Yes, sir," Elena replied. She finished reloading. "Um... sir?"

"Yes?"

"I know this is supposed to be a test... so I think I should probably tell you. I-I'm not sure I can really be... unbiased... when it comes to Reno," she said, blushing slightly.

"Very few rookies _could_ everbe entirely objective about their mentor, regardless of their personal relationship with them. It won't be a problem," Tseng said with a warm smile, " _I_ will be judging his performance. You will simply be conducting the exercises."

"Oh... Good," she said, a little relieved.

"In any case, I think we should get back to those two," he added, glancing over his shoulder. "Preferably before they decide to switch to more powerful ordnance. The last time they conducted one of these contests unsupervised, one of them got their hands on a rocket launcher. Maintenance was not pleased."

Elena very nearly groaned. "Reno with a rocket launcher..." she said, more to herself than to her superior.

Tseng smirked. "I'm actually still not entirely certain which of them it was. Rude seemed just as guilty, and neither was willing to rat the other out. I ended up having to reprimand them both."

* * *

The remainder of the week dragged by at a snail's pace, owing largely to the fact that Reno had been shipped off to pay a visit to the reactor site at Fort Condor. A small contingent of locals had taken the the facility over and were preventing Shinra personnel from accessing it, because of the huge birds nesting on top. For the moment, the situation was being handled by the military... but Tseng had wanted an in-person assessment just in case the Turks eventually ended up being called in to deal with the occupation.

Elena, meanwhile, had been loaned out to Rude again, and he had wasted little time in putting her to work sifting through his intelligence reports and pulling anything that even tangentially mentioned the anti-Shinra group, Avalanche. The little collection of instigators had gone off the radar for awhile... but recently, there had been a resurgence in activity being reported by his informants. Perhaps most concerning, however... several reports seemed to indicate that there was someone new on the payroll... Someone claiming to be an ex-Soldier. A name hadn't yet surfaced, but Rude had been busy making a shortlist of every known ex-member of the elite unit, both alive and those listed as M.I.A., and tracking down their current whereabouts whenever possible.

Of course, it may have simply been a boast. There were any number of mercenaries for hire that embellished their past in order to negotiate a larger paycheck. Rude wasn't complacent enough to make that assumption, however.

"Anything new?" he asked, startling the rookie.

"Rude, for Shiva's sake... Don't do that! It's bad enough when Tseng sneaks up on me."

"Sorry," he replied, not sounding the least bit contrite. "Anything new?"

"Not really... There are a few more reports confirming the new hire, and one that says he might be staying with the Seventh Heaven bartender. But other than that... no." Elena shook her head, staring at the screen in front of her. "How in the world do you keep all of this organized? There's so much information!"

"Practice," Rude replied, grinning.

"And if you can figure out his fuckin' system, you're way ahead of me in that department. I've been tryin' for the better part of ten years, and I _still_ don't know how he keeps it all straight."

The rookie perked up at the sound of Reno's voice, a smile crossing her face. "How was Fort Condor?"

"Boring as fuck," he declared, strolling into the office. "They're just sittin' there, camped out. Military moves in occasionally, but the locals are pretty entrenched, _and_ they've got the high ground... so far they've been pushin' us back every time without much effort. Our troops really can't do shit, 'cause it's a fuckin' reactor. Not the best place to risk goin' in shooting. I spent forty-eight goddamn hours watchin' those fuckwits from Junon do exactly nothin'."

"Sounds productive," Rude snorted.

"Oh, yeah. Real productive. Where's the boss?"

"President's office. Sounds like we might finally be going after the Ancient soon."

The redhead paused in his bid for his desk, looking over at his partner. "Ah, shit... seriously? Tseng won't be happy about that..."

"Ancient?" Elena queried. Reno shrugged.

"Descendent of some near-extinct race. Last one of 'em, apparently. Lives down in the Sector 5 slums. He was s'posed to bring her in years ago, but Tseng's got a little bit of a soft spot for her, so we've kinda been ignorin' that order and just keepin' tabs on her instead. She's a nice kid... Doesn't deserve to be in Hojo's hands, that's for sure. You've probably seen her yourself, actually. Sells flowers at the train station and the Sector 0 plaza sometimes."

"The flower girl?" Elena said, surprised. "She's a target?" She'd seen the young woman several times, in fact. She even remembered seeing Reno buying flowers from her once to take to his mother's grave.

"Not a target," Rude was quick to clarify. "She's not to be injured under any circumstances."

Reno nodded. " _Strictly_ a subject for recovery. If we bring her in, we bring her in alive and well. Or else we get our asses handed to us by the President himself. And then, most likely, by Tseng when the President's done with us."

"What do they want her for?"

"Not really sure, to be honest," Reno replied. "Hojo's got an interest... but I've always had a feeling there's more to it than that. Somethin' to do with the Neo-Midgar project, but that shit's classified above my security clearance. Tseng knows more about it than I do, but he's not at liberty to tell us anything else on the subject. Anyway... on to more important matters. When's Josephine gettin' here?"

Elena giggled softly. Ever since she'd told him her grandmother was coming, Reno had been getting more and more excited with each passing day.

"I just heard from Del this morning. They're hitching a ride this afternoon on a cargo plane to Rocket Town and then catching a ferry from Rocket Town around the north shore to Costa Del Sol. Then they're taking a passenger ship to Junon. They should be here on Monday or Tuesday."

The redhead snickered. "Fuck... I keep forgettin' just how completely in the middle of fuckin' nowhere those two live."

"Veraheim's not the easiest place to travel to... or from," Elena said with a nod.

"So... I guess that gives us the weekend to ourselves, then..." A lewd grin crossed his face, and the rookie rolled her eyes.

"You know... just because I _know_ what you two do on the weekends doesn't mean I want to listen to you discussing it," Rude interjected. Reno eyed him skeptically and leaned against his desk.

"Jealous?"

"Nauseated is more like it," the other Turk shot back, with a teasing smirk. "Gonna be glad when you two can finally go more than five minutes without the running commentary on your sex life."

"Definitely jealous," Reno snickered, turning back to Elena... who by then had turned an interesting shade of pink... "Anyway... about this weekend..."

Rude groaned somewhat over-dramatically and returned to his own desk. "And to think... I actually _wanted_ you two to get together..."

* * *

Elena shivered slightly as lips marked a trail along her collarbone, slowly making their way across her shoulder. She loved it when his did that. Reno had a way of making her feel as though he was laying claim to every inch of her skin... and she was more than happy to let him.

Most nights.

As much as she hated to do it, she gently stopped his progress down her arm. He looked up at her, disappointed.

"I have to go."

The redhead gave a soft whimper of frustration, looking at her, a dismayed expression on his face. She laughed softly.

"I _told_ you not to start that. You knew I was going out tonight. And if I don't leave soon, I'm going to be late for Shadow & Sword."

Reno sighed, and let his head rest on her shoulder. "Five more minutes?" he asked, pleadingly. It was hard to resist... in fact if last weeks' episode hadn't ended on a massive cliffhanger, she might have just said the hell with it, and called Rude to let him know she wasn't coming tonight... even if it _was_ last minute.

"You could always come with me," she teased, "Rude wouldn't mind..."

"He might if you spent the whole time payin' more attention to me than to the show," he said, grinning widely. "Two more minutes?"

"No more minutes," Elena giggled, and ran her fingers through his hair. "I really do need to go. Besides... you had my full, undivided attention all day yesterday, and most of today."

"Sick of me already?" Reno asked, and although his tone was joking, Elena couldn't help but notice a little bit of real concern behind it. She kissed him tenderly, one hand caressing his cheek.

"Of course not. Now... Let me up." Reno obediently released her, and the rookie got to her feet, straightening her clothes and fixing her hair. She smiled. "I mean that. I'm _really_ not sick of you. But if I don't find out what happens to Lysander, it's going to drive me insane. Are you going to wait up for me?"

"Ya want me to?" he asked, catching hold of her hand, and bringing it to his lips, placing teasing kisses on her knuckles. He usually didn't stay over on Sunday nights... the show wouldn't be over until ten, and she and Rude typically went through all their favorite parts for quite some time afterward... It would be late by the time she got home, and they had to work in the morning. It didn't leave much time for anything _too_ intimate... though she certainly wouldn't mind being cuddled to sleep, or waking up in Reno's protective embrace.

"Definitely," she said, mirroring his earlier grin, and pulling her hand away from him. "But right now, I'm leaving..."

"'Kay," Reno replied, chuckling softly. He followed her to the door. "Guess it's just me 'n Snuffy for awhile, then."

"I'll be back in a few – ," she began, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. Elena's attention shifted in surprise. It was a little late for visitors. She reached for the knob, opening it.

"Elena!" a cheerful voice greeted her, and the rookie quickly found herself caught up in a tight hug.

"Nana?!" she managed to get out before the air was forced from her lungs. She was released almost as suddenly as she'd been captured.

"Oh, and Reno, too," the old woman declared, pulling him into her arms next. "How's my favorite redhead?"

"Hey, El," another voice chimed in while Josephine's attention was focused on the redhead.

"Del! How in the world did you get here so fast? I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow night at the earliest!" She ushered her brother inside, giggling at the amusing sight of Reno being fawned over by her grandmother. He didn't quite seem to know how to respond to it and apparently had opted to just let the woman do whatever she wanted with him... which at that particular moment involved nearly squeezing the life out of him.

"We caught a lucky break," Del replied, "There was a pilot in Rocket Town who was willing to take us straight on to Junon. Saved us a _lot_ of time."

"Such a nice man... A little on the gruff side, but very sweet under it all," her grandmother added. By now, she was holding Reno by the shoulders at arms length, looking him over intently. "Poor thing... you're still so thin! I am going to fix that if it's the last thing I do!"

"Here kind of late, aren't you?" Del asked, glancing over at the other Turk somewhat suspiciously.

Reno cast a sideways glance over at the rookie, who seemed to be subtly shaking her head in an attempt to keep him from saying anything. Thankfully, he was spared from having to answer by Josephine, who had, at last, turned her attention back to her granddaughter.

"Were you going somewhere, dear? I hope we're not interrupting any plans..."

Elena laughed. "I _was_ actually on my way to Rude's place. We have sort of a thing where we watch Shadow & Sword together every week..."

Del rolled his eyes. "Ugh... You _still_ watch that?"

"Yes, _Delion_ , I still watch it," the rookie replied, hands resting on her hips as she glared at her brother, before turning back to her grandmother. "But it's not a problem. I'll just call and tell him I can't make it tonight."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. We're early. You two go on. We can manage," Josephine replied. Elena spent a few more minutes half-heartedly arguing the point with the woman... but it wasn't long before the pair of them found themselves in the elevator on their way down to the parking lot. Reno leaned back against the wall.

"Ya didn't tell 'em about us, did ya?" he finally asked, a little dejectedly. Elena bit down on her lower lip.

"Not yet..." she admitted.

"Could've at least mentioned that to _me_..."

"Reno..." The elevator chimed as it reached their destination, letting them out into the first floor entryway.

"Yeah, yeah... Don't worry. I won't say anything. I'll see ya tomorrow." Elena could tell the smile he gave her was forced... Even when he kissed her goodbye, she could virtually feel how upset he was. The rookie grabbed him by the wrist as he turned to go.

"No," she said, firmly, "You're not going anywhere. You always do this... I do something that you have every right to be pissed off about, and you just pretend like it doesn't matter. Just... stop it, okay?! You're _allowed_ to be mad at me sometimes!"

Reno blinked, somewhat shocked by the sudden outburst.

"I'm not mad..." he said after a moment. "Just kinda... disappointed, I guess. Look, if ya don't want 'em to know, I get it. It's okay. I just wish you'd given me a heads up is all..."

Elena frowned and all but dragged the redhead back into the elevator. "Stay," she ordered, releasing him long enough to press the button for the eighth floor and then search her purse for her PHS. He snickered quietly at the unexpected assertiveness from the rookie, as she dialed. "Rude? I'm really, _really_ sorry for the short notice, but I'm not going to make it tonight. My brother and grandmother got here early," she said when he answered, pausing as she listened to his response. "Yeah. Thanks for understanding. See you tomorrow!"

She ended the call, just as they were deposited right back where they'd started. Elena guided Reno towards her apartment. "I didn't tell them because... well..." she started, searching for the right words.

"'Lena, ya don't have to do this if you don't want to. I told ya... I get it. I'm fine with keepin' things quiet around your family."

"Well, _I'm_ not," she replied, "And you definitely don't 'get it'. I'm not trying to keep you a secret. I know it's stupid, but I didn't tell them because Nana would never be able to keep it to herself for long, and Del's always been a little... overprotective... when it comes to me dating. Not that I really had a lot of dates when he was still living in Midgar... but the few guys I did go out with... well... I just don't want him to end up hating _you_. So... I've sort of been trying to ease him into the idea gradually when I write to him instead of just springing it on him." She paused outside her door, kissing him softly. "You're not something I want to hide."

Before Reno had a chance to protest farther, she'd pushed open the door and pulled him back into her apartment.

"Nana?" she called out.

"Oh, did you forget something, Elena, dear?" the old woman responded, poking her head out from Elena's guest room.

"Um... sort of. Could you and Del come out here for a minute?" The pair of them appeared from the other room, Josephine smiling sweetly, and Del looking vaguely confused. "It's just that... There's something I've been wanting to tell you both for awhile now," she said, reaching for Reno's hand and letting her fingers twine with his with a grin. "Reno and I are seeing one another."

"Well of course you are," Josephine laughed, "It was obvious that something was going on between you two the way you've been talking about him lately..."

"W-What?" Del stammered, "When was _that_ obvious? What letters were _you_ reading?"

"Oh, for... You're so oblivious, sometimes, Delion," she tisked, shaking her head. Elena's brother scowled.

"So how long's this been going on, El?" he asked, eying the redhead with renewed suspicion.

"Not quite two months... Remember when I told you Chai was getting married?" she asked. He nodded affirmatively. "Well... Reno was my date for the wedding, and things just kind of... happened."

"Don't the Turks have any rules about dating your boss?" Del's eyes narrowed as he looked the redhead over... and Reno had the distinct impression that he was being carefully reevaluated.

"I'm her superior by rank and seniority, not her boss. That's Tseng's job. And no... we don't."

"Seems like it's something you should consider. Just in case _someone_ got it in their head to take advantage of their 'rank and seniority'..."

"Del!"

"What? I'm just saying that the fact that this guy could make or beak your career is a little..."

"You finish that sentence, and you can go find a hotel for the week."

"I'm _just_ trying to look out for you, El..."

"I don't _need_ you to look out for me!"

"Are you sure about that? Because from where I'm standing it kind of looks like you do," Del replied, more than a little condescendingly.

Reno's eye twitched. "Watch the tone, pal..." he interjected. Brother or not, no one was going to speak to Elena like that if he had anything to say about it.

"Or what? Guys like you are all the same. Interested in one thing. My sister deserves better than that."

"Tch... First thing outta your mouth tonight I've actually agreed with..."

"That is quite enough!" Josephine broke in. "Delion... go calm down." She pointed to the door leading to the guest room, and Reno couldn't help but smirk as he slunk off. She calmly turned to the pair of Turks. "I'm so sorry for his behavior, Reno..."

The redhead shrugged. "Can't exactly blame him for wantin' the best for 'Lena... I do, too."

"Which is exactly what I've got," Elena said, before adding with her voice raised to carry into the next room, "And if he wasn't such a jerk, he'd see that."

"Elena... I said that's enough," the old woman said, in a tone that wasn't to be argued with.

"Sorry, Nana..."

"Now then... you go and talk to your brother. Calmly. And if I hear raised voices in there, there's going to be hell to pay. Reno is going to stay right here and keep me company... aren't you?" she proclaimed.

"Uh... Sure, Josephine..." The old woman eyed him with a challenging look and waited. "... Nana." Reno quickly corrected himself. Awkward or not, he wasn't about to argue the point with the woman herself. Elena giggled quietly before heading for the guest room.

Josephine tugged her somewhat captive companion over to the couch, pulling him down next to her, and cozying up to him. "Try not to take it personally, sweetheart. Elena's the baby of the family. Both of her brothers were always a little on the protective side. Delion will come around." Josephine's fingertips lightly grazed the back of his neck before settling into a gentle massage.

"You sure about that? Heard he's got a history of drivin' off 'Lena's boyfriends..." He was having to fight to keep his eyes open. The damned woman seemed to know what he liked just a little too well... and he vaguely wondered how that was even possible. She chuckled quietly and doubled down on her efforts to get him to relax.

"You don't strike me as someone who's quite so easily intimidated," she replied with a little laugh, "And besides which... I very seriously doubt any of those other boys ever looked at her the way you do. You'd do just about anything to make my little Elena happy. I could see that even before tonight. Now, come here... lay down and let Nana look after you."

Reno, somewhat reluctantly, curled up on his side, his head resting comfortably on the old woman's lap. Josephine's hands moved ever so slightly to stroke his hair.

"Nana... One of these days you're seriously gonna have to tell me how the fuck I always end up like this when you're around..." he sighed in defeat. Fuck it... Elena was right. He was just gonna go with it.

"Years and years of practice..." she said softly. "I've never been one to turn away a soul who needs to be someone's child for a little while... whether they realize they need it or not." She smiled to herself, as she toyed with his hair. "You really are a sweet little thing. You remind me a lot of Elena's grandfather, you know. He had such a gentle spirit... but he'd fight tooth and nail for the people he loved."

"'Lena's never mentioned him..."

"Sad to say, she never knew him. He passed away a year after Delion was born... just after Aaron and Helen found out they were expecting again, in fact. Neither Belane nor Elena ever had the chance to meet my dear Andre."

"Guess we have that in common, then..." He should get up. He felt ridiculous like this... but he was enjoying it _so_ much right now.

"Didn't know your grandfather, either?" Josephine asked. Reno managed a slight shake of his head.

"Didn't know him. Didn't know my grandmother. Didn't know my father. Couldn't even tell ya their names. Only family I ever had before Tseng found me was my mom..."

"Elena told me you lost her pretty young."

"I was five."

"No wonder you cling to family so tenaciously now. I can't imagine being so alone at that age..."

Reno didn't answer. There really wasn't anything to say. Not many people _could_ imagine what that was like if they hadn't lived it. The woman's hand moved to his back, rubbing gentle circles between his shoulder blades. The redhead finally let his eyes close in content.

"Why don't you tell me about this wedding that finally brought the two of you together, instead..."

"Heh... Nothin' much to tell. It was just a wedding. Still not really sure what it was exactly that changed 'Lena's mind about me, to be honest. One minute I'm sayin' goodnight to her and the next she's askin' me not to leave... Couldn't say no. Not to her."

"So you didn't need anything to change _your_ mind, then?" she prodded.

"Nah... I fell for her a long time ago. Just couldn't seem to admit it to myself."

"Why not?" Josephine glanced up at the opening door, shushing the two figures that emerged a moment later.

"... Didn't think I had a shot with her," the redhead sleepily admitted, none the wiser to their presence. "'Lena's too good for me. She's always been too good for me. I'm lucky..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah... She could do a lot better than me. She doesn't want to."

"And you don't think you could do better?" she chided him.

"'Lena's perfect. No one else even comes close," Reno murmured, a faint smile on his lips, "... just hope she doesn't get bored with me eventually. Not sure I could take it..."

Elena sharply elbowed her older brother, casting him an indignant glare before silently making her way over to the pair on the couch.

"I don't think there's any danger of that, honey," Josephine replied, smiling as Elena brushed his hair back from his face. Reno's eyes snapped open, startled, and he sat up.

"Uhh... How long ya been there?" he asked, cheeks flushing slightly. He hadn't meant for her to hear any of that, and once again he couldn't help but think Josephine Brewer would have made one hell of a good interrogator. Elena smirked slightly.

"Long enough to hear how perfect I am," she teased. Elena moved onto the couch, pulling her lover into her arms. "And I'll never get bored with you. So stop worrying so much."

Josephine softly cleared her throat, looking up at Del. "Well... Don't you have something to say?"

Elena's brother shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment's deliberation.

"For... ?" Elena quickly demanded, glaring at him. Del grumbled softly to himself before answering.

"For being an over-bearing jackass instead of being happy for my sister..." he muttered.

"Over-bearing, _idiotic_ jackass..." the rookie corrected, and her brother sighed.

"For being an over-bearing _idiotic_ jack– For fuck's sake, El, he gets the point! How long are you going to make me grovel?"

Reno snickered softly at the exasperation in the other man's voice. Elena kissed the redhead on the cheek.

"Just until I see him smile," she teased. "You can stop now."

"Well," Josephine said with a clap of her hands, "Now that that's settled, how about some dinner. Have the two of you eaten yet? No? Wonderful! Elena, why don't you and I see what we can come up with?"

She hustled the rookie off into the kitchen so fast it nearly made Reno's head spin. Something told him the wily old lady had left him with her grandson on purpose. Del folded his arms across his chest.

"I guess El could do a lot worse," he said after a brief silence. "And... you _have_ done a lot for our family. It's just... weird. To think about my little sister being involved with someone, I mean."

"Don't worry about it. Believe me, I get it."

"Yeah, well... I suppose I owe you a real apology. Doesn't really count if El _makes_ me do it. So... I'm sorry. I'll try and be a little more open minded." He held his hand out to the redhead, who was more than happy to accept it. "You ever hurt her, though... I've got guns and plenty of territory to disappear into," Del added, somewhat ominously.

"I ever hurt her... do me a favor, and don't miss."

* * *

Rude yawned and shut off the TV before hoisting himself off of the couch and stretching. Tonight's episode had been a little on the slow side... most of it was just setting up for next week. He hated it when they did that. No one had even died! He wished Elena had been able to join him... at least if he'd had someone to complain to, it might not have seemed so endlessly expositional.

But she had family visiting... He could understand needing to choose that over their weekly viewing party. At least he could have some fun teasing her with threats of spoilers tomorrow. He doubted she'd taken a break from her houseguests to watch the show. And since she'd also missed out on dinner, he wouldn't have to worry about what to take for lunch for a couple of days.

Tossing the remote onto the coffee table, Rude made his way into the kitchen to take care of the dishes he'd left soaking. He was just reaching for a dish towel when his PHS rang. It wasn't the ringtone he'd set for the rest of the team. The Turk's eyebrow rose in curiosity wondering which of his informants would be calling so late... and more importantly, why.

A quick glance at the screen didn't provide an answer. The number wasn't listed in his contacts.

"Rude here," he intoned, accepting the call.

"H-hello?" a timid voice said on the other end of the line. Definitely a woman... and she sounded fairly young.

"Who is this?"

"I... I'm... No one. Just... no one. Look... Lira gave me two numbers and said if she was ever in trouble, I should call them," the voice said, and Rude could hear just how afraid she really was. "I-I... I think she's in trouble. A lot of trouble."

So... Lira had a fail-safe. Smart girl. The other number was undoubtedly Reno's.

"What happened?" Rude asked, concerned.

"I don't know... Her apartment. It's trashed, and Lira's gone," the woman said, "I... I have to go. Please help her."

The call was abruptly ended, and Rude frowned. This was bad.

~fin~


	40. Lira

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 40:** **Lira**

 **by Desha**

Reno knelt down and picked up a scrap of fabric. It was soft, pale blue silk... high quality and expensive. Or at least it _had_ been. Now it was little more than a tattered rag. He recognized the patterning on it. It was part of a robe he'd given her for her birthday a few years ago... and it was among Lira's favorites.

Other articles of clothing lay scattered and similarly destroyed all over her little apartment. Almost nothing had been left untouched. Books torn apart, furniture tossed haphazardly and broken... virtually everything she owned was spilled across the floor. There wasn't much that was likely to be salvageable. But worse than that, there was no trace of the owner of said possessions... not beyond a shattered mirror attached to her closest door with a few rivulets of blood running down it. The redhead ground his teeth as he touched it.

"Who would do this?" Elena asked.

"Don't know..." Reno replied, "But when I get my hands on 'em, they're gonna be sorry they were ever born."

He blamed himself. Lira had always been so stubborn about continuing on in the slums, in spite of the fact that he would have happily found a place for her on the Plate... Hell, he'd have taken her in himself if he'd had to. Anything to get her out of Wall Market. Maybe if he'd just tried a little harder to talk her into it...

It had always been in the back of his mind that one day, he might find her just... gone. And he'd prayed for years that he would never see that fear actually come to pass.

"Do... you think it's because she agreed to work for us?"

The redhead saw his partner cringe at the rookie's hesitant question, and desperately hoped not. Rude tended to take it hard when one of his informants got into trouble on his account. He felt responsible for them... and he did his best to keep them in one piece. On top of that, Lira wasn't just any informant. She was also a friend. Moreso to Reno, but Rude got along with her pretty well, too. Lately, Reno'd been getting the feeling that Lira may have had more than just a _friendly_ interest in the quiet Turk... though with Lira, it was sometimes hard to tell. She may have just been flirting for the sake of flirting. In her line of work, it kind of became second nature.

"Maybe," he finally answered, "But it seems kinda unlikely... she only got put on the payroll last week. Hasn't even filed her first report yet, has she, partner?"

Rude shook his head. "Wasn't due for a couple more days."

"But she's helped us out before..." the rookie was quick to point out.

"Yeah... I know. But come on... Malloy's dead. Corneo's still in the dark about who was behind Talia's rescue. And the info she passed us before that was all pretty benign, even if someone _did_ know about it. Nothin' someone'd be _this_ pissed off at her about, anyway." He looked over at Rude, who by then was going through the carnage near Lira's bed. The other Turk paused suddenly, reaching down for something. "Find anything interesting?"

"Depends... She use?" The other Turk held up an empty syringe that had been lying on the floor next to the overturned mattress. Reno's eyes narrowed and he shook his head.

"Lira's no junkie. Fuck, she went outta her way to keep _me_ away from it when we were kids... even the lightweight shit. Always said she was afraid to try it after what it did to her mom."

"Then I'd say I found something interesting. Whoever did this came here with a plan."

* * *

Everything was spinning. Even lying down – she _was_ lying down, wasn't she? – nothing wanted to hold still. It was making her a little queasy. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out, but it didn't seem to help.

On top of that, her head was pounding.

Lira tried to bring her hands to her face to try and soothe the incessant throbbing, but they were stuck... trapped above her head. She groaned and craned her neck, the movement causing a fresh wave of dizziness to wash over her. They were tied together... secured to a heavy metal ring on the wall. She blinked slowly in the partial darkness, trying to get her bearings.

Something felt off. She didn't feel quite... all there... and the desire to go back to sleep was strong. In fact, the only thing keeping her from giving in to that desire was a sense of foreboding she couldn't quite shake. This was wrong. Very, very wrong.

She couldn't remember how she got here... or where _here_ was. And the more she tried, the more jumbled her thoughts seemed to get.

"Lookie who's awake..." a voice in the darkness called out, cutting through her haze of confusion for a brief moment. The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but Lira couldn't quite place it... and she couldn't see anyone in the shadows.

"W-who... ?" she tried, but her own voice seemed distant and far away right now, and she couldn't quite manage the question she'd meant to ask.

"We're gonna have some fun later, pussycat... but right now, you're goin' back to fantasy land. I got some business to take care of."

She could just make him out now... but only his silhouette. Moments later, the man moved toward her, close enough that she could see finally his face.

It had been years since Lira had felt truly afraid. A person couldn't be in her line of work and be squeamish. Some of her clients had peculiar tastes, and she was expected to do whatever they wanted her to do. She'd long since let go of her unwillingness to be used, and with it, a great deal of fear. But as sickening recognition dawned in her dazed mind, and she felt the the sharp stick of a needle, there was one thing she was certain of...

Right now, at this moment... she was more terrified than she'd ever been in her life.

* * *

"Go home. All of you."

"Tch... You go home if you want. I'm gonna head back down."

He hadn't wanted to come topside in the first place... but Tseng had insisted. The Turk leader had been waiting for them at the station.

Tseng glanced at his watch and shook his head. "Reno... just how do you plan to accomplish that? The last train left ten minutes ago. Unless of course you're planning on _climbing_ down."

The redhead opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss. He hadn't realized it was that late already.

"And besides... Rude already has people asking around," the rookie chimed in. Reno glanced over at his partner, who nodded.

"You'll only draw unnecessary attention right now," Rude concurred.

" _And_ you'll be of no use to Lira if you're so tired you can't see straight when we finally _do_ get a lead," Tseng continued. "We will resume first thing tomorrow."

Reno scowled and then sighed, conceding defeat. They were absolutely right. The other women who lived in Lira's boarding house hadn't been able to tell them anything useful... Only that they'd heard a lot of noise coming from Lira's room about an hour before the three Turks had arrived. He'd been exceptionally ticked that not a single one of them had bothered to find out what was going on until after everything was quiet... not that he couldn't understand why they wouldn't, but he was still angry about it.

With nothing to go on, even if he did find a way back to Wall Market tonight, there really wasn't much he could do besides harass the women desperate enough to stay out on the street corners this late... and he doubted they'd have much to tell him. Even if they'd _happened_ to have seen something, the ones who worked outside of the brothels tended to be pretty cautious about discussing anything more than their prices. It made far more sense to let Rude's little army of spies do the legwork for now. Elena took hold of his arm.

"Come on... Let's go get some sleep so we can start fresh in the morning."

"Fine." This wasn't an argument he was going to win, anyway. Between Tseng and Elena, he didn't have a fighting chance at all. He gave in to her quiet demand, and let the rookie guide him towards the exit. "Hey, Rude... someone wakes you up with news, you'd better fuckin' wake _me_ up, too."

"Count on it."

The pair of them made their way out into the parking lot, the others not far behind, and he climbed into his car alongside Elena, starting the engine.

"I'll drop ya off at home..."

"No, you won't," Elena said, firmly, "You're staying with me. I know you. If I leave you alone, you won't let yourself get any sleep."

"Tch... what makes you say that?" he asked dismissively. She was right, of course... but he didn't have to admit it.

"Because that's exactly what you'd be doing if it were me. Lira's important to you."

Reno glanced over at her as he pulled onto the freeway, heading for her apartment building. She was right about that, too. "What about Nana and your brother? Won't it be kinda awkward if I'm walkin' out of your bedroom in the morning?"

"Please. I don't think either one of them is naïve enough to actually believe that we've never spent the night together." She smirked slightly in spite of the seriousness of the evening's events. "Although Del would probably _like_ to think that..."

Reno managed a smile. "Yeah... alright. Gotta admit, I didn't really _want_ to go home alone anyway..."

"I wish you'd tell me what you _do_ want more often. You spend all your time worrying about what I want out of this relationship... but I like making you happy, too." She paused briefly studying him. "I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to be perfect to keep me."

"Just keep remindin' me of that. It'll sink in eventually."

They rode in silence for the rest of the short drive. By the time they arrived, the lateness of the hour and stress of the evening was beginning to catch up to Reno. He followed Elena up to her apartment, nodding minutely as she silently reminded him to keep quiet so as not to disturb her houseguests before opening the door. She needn't have bothered.

"Everything alright?" Josephine asked softly as they entered.

"Oh, Nana... you didn't have to wait up for us..."

The old woman waved her granddaughter off. "Of course I did. You don't really think I could get myself to sleep after the way you two took off out of here, do you? Did you find your friend?"

"No... just a pretty bad mess in her apartment."

"Looks like she fought back... but whoever took her was determined she was comin' with him," Reno added, "No one we talked to saw anything, but Rude's got people on it. We're waitin' for a lead, now."

"Oh, dear. The poor thing... I don't know what I could possibly do to help, but if there's _anything_ ,you let me know..."

Reno smiled. He doubted there was any way either Josephine or Del could actually assist with the investigation, and he was sure she knew that... but he certainly appreciated the sentiment.

"Well, at any rate... You two should get yourselves to bed. You both look completely spent."

Josephine shooed them off to Elena's bedroom and a few minutes later, Reno found himself enveloped in soft sheets and even softer arms. In spite of the comfort and warmth, though, he was finding it almost impossible to relax. Fingers tenderly stroked their way down his back, again and again, until he had no choice but to give in to them.

"We'll find her," Elena murmured gently in his ear. He hoped she was right.

* * *

She was awake again. She didn't know how _long_ she'd been awake, but she was definitely awake. The pounding in her head made her very aware of that fact. Things were only just now starting to become clearer... she'd been in and out of dazed consciousness for what seemed like hours, alternating between dreams and hallucinations. Whatever she'd been given, it was potent.

 _That_ she remembered clearly. And she could still picture the face of the man who'd shot her full of that shit. It was one she was intimately familiar with...

But she didn't have time to think about that. Right now, she was alone. Lira groaned softly as she forced herself to sit up, sending the room spinning around her. She grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes tight shut, waiting for the vertigo to subside. When it finally did, she opened them slowly, looking around the room.

There wasn't much to see, really. She was on an old mattress crammed up against one side of the room, her bound wrists still attached to the loop on the wall. Dusty curtains covered most of a small window on the far side, a miniscule amount of mako-generated light, with it's signature pale green hue, peeking through the gap... which likely meant she was still somewhere in the slums. Possibly even still in Wall Market, though if that were the case, it was awfully quiet. Even during the daytime hours, when most of _her_ clients were either at work or firmly entrenched in a bar, the redlight district bustled with activity. It was never this silent in Wall Market... not even in the residential areas.

She was still wearing the soft cotton pajama pants and t-shirt she'd pulled on after her shower. The upper part of her shirt, she noted, was stained with blood... probably from her head, if the sharp, stinging sensation in her scalp was anything to go by.

So much of what had happened was a blur right now. She'd been stupid to answer the door without checking who it was first, but she'd been expecting a friend. Instead, she'd had the door kicked violently into her face, sending her tumbling to the floor. After that... it was only bits and pieces. She remembered clawing at her assailant... then being slammed into the mirror so hard it had shattered. Screaming, even though she knew no one was going to come to her rescue. Curling into a ball to protect herself... something she hadn't had to do since she was little and her father came home drunk and angry at the world and determined to take it out on her. And after _that_... there was nothing but the drug-induced haze and the memory of her short few minutes of semi-lucidity before being dosed a second time.

Lira pulled at the ropes binding her. If she could just work her way free, that window would make a perfect escape route. It was small, but then, so was she. She could make it. All she had to do was get over to it. When pulling didn't seem to be making any worthwhile progress, she put her teeth to work as well, tugging at the rope until it finally began to loosen.

Finally, one hand slipped free, and if she'd been certain that there was no one outside the room to hear her, she would have laughed.

'Nothing to it,' she thought, as she worked her other hand out of her bonds. She stood up slowly, still reeling a bit from the drugs, and feeling sick to her stomach as the room lurched again. She just had to get out of here and find a safe place to hide. She'd make her way home once she was feeling more herself. Lira staggered to the window and hauled aside the curtains, peering out, and found herself looking directly down into an alley. She suppressed a groan as she realized she was on the third floor.

'Fuck it... I'd rather take my chances with the fall than with _that_ bastard...,' she thought, as she pushed the narrow window open. She'd get out, find a place to hide... and then she'd try to contact Reno. He was probably looking for her already. Meika would have called him – and Rude – by now.

Meika had worked at the Honeybee for almost as long as Lira had herself. She was reliable, if nothing else. It was why she'd given the woman Reno's number in the first place... just in case. She'd passed along Rude's number, as well, just days ago. And by now, Meika would have have seen the destruction in her room at the boarding house... they always watched Shadow & Sword together on Sunday nights.

Run away, hide, wait for Reno. It wasn't a terribly creative plan, but it had worked for her in the past. And besides... her brain was still too clouded to come up with anything better. With great effort, Lira hoisted herself up onto the windowsill, and swung her legs over the ledge. It was a tight fit, and for a brief, terrifying moment, she was certain she'd never get past her hips... but a little shimmying and she managed to free herself. Lira clung to the windowsill, easing herself out onto the barely-there ledge outside.

"Oh, no you don't!"

Lira screamed as a hand roughly grabbed at the back of her shirt, hauling her inside again and slamming her to the floor.

"Bad... Kitty..." her captor chided her, punctuating each word with a sharp kick to her ribs. She lay curled on the filthy wood, helpless and gasping as the wind was knocked out of her. He seized her by one arm and flung her back onto the mattress. "Looks like I'm gonna need to make sure my new pet doesn't run away..."

Lira moaned softly and tried to sit up again, but he backhanded her hard across the face before she made it very far. She heard him laughing quietly to himself and lifted her gaze, defiantly, to look him in the eye... and was surprised to see him holding up a PHS. _Her_ PHS. She easily recognized the pink case and tiny chocobo charm dangling from it.

"Smile pretty, pussycat... Gotta make sure my old pal Rude recognizes ya." When she only glared, he laughed and turned the camera on himself. "You 'n that slum rat friend of yours mighta chased me outta Sector 2, you fuckin' piece of Shinra shit, but I got another one of yours, Rude. I killed the last one quick... This one's gonna suffer. So's every _other_ snitch I get my hands on. And you're gonna watch 'em all. Think I'll _start_ by making sure she stays put."

Lira's eyes went wide as he hefted a hammer in his free hand...

* * *

It was only thanks to years of practice that Rude managed to keep his expression neutral. At first, he'd felt a distinct sense of relief when the message from Lira had popped up on his phone. It was early, but he'd wanted to get a head start on things. He'd just walked into the office, prepared to begin sorting through whatever information had been accumulated overnight. The relief died almost as soon as the short video began to play and it became clear that it wasn't his new informant that had sent the message.

He swallowed sharply and ran it a second time, watching Lira's tiny image on the screen. Her hair was matted with what was likely dried blood, and more blood dripped from her nose. A dark bruise was already forming under one eye where she'd been struck. She looked frightened, but angry, as the cameraman taunted her – and then him – and Rude couldn't help but be impressed. Many people would have gone to pieces in a situation like that. The view swung around, revealing a face Rude had assumed he wouldn't be seeing again.

In retrospect, that was a decidedly stupid assumption to make.

Jericho stared back at him, a slightly mad glint in his eyes, threatening to dismantle Rude's intelligence network piece by piece, starting with Lira. He watched as the woman's eyes widened when the former gang leader advanced on her, and though he would have liked to have simply stopped the video as the hammer swung downward, he forced himself to let it play. And to watch. This was happening because of him. It seemed wrong to take the easy way out and look away.

Lira's pained scream as the hammer connected with her knee, however, made him wince.

"How much do you think she can take, Rude?" Jericho's voice asked as he filmed her, breathing heavily and trembling in pain. The video cut off there, and the Turk let himself lean back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling and waiting. The others would be arriving within minutes. They'd have to find her fast... or there wouldn't be anything left to find.

* * *

When Reno and Elena arrived, they found Tseng waiting for them, a grim expression on his face. Elena stopped short, and looked at him, half-expecting the worst. The redhead seemed to share that concern.

"What happened?" he asked, looking from Tseng, to Rude over at his desk, and then back to his mentor again.

"We know who took Lira," Tseng replied. It didn't take Elena's year and a half's worth of experience as a Turk to read between the lines there. Whoever had her, the woman was in serious trouble.

"You gonna tell me, or are we gonna stand here starin' at each other 'til she turns up dead?"

"Rude received a message from Lira's phone this morning," the Turk leader began. "The good news is that she's still alive. Or was so as of six forty-two this morning, when the video was filmed."

"So what's the bad news?"

"It was Jericho," Rude said simply. For a brief moment, Reno seemed to pale slightly... He managed to recover quickly.

"That fucker's s'posed to be dead."

"You know as well as I do that we were never able to confirm that," Tseng pointed out, much to the redhead's annoyance. "He disappeared... and it was far more likely than not that he was injured... but we never found a body."

"And now he's got Lira..." the redhead spat.

"And now he's got Lira," Rude confirmed.

"Fuck."

"You said there was a video?" Elena asked, curious as to why that hadn't been the first thing they'd shown them when they arrived. Rude visibly cringed, and she got the feeling that he hadn't been looking forward to this. He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket.

"You're not going to enjoy this," he said, handing it to the redhead. Reno thumbed the message open and played the short clip, his expression growing more and more irate the longer it ran. Elena gasped when the woman screamed, turning away instinctively. For a moment, Reno was silent. He wordlessly handed the PHS back to his partner.

"Reno... ?" Elena prodded, not entirely sure what to make of the reaction... or lack thereof.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill him," he replied, voice almost frighteningly calm. "And I'm gonna do it slow." He looked over at Rude. "You got any idea where that son of bitch is hidin' out?"

"The Sector 6 ruins." Really, it was just a guess. But it wasn't without supporting evidence... One of his more reliable spies from Sector 4 had spoken to a working girl at the Wall Market train station. She'd seen someone go over the wall and into the ruins last night... carrying something heavy.

When most people thought of Sector 6, they thought of Wall Market. But in reality, the redlight district occupied only a fraction of the space beneath the Sector 6 plate. Much of the outlying area, however, was heavily damaged... the result of a reactor accident that had occurred above on the plate years ago – one of the main reasons the Sector 6 plate was still unfinished. The Number 6 reactor had malfunctioned... badly. The resulting explosion had caused a temporary support pillar near the outer ring to collapse, and a large section of the incomplete plate – along with the original Number 6 reactor itself – had plummeted into the slums. It had set construction back considerably. It had also made that part of the slums virtually uninhabitable. There was no running water, _almost_ no intact power lines, and very few of the remaining buildings were structurally sound. Not to mention the risk of mako poisoning that had lingered there for years, even after the reactor had been rebuilt and brought back online. On top of that, twisted wreckage was everywhere, making it difficult to even move through the area. Even in the slums, most people weren't _that_ desperate... unless they needed a place to hide that no one would bother looking for them.

"Guess I'll be in Sector 6, then," said Reno, turning to leave.

"Wait," Tseng called after him.

"I'm not just gonna sit around up here doin' nothing, boss."

"I'm not suggesting you do. But you're not going alone. Take Elena with you. Meanwhile, Rude and I will delve a bit deeper into the video and do what we can to narrow down the search area."

* * *

Reno wasn't especially talkative as they boarded the train. In fact, they were nearly halfway down before he said _anything_.

"I promised her I'd never let this happen again..."

"Reno... it's not your fault..." Elena insisted, though she didn't think it was going to do much to assuage the guilt he was obviously feeling.

"You sure about that?" he asked, "I'm the one that fuckin' talked her into it to begin with. Shoulda just left well enough alone. Only way Jericho'd know Lira was workin' for us is if he'd seen one of us talkin' to her... and which of us has been down there, setting things up with her for the past couple of weeks? Asshole already knows me, and doesn't like me much... Had to've been me. I never even realized I was bein' shadowed..."

"Reno..."

"And even if I thought I could worm my way outta responsibility for that... I still fuckin' promised her I'd never let that bastard hurt her again!"

Elena was a little taken aback at the sudden outburst. She hadn't known Lira had a history with the Sector 2 gang leader. The redhead's shoulders slumped a little.

"I wasn't around to protect her that time, either," he admitted. "I was over in Sector 3, workin' a night shift. Lira was doin' her thing back in Two. Jericho followed her home and forced his way into her place... You've met the guy. You can probably guess what he did to her. I didn't even know about it 'til the next evening when I went to see her and found her curled up in a closet... She was too scared to leave her room, even to get help."

"What did you do when you found her?"

"Took her to see Sarge, for starters," Reno replied, "He was an old army medic. Kind of an asshole, but he'd do what he could for the people in the neighborhood who couldn't afford a real doctor if ya agreed to owe him a favor. Then I went after Jericho."

"And since he's still walking around, I guess that didn't go quite as planned."

Reno laughed mirthlessly. "That's one way to put it." He pulled up the bottom of his shirt, revealing a nasty scar near his naval. She'd seen it before but had never asked... she'd always just assumed he'd come by it on a mission. "He's the one that gave me that. Just barely managed to stagger back to Lira's place. She got Sarge to stitch me up, and even then, I was in pretty bad shape for a few weeks. Bastard stuck me pretty deep. Twisted the knife, too."

"I'm surprised you didn't try again after it healed..." 

"I was gonna. Lira made me swear I wouldn't risk it. She was afraid I wouldn't come back a second time, and she was probably right. So I promised I wouldn't go lookin' for trouble from the fucker. But I _also_ promised that I'd never let him touch her again." He let his head lean back against the window, staring up at the ceiling. "She'd been goin' back and forth about tryin' her luck over in Wall Market for awhile before it happened... but bein' under contract with Corneo kinda worried her, so she wasn't sure about it. Think Jericho's what finally made up her mind for her. She didn't want to be in Two anymore. She couldn't stand it there, and Wall Market was the quickest way out."

The train rattled to a stop and the redhead sat up. The two Turks stepped out onto the platform, and headed out.

"You know much about the ruins?" Reno asked her.

"... I... know how they got there," Elena replied hesitantly. She was intimately acquainted with that knowledge. "My dad was inside Number 6 when it happened." Her father had, in fact, been the foreman for the Number 6 reactor... and he'd been there the day it exploded. He was one of fifty-three Shinra employees who didn't come home that day.

"Fuck... Sorry, 'Lena. I didn't know."

There was no reason he should have. If it was even mentioned in her background file, it was probably little more than a footnote. She'd only been twelve at the time. The rookie shook her head. "It was a long time ago. Don't worry about it."

Reno led her away from the station. The edge of the wreckage was largely hidden behind a cobbled together wall. "If you've ever wondered why it's called _Wall_ Market... there ya go. Corneo had that built so tourists from the Plate wouldn't have to look at the mess," he explained, "It's also his unofficial border. Everything this side of the wall is Corneo's territory. The rest of the sector is up for grabs... not that many people are interested in goin' in there."

"Where do we start?" she asked, looking up at the looming structure. The redhead hoisted himself to the top with ease.

"Up and over. Unless ya wanna go hunt for a door. Not really sure they bothered buildin' one, though." Elena scrambled up behind him. When she lost her grip near the top, Reno quickly grabbed for her, hauling her up next to him. "Watch where you're walkin'. Nothin' back here's in real good shape."

The pair of them carefully lowered themselves down the opposite side and ventured into the ruins.

* * *

"Run it back a few seconds..."

The video obediently ran in reverse and then began to play again on the large screen on the wall. Tseng shook his head. "Pause it."

"Looks mako-generated," Rude commented, picking up on what had caught the Turk leader's attention.

"Yes... It does." Much of the Sector 6 ruins were open to the sky and daylight reached the ground... but there were a few areas that were still sheltered by the Plate above. It was in those areas that limited power flowed... remnants of the electrical grid that were still plugged into the same power substations as Wall Market. It was more trouble than it was worth for Shinra to bother disconnecting them, and the draw on the reactors was negligible anyway. They'd simply left them in place. Which meant that in a handful of decimated neighborhoods, the old-style mako street lamps – most of which had long since been replaced with newer technology elsewhere in the slums, save the poorest sectors – still glowed with their characteristic greenish tint.

Just like the light peeking through the curtains on the window.

Rude found and pulled up the energy division's map of Sector 6. "That would limit him considerably. Power doesn't reach out too far from Wall Market anymore. Most of those lines have gone dark."

"Where did your source say he saw someone going over Corneo's wall?"

The other Turk pointed at the screen. "Here... pretty good hike from Lira's place, which would make sense. He could have gone over a lot closer to where he took her, but it's a lot easier to carry an unconscious woman through the back alleys of Wall Market than the ruins."

"How long do you think Jericho will keep her alive?"

Rude hesitated. Jericho was known for being swift and brutal... but he also had a sadistic streak. "I think he'll keep her alive as long as he possibly can. Lira doesn't matter to him. He wants to hurt _me_. He'll drag this out until she can't take any more."

Tseng shook his head in disgust. He had no great love of torture. It was sometimes a necessity for the Turks... and, he was forced to admit, it was a tool of vengeance he employed himself on more than one occasion for those few who'd done something egregious enough in his mind to warrant it. But save for one particular instance, he'd never taken much satisfaction in causing another human being that much pain... Carson March held that distinction, after what he'd done – and what he'd attempted to do – to Elena. _He_ had suffered, and Tseng had savored every moment of it. He didn't regret a a thing.

"What we need," he said at last, "is an aerial view."

"Jericho will hear a helicopter coming a mile away," Rude pointed out.

"I know... Which is why I have something else in mind. Come with me."

* * *

"Did you hear something?" Elena asked, keeping her voice low. Reno shrugged.

"Probably just shit settling... Surprised half this place isn't cavin' in around –" He was cut off by a low growl. "'Kay, I definitely heard _that._ "

Elena's eyes scanned the area around them, but she couldn't see anything moving among the wreckage. Reno, though, had apparently spotted something she'd missed. He stopped abruptly, one hand going to his electro-mag rod.

"Where is it?" she asked, likewise drawing her weapon.

"To your right... twelve feet up that pile of scrap. On top of the upside down pickup truck."

The rookie blinked as she zeroed in on the spot, wondering how in the hell the redhead had even spotted the creature. Parts of it were insect-like. It's head reminded her of a very large beetle. The rest of it, though...

"What _is_ that?" Whatever it was, it certainly didn't look friendly. The beetle-like horned protuberances merged with an _almost_ human face. A very ugly, deformed face with yellow eyes and squashed, evil-looking features. It stood on all fours, though the body, like the face, seemed vaguely humanoid.

"Ah, hell, it's just a cripshay," he responded, relaxing, "Ugly little fucker, isn't it? You find 'em down here in the abandoned parts of the slums. They like things dark and quiet."

"Is it dangerous?" she asked still a bit uncertain as to whether or not she should stand down. It couldn't have been more than three feet long... but it looked decidedly mean.

"Nah, not really. Not unless you run into a bunch of 'em and let 'em surround you. They're territorial, though, so keep an eye out. Bastards'll charge ya if you get too close to their nests. They might be small, but they'll knock ya over."

They continued on, skirting the cripshay's apparent den. It stuck with them, watching from a distance.

"Are there likely to be more of them?" Elena asked, watching it out of the corner of her eye. Reno shrugged.

"Probably. Used to be pretty common over in Two... heh... 'til someone figured out they were edible."

Elena paled a little. "Edible?" she asked, slightly disgusted. "You're not actually saying... I mean... you didn't..."

"'Course I did. Food is food. And cripshays actually aren't half bad, all things considered. Tastes a little like pork, but kinda on the chewy side. Probably wouldn't even realize you were eatin' it if no one told ya."

"Ugh... Please just stop. I really don't need to know what they taste like."

The redhead grinned somewhat evilly. "Trust me, that's a long way from the worst thing I've ever eaten. Wouldn't surprise me if that's what Jericho's been livin' off of down here, though. It'd save him from havin' to show his face around Wall Market or anywhere else we mighta been watchin'."

"No wonder we never heard anything after he vanished..." The rookie shuddered at the thought. The idea of eating something like that creeped her out. She quickly decided to change the subject. "How are we even going to find him in all this?"

" _We're_ not," the redhead acknowledged. "Tseng and Rude'll have a better shot at that. But you 'n me bein' down here already is gonna put us in position to move in quick when they finally get around to givin' us a location."

Elena blinked in surprise. She'd thought Reno had intended to go on a one-man search and rescue operation until Tseng had ordered him to take her with him. He turned back to look at her, and laughed softly.

"'Lena... I'm worried as all fuck about Lira... and when I get my hands on Jericho, I plan on showin' him exactly why it's a bad idea to fuck with someone I care about. But that doesn't suddenly mean I'm dumb enough to think I can just walk in here and save her on my own."

"But last night..." It had take him ages to finally fall asleep. He'd kept her up as well, alternating between complaining that he was stuck there on the Plate while Lira was down below, and worrying that they wouldn't find her in time. It had taken more than a little effort to calm him down and lull him into a restless sleep.

"Last night we didn't know anything. _Now_ we've got somethin' to work with."

Elena shook here head, vaguely amazed at the shift in his demeanor in just a few scant hours. But it probably shouldn't have come as so much of a shock, when she thought about it. Reno, when given a task to perform, would perform that task with an almost single-minded focus. Without specific direction, though, he tended to shift from one thing to the next, wherever and whenever he was needed... which frequently gave him the appearance of being disorganized. Elena had learned long ago, however, that appearances could be deceiving. The redhead was far from disorganized. It was just that his idea of organization tended to be a little out of the box.

"So... do we just keep wandering around in here until Tseng and Rude contact us?"

Reno smirked and shoved a chuck of twisted metal off of an old, badly chipped, concrete bench. He sat down and patted the seat next to him, inviting her to join him.

"Nope. This is as good a spot as any. Now we sit back and wait," he replied. He glanced up at the debris pile they'd just passed, and Elena followed his gaze. The cripshay was still eying them warily from its new perch. "Unless you'd like a little snack. They're not really that hard to catch..."

Elena groaned in disgust.

* * *

Lira's fingers gripped the edge of the mattress as she silently willed the pain in her leg to subside. It didn't... though her knee did give a truly excruciating throb that caused her vision to gray around the edges for a few moments.

He'd left her untied this time... It certainly wasn't as if she was going to be making another escape attempt any time soon. She couldn't even bend her leg without being reduced to tears. If she somehow got out of this alive, it definitely wasn't going to be on her own two feet.

And that was _if_ she managed to survive this.

She wished she'd never agreed to work with Rude. She'd had a bad feeling about it right from the start, but Reno had promised her... _promised_ her... that he'd keep her safe, and she could never seem to say no to him. Not when it came to anything important.

This was the first time in her life he'd ever let her down... even though he likely would have argued the point with her. Reno had always blamed himself if anything happened to her... whether he could have prevented it or not. He'd blamed himself the first time Jericho had attacked her as well, to the point that he'd taken off in a rage, hellbent on revenge. She'd spent nearly a day waiting for him to come back, and when he finally did, he'd very nearly bled out in her arms. How he'd even _made_ it back in the condition he'd been in, she still didn't know. It was only the fact that Old Sarge had been there, checking on _her_ injuries, when Reno had turned up that he was still alive at all.

Lira laid back, staring up at the grimy ceiling above her, half-wishing that Jericho had given her more of whatever it was he'd used on her before. Anything had to be better than this constant pain... even the mindless high he'd forced on her twice now already. Almost as soon as she thought it, she silently berated herself for it. As a child, she'd watched drugs destroy her mother, and she'd sworn never to make the same mistake. To this day, she didn't know if her mother was still alive somewhere, strung out and destitute, or if she'd been dead for years... though she strongly suspected the latter.

As far as parents went, she didn't know if her father was still alive, either... though frankly, she didn't give a shit if he was. She hadn't seen him in over twelve years, and if she had anything to say about it, she'd never see that bastard again as long as she lived. He could rot in hell for all she cared, for what he did to her after her mother ran out on them.

Reno had saved her from that life. He'd looked out for her... he'd shown her a kindness she'd convinced herself didn't exist in other people. And even when he'd found a way out of the slums, he'd refused to abandon her.

The door to her room opened with an ominous creak.

"Ready for some more fun, pussycat?" Jericho asked, a sadistic grin on his face. Lira took a deep, shuddering breath, and tried not to think about how much her leg hurt.

Reno hadn't abandoned her then. And he wouldn't abandon her now.

* * *

"... You've finally lost your mind, Tseng."

The Wutaiian Turk gave a soft snort of derision. "Were it Reno suggesting this, you wouldn't even bat an eye."

"We _both_ know Reno's crazy," Rude joked, and the Turk leader chuckled softly. "Let me guess... you expect _me_ to go."

They were standing at the edge of the Sector 5 plate... well beyond the safety barriers that kept the general public from wandering into the Sector 6 construction area.

"Someone has to operate the crane..." he pointed out, motioning to the large piece of equipment. Rude scowled behind dark glasses.

"Since when are you certified to operate heavy construction equipment?"

Tseng smiled slightly. "I never said I was."

The bald Turk shook his head, and reached over to grasp the thick cable that dangled from the crane's arm. "Hmph... You might at least _try_ to convince me I'm not going to be plummeting to my death in the next thirty seconds..." he quipped, hoisting himself onto the large hook. Tseng passed him up a set of binoculars.

"I'm fairly certainly I can manage not to kill you," he replied, before heading for the crane's cab.

"Yeah... Much better," Rude called after him. The Turk leader was right though. This was by far the easiest way to get an overhead view of the area without drawing attention to themselves. He just wished Reno were here to do it. The redhead was much better suited for this sort of thing... and heights never seemed to bother _him_.

Rude, on the other hand, hated them. An aircraft was one thing... but hanging several hundred feet above certain death from a wire attached to a hunk of equipment that hadn't been used since the Sector 6 budget had run out three years ago? No thank you. It wasn't exactly what one might call a _paralyzing_ fear... but he still preferred to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground.

He groaned softly as the crane roared to life and Tseng swung him out over the gaping hole in the plate. A few moments later he began to descend. Rude did his best to ignore the stiff wind that was gently rocking his perch, and raised the binoculars to his eyes, scanning the ruined area below.

* * *

"Why is it just... _watching_ us like that?"

The cripshay was still standing, almost statue-like, on the top of the debris pile, staring at them, unblinking. Every once in awhile, it would let out a low growl. It was a little unnerving.

"Probably pissed we're still so close to its nest," Reno replied, "Come on... You hang out in their territory too long they either get aggressive or they start callin' for reinforcements. And we don't want either right now." He led her off, away from the cripshay... This time, it didn't seem to be following them. As they rounded a pillar of junk, they came upon a huge metal panel half-embedded in the dirt. The number 6 was painted on it in green and white.

"Shit... That from the reactor?" Reno asked staring up at it, "Can't believe it ended up this far in..."

"No... It's from a substation," Elena replied, pressing a hand against the cool metal.

"How do you know that?"

"Every once in awhile, when there's a power surge or something, the substations go offline. My dad got called in sometimes to reset them on his days off... He let me come with him once." She laughed slightly. "Well, really, I hid in the back of his truck and tagged along. He knew I was there the whole time, but he still acted surprised when he 'found' me."

"Thought you never did anything you weren't supposed to as a kid," he teased. Elena rolled her eyes.

"I was entering my rebellious teenage years," she said dryly. Reno snickered softly.

"I'm havin' a hard time picturing you as a rebellious anything, 'Lena."

The rookie smirked back at him. "Oh, I was a real handful at twelve. Sometimes I stayed up until nine... even _ten_ o'clock at night."

"Your poor parents..." He leaned casually against the panel. "Probably spent all those 'late' nights readin' or some shit..."

Elena blushed, a little embarrassed. "Um... actually, yeah."

"You're such a fucking nerd..." Reno laughed, grinning widely. His grin faded slightly a moment later. "... Thanks."

"For what?" she asked, cocking her head in curiosity.

"For keepin' my mind off Lira while we wait. This woulda sucked if I'd come alone like I'd planned on doin'."

"She'll be alright," Elena assured him once again.

"Hope so... Not sure what I'd do without her."

She wasn't quite sure how to take that statement. Reno had told her, more than once, in fact, that his relationship with the woman had always been a close friendship, and a lover of convenience rather than emotional attachment. She'd always wondered, though, if there was more too it than that.

"Don't get jealous," the redhead added, breaking in on her train of thought. "Lira's a lot more to me than just a friend. And I love her... but I've never been _in_ love with her."

"I'm not jealous," she protested... and she meant it. Though the mischievous smirk on Reno's face quickly told her he hadn't really thought she was. "I guess I just have a hard time wrapping my head around you and Lira."

"She's... special. You kinda have to understand... we didn't have anyone else when we were kids. We relied on each other. Protected each other. Took care of each other," Reno replied, looking as though even he was having some difficulty explaining it. "Findin' someone like that when you're completely alone..." He shrugged dismissively. "You _had_ a family growin' up, 'Lena... I had to build mine one piece at a time. It came out a little... complicated."

Elena wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him against her side. "I think I get what you're saying."

"Ya know... I don't know what I'd do without _you_ either," he added, and then smirked, "Just so you feel a little less jealous."

Before she could reiterate that she _wasn't_ jealous of Lira, Reno's PHS rang. She rolled her eyes at his slightly smug expression as he answered it.

"Tell me you've got some directions for me, partner..."

"Got some directions for you," Rude obligingly responded over the phone, "In fact, you're not that far away."

Reno blinked and scanned the area. "How the fuck do you know where I am?" he asked, incredulously, "Ah, fuck it... nevermind. Just point me towards the asshole."

"There's what looks like part of an overpass sticking up... almost vertical."

"Yeah... I see it."

"Building just south of there. One corner's caved in, but the rest is in pretty decent shape. Old mako streetlights outside."

"Got it... This a guess or you actually seen him?"

"Haven't seen Jericho, but there's definitely _someone_ there. Cook fire's still smoldering out front. We'll meet you. Wait for us."

"Understood." He ended the called and turned to Elena. "Time to go."

* * *

Rude held fast to the cable as Tseng slowly raised the hook level with the edge of the Plate and swung him over the unfinished roadway. Gratefully, he stepped down, back on solid ground again. The Turk leader joined him moments later.

"How long will it take us to reach them?"

"Reno and Elena will be there before we even make it to the station."

"You told him to wait, I assume?"

Rude nodded. Though he had his doubts as to whether or not the redhead would actually listen. Reno generally obeyed orders... but if he felt that waiting was putting Lira in further danger, he was sure his friend would go in after her, backup or not.

"We should hurry," Tseng continued, apparently coming to the same conclusion. He glanced up at the crane again. "How long would you say that cable is?"

The other Turk bit back a groan. The things he did for his job...

"... Long enough."

* * *

Elena's stomach heaved as soon as the smell hit her. "Oh, dear Shiva... _What_ is that?" she asked, careful to keep her voice down. They weren't far from their target now, and she didn't want to give them away... but dear god... It was making her eyes water. It had the sickening stench of rotting flesh, along with an underlying sweet, but acidic odor. It was horrible.

"Cripshays... Someone knicked the stomach when they butchered one. Nasty as all fuck... you don't even wanna know what they eat," Reno said matter of factly. "I've made that mistake before... You don't forget that smell..."

They rounded a corner and nearly stepped right into the source of it. Three of the creatures... or what was left of them,anyway... were piled up in a neat stack. Most of the meat had been carefully removed, leaving just the entrails and bones behind.

"Told ya."

"Ugh..." Elena coughed slightly, and tried to breath through her mouth... which, unfortunately, only seemed to make things worse. She could practically _taste_ it now. Somehow, she managed to clamp down on the nausea. Thankfully, Reno didn't linger. She followed him to clearer air, though a faint hint of the smell seemed to have lodged itself firmly in her nose for the moment.

"That's it," he said quietly, pointing towards a crumbling building some distance ahead of them. "Come on... there's cover on the other side of the street. We'll get as close as we can and wait for Tseng and Rude."

The pair of them slipped behind the crumpled remains of a backhoe, winding their way toward the building. Elena found herself staggering in the rubble several times as she tried to keep up with the redhead. Suddenly, the ground creaked under her feet, and she felt something shift. She froze.

"R-Reno?"

He'd just turned back when it gave way. Elena gave a sharp squeal of panic as she lost her footing, and was sent plummeting down a steep incline in a shower of broken wood and chunks of concrete. She slammed to a halt moments later at the bottom.

"'Lena?!" Reno called down to her, as loudly as he dared.

"I'm okay..." she responded. Elena picker herself up, brushing away the dust and debris from her uniform and looked up. She'd ended up in a pocket in the wreckage... Reno was peering down at her from the edge of the newly opened hole some twenty feet above her. With an irritated huff, she started to climb back up.

The rookie made it halfway before her handholds began to crumble and she slid back down.

"Hang on... You're never gonna make any progress like that," Reno said, as she moved to try again, "Give me a second... I'll find somethin' to pull you outta there with."

Before he could move, however, a pained scream echoed through the still air of the ruins. The redhead's attention was immediately drawn toward the building they suspected Jericho to be hiding out in, and even from her current position, Elena could see the concern on his face. He glanced back down at her, conflicted.

"Go! I can get out on my own!" she shouted, though she wasn't entirely confident in her ability to do so... and she was pretty sure he wasn't either.

"Dammit..." Reno swore, looking again between Elena and the direction of the scream. Another shortly followed.

"Just go!"

Reno hesitated briefly, but then disappeared from her sight.

* * *

He didn't waste time trying to sneak in. Reno darted across the road, and straight for the front door, leaving Elena behind. The thought of her trapped down there worried him... but she wasn't hurt, and she wasn't in any immediate danger. Lira was.

A cracked wooden door hung half off it's hinges, and the redhead easily shouldered it aside, stepping into the darkened building. He gave his EMR a sharp flick, letting it extend to it's full length and moving swiftly deeper into the room. He could just barely hear a quiet sobbing from somewhere inside, and strained to track it. It seemed to be coming from upstairs.

Finding the staircase wasn't difficult, and he crept silently upwards, listening intently. A third scream from above urged him to quicken his pace, passing the second floor entirely and moving on to the third.

"I fuckin' love that sound, don't you, Rude?!" a slightly unhinged voice demanded to know, and for a moment, Reno thought Jericho had heard him coming and mistaken him for his partner. "I'm gonna be watchin' this over and over tonight. How 'bout you?"

Reno's eyes narrowed. The sick fuck was recording it again. He was close enough now to hear a metallic rustling, and followed it to a door in the middle of the hallway. He kicked it in with enough force to splinter the old wood.

Lira was hanging by her wrists from one of the thick beams that crisscrossed the ceiling, her toes barely touching the ground. Her clothing was little more than tattered, bloodstained rags at this point, and the reason for that was immediately apparent. Jericho's hand was clenched around a length of chain that Reno was fairly certain would perfectly match up with the welts he could see on the woman's exposed skin.

"You're fuckin' dead," the redhead growled, launching himself at the larger man. His mag rod made brief contact before Jericho managed to step to one side, whipping the chain around. It caught Reno in the thigh, sending him to the floor.

"Fucking slum rat," he muttered. "Shoulda finished _you_ off back at the warehouse."

He swung the chain again, intending to bring it down across Reno's face, but the Turk was much too fast for him. He rolled to one side, blocking the blow with his mag-rod. It wrapped around the weapon, and Reno sent a jolt of electricity back through it. Jericho stumbled backwards, dazed and in pain as the redhead jerked his makeshift weapon from his grasp.

"I was thinkin' the same thing about you, asshole."

Reno tossed the chain aside and advanced on him, jamming his elbow into the other man's gut, sending him to his knees.

"Reno, look out!" Lira cried.

The Turk had only a split second to back off as the blade slashed at him. It missed him by a fraction of an inch, and in that moment of distraction, Jericho tackled him, sending the EMR clattering across the room and the pair of them crashing through the drywall. Reno's head connected painfully with the floor on the other side, and he saw the flash of the blade again.

He twisted an arm free, and caught hold of Jericho's wrist, forcing his aim off. The knife embedded itself deep in the floor by his head and the man was forced to release it. Instead, a massive hand closed around the fabric of his shirt, lifting him... dragging him. The next thing he knew he was being slammed hard into another wall. Reno kicked out at his opponent, catching him in the gut a second time. The grip on him loosened.

He had to end this... now. Jericho was twice his size, and easily as strong as Rude. He didn't stand a chance if he let things drag out much longer. With the other man still reeling, the redhead went for the sidearm holstered safely beneath his jacket. Before he could get off a shot of his own, however, one rang out from just outside his range of vision.

Jericho released him, staggering backwards, one hand clutched to his stomach as blood seeped between his fingers.

"You alright?" a voice beside him asked.

"Good timing..." the redhead replied, panting softly as Rude steadied him. Tseng was already moving in to secure the wounded gang leader... none too gently.

"Where's Elena?" Tseng asked, looking up from his task for a moment.

"Here, sir," the rookie's voice called out from the other room, and Reno sighed, relieved she'd managed to extricate herself after all. He quickly shook himself from his daze and pulled the knife from the floor, leaving Jericho to the other two Turks.

"Lira?" he queried, already moving to release her from the ropes that held her suspended. Elena helped him ease her down onto a mattress in the corner. Lira whimpered softly as she was moved. "Hang in there. I gotcha now..."

"I knew you wouldn't let me down..." she said with a weak smile, "Never have..." A moment later she passed out.

"Rude... Call for medical evacuation," Tseng ordered, still keeping a close eye on their prisoner, and the bald Turk quickly did as requested. Reno remained crouched beside Lira while they waited.

"Hey... 'Lena. Do me a favor, will ya?" he said, as more Shinra personnel finally arrived and began preparing the injured woman for transport.

"Sure... what is it?"

"Stay with Lira for me. I got somethin' to take care of before I head back," he replied, glaring at Jericho. Rude's shot had wounded... but either it hadn't done nearly as much damage as the rookie would have expected, or Jericho was very good at hiding pain. He glared right back at the redhead from his position on the floor.

"Try not to take _too_ long," Tseng acknowledged, calmly escorting Elena towards the door, following behind the medics. "Rude... back him up. Just in case."

The rookie cast an uncertain glance over her shoulder as the other two Turks, moved toward their prisoner.

"Sir?" she asked, when they'd reached the ground floor. "What's Reno going to do?"

"I think you already know the answer to that."

She shivered slightly... Jericho deserved whatever slow, painful death Reno had in mind for him, and probably much more. But she couldn't deny that the idea still bothered her.

"You think he deserves mercy?" Tseng queried, curiously.

Elena quickly shook her head. "No... it's not that." She wasn't entirely sure _what_ it was. She'd never been a fan of what Tseng termed 'enhanced interrogation techniques'... but she understood why the Turks sometimes employed them. This wasn't an interrogation, though. This was retribution. Reno was going to kill that man... and it wasn't going to be a quick and painless death.

On the other hand... if someone had done to Reno what Jericho had done to Lira, she couldn't say with any certainty that she wouldn't be just as out for blood as Reno was right now. At the very least, the idea would have tempted her. The more she considered it, the more she was certain it would have done more than just tempted. And, frankly, that scared her a little.

"We are all twisted in our own ways. We couldn't do this job if we weren't. Eventually you learn to embrace it rather than fear what that makes you," said the Turk leader, drawing her out of her musings.

"What _does_ it make me, sir?" she asked, with one final glance back at the building before they boarded the helicopter alongside Lira. Tseng chuckled softly.

"It makes you a Turk, Elena."

* * *

Elena yawned and tried propping her feet up on the side table. She stayed that way for a few more minutes until she realized that no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the stupid chair was _not_ going to let her get comfortable. With a sigh, she sat up and stretched out her stiff muscles before glancing over at the figure asleep on the nearby bed.

It could have been much worse. Lira had taken a hell of a beating... and her knee was probably going to require additional surgeries, along with mako regeneration therapy, before she'd be walking without help... but when Elena thought too hard about what Jericho _could_ have done to her – and probably would have eventually – she found herself wishing that _she'd_ asked to back Reno up instead of leaving it to Rude.

The rookie looked down at her watch, and marveled at just how quickly the day had gone by. Technically, she'd been off duty for over an hour now, and hadn't even realized it. Tseng had returned to headquarters after seeing to Lira's care at Midgar General... but Elena had remained behind. Officially, she was on guard duty... though Tseng had hardly made it an order. It was really just an excuse to allow her to watch over the woman in Reno's place without necessitating the extra paperwork for personal leave...

Her stomach growled and Elena suddenly realized she hadn't eaten all day.

"Hey."

The rookie jumped at the sudden greeting. She'd gotten used to being ignored. The doctors and nurses were in and out at least once an hour, but they all seemed to be keenly aware who she was and what she was, ostensibly, doing there... and apparently they weren't anxious to risk annoying a Turk in the name of congeniality. Strangely enough, it didn't bother her today. Normally, she enjoyed a little small talk to break the monotony... but right now, the pseudo-solitude was somehow preferable.

"How's she doin'?" Reno asked, closing the door to Lira's room softly behind him.

"Okay, I guess. They sedated her as soon as we got here and took her straight to into surgery for her knee. She's been out all afternoon," Elena replied, standing and walking over to him. She hugged him tight, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Dr. Ward stopped by awhile ago. She said to tell you that if any of the staff were slacking off with Lira to let her know and she'd put the fear of Ifrit into them."

The redhead snickered. "Forget Ifrit... Ward's scary enough herself."

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Dealin' with Jericho took awhile. Then we had a few loose ends to take care of. Thought about just leavin' those to Rude, but... I knew Lira's be safe with you around, and I didn't wanna just dump it all on him."

"What did you do to Jericho, anyway?" Elena asked, hesitantly. She wasn't sure she'dfeel better knowing, to be honest. Reno shook his head.

"Asshole's dead... Beyond that, I'd rather you didn't ask," he said, "I don't want you to have to think too much about that. You're not ready for it. Not yet." She flashed him an annoyed and slightly insulted look, and he smiled. "You've come a long way, but you're still a rookie, 'Lena..." he gently chided, before turning more serious. "And more importantly... I don't want you thinkin' I'm some kind of monster."

She'd intended to reassure him that she could never think that of him, but something in his eyes was pleading with her to just let the subject drop. And if she were honest with herself... she didn't _really_ want to hear the details. Maybe he was right... maybe she really _wasn't_ ready to venture into that territory yet.

"As long as he can't hurt anyone anymore, that's all that matters."

Reno looked decidedly relieved to hear her say that... though whatever else he'd planned on saying to her was interrupted as Elena's stomach loudly protested its lack of meals again. The redhead laughed.

"Go home and get some food. I'm stayin' here tonight."

"You don't want some company?"

"Sure, I do... but, uh... Don't you think Nana's probably gettin' a little worried by now?"

Elena's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh, no... I completely forgot to call her and Del."

A grin crept over Reno's face. "Heh. I kinda figured. Fortunately, _I_ didn't. And I told her I'd be sendin' you home, so don't make me a liar. Somethin' tells me Nana's as scary as Ward when she's pissed off."

* * *

When Elena returned to the hospital the next morning, she found one occupant of the room wide awake, and the other passed out on the bed... as was to be expected after yesterday's events. What she hadn't expected was that it would be Reno with his face buried in pillow, sound asleep, not Lira. She rolled her eyes and snorted softly in amusement. The redhead was curled up in the horrendously uncomfortable chair, his head resting, facedown, on the bed next to him. Lira was lightly stroking his hair, and shushed her as she entered.

The rookie was careful not to make a sound as she approached.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"My leg's killin' me... but other than that, mostly just relieved. Gonna be havin' some rough nights for awhile, though..."

Reno murmured something unintelligible, and hugged his pillow tighter. Lira bit her lower lip, stifling a laugh. "He's so cute when he's asleep, isn't he?"

"Adorable," the rookie agreed, grinning.

"For Ifrit's sake..." Reno muttered, his voice muffled, "I'm not cute and I'm definitely not adorable. Turks aren't fuckin' adorable. We're shit-your-pants intimidating."

"Says the adorable little Turk who's talking in his sleep and snuggling a pillow while being petted like a kitten..." Lira teased. Both women sniggered as he finally lifted his head, rubbing at bleary eyes and glaring half-heartedly at the woman in the bed. Then he turned to Elena.

"And aren't _you_ s'posed to be workin'?" he demanded, in a meager attempt to deflect attention from himself. The rookie leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's only a quarter after six. I left early so I could stop by and see how Lira was doing," she replied, still smiling, "And... to give _you_ this. Nana says to remind you that she's going to fatten you up if its the last thing she does, by the way." She handed him the basket her grandmother had all but shoved into her hands on her way out the door. Reno raised an eyebrow.

"Thought Little Red Riding Hood was s'posed to deliver food _to_ her grandmother... not the other way around," he snickered as he lifted the towel that concealed a miniature banquet of baked goods. He managed to wait all of five seconds before giving in and stuffing most of a pastry into his mouth. "Not that I'm complainin'..."

"Feed him and his mood improves instantly..." the rookie commented to Lira, smirking. She giggled softly in response.

"Food and sex... that's all you really need to keep Reno in line..."

"Ya know... I don't think havin' you two in the same room together is a good idea. All it ever seems to result in is _you_ makin' fun of _me_..." the redhead groused, setting aside the basket of goodies, and standing up. "And if I'm gonna be takin' this kind of abuse this early in the morning... I need coffee."

The pair of them watched him as he slipped into the hallway before breaking down into laughter. After a few moments, Elena finally sobered.

"So... How are you, really?"

Lira sighed and rand her fingers through her hair. "Still fuckin' terrified. Even knowin' Jericho's gone, I keep gettin' freaked out. That's why Reno was sleepin' like that. I kept waking up all night long, just... _completely_ panicked... until I realized I wasn't alone. If there were more room up here, he'd probably have just gotten into bed with me." She looked up at Elena apologetically. "I hope that's not weird for you... I mean, with our history and all..."

"A little, maybe..." she confessed.

"He'd never let anything happen between us, you know..."

"I know." Elena shook her head, and laughed. "He knows I'd kill him if he did..." she joked.

Lira shifted in bed, grimacing in pain as she turned her leg slightly. "I think he might actually consider _that_ to be gettin' off easy..." she said, seriously, "He's terrified of losin' you, Elena. He really is. I don't think he's _quite_ so afraid that one little mistake is going to cost him everything at this point, but he still worries you're just gonna walk out on him one of these days."

The rookie settled herself into the recently-vacated chair and sighed. "I wish I could convince him that I'm not..."

"Had the same problem when Tseng snatched him up, ya know..." she said, rolling her eyes, "Every damn time he came to see me, it was just an endless stream of 'I'm never gonna fit in at Shinra' and 'Tseng's gonna realize what a stupid idea this was'... Took him ages to realize he fit in just fine and no one was gonna be sendin' him back down to Sector 2. That idiot really doesn't see his own worth sometimes."

Elena snickered. "So what finally changed?"

"Nothin' really... I think it's just that, every time he made a mistake and _didn't_ immediately get canned, he got a little more confident."

"So... basically, you're saying that all I have to do to make him see I'm not going to dump him is... not dump him," the rookie said, smirking a little.

"Pretty much," Lira laughed. She sank back against the pillows, and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "Don't worry. He'll get there."

"I'm sorry..." Elena suddenly said, causing the other woman to look over at her. "Here you are in the hospital, in pain, having just lived through something... awful... and I'm obsessing over my own stupid problems."

"Actually, I'm enjoyin' this," Lira replied, grinning, "Takes my mind off other things..." She reached for the basket the rookie had brought for Reno and stole one of the pastries, nibbling at it. "Wow... that's really good. So what was all that about fattening him up?"

"My grandmother. If you're not at _least_ ten pounds overweight, she's certain you must be starving to death."

"Well _that_ could get interesting..." she laughed, and Elena nodded in agreement.

"The last time she cooked for him, I think she almost broke him. I'd never seen Reno have to start turning down food before..."

Lira's eyes widened slightly. "Neither have I..." She sniggered softly, "I wouldn't mind witnessin' that sometime... if only to prove to myself it's possible."

"Do you know how long they're going to keep you here? Nana isn't staying in Midgar long, but I _know_ she's going to insist on doing all the cooking while she _is_ here... And I'm sure she wouldn't mind an extra guest."

"They haven't said," she replied, "But probably a while. And... I'm actually kinda glad."

"Why?"

Lira stared down at her hands and sighed. "The slums have been my home all my life... I know a lot of people only live down there 'cause they don't have a choice, but... I always felt like I belonged there. I liked bein' close to the land. Everything up here just seems so... cold and artificial. That was the one thing Reno never really understood about me." She laughed softly. "Not even when I've tried to explain it to him. He was always just the opposite. Hated it down there, and couldn't begin to imagine why anyone'd _want_ to stay if they didn't have to."

She took another bite of the pastry and shook her head. "I don't think I want to go back anymore."

Elena wouldn't have either. Not after what Lira had gone through.

"Look... Don't tell Reno that, okay? Things are still really fucked up for me, and I might still change my mind, and... I don't want to get his hopes up. He's _really_ wants me to leave Wall Market, and I'm just not sure yet." she added.

"Don't worry. I'll keep it to myself," the rookie smiled. Any further conversation on the subject was quickly put on hold as the redhead himself shouldered the door open, both hands clasping styrofoam cups from the cafeteria.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Lira said, exasperated, "I know you're a goddamn coffee fiend, but you're double fistin' it now?"

"No..." he replied, indignantly, "One of 'em's for 'Lena. Unless she doesn't want it. In which case I'll just have to suffer through a second cup." He held one of them out to the rookie, "Here. Cream, no sugar. Which almost makes me wonder why you'd even bother..."

"Thanks," she said, snickering. "I should get going. If I leave now, I _might_ just make it to the office on time."

Reno snuck a quick kiss as she stood.

"Come on... I _know_ you can do better than that," Lira teased, "Now, kiss her like you mean it..."

"Heh... Well, if you _insist_." The redhead plucked the coffee cup from her grasp and set it safely next to his own on the bedside table, before smiling impishly. One arm encircled her waist, bending her back, and dipping her low towards the floor as his lips took possession of hers. Elena's eyes fluttered closed and she eagerly returned his enthusiasm, her own arms snaking their way around him as well. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered how the man could think _any_ woman would willingly give this up... let alone her. Much too soon, the rookie found herself back on her feet again, and Reno reluctantly releasing her.

" _So_ much better," Lira commented.

"I agree," Elena said somewhat faintly, blushing. She'd very nearly forgotten they had an audience.

"I live to please." Reno grinned and returned her drink. "Now go to work. I'll be in after lunch."

* * *

As promised, Reno returned to the office later that afternoon... after leaving Lira safely in the hands of Dr. Ward who, in turn, had promised to make sure she was well-looked after while he was gone. If he'd had the option, he would have stayed with her longer. Lira was doing her best to act like nothing was wrong, but he'd known the woman far too long to fall for it. He could tell when she was scared... and she was definitely still scared.

Much like Elena after Hojo's pet project had attacked her, she was jumpy and skittish, and hesitant to sleep. And just as with Elena, he didn't _really_ want to leave her on her own quite yet... but there was only so much 'guard duty' Tseng could justify to Heidegger and his stock of personal leave was, as usual, depleted. In the end, he'd just had to trust that the doctor would take good care of her while he was at work.

"Hey... Got a minute?" Rude asked as he was leaving the elevator. Reno turned, surprised to see his partner lingering in the hall.

"You waitin' for me or somethin'?"

"... Yeah. Wanted to talk to you."

Reno shrugged and followed him to the lounge for a little privacy. "What's up?" he asked, planting himself on the couch and looking up at the other man expectantly.

"How's Lira?"

"She'll be okay... Kind of a mess right now, though."

Rude sighed and leaned back against the door. "It's my fault Jericho went after her. I never should've asked you to recruit her for me."

"Tch... Don't go hoggin' all the blame to yourself on this one. 'Least some of it's mine. I'da told you to go fuck yourself soon as you suggested it if I'd thought anything like this was gonna happen," Reno replied, "Face it, pal... We both got a little complacent."

"..."

The redhead snorted softly. "Would ya relax already? I fucked up just as bad as you did. Ya can't seriously think I'd put it all on you..."

"..."

"I'm not ticked off at ya... Not any more than I'm ticked at myself, anyway. We're good, 'kay?"

"... That's a relief," Rude said at last, "You didn't say much after you finished with Jericho."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Come on, Rude... You're family." Rude smiled faintly and joined him on the couch.

"Anything I can do?"

"Nah, not at the moment. Might have somethin' for you when they let her out, though."

One of Rude's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "What are you planning now?"

"Gonna try 'n talk her into staying topside again. I don't want her goin' back there, man. I don't care if Jericho's not around, it's just not safe in the slums. Not even Wall Market, these days," Reno replied, "... And, anyway... she shouldn't have to be sellin' herself to get by. I'd take care of her if she'd just fuckin' _let_ me, but she's more stubborn that _I_ am sometimes. So... ya know... if you could maybe ask around and find out what departments are hirin'... Assuming she agrees to stick around."

"Not a problem."

"Thanks." The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. There wasn't much of anything left to say, but neither of them was eager to switch back over to work mode just yet. It was Reno who finally pressed forward. "Come on... the boss is probably wonderin' where the fuck we're hidin'."

Rude shook his head. "He's out. Took Elena with him, too."

"Out where? We get an assignment while I was gone?"

"Junon... Rufus sent for him. Told him to bring a copilot, so I'm guessing Tseng will be sending Elena back without him."

The redhead went still, looking up at Rude in no small amount of horror. "She's flyin' solo again?"

Rude shrugged. "Best guess. Not like she hasn't done it before..."

"Once!" Reno nearly shouted, looking decidedly nervous all of a sudden, "She's done it _once_! Why the fuck didn't he take _you_ with him if he knew he was stayin' behind?"

The bald Turk couldn't help but snicker quietly before answering. "Probably because she's only done it once. Needs to log more solo hours to qualify for her certification."

Rude patted his friend comfortingly on the shoulder as Reno groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Fuck, man. Like the last forty-eight hours haven't been stressful enough. You tryin' to drive me to a nervous breakdown or some shit?"

* * *

Elena returned shortly before quitting time, sans Tseng. Though whatever the pair of them had been up to in Junon, she apparently had been sworn to secrecy and wasn't talking. Her only response when he and Rude had asked had been a wide grin.

"I'm gonna getcha to talk, you know... You'd save us both a lot of time and aggravation if you'd just spill it already."

"Sorry... Tseng made me promise. And anyway, you'll find out tomorrow when he gets back," she teased, as she pressed the elevator button. Reno scowled and mentally ran through his options.

"If you don't tell me... I won't do that thing you like so much tonight," he said at last, folding his arms triumphantly across his chest.

Elena elbowed him. "You won't be doing _that_ tonight anyway... not with Nana and Del in the next room." She smirked at him. "And you like that just as much as I do... so who are you _really_ denying here?"

The smug look dropped from his face immediately. "Fuck..." he muttered. The elevator chimed and let them out onto the parking deck. "Wait a minute... that doesn't mean we're not doin' _anything_ 'til they leave, does it? 'Lena... they're here for two fuckin' weeks!"

The rookie shot him a slightly sadistic grin. He moaned softly in despair. Elena laughed, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, quit being so melodramatic... It won't kill you."

"It _might_..." he snarked back, pausing beside her car and opening the door for her with a heavy sigh. "Fine... But I'm still allowed to come over for dinner, right?"

Elena giggled. "Reno... I'm not banning you from my apartment."

"Tch... Just from the bedroom." He put on his best pout, hoping to get her to reconsider. Apparently, she saw right through it.

"Oh, knock it off..." she laughed, climbing into her car. She flashed him a coy smile. "Besides... I was thinking maybe we could... um... go out for _lunch_ a couple times this week instead."

The redhead blinked, surprised. "Just to be clear on that, you're definitely not talking about hittin' up a nice restaurant, right?"

"I'll see you at dinner. Nana's making... well, probably everything, since she know _you're_ coming," she replied, a smirk firmly embedded on her face as she shut the door and started the engine.

"'Lena?! Come on, ya can't just imply somethin' like that and then take off on me!" he called after her as she pulled out of the space.

Her only response was a wave from the open window.

* * *

Reno poked his head into the room, his gaze falling upon the figure lying perfectly still in bed. He was expected for dinner with Elena and her family... but there was something he had to do first.

"Reno?" a voice called out to him.

"Heh... Thought you were sleepin' for a minute there..."

Lira yawned and shook her head. "I think I'm s'posed to be. I was waiting up for you."

The redhead slipped into the room, and dropped into the seat by her bed. He picked up her hand, mindful of the IV line that was attached a little ways up her arm, and placed a teasing kiss on her knuckles. "Ya miss me or somethin'?" he grinned.

"Just a little," she replied, returning the smile. "It's after visiting hours, you know..."

"Tch... Like ta see 'em throw me out." He took a breath, and slowly let it out. At the best of times when he'd brought this up, she'd been dismissive... at worse, they'd argued. "We need to talk."

Lira's grin slowly shifted to a more pensive expression. "About what?"

"You're not goin' back down there, Lira. I can't fuckin' let you. I'll find ya somethin' up here on the Plate, and you can come stay with me 'til we get shit sorted out. But I can't watch you go back."

"Reno..."

The Turk shook his head. "No. I'm not debatin' you on this anymore. The slums are too dangerous, and I can't keep you safe if you're down there. I know you've got your reasons for wantin' to stay, but for fuck's sake, Lira... he coulda killed you. He almost _did_!"

"Reno, will you just –"

" _Please_..." he said, pleadingly, "Just do this one thing for me..."

Lira smiled softly and twined her fingers with his. "I'm not going back."

The redhead's jaw dropped slightly and for a moment he couldn't seem to form any kind of response. "... What?" he finally managed, blinking in utter shock.

"I'm not going back," she repeated. "I was already _thinkin'_ about not goin' back soon as I woke up here. And... well... Your friend. Dr. Ward? She told me somethin' a little while ago that kinda made up my mind for me."

Reno swallowed sharply. "What'd she tell ya? Nothin's wrong, is it?" he asked. Ward had assured him her leg would heal with time and proper treatment. Was there something else? She couldn't be sick... could she? Before he convinced himself that must have been it, Lira laughed.

"For Shiva's sake, Reno... Quit lookin' at me like you think I might be dyin'..." she said, giggling.

"... You're not, right?"

Lira rolled her eyes at him. "No. I'm not dyin'."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't fuckin' scare me like that! … So then what's goin' on? I've been tryin' to get you to say that for ten _years_. Why the sudden change of heart?"

She gently caressed the back of his hand. "It's not that I don't _want_ to go back. I mean... I kinda _don't_ right now, actually, but I think that's more the trauma talkin' than anything else. But even if I decided I wanted to... I can't. Not now."

"Why not?" the redhead asked, thoroughly confused. Lira pulled his hand closer to her, and placed his palm gently against her abdomen.

"Because the slums are dangerous... and I've got someone _else_ I gotta think of now..." she said, letting a small smile spread across her face.

~fin~


	41. Expecting

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 41: Expecting**

 **by Desha**

Reno was having a little trouble processing what he'd just heard. Or perhaps it would be better to say he was having a little trouble processing the thoughts going through his own _head_ after what he'd just heard. In fact, it was quite possible that he had briefly forgotten how to breathe, because for a moment his vision began to darken.

It was the sound of Lira snickering softly that finally brought him out of it.

"Well? Are you going to say something? Or are you just going to sit there looking like you're about to faint?"

The redhead opened his mouth to reply, and shut it again almost immediately, shaking his head. It was a few seconds before he tried again.

"Y-you're... you're... _pregnant_?" he finally managed.

"Isn't that was I just said?" She was looking up at him, an amused expression on her face.

"...Uh... _How_ pregnant?" Reno swallowed sharply, torn between being happy for his friend... and vaguely terrified for himself. Not that he'd been with her, or anyone else, since he and Elena got together... but it hadn't actually been all that long since that had happened.

"I don't think there are really degrees of pregnancy, Reno," Lira teased him, "You either are or you aren't."

"Lira..." he pleaded. The woman giggled softly.

"Dr. Ward thinks I'm probably around two months... give or take a few weeks, so maybe two and a half."

Somehow, he managed not groan aloud. That didn't exactly put him out of the running. He'd only been with Elena a little over two months to begin with. And before that... well, he and Lira had been seeing quite a bit of each other at the time.

"... 'kay..." he managed, in a somewhat cautious tone.

Lira laughed and squeezed his hand... which he belatedly realized was still resting on her belly. "Oh, quit panickin'... You and I have always been careful about that sort of thing. And it's not like you're the only guy that's got a shot at bein' the responsible party here, ya know... I'm still as popular as ever at the Honeybee..."

"Yeah, but... I still _could_ be..."

"And if you are, he or she is going to be the most beautiful baby on the planet."

Reno nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, well... hopefully I'll get ta see him or her at least once before 'Lena kills me..."

He took a slightly shuddering breath before leaning back in the chair, still staring at Lira with a somewhat shellshocked expression. He really didn't know what to do... though one thing he _did_ know was that he couldn't just leave Lira on her own to raise his child. His own mother had been forced to take on that burden, and look where it got her. If it really _was_ his, he couldn't just pretend otherwise and go on with his life. Even if he were willing to be that big a jackass to a woman – which, frankly, was an idea that didn't sit well with him at all – he could never abandon Lira.

And where exactly would that leave him and Elena? Would she even still want to be with him, knowing that he'd fathered a child with another woman? And not just any woman, but one that meant nearly as much to him as _she_ did... albeit in a very different way.

There was always the easy way out... He could always try and talk Lira into ending the pregnancy. It seemed like kind of a dick move to him, though. Lira, obviously, wasn't upset about this... if anything, she seemed pretty happy about the prospect of being a mother. And he certainly wasn't complaining about the major side effect of her unexpectedly expecting... She was willing to leave Wall Market. After ten years of doing his damnedest to talk her into it, she was finally willing.

But what was going to be the cost to himself? He felt indescribably guilty even thinking along those lines, but he had something – some _one_ – now that made him feel... complete. And he was still very much in the process of feeling things out with Elena and trying to figure out how their lives fit together. Some days he _still_ felt like he was struggling just to hang onto her... Something like this might very well make that impossible, and even if it didn't, there was still his responsibility to Lira to consider. And the baby.

"Reno?" Lira prodded, jarring him from his increasingly panicked thoughts. "You still with me?"

He blinked and nodded vaguely, prompting a quiet snigger from the woman.

"You sure? 'Cause ya look like you're about a million miles away. I knew you'd be a little shocked, but I didn't mean to _break_ ya..." she grinned.

"If it's mine..." he began, only to be cut off.

" _If_ it's yours... and that's still a pretty big if... I'm not gonna expect you to drop everything and be a father."

"Lira..."

"And don't you dare try 'n pull any of your self-sacrificing bullshit on me, Reno James Donvan," she said firmly, and Reno finally cracked a faint smile. It wasn't often anyone used his full name. In fact, Lira, and once in a blue moon, Tseng, were really the only people who _ever_ did... and both tended to save it for when they were particularly annoyed with him. "I already know what you're thinkin'... You're thinkin' about the possibility of havin' to give up Elena for me outta some misplaced sense of responsibility that might not even be yours to begin with. You get that damn idea outta your head _right now_."

Reno frowned slightly and looked away. He hadn't even fully realized it yet himself... but that was exactly what he was suddenly considering.

"Oh, Reno, sweety..." Lira purred. "It's not that I don't appreciate the sentiment. But I don't _want_ you to do somethin' so _stupid_. You and Elena are _meant_ to be together. You and _me_ aren't. And tryin' to force somethin' that's doesn't feel right just makes everyone unhappy in the end."

"You're kinda assumin' she's not just gonna walk away herself when she finds out..." he replied, shoulders drooping in defeat.

Lira rolled her eyes. "Finds out what, for fuck's sake? That you've got about a one in a million shot at bein' the guy that knocked me up?" When the redhead didn't answer right away, she shook her head, scoffing, "You're developin' a real annoying habit of always assumin' the worst. I already told ya... even on the very, _very_ slim chance it's yours, I'm lettin' you off the hook."

Reno sighed and dropped his gaze. It just wasn't that simple.

"But, since I know you're a stubborn pain in the ass who's not gonna drop this until he knows one way or the other, I've already taken care of it," Lira said, smirking.

He glanced up, curious. "The hell's that s'posed to mean?"

"I kinda had a feeling this is how you were gonna take the news... so I asked Dr. Ward for a paternity test," she replied.

"And?" he pressed her.

"Good news is that she said I'm more than far enough along she can do one. Bad news is... you'll have to wait little awhile, anyway. She doesn't want to risk anything that's not strictly necessary until I'm healed up a little bit more," Lira said, adding, "But she said she'd have the results within forty-eight hours once she has what she needs for the test."

He hated waiting. Oh, he was more than capable of doing it – and occasionally he didn't even complain about it too much – but given the choice, Reno almost always went for the option that resulted in instant gratification.

"... How long's she want to wait?"

"At least 'til the end of the week. Maybe a _couple_ of weeks, depending on how I'm doin'."

The redhead groaned softly at the prospect of having to spend the next two weeks wondering about this. Lira patted his hand.

"You'll survive," she teased, grinning. "Now, I _know_ you have better things to do that hang out in a hospital all night..."

Reno stared at her somewhat incredulously. "Lira... You just got done tellin' me you're having a kid, and now you think I'm just gonna leave you here all alone ?"

"That's exactly what I think... because knowin' you, you've got plans with Elena tonight, and I'm not gonna let you cancel them. Now get the fuck outta here."

"But..."

"Right now. Go. I'll be fine."

"I'm not gonna win this, am I?" he sighed.

"Nope."

Reno shook his head, vaguely amused as he opted to cut his losses. He seldom ever _did_ win an argument with the woman. Lira was remarkably adept at getting her way. His victories were few and far between.

"Fine. But call me if ya need anything, 'kay?"

"I will. Promise."

"And don't worry about wakin' me up if you have to, either."

"Would you just leave already?" she snickered.

Reno reluctantly got up and made his way to the door.

"Hey, Reno?" Lira called after him. He paused, turning back to look at her.

"Yeah?"

"Just for the record, I really do think you'll make a terrific father someday... and Elena will be an amazing mother. And your kids are gonna be gorgeous."

Reno groaned again and rolled his eyes. "For fuck's sake Lira... I'm freaked out enough about maybe having _one_ kid on the way, and you're already plannin' a whole family for me?"

"Twins first, I think..." the woman joked, ignoring him, "And then _at least_ two or three more after that..."

"Seriously? Ya know, I already _offered_ to stay. You don't have to put _me_ in the hospital, too, to keep me here..."

Lira laughed and shooed him out. "Oh, fuck off..." she giggled.

* * *

Elena was growing increasingly worried. That Reno was being unusually quiet tonight was one thing... but he'd hardly touched the plate in front of him. She caught her grandmother casting her a questioning glance and could only shrug. Del, meanwhile, seemed relatively oblivious to the redhead's out of character behavior.

"So..." she began, hoping to spark a little conversation, "What was so important that you just had to talk to Lira after work?"

Reno visibly jumped, apparently caught off-guard, and dropped the fork in his hand.

"Uh... I just went over to try 'n talk some sense into her," he said, quickly recovering. "Even after what happened, I figured she'd only be stayin' topside 'til she was well enough to head back to Wall Market... I was planning on beggin' her not to. Again."

"Wall Market?" Josephine asked, curious. Elena internally groaned... Of course she wouldn't have heard of it. Josephine had visited Midgar a grand total of _maybe_ ten times in her entire life. The rookie really did _not_ want to explain Wall Market to her grandmother over dinner.

"It's... um... well..." she stammered, blushing slightly.

Del rolled his eyes at his sister and took a sip of the wine Elena had brought out. "It's the city's red light district." His eyes narrowed at Reno a moment later. "So... You hang out with girls from Wall Market a lot?"

"She's an old friend," the redhead guardedly replied.

"How _close_ a friend?"

Elena gave her brother's leg a sharp kick under the table and glared at him. "Lira and Reno grew up together. In fact, if it weren't for Lira... well, we probably wouldn't be dating."

"She doesn't want to live here instead?" Josephine asked, before Del could chime in again. Reno sighed.

"Been tryin' to get her outta the slums since _I_ got outta there. Lira's the most stubborn person you're ever gonna meet, though... Every time I've tried to get through to her, she's always wanted to stay, and nothin' I said has ever changed her mind."

Well... that explained why he was so quiet tonight, Elena mused to herself. Apparently Lira had decided she was going back after all... in spite of what she'd said the other day. She sought out his hand with her own, squeezing it gently.

"Sounds like someone I wouldn't mind getting to know," Josephine commented, which drew curious and incredulous looks from Reno and Del respectively.

"Nana... She's a... you know... a prostitute," Del stammered.

"Got a problem with that?" the redhead shot back, defensively, and Elena silently willed her brother to just shut his mouth before he _really_ struck a nerve with the other man.

"Simmer down, the both of you," Josephine interjected before it could go any farther, and both men sank back in their seats, chastised. "And Delion, _you_ mind your manners."

"Yes, Nana..." he replied, somewhat meekly.

"And as for you," she continued, looking pointedly at Reno, "You stop moping and eat. Your friend wouldn't want you starving on her account, I'm sure, and I'm certainly not going to put up with it, either." She smiled lightly and added another spoonful of carrots to Reno's plate.

"Heh... Yes, Nana..." the redhead chuckled softly. Josephine lightly shook her head and glanced over at her granddaughter.

"Elena, dear, I hope to Shiva that you and Reno end up with girls. Boys are a constant headache... no matter how old they get," she said with a wink.

Both Reno _and_ Del immediately choked on the bites they'd just taken, as the rookie turned an impressive shade of red.

* * *

"I'm _so_ sorry about last night..." Elena began as she slipped into the passenger seat of Reno's car the following morning. She'd decided to ride with the redhead so that Del and Nana could use her car while they were here. It would let them get out of the apartment while she was at work.

Del's antagonistic behavior towards Reno had subsided during the rest of dinner, but he'd been back at it a few times later in the evening. It annoyed her to no end that, now that she and Reno were romantically involved, her brother had decided to take it upon himself to evaluate the redhead's 'worthiness' of dating her. And she was sure Reno was taking the nitpicking a lot harder than he was letting on, too.

"Nah, don't worry about it," he replied, as they left the parking lot.

"Of course I'm going to worry about it... He was being a judgmental, overprotective jerk. And you've had a bad enough week to begin with. Especially with Lira turning you down again on top of everything else..."

Reno shook his head and seemed to brace himself for something.

"'Lena... Lira didn't turn me down last night," he said, sounding somewhat nervous. The rookie blinked in surprise.

"She... didn't? But you said..."

"I said she's always turned me down before." He sighed softly, and turned onto the freeway. "Sorry... I was gonna explain shit last night, but Del wasn't lettin' up on me, and I didn't want to give him more ammo than he already had... so I figured I'd wait 'til I could getcha alone."

"What's going on?" Elena asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Lira's not goin' back to Wall Market."

The rookie snorted softly in amusement, "Well, I _gathered_ that when you said she didn't turn you down again."

"... She's not goin' back 'cause... she's pregnant."

Elena's jaw dropped slightly. That was unexpected. "I... Wow. Um... is she... I don't know... okay with it?" she asked awkwardly. She wasn't sure if congratulations would be in order or not. She didn't really know Lira all that well... and she certainly didn't know what the woman thought of having a baby.

Reno laughed softly. "Oh, _she's_ thrilled... Which kinda caught _me_ a little by surprise since she's never even talked about wantin' a kid, but..." He shrugged, trailing off. He sobered quickly and looked over at the rookie. "Thing is though..." he began, only to pause mid-thought with a decidedly worried expression on his face.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Ah, fuck it... no sense in drawin' this out," he muttered. "Uh... accordin' to Ward, Lira's somewhere around two and a half months along."

The rookie frowned in confusion. "Why would that matter?"

"'Lena... How long have we been seein' each other?" he asked.

"Two months, twos weeks and four days..."

Reno's gaze quickly went straight to Elena, taking his eyes away from the road. "You know down to the day?"

"Reno!"

He hurriedly jerked the wheel, sending the car swerving back into his lane.

Elena was gripping the sides of her seat painfully tight. "Please try not to kill us."

"Sorry..."

"Anyway, what's that got to do with Lira?" she asked, relaxing slightly.

"Lira probably got pregnant right around the same time as your friend's wedding. Which means... I mighta still been sleepin' with her..."

"W-what?"

The redhead swallowed and took a breath. "There's at least a chance that it could be mine."

She didn't know what to say. Elena was well aware of Reno's habits before she'd come along and claimed him for herself. And she certainly wasn't naïve enough to not have realized that there was the possibility of something like this... She'd thought it wouldn't be a big deal. But it was somehow different when it was really happening. For some reason she felt incredibly betrayed... which made no sense at all because she hadn't even _considered_ the possibility of being with Reno before Chai's wedding. It wasn't as if she had any say in his sex life before she was even a part of it.

"Please say somethin', 'Lena..."

"... What do you want me to say?" she managed at last. She really was at a loss... it was a lot to take in, and she couldn't quite put a label on what she was feeling right now.

"Anything. Tell me you forgive me. Or swear at me for bein' such a fuckin' manwhore. Hell, give me a minute to pull over and you can swear at me while you beat the shit outta me. Just... don't stop talkin' to me. Please?"

Elena stared out at the road. She didn't want to yell at him, or hit him, or even just be angry at him. But she wasn't sure she was quite ready to move past the whole thing, either. She just... didn't know what to say.

So for the time being, she said nothing.

* * *

Rude rolled his eyes behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses as he watched the rookie slip out the door on her way to the archives. Reno didn't even look up. He'd been quiet all day.

"What the hell'd you do _now_?" he finally asked once Elena had disappeared into the hallway.

"Fucked up," the redhead said, miserably.

"Hmph. Figured that much... but what'd you _do_?"

Reno shoved himself back from his desk, and scrubbed his face with both hands. "It more about _who_ I did..."

The bald Turk blinked in shock. "You cheated on her?" he asked, in disbelief.

The redhead suddenly looked up up him. "What?! No! Fuck, no... I'd never do that to 'Lena."

Rude shook his head. "Alright... back up and let's try this again. What the hell'd you do _now_?"

"Lira's pregnant. Couple months."

"... And it's yours?" he asked, following the train of thought to its logical conclusion.

"Don't know yet. Could be."

"I take it Elena's not exactly pleased..."

Reno groaned and let his head hit his desktop. "I can't even tell, man. I don't know if she's pissed at me, or disappointed, or just bidin' her time 'til she can get me alone and strangle me. She's hardly said a word to me since I told her. Thing is, she doesn't actually _seem_ like she's mad or anything... I just get kind of a blank look from her. Like she hasn't decided _how_ she feels yet."

"Maybe she hasn't."

"Yeah. Maybe... Or maybe she's just tryin' to figure out the least painful way to tell me this isn't what she signed up for," he mused. "Either way... I feel like I fucked up royally, even though I technically didn't do anything wrong." He sank down, resting his chin on one hand and staring blankly at the computer monitor on this desk.

"Might not be yours..."

"Yeah," he vaguely acknowledged.

"Might be getting yourself worked up over nothing."

"Yeah."

Rude rolled his eyes again. "Might have to drag you down to Ward and see if she's got something to perk you up."

"Yeah."

"You're not even listening anymore, are you?"

"Yeah."

"Tseng said you're on Scarlet's personal detail for the rest of the week."

"Yeah – Wait... What?!"

Rude smirked slightly. "Had to say _something_ to snap you out of it..."

"Not funny."

"... You gonna be alright?"

"You mean if she dumps my sorry ass?"

"In general," Rude replied. He already knew his friend wouldn't be alright if he lost Elena. That was a given. But the last thing the redhead needed was to get himself completely preoccupied with something that may simply turn out to be nothing at all. Distraction wasn't exactly conducive to staying alive in their line of work.

"I'll manage," he muttered, "Hey... You doin' anything tonight? I _was_ plannin' on goin' over to 'Lena's place again, but... I'm not so sure she wants me around right now. And her brother's already half-convinced I'm scum, so I don't think I should be pushin' my luck."

"... I... kind of have a date," he admitted. Reno looked up, suddenly more interested in conversation than he'd seemed all day.

"Oh, yeah?"

Rude hadn't been planning on telling anyone... not even Reno. But desperate times...

"It's kind of a _blind_ date."

"Who set ya up?" the redhead asked, eying him suspiciously, and the bald Turk had a feeling that he was going to regret the fact that he'd – somewhat drunkenly – mentioned that he'd signed up on a dating website for foodies during their last visit to the Phoenix Nest.

"..."

"... You _didn't_ ," Reno moaned. "Thought you said you only made that account for a laugh..."

"... She seemed nice in her profile," he shrugged. "I can always break it if you need some company."

Reno shook his head. "Nah... Don't do that. Wouldn't wanna ruin what may be your one shot at true love," the redhead replied with a sarcastic smirk, "I'll find somethin' to keep me busy."

"You sure?"

"Tch... yeah. I can entertain myself. Or I guess I could always see what Tseng's up to. 'Cause ya _know_ he doesn't have a date tonight..."

"Which reminds me," Rude cut in, "Tseng checked in while you were over in Sector 8 this morning. He'll be in Junon for another day or two."

"The fuck's Rufus got the boss doin'?" Reno asked, brow furrowing in thought.

Rude shrugged. "Didn't say."

"Looks like I'm on my own, then." He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. Rude sighed but before he could repeat his offer to skip out on meeting up with Diana36 that evening, his partner cut him off. "I already told ya to go ahead and go on your date. 'Least tonight won't suck for _one_ of us..."

* * *

It had been a long, awkward ride home. Elena had still been a little consumed by her own thoughts, and Reno hadn't made much of an effort to break in on them... though by the time they'd reached her apartment, she was starting to wish he had. She _wanted_ to talk to him. She just didn't know where to start, and that seemed to be making it impossible to start at all.

It wasn't until she was already out of the car that she realized that he didn't intend to accompany her up to her apartment.

With a resigned sigh, she trudged to the elevator and rode it up to the eighth floor. She'd call him later, after Del and Nana went to bed. She might still not have known was she was going to say, but she'd already learned her lesson about letting things, as Tseng had put it, fester too long. She wasn't going to make _that_ mistake a second time.

"Sweet pea, you look like you've had the longest day anyone's ever seen," Josephine commented as soon she walked through the door. The old woman trundled over to her, and wrapped an arm around her, hustling her over to the couch. "Why don't you come tell Nana all about it?" Elena smiled, and sat down beside her snuggling against her grandmother's side.

"Now then," she continued, "Where's that pretty little redhead of yours? I'm making him something special tonight to make up for the way Delion was treating him _last_ night."

"We had a... not a fight, exactly, but... something. He's not coming tonight..."

"Oh, Elena, honey... What happened?"

"When he went to see Lira last night, she told him something..." the rookie began, "And it _might_ affect me and Reno."

"What in the wide world did she say to him, dear?" Josephine prodded.

"That she's... She's pregnant. And Reno might be the father."

"I see..." her grandmother replied. "And he decided to turn himself in and come clean, rather than hope it's not his and risk you finding out about his little indiscretion nine months from now."

Elena shook her head in denial. "No! It's not like that, Nana. Reno... Reno wouldn't do that. He and Lira were together before there was anything going on between us. She was pregnant before we started seeing each other... she just didn't know it until the other day."

"Well... that does make things a bit complicated, now, doesn't it? Especially if the mother expects him to takeresponsibility. Does she?"

"I... I didn't ask..." Elena said, realization that she'd been focused on only one part of problem hitting her out of nowhere. She'd been worried about her own feelings. She'd hardly taken any time to consider Reno's, and _Lira's_ really hadn't entered into the equation at all.

"Is he planning to stay with her if the baby does turn out to be his?"

"I didn't ask that either..." Though she doubted it. Not unless Lira demanded it, anyway... and even then, she wasn't sure Reno would so easily leave her for his former lover. But she knew Reno well enough to know that he'd feel obligated to do everything he could for Lira and the baby.

Josephine smiled indulgently. "Then whatever were you two fighting about?"

"We weren't really fighting..." the rookie admitted, "We just... _I_ just... didn't know what he expected me to think. _I'm_ still not sure what I think."

"Elena, sweetheart... Do you want to know what I think is _really_ bothering you?"

Elena sighed softly and nodded.

" _I_ think that what's really got you upset is the idea that your Reno might suddenly have a connection with someone else. A very strong and important connection... and one that you're just _not_ ready for yet yourself, no matter how in love you two are," Josephine said sagely.

The rookie didn't answer right away. Her grandmother, as was her habit, seemed to have put into words exactly what she hadn't been able to grasp herself.

"You know, Elena... Poor Reno's probably half-terrified right now. Not just because of the baby, which is enough to reduce any man to a quivering mass, believe me... but he's likely worried about you, too. Especially if you took the news so badly..."

"... I know. I was planning on calling him later."

"I have a better idea," Josephine said, smiling warmly. "Why don't you go and get him? We'll have a nice dinner... and I will make damned sure that your brother leaves him be this time."

Elena returned the smile and sat up. "I think he'd like that." She glanced around her apartment, realizing for the first time since she'd walked in that she and her grandmother were alone. "Nana? Where _is_ Del, anyway?"

"I sent him out to pick up a few things for my special shortcake for dessert," she replied, and paused thoughtfully, "Though I really thought he'd have been back by now..."

* * *

Del stepped out of the elevator, walking swiftly towards his sister's apartment. Why Nana felt that creep deserved to be treated to shortcake tonight still eluded him. It was bad enough he'd have to sit through another dinner with him.

He sighed and reminded himself that he was supposed to be giving Reno a chance. And, he supposed, the redhead really wasn't such a bad guy, overall... He'd been willing to sacrifice himself for Nana not so long ago. He'd looked after El when their brother had died. And perhaps most importantly, he seemed to make his sister happy. Still... something about the idea of the man being more than _friendly_ toward her just rubbed him the wrong way.

He pushed open the door to Elena's apartment, a little surprised to hear voices from within, and internally groaned as he realized that it must have meant the pair were already back.

"We had a... not a fight, exactly, but... something. He's not coming tonight..."

Del paused in the doorway, silenced by his own shock.

"Oh, Elena, honey... What happened?" their grandmother asked.

"When he went to see Lira last night, she told him something... And it _might_ affect me and Reno."

"What in the wide world did she say to him, dear?"

Del was wondering that, too. Whatever it was, it must have been big if Elena was suddenly having second thoughts about her precious, perfect redhead.

"That she's... She's pregnant. And Reno might be the father."

"I see..." Nana replied. "And he decided to turn himself in and come clean, rather than hope it's not his and risk you finding out about his little indiscretion nine months from now."

Whatever else might have been said, Del didn't hear. He was already on his way back out the door, fists clenched tightly in anger. He _knew_ he'd been right about that slum rat.

* * *

Reno growled, annoyed, and chucked the controller across the couch in a huff. It bounced off a throw pillow and landed on the carpet with a soft thunk. He just wasn't in the mood for games tonight, and the fact that his avatar had just been reduced to a pile of ashes for the sixth time only served to drive that point home.

More than anything, he wanted to talk to Elena... but he was afraid that might just make things worse if she wasn't ready to talk to _him_ yet. He stood up and meandered towards the kitchen. He hadn't had dinner yet... though to be honest, his appetite was about as dead as his level 78 thief/assassin currently was. He really hadn't been hungry all day, and had skipped out on lunch entirely, not even making the attempt... On top of that, he'd done little more than pick at his dinner the night before, no matter how much Josephine had insisted he eat. The lack of food was starting to make him dizzy at this point, and he knew he should eat _something_ before it got any worse.

The redhead sighed and opened the fridge, grimacing at just how unappealing everything looked right now. Finally, he gave up and decided to order a pizza. Before he closed the door, though, he grabbed a beer. Reno briefly considered making himself something a little stronger, but just as quickly decided against it. Resilient as he was, hard liquor on an empty stomach tended to override his usual level of tolerance fairly quickly... and hard liquor on an empty stomach that had been empty for the better part of twenty four hours would likely just result in the mother of all hangovers in the morning, even if he _did_ finally get some food into him.

He cracked open the bottle and took a swig, before dialing his favorite place.

Reno was a little surprised when, hardly twenty minutes later, someone knocked on his door. They were always fast, but that had to be a new record, he mused as he answered it.

Unfortunately for him, his visitor wasn't his usual delivery girl. And between being distracted by his problems with Elena _and_ being at less than his best physically at the moment, unexpectedly having a fist slam into his head almost as soon he opened the door sent him to the floor. Hard.

"You bastard!" a voice growled at him as he was trying to right himself. The redhead suddenly found himself seized by the front of his shirt, and slammed against the ground a second time. He yelped loudly at the sharp pain the impact sent through his skull, and blinked, slightly dazed, up at his attacker as he tried to shield himself from the next blow. His eyes widened slightly as he realized who it was, and he only just managed to stop himself from reaching for his backup weapon, even as Del's fist nailed him in the stomach. Elena might eventually be willing to overlook the situation with Lira, but he didn't think she'd be especially forgiving if he put a bullet or two in her brother.

Though if he didn't do something soon, her brother looked more than angry enough to put a bullet or two in _him_. Given that, at the moment, Del definitely had the upper hand, Reno kind of hoped he wasn't armed...

"You stay the hell away from my sister!" the other man shouted, fist raised, and there was little the redhead could do to stop it from connecting with his face.

The next thing he knew was blackness.

* * *

Elena paused as she stepped off the elevator. She felt guilty. She'd been acting almost like Reno didn't even exist all day, and all because she was too self-involved to just sit down and talk to him. She supposed she had a good reason... the redhead had caught her by complete surprise with the news. Somehow, a part of her had just shut down. But that was no excuse for her treating him the way she had.

With a sigh, she started towards his apartment. The worst part was that he was probably afraid that this would end things between them. That she'd decided that he really _wasn't_ good enough for her. She was beginning to think he had things backwards. Just days ago, he'd called her 'perfect'.

Elena didn't feel especially perfect right now.

She stopped in front of his door and reached out to knock... surprised when it slowly swung open a crack at her touch.

"Reno?" she called out, cautiously. This didn't feel right, and her fingers instinctively curled around her gun as she pushed it open the rest of the way. The sight that greeted her left her chilled.

The redhead was flat on his back on the floor just inside the apartment. His nose was bleeding and so was his lower lip, and a deep blackish purple bruise encircled one eye, stretching down across his cheek.

"Reno?!" the rookie gasped. She hurried to check on him and, finding a pulse at least, turned her attention to the rest of the apartment. The rookie checked every room, making sure whoever had attacked him wasn't still lurking, before returning to his side. Reno moaned softly as she touched him, checking for injuries beyond what was immediately visible. There didn't seem to be anything life-threatening.

Her first instinct was to hunt down whoever had done this... though she successfully managed to repress that for the moment. Her second instinct was to call Dr. Ward. Before she could pull up the physician's number on her PHS, however, the redhead's eyes fluttered open.

"I'm noticin' a definite pattern here," Reno groaned upon seeing her, slowly pushing himself off the floor. One hand tentatively prodded his injured nose, causing him to wince. He pulled his hand away, looking at the sheen of blood on his fingertips. "Every time we fight about somethin', I end up gettin' my ass kicked by some psycho..."

"A-are you alright? What happened?" she asked, and helped him to his feet. Elena guided him over to a chair and sat him down, and then went to retrieve a wet cloth to clean up the blood. He flinched as she gently wiped his split lip. "Sorry..."

"Answered the door and got sucker-punched."

"What?!" Elena breathed.

"Thought it was the pizza girl. It wasn't. First punch laid me out flat, next one sent me to dreamland. What are you doin' here, anyway? I figured you'd be hangin' out with Nana and your brother."

"I came over to get you. Nana's making her famous shortcake for dessert tonight... just for you," She bit down lightly on her lower lip, for a moment as she finished cleaning him up. "I'm so sorry, Reno. The way I've been acting all day... that was just cruel. I just... I think I was kind of in shock."

"Yeah... I know the feeling." The redhead pinched his nostrils shut and leaned forward in an effort to stem the nosebleed.

"Hang on. I'll get you some ice..."

"Grab me some aspirin, too, will ya, 'Lena?"

The rookie hurried off to fetch the requested painkillers and the ice, returning moments later. Reno sighed as the cold pack was pressed against his bruised cheek. Once that was taken care of, Elena returned her attention to her phone.

"Who the fuck are you callin'?" he asked, vaguely confused.

"Dr. Ward... and then Rude, since Tseng is still in Junon," she stated matter-of-factly. Reno nimbly plucked the device out of her hand before she could dial.

"Tch... Don't waste their time."

"Reno! You were _attacked_... and you're hurt."

"Doubt he's comin' back to finish the job... and this isn't anywhere near serious enough to justify botherin' the Doc at home."

"How do you know he won't come back?"

The redhead hesitated a moment before answering. "Look... just trust me on this one, and drop it, 'kay? I had it comin'."

"Reno..." She looked at him oddly, wondering what he could have done that would have made him feel that a surprise beating was justified.

"More importantly... Are _we_ okay?" he asked, looking up at her, beseechingly. Elena leaned in and wrapped her arms around him.

The rookie pulled back a little and kissed him, carefully avoiding the cut on his lip. "Reno... you're mine, and I'm not giving you up. Anything else, we'll figure out." She felt him relax slightly in her arms.

"I ever tell ya how much I love it when you get all possessive like that?" the redhead asked with a soft laugh.

Elena blushed, and awkwardly stammered, "I... I didn't mean it like... like I think of you as something I own..."

Reno grinned and nuzzled her. "You can think of me however you want, 'Lena... I'm yours for as long as you're willing to keep me..."

"What if I want to keep you forever?" she asked, smiling.

"I hope you do. Nothing could make me happier."

The rookie snuck in one more teasing kiss, and stood up. "You're starting to sound like a romance novel again..."

"Yeah, well... fortunately, Rude thinks I'll eventually quit doin' that, so I'm not gonna worry about it for now," he smirked, "Unless it starts gettin' worse. And then I might have to take drastic measures, before I lose what little dignity I have left."

She laughed, and tugged him to his feet. "Are you up for dinner at my place, or not? Nana would _love_ to feed you... especially once she finds out about _this_... but she'll understand if you'd rather just take it easy tonight."

Reno shook his head. "I'm starved... kinda literally... but to be honest, I just want to lay down and wait for my face to stop throbbing."

"How about I head home and bring something back for the two of us? Nana and Del won't miss me for one night..."

"You don't have to... You barely get to see 'em. Don't worry about me. 'Sides... pizza oughta be here any minute, anyway."

Elena rolled her eyes. "For Shiva's sake, Reno... Pizza? Again?"

"I like pizza," he shrugged. He grimaced slightly as a wave of lightheadedness hit him without warning.

"Reno?" The concern in the rookie's voice didn't go unnoticed.

"Relax... I'm fine. Just haven't eaten all day is all." He settled himself on the couch he'd vacated not so long ago and closed his eyes, leaning his head back on the cushions, before peeking one eye open again. "Don't give me that look..."

Elena crossed her arms stubbornly, and frowned. "That's it. You stay right there, and don't move. I'm going home, bringing back dinner, and force-feeding you for the next two hours."

Reno's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Believe me, 'Lena... you put food in front of me right now, you're not gonna have to force anything..."

* * *

"Oh! Good... You're back. The roast is very nearly ready, and the cake is in the oven," Josephine said, amiably, as she bustled between the kitchen and Elena's dining room. As she saw the expression her granddaughter wore, however, she stopped. "Elena? Whatever's wrong? And where's Reno?"

"Someone... attacked him. A few minutes before I got there," the rookie began. Her grandmother gasped softly, and she hurried to add, "He's okay... just not really feeling up to a family dinner right now..."

"Well, of course he's not..." Josephine huffed, as Del walked into the room to see what was going on. "Who would hurt that sweet boy?"

Elena shook her head. "I'm pretty sure he knows who it was, but all he'd say was that he had it coming. Nana? Could you pack a few things up for him? He hasn't eaten all day... I think because he's been so worried about me being upset."

"Just give me ten more minutes on that roast..." she replied, hurrying back into the kitchen.

"So... he didn't say _anything_ about the guy that beat him up?" Del asked.

"No... but when I find out who it was, I'm going to do _twice_ the damage to _them_ ," she said, angrily, as she brushed past him and into her bedroom. She returned a few minutes later with a freshly loaded clip, which she slid neatly into her weapon, and a spare. "He doesn't think they'll come back... but I'm not taking any chances," she explained at her brother's questioning gaze.

"El..."

"It's bad enough I've been awful to him all day when he didn't even do anything to deserve it. He was supposed to have been _here_ tonight. If he had been, he'd have been fine," Elena continued, ignoring her brother and forcing down a quiet sob, "He thought I wouldn't want him here..."

"Uhh..."

"Oh... that's right, I forgot. You were running an errand for Nana when I got home earlier, weren't you?" she said, shaking her head. "I must sound like a complete lunatic right now..."

And Del was, indeed, looking at her, somewhat confused. She really couldn't blame him. Before Lira's kidnapping, she and Reno had been all but attached at the hip. Now she was going on about what a terrible person she was for treating him so badly.

"It's a long story," she sighed, "But the short version is that Lira's pregnant... and she and Reno... well, it was before there was ever _anything_ between _us_... and they _haven't_... I mean, not since Reno and _I_ have been together... but it's just, the timing. It _could_ still be his. And I freaked out a little when he told me." Her shoulders sagged slightly with guilt. "That's why he didn't come home with me tonight..."

"... El... There's something I should..."

"Elena?" Josephine interrupted, holding out what looked to be a small banquet packaged and ready to travel, "Here... Now you take that straight over to him and make sure he eats every bite." The rookie grunted softly as she hefted it, and wondered if the woman had somehow managed to fit the entire dinner for four into that little bundle. "I'm afraid the cake won't be quite ready for a bit."

She smiled and waved her off. "That's alright, Nana... Reno won't mind."

"Don't be ridiculous... Del and I will bring some over to the two of you just as soon as it's done," Josephine responded, dismissively, "Now you go on and feed my little redhead for me."

Elena suddenly found herself being shooed out of her own apartment. She cast Del a quick wave, and for a moment thought she spotted an odd expression on his face, but before she could give it too much thought, she was hustled out into the hallway by her grandmother.

* * *

"Mmph..."

"Come on..."

"Mmph."

"Pleeeease? Just one more?"

Reno rolled his eyes. Apparently vaguely negative-sounding grunts weren't going to cut it. He glared half-heartedly at Elena. The woman was gently prodding his firmly sealed lips with a forkful of meat. Not that it didn't smell delicious... and, he already knew, tasted even better than it smelled... but he'd already managed to down most of an extra large sausage and mushroom pizza, along with nearly everything Josephine had sent over. If he kept going, he was fairly certain he was going to find out whether or not it was possible for a person to eat themselves to death...

"For fuck's sake, 'Lena, I ca– Mmph!"

He'd underestimated her determination. The second Elena had seen an opening, the food had gone in. She grinned in triumph.

"Okay... Seriously, 'Lena... No more. I admit defeat. Nana fucking wins. I can't take any more..." he pleaded around his newly acquired mouthful of food. His girlfriend giggled, clearly amused. The redhead, meanwhile, gave a soft groan and leaned back against the pillow that was propping him up as he lay on the couch.

"You should have known better than to start in on that pizza when you knew I was coming back with all this," she laughed.

Reno groaned again and shook his head. "Not that I don't appreciate good cooking, but could you _please_ explain to her that I just _don't_ gain weight?"

"It won't matter."

"How the fuck are you not four hundred pounds by now?"

"I only see Nana once or twice a year," Elena responded, snickering and packing up the few leftovers.

"... 'kay... Now explain your brother," the redhead said, dryly. She leaned in and kissed him.

"I'm not even going to try..." she replied, smirking. "How's your head?"

"Headache's mostly gone... nose still hurts like a bitch, though," he grumbled softly, "Think it _might_ be broken... which I s'pose means you're gonna make me go see Ward first thing tomorrow..."

Elena frowned, lightly stroking his hair back from his face. The bruising around his eye had darkened considerably in the last hour or so, though the ice pack seemed to have at least kept most of the swelling at bay. "Are you going to tell me who did this?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because. I don't want you doin' something you're gonna regret just on my account," he said, smirking slightly, "Oh, sure, you're bein' extra nice to _me_... but do you really think I can't tell exactly how pissed off you are right now?"

The rookie stubbornly folded her arms across her chest. "So what makes you so sure I won't be pissed off at _you_ for not telling me so I can go pay them back..."

"Heh... I'll take the risk. Rather have ya mad about that than mad at me about Lira..."

Elena sighed and settled herself on the floor beside the couch, leaning her head against Reno's side. "I was never mad about that... I was just..." She blushed slightly and shook her head.

"Just what?" Reno asked, propping himself up slightly on his elbows.

"In a weird way, I think I'm kind of jealous," the rookie said, chuckling a little. "I mean... I don't know if kids are in _our_ future or not. And even if they are, it won't be for years still. It's weird thinking that you might be having one now... without me. I-I never even asked... What's Lira going to do if it _is_ yours?"

Reno shrugged, and laid back down. "Not really sure. I don't think she'll decide to get rid of it, if that's what you're askin'..."

"No. No... That's not... I just meant, what does she expect from _you_ if it turns out to be yours?"

"Nothin'."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" Elena asked, with a confused expression.

"Exactly that... She told me point blank I'm off the hook, even if it's mine. Can't really say I'd be okay with actually _doin'_ nothing, though. I mean... My kid, my responsibility. And besides... it's Lira. I can't just ignore shit with her. I owe her better than that... But Lira's not expectin' me to start a family with her." He suddenly laughed. "Far as that goes, I don't think she'd _let_ me... she's put too much effort into gettin' me and you together to fuck it up now."

Reno's fingers wrapped around her hand, coaxing her to join him on the couch. The rookie grinned and obeyed, stretching out on top of him and nestling her head against his chest as his arms encircled her.

"Think I'm finally startin' to believe you're not goin' anywhere..." he murmured against her hair.

"Good," Elena giggled, "Because constantly having to tell you that is a real pain in the ass."

Before he could come up with an even remotely witty retort, there was a knock at the door.

"Oh... that'll be Nana. She was going to bring over the rest of dinner when it was ready..."

Reno moaned in exaggerated misery. "Oh, dear Ifrit... no more food..." he whimpered.

"It's cake..." Elena said, teasingly. The redhead immediately perked up.

"Cake?" he echoed, "... I could maybe do cake..."

The rookie laughed and got to her feet, heading for the door. As expected, Josephine was outside, a pan of shortcake balanced on one hand, and a bowl of fresh berries cradled in the other. Del stood, somewhat awkwardly, beside her with a second bowl, this one filled with whipped cream.

"Well? Where is he?" Josephine asked, as Elena relieved her of her burden. She didn't have time to answer... Her grandmother almost immediately zeroed in on the couch's sole occupant. "Oh... you poor thing... Just look at you."

Elena snickered, watching as Reno, with a slightly panicked expression on his face, was poked and prodded and examined until Josephine was satisfied that he was still in one piece, before finally being cuddled into submission.

"This might be too much attention even for _Reno_ ," she said, as she ushered Del inside.

"El... I need to tell you –" her brother began, only to be interrupted once again by his grandmother.

"Delion... You come over here and sit with Reno while your sister and I see to that cake."

He sighed and passed his bowl over to Elena. "Fine..."

As the pair of women headed for the kitchenette, he awkwardly took a seat near the redhead.

"I... might have over-reacted a little..." Del said after a few moments of tense silence between the two of them, keeping his voice low.

"Ya think?" Reno responded, just as quietly.

"I'm... sorry, okay? I only got part of the story. I was just so ticked off at the thought of someone doing that to El that I..."

"Save it. I'da done the same thing."

"So... are you going to tell her or should I?"

Reno shook his head. "Keep your mouth shut. I'm not tellin' her and neither are you."

"What? Why not?" Del asked, looking up at him in shock.

"'Cause she's _way_ beyond pissed at the person who came after me. Right now, she thinks it was just some random lowlife with a grudge. But for the record... I'm only givin' you a pass on this 'cause knowin' it was you would cut her pretty deep, and I don't want that. Fuck with me again, I'm not gonna be quite so forgiving."

"Got it," Del replied. He gave a short, somewhat mirthless laugh, "I'm big enough to admit that I screwed up. Pretty epically, this time. I was just trying to protect her, you know..."

"Yeah, I _do_ know. That's why you're not in worse shape than _I_ am right now. Anyone else would've become intimately acquainted with my backup weapon," the redhead said, smirking.

"Who wants cake?" Josephine suddenly called from the kitchenette, and the conversation ceased as both men's attention was redirected to Elena and her grandmother, who were carrying out plates of shortcake heaped with berries and whipped cream.

* * *

"... Seriously?"

Reno shrugged as he meandered into the office, taking a seat and propping his feet up on his desk. Rude glanced over at Elena... who had beaten Reno into the office by fifteen minutes. And, he mused, judging by his partner's face, it was quite possible she had simply beaten him, as well... though the rookie didn't seem especially upset this morning. He wondered if Reno's lateness was just the redhead's usual laziness or if Elena had insisted on him paying a visit to the medical suite. The band across the bridge of his nose seemed to back up the latter theory.

"What'd you do now?" he sighed. It was becoming an increasingly common inquiry. The redhead shot him a glare.

"Would ya quit automatically assumin' that it's _always_ something I've done? Can't a guy just get his ass kicked for no particular reason once in awhile?"

"What'd he do now?" Rude asked, turning to Elena instead. Reno casually flipped him off from across the room, and the bald Turk smirked.

"He won't tell _me_ , either. Someone decided to pay him a visit last night and leave him looking like that."

"It's nothin' anyone's gotta worry about. I ticked someone off, got what was comin' to me, and now it's over. End of story."

"The other guy get it worse, at least?"

Reno shrugged again. "Depends on how ya look at it. Anyway... what's on the agenda for today? Anything interesting?"

"Subtle," Rude dryly commented at his partner's attempt to change the subject. "But no, not really. Got an interrogation to deal with later... you want it?"

"Nah... I took the last one. Boss's turn. Speakin' of which... you seen him yet?"

Rude shook his head.

"Fuck, man... is Rufus plannin' on movin' him to Junon permanently?"

"I'm sure the idea has crossed his mind once or twice, but no. What in Leviathan's name have you done now, Reno?"

The redhead let out a surprised yelp and tried to sit up, very nearly tilting his chair backwards far enough to spill himself out of it. He only just managed to recover in time, before turning to face his superior with a glare.

"One... Did you get even _quieter_ while you were gone? And two, why is it _always_ somethin' _I've_ done? For all _you_ know maybe 'Lena accidentally elbowed me during a practice session..."

"Did she?" Tseng asked, a faint smile on his lips.

"... Uh... no," he sheepishly admitted, "I kinda got punched out by a guy after work. But that's not the point!"

"Oh?" the Turk leader chuckled, "And just what _is_ the point?"

"Umm..." He was pretty sure he'd had one when this all started. Whatever it had been, it was gone now. Reno huffed and leaned back in his chair again, "Ah, fuck it anyway. You finally gonna tell us what Rufus had you doin' in Junon, or what?"

Tseng smiled slightly and glanced over at the rookie. "Ah... good. You weren't able to weasel that information out of Elena, then."

To be honest, so much had been going on over the last couple of days, Reno had entirely forgotten that she had been the one who'd dropped Tseng off in Junon to begin with. He hadn't even _tried_ to coax her into telling him... an oversight he was now kicking himself for.

"I suppose you'll want to see the finished product?" the Wutaiian Turk asked her, teasingly ignoring the others.

"Yes, sir!" Elena replied, grinning widely as he gestured towards the door behind him and escorted her out. Reno scrambled to his feet, as did Rude a moment later.

"H-hey! Wait for us!" the redhead shouted.

The four of them stepped into the elevator and Tseng pressed the button for the parking deck.

"Road trip?" Reno queried, curious. The Turk leader smiled knowingly.

"Not exactly..."

The redhead's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "The fuck are you so happy about?"

Tseng didn't answer, as the elevator chose that very moment to arrive at their destination. He stepped out, leading them towards the Turks' reserved spaces.

Rude's truck was the first thing that caught Reno's eye. It was hard _not_ to notice that monstrosity... the damned thing was huge. His own blue convertible was parked beside it, and the space on the opposite side was empty, Elena having carpooled with him again this morning. He had fully expected the fourth space to be empty as well...

"Holy shit..."

"Impressive, isn't it?" Tseng replied.

"Can I drive it?" Reno asked.

"No."

Rude and Elena broke into quiet snickering at the response, which earned them both a glare from the redhead.

"But I _will_ show you what it can do..." the Turk leader added.

"Shotgun," Rude cut in before Reno could lay claim to the front seat.

"Fuck _that_!" The redhead darted towards the sleek black car, but Rude caught him before he could really take off, lifting the smaller man bodily off the ground and setting him down beside Elena before hurrying to acquire his preferred seat. Reno blinked in surprise at having been manhandled out of his prize. It took him a moment to recover. Tseng shook his head, laughing.

"Sometimes I truly wonder if I'm supervising Turks or small children..." he sighed, making his way around to the driver's side. Elena giggled and tugged Reno towards the back. Once everyone had settled in, Tseng started the engine.

"So how'd you talk Rufus into buildin' you a new car?" Reno asked as they pulled out of the space.

"I didn't. Elena did."

Both Reno and Rude turned to stare at the rookie, looking impressed. Elena blushed slightly.

"I... I didn't really talk him into anything..." she stammered, "I just sort of... happened to mention what happened to the old one. I wasn't even trying to _imply_ anything."

"... Next time ya run into Rufus, maybe offhandedly mention that I could really use a new beach house in Costa del Sol, huh?" Reno joked. He grinned and wrapped an arm around Elena as the car pulled into traffic. "Ya know... We've never made out in the back seat of a car before. And this is an awfully nice back seat..."

Tseng suddenly floored it as they hit the freeway, pressing both Turks in the back firmly into their seats for a moment. "Keep your hands to yourself and put your seatbelt on, Reno," the Turk leader firmly interjected.

* * *

By Friday, things were largely back to normal. Tseng was happily commuting in his new car – which Reno continued to hint at wanting to test drive, and the Turk leader continued to refuse to let him anywhere near unsupervised – and Elena was, once again, happily commuting with Reno while her house guests used her own car.

Even though the thought hadn't even occurred to her right off the bat, knowing that Lira wasn't planning to take Reno from her if he turned out to be the father of her child made Elena feel considerably better about the entire situation. She wouldn't have gone as far as to say that she was thrilled by any of it... but it seemed slightly less daunting now. Reno, meanwhile, was just happy to be back in the rookie's good graces... though he seemed to be making a point of not bring up the subject of Lira's baby if it was at all possible to avoid it.

Tonight, though, he was going to find that difficult, Elena thought to herself, as the pair walked through the doors of Midgar General. Lira wasn't being released just yet... but Ward had promised it would be soon. Possibly sometime next week... though she would still be expected to rest and take it easy for awhile.

"So... uh... 'Lena, I've been thinkin'..." Reno began, as they waited for the elevator, and Elena couldn't help but notice that he sounded slightly nervous, "Lira's gettin' outta here pretty soon..."

"Right..."

"And she's gonna need a place to stay... and someone close by to look after her..."

"Well... yeah..."

"So I guess what I'm askin' is... How weird would it be for you if she maybe... moved into your place for awhile? I mean, just 'til she's a little more mobile and can handle bein' on her own full time. I'd let her come stay with me, but I don't have an extra room, and you do..." he said, somewhat breathlessly, before quickly adding, "And don't feel like you _have_ to say yes. I haven't mentioned the idea to Lira or anything. I just wanna get this shit figured out before they let her out of this place..."

Elena had to try very hard not to giggle at his pleading expression. "Nana and Del are still here for another week, you know..." she pointed out, "But once they head home... I guess it would be alright if Lira stayed for awhile."

Reno sighed in relief, and stepped into the elevator car when it arrived. "You're really okay with it?"

"I'm okay with it," Elena replied, "You're all Lira has up here on the Plate, and I know you'll drive yourself _completely_ crazy if you're worried about her all the time. Besides... I like Lira."

"Have I told you lately how awesome you are?" the redhead asked, grinning.

"No," she laughed, "You haven't."

Reno's arms wrapped around her and he pulled her tight against him. "You're awesome, 'Lena." He kissed her deeply. Neither of them noticed the elevator doors opening until someone outside loudly cleared their throat. Elena squeaked in surprised and pushed away from her lover, whipping around to find the source of the interruption.

"Have yeh come ta check in on yer friend, or do yeh just have a thing for elevators now?"

"Heh... Hey, Doc. How's Lira?" Reno asked, nonchalantly, stepping into the hallway. Elena trailed behind him, somewhat red-faced. She was _definitely_ going to have to start encouraging him to be a little more discrete.

"Yeh can ask her yerself," Ward replied, "She wide awake, and I think a little desperate for visitors after her mako therapy earlier..."

"How's that going?" Elena piped up. Technically, it wasn't yet available to the general public, as it was still classified as experimental by the Biologics department, and there _was_ some danger of mako poisoning that went along with it. Being a Shinra employee, though, she'd experienced it once herself, after she'd broken her leg on the Great Glacier, and she was pretty sure Reno was _extremely_ familiar with it. It really hadmade a huge difference in how quickly she'd healed. Ward had pulled some strings as a favor to Reno, and gotten Lira approved as a candidate. They started down the hall towards Lira's room.

"Amazing technology, that," Ward replied, "It's going ta cut her recovery time down significantly... though we're only doing half the normal intensity because of the baby. Still has a quite a ways ta go, of course, but I think we'll have her up on crutches... for short periods, at least... in another few days. Poor thing probably would've been in traction for weeks otherwise."

"So... speakin' of the baby..." Reno hinted.

"Hmph... I already told yeh. No paternity testing until I'm convinced yer friend _and_ her little one can tolerate the procedure," the doctor said sternly, before cracking a smile, "Fortunately for yeh, it just so happens I _am_ convinced of that. I've already drawn what I need from her. I just need a little somethin' from yeh ta compare it to." They stopped in front of Lira's door and Dr. Ward waved Elena inside. "Yeh go and sit with the mother ta be for a bit..." She turned to Reno. " _Yeh_ can come with _me_ and we'll see if yer going ta be a father or not." She placed a hand firmly between the redhead's shoulder blades and guided him down the hall.

"... There aren't gonna be any... ya know... needles involved... right?" Elena heard him ask, as Ward escorted him away. She didn't hear the reply.

The rookie pushed open the door and stepped into the room.

"Oh, thank Shiva..." Lira sighed as she entered. "I thought for sure it was another nurse comin' to poke me some more. I swear to Ifrit, I don't get _this_ much attention even at the Honeybee... It never ends!"

Elena snickered softly. "Is it really that bad?"

"Ugh... Yes. Can't get a moment's peace and quiet around here. There's always someone wantin' to check my blood pressure, or make sure I've been fed, or give me more medicine... and then there's the physical therapists and the counselors and the surgical consultations and one that's lookin' out just for the baby... and Dr. Ward is in and out all the time, too, of course. No wonder Reno complains about this place so much. Good intentions and all, but these people'll drive ya nuts!"

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before sinking back against the stack of pillows she was propped up against.

"Speakin' of Reno..."

"Dr. Ward kidnapped him almost as soon as we got here," Elena said, grinning slightly, "She said she needed a sample for the paternity test."

Lira giggled. "You know... she didn't actually tell me what they need from the _guy_. Wonder if it's somethin' he'll _enjoy_?"

"I-I don't think they need _that_..." Elena stammered, blushing faintly, and Lira laughed shaking her head slightly.

"Ya know... If it weren't for the fact that I _know_ it would've driven him mad no knowin', I wouldn't have even bothered."

"You wouldn't?" Elena asked, surprised, "You mean... you don't care?"

Lira shrugged. "Honestly? No... not really. I always knew it'd probably happen eventually, and that I probably wouldn't have the faintest idea who was responsible. Just the nature of my profession. I mean, I've actually been ridiculously lucky about that sorta thing. S'pecially given how long I've been workin' the Market. Some of the girls at the Honeybee... they haven't been there _nearly_ as long as me and they've been knocked up two, three times already. Somehow, this is a first for me."

"I don't think I could handle not knowing..."

"Elena, honey... There's a world of difference between you 'n me," she snickered. "You don't _have_ to be okay with somethin' like that to get by in life. Just like I... thankfully... don't have to be okay with killin' someone in my line of work. Different experiences make you capable of livin' with different things."

"But you wouldn't even wonder?" Elena prodded.

"Sure, I'll probably wonder a little, but it doesn't really matter. _Except_ for Reno, no one I've been sleepin' with would want any part of it. And don't get me wrong... I could definitely do so much worse than Reno, and in a way, I'd really love for it to be his. But the odds of that are so slim... like I said, I wouldn't have even bothered askin' for the test if I hadn't known he'd do the math and figure out he might be the one. It's more for him than for me. He's a little like you... He wouldn't be able to handle not knowin', either."

"You sound pretty convinced he's not the father..." the rookie noted, and Lira smiled.

"He's just _barely_ in the running... and besides that, I just kinda... know. I don't know how I know... but I do. This isn't Reno's baby," she replied. She grinned widely and added, "But if he's interested in maybe bein' an uncle..."

"You clearly have never seen the results of Reno babysitting..." Elena replied, thinking back to the times she'd briefly met Kel's little girl while she was under the redhead's care. One of those incidents had ultimately required a hacksaw...

Lira opened her mouth to question her on the subject, looking extraordinarily interested in hearing all about it... only to have the conversation interrupted as the door opened a second time, the very person they'd been discussing joining them at last.

"Took you long enough. Was it that much fun?" Lira commented, winking at Elena. The rookie groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah... I'm not even gonna ask," Reno stated, glancing from one woman to the other.

"What did Dr. Ward say?"

Reno shook his head. "Won't know anything for a couple of days. She said she'd contact me soon as she had the results. You tell her yet?"

"Tell me what?" Lira asked, curious.

"Heh... Guess not. I know you were kinda worried about where you were gonna stay once they kick ya outta here..."

Lira smirked. "No... _You_ were worried about that," she teased.

" _Annnyway_... You're stayin' with me for a few days 'til 'Lena's family heads home, and then we're movin' ya into her guest room 'til you can manage on your own."

"Oh... Elena, that's so sweet of you," Lira said, smiling widely. "But you know... I have a _much_ better idea..."

Reno blinked, not having expected her to turn him down. "What idea... ?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Well... The two of you only live a few blocks apart. And Dr. Ward says I'll be at least semi-mobile by the time I leave the hospital. Enough to get around an apartment on my own, anyway..."

"Right..." the redhead prodded, not quite sure where this was going.

"So _I_ think that I should move into your place... and _you_ should move in with Elena."

"W-wait... what?" Reno sputtered, and Elena giggled at his somewhat taken aback reaction.

"That's... actually not a terrible idea. We'd _still_ be nearby if Lira needed anything, and you wouldn't have to worry about moving her twice... Plus, she'd have a lot more privacy than she would if she were stuck with a roommate..."

"You... want me to move in with you?" he asked, a little disbelievingly.

"Well... It would only have to be for a little while," Elena said quickly, "You could always go back to your place once Lira's feeling better, if you don't want to stay..."

"Heh... or if _you_ can't stand havin' me around constantly..."

"It's settled then," Lira declared, "I'll take Reno's apartment, and you two lovebirds can take the next step in your relationship."

The redhead narrowed his eyes at her, accusingly. "Exactly how long you been plannin' this?"

"Plannin' what?" the woman asked, innocently. Reno sighed and turned to Elena.

"Ya know... if Lira has _her_ way, at this rate, we're gonna be gettin' married by the time she's has that kid..."

~fin~


	42. Settling In

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 42:** **Settling In**

 **by Desha**

"So... You're sure about this? We can still go back to the original plan, ya know. I don't mind sleepin' on the couch 'til we can move Lira into your guest room."

The redhead was watching somewhat uncertainly as Elena folded and packed and labeled. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Why shit needed to be _labeled_ when they'd just be _un_ packing it again shortly, he still didn't understand. For that matter, he wasn't quite sure why she was being so ridiculously neat about it, either. He'd just been planning on stuffing things into a box or three and hauling it over to her place. All this packing material seemed a little unnecessary. Sure, he was moving in with her... but this was _still_ going to be his apartment. It wasn't as if he had to empty the place out and put the stuff he didn't need in storage or anything.

Elena looked up from her packing. "You're not having second thoughts already, are you?" she snickered.

Hell yes, he was having second thoughts. And third thoughts. Maybe even fourth thoughts, at this point.

"No... Why? Are you?" he asked, praying that hadn't sounded _quite_ so much like he was hoping she was as he thought it had.

It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to move in with the rookie. It was just that... what if it turned out that it just didn't work? It was one thing for him to spend the night on a regular basis... and admittedly, that had become a more and _more_ regular occurrence, of late... but living together was a whole other beast. _And_ he'd been rather unexpectedly roped into it, without any time to actually process the idea. The more he thought about it, the more idiotic it seemed.

He knew damn well he wasn't exactly the neatest person on the planet. Elena, meanwhile, organized her socks by color and had a fucking system for how food was arranged in her fridge. He liked his music loud and with plenty of bass. She listened Jason Ladue and his ilk at a 'reasonable' volume... if any volume besides 'mute' could be considered reasonable for that crap. He lived for his video games, and when he played online he had a tendency to trash talk... loudly and with plenty of profanity directed at other the players' parentage. Elena liked to read quietly for hours.

This was going to be a disaster. He'd be driving her up the wall within a week, he just knew it.

"Of course I am," the rookie answered him, laughing softly at the surprised expression that crossed his face at the sudden admission. She finished the box she was working on and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. "It's a little scary. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't give it a try..." Her hand slipped around to the back of his neck, massaging gently, and the redhead found himself relaxing almost entirely against his will. Elena giggled. "I swear you're part cat..."

This time, Reno _did_ roll his eyes. "Yeah, well... don't expect me to start purrin'. Ya know, we don't have to do this _now_... while Nana and Del are here, I mean. Four people stayin' at your place is gonna get a little cramped, don'tcha think? We could put things off 'til they head home..."

"There's _plenty_ of room. And Nana will be thrilled having you there."

"Don't think Del will be quite so 'thrilled'..." he muttered. Reno had said nothing to Elena about her brother briefly using him as a punching bag a few days back, and he never planned to. But even though Del had admitted that he'd been in the wrong, the redhead still got the distinct impression that he wasn't completely on board with him dating his sister. And he doubted moving in with her was going to win him any points on that front...

"Del needs to get over it already," Elena stated, firmly. "Now... what else needs to be packed?"

"... Um..." He glanced around his bedroom. They'd taken care of just about everything he'd need at this point. Reno picked up El from the bed and tucked the little stuffed bunny into the duffle bag that contained a few things he hadn't wanted to just toss into a box. "Nothin' else in here, I don't think..."

He was really going through with this...

"Okay... living room?"

Reno shook his head. "Already got my games and the movies you don't already have packed up. No sense taking much of anything else out there. We'll just end up havin' two of everything."

"I guess it'd be the same story in the kitchen, too..." the rookie said, frowning thoughtfully as she went through a mental checklist. Reno smirked.

"Oh, no... we got a ton of shit to pack in the kitchen still."

Elena blinked, and he could literally see her trying to sort out what the hell he was talking about. He grinned and led her out of the bedroom and into his little kitchenette. To be fair, for the most part, she was right. There wasn't much of anything in his kitchen that hers wasn't already equipped with. In fact, most of her cooking supplies were of significantly better quality than his sheerly due to the fact that, unlike himself, _she_ actually cooked more than one or two meals a week.

There _was_ something in the kitchen that he wasn't willing to abandon, however...

"Oh. My. God." Elena stared in shock as he opened several of the top cabinets. "Reno... how much liquor do you _have_?!"

The redhead laughed, and was quickly nearly in tears. "Fuck, 'Lena... this whole thing was worth it just for that expression," he managed at last. "You like my little collection?"

" _Little_?" she breathed. "Where did all this come from?"

It _was_ a little daunting at first glance, he had to admit. Particularly when you saw it all crammed into those cabinets. And it _did_ kind of make him look like a closet alcoholic. He grinned, wiping his eyes.

"Been collectin' it for years. This isn't the cheap shit I typically drink. It's the good stuff. All high-end, a lot of it aged... some of it's older than _me_. I mostly just get it out on special occasions," Reno explained, "Like the Christmas party or someone's birthday. Or sometimes just when Rude n' me are really in the mood for somethin' better quality than what they serve at the Phoenix Nest..."

"I don't remember there being _that much_ at Christmas..."

"Didn't have all of it out at Christmas," he replied, endlessly amused by her look of borderline dismay.

"Reno... you could open a bar with all that. I mean _legitimately_ open a bar."

"Aw, now you're just exaggeratin'..." he teased her.

"Not by much."

The redhead reached up and brought down a couple of bottles, setting them carefully on the counter. "I used to _be_ a bartender, remember?" He shrugged. "I like to stay in practice. It's a hobby." 

"Where am I going to put it all?" Elena murmured vaguely, more to herself than to Reno.

He decided to take pity on her. "Relax. I wasn't really gonna bring it _all_ with me right this second. Just some of my favorites... Lira can look after the rest of it for me 'til we figure what to do with it." A slightly twisted smirk spread over his face. "Unless you want to have one hell of a party tonight..."

* * *

By mid-afternoon, the pair had transferred most of the boxes over to Elena's apartment, where they sat – some neatly stacked, others haphazardly shoved more or less out of the way – waiting to be unpacked.

"How much more junk is he bringing over here?"

Elena glared at her brother. "Would you just stop?"

"The guy's practically taking over your apartment, El!" Del grumbled as he nudged one of the boxes with his foot.

"He's _moving in_. What? Did you think he was just going to show up with a suitcase or two?"

"Why's he moving in all of a sudden anyway? Thought you Turks basically had the run of the town. Can't he find his... _friend_... her own place?"

"There's not a lot available in the neighborhood right now, and she's supposed to take it easy after she's released from the hospital. Reno wants to be close enough to be able to help her out if she needs him." When Del opened his mouth to comment on that, Elena quickly added, "And so do _I_. Lira's _my_ friend, too, you know. Seriously, Del... when did you get to be so judgmental?"

"Oh, for Odin's sake... are you two at it again?" Josephine snapped at the siblings as she poked her head out from the kitchen. "I _thought_ we'd settled all this..."

"I just want to see El treated right, Nana..." Del responded.

"Reno _does_ treat me right... and you'd see that if you'd just give him half a chance."

"El, he's just so..."

"That's quite enough. Delion, you stop it right now. I've tried to let you two sort this out between yourselves, but it's getting ridiculous. Now... that boy practically worships the ground your sister walks on... and if you're too stubborn to see that, poor Elena's never going to find anyone who lives up to your idea of 'good enough for her', because that sort of man simply doesn't exist."

" _Please_ , Del... I know you mean well, but you're _not_ doing me any favors here," Elena joined in, "In fact, if you keep at it, you're going to end up _un_ doing all the hard work I've put into convincing him that he doesn't have to be perfect for me."

Her brother sighed, scowling slightly. "I just wish you'd... I don't know... keep your options open, instead of settling."

"Settling?" Elena repeated, darkly. Her eyes narrowed. "Delion Alexander Brewer, you have no right to tell me what to do with my life, and _no_ right to judge someone you barely even know. You don't know half of what we've been through together. You have no idea what he's put himself through for my sake, or how many times I've hurt him, or how incredibly giving he is and how little he asks in return... All you see is a former slum rat who hangs around with prostitutes in his spare time, and I'm sick of you constantly looking down on him!"

By the time she'd finished, Elena had her brother backed up squarely against the wall, staring at her in wide-eyed disbelief... and she could understand why he'd be more than a little shocked. She had never exactly been _meek_ as a child, but she'd never liked confrontation, either... Del had _always_ been the one to stand up for her any time she was slighted or mistreated. He'd filled that role until the day he'd left for Veraheim when he was seventeen. Since then, he simply hadn't been around to be the same massive part of her life he was when they were little... He hadn't watched her change and grow into the person she was now.

And much of that growth, she noted snarkily to herself, was courtesy of Reno. He'd made her stronger... more assertive... more willing to demand that she be treated with respect. He'd protected her, much as Del always had, but had shied away from sheltering her from _everything_ as her brother tended to do.

Del slowly raised his hands in surrender.

"Uh... 'Lena... maybethis really _wasn't_ such a great idea..." a somewhat hesitant voice interrupted from across the room, and Elena turned to see the redhead framed in the doorway, carrying the last of the boxes from his apartment. She couldn't quite place the expression on his face at first... until he added, "Look... I already told ya I'd ride out the week on my couch 'til we can move Lira over here instead. If it's just gonna end up startin' a fight with your family, I can have all my shit outta here in ten minutes..." She very quickly realized it was regret.

Josephine huffed, and took the box from him. "Now don't you go lumping _me_ in with Del's ridiculous attitude," she said firmly, and marched purposefully off towards Elena's bedroom. "Let's go and get you unpacked." Reno looked uncertainly between the old woman's retreating figure, and his – decidedly still irate – girlfriend, before finally picking up his bag and hefting a second box, and following her.

"Don't pay Del any mind," Josephine said, warmly, as she shut the door behind them. "I think Elena's finally set him straight. You've been good for her. I can't remember ever having seen her so sure of herself." She turned back to the box she'd set on the bed and opened it, slowly lifting its contents out. As it happened, the first item in that particular box was the quilt she'd made him for Christmas. She smiled. "Let's see now... Elena's already got hers here on the bed. Where to put yours..."

She carefully draped it over a plush chair in the corner... one of Elena's favorite reading spots... before returning to the task at hand. "I hope you liked it... I could tell the first time I met you that you'd adopted my Elena as your own. I wanted you to know that you were welcome to think of me the same way. One can never have too many grandchildren, after all."

"It's one of the nicest things anyone's ever given me..."

"Only _one_ of the nicest?" she asked, teasingly, and Reno relaxed a little.

"'Lena's Christmas present was pretty nice, too..."

"Oh, it _was_ , was it?" she asked, with a knowing smirk, "Should I even ask, or would knowing be too much for an old lady's delicate senses to handle..."

"Heh... Somethin' tells me you're not _that_ delicate, Nana..." the redhead replied with a soft chuckle. "We weren't seein' each other yet at Christmas, though."

"Well... Things _still_ tend to happen around the holidays. Someone adds a little extra rum to the eggnog, and before you know it..."

Reno stared at her, speechless. He'd known Josephine could have a slightly raunchy sense of humor at times, but that had caught him a little off guard.

"Oh now, don't give me that look. I'll have you know, I've been around a time or two. And I have to admit... I had a little bit of a taste for that extra rum myself back in the day. Where do you think Elena's father came from?"

The redhead finally laughed at that, shaking his head slightly. He _loved_ this woman. "Nana... I have really gotta introduce you to Lira before you leave. I get the feelin' you n' her would get along _real_ well..."

"I look forward to it," Josephine grinned and patted his cheek. "There now... There's that sweet smile of yours."

They spent the next few minutes unpacking in silence, before Josephine spoke up again. "Well, now you've got me curious. What _did_ my dear granddaughter give you?"

"Uh..." the redhead stammered, a faint heat rising to his face. He should have known she would ask... With a somewhat resigned sigh, he unzipped the duffle bag he'd carried in, and found El. Josephine gently took it from him, turning it over in her hands, her fingers running carefully along the stitches as she examined it.

"What a sweet little bunny..." she said, smiling widely.

"I... used to have another one," Reno explained, hesitantly, "Had it since I was a kid. It was the last birthday present my mom ever gave me. It... uh... had a little accident... so 'Lena made me a new one."

The old woman chuckled and set El on the bed, propped up against the pillows. "Given how much effort obviously went into this, I'd wager my granddaughter had a hand in said accident."

"Safe bet to make..." he snickered. "I think that's when I first started to realize just how much she meant to me. I was beyond pissed at first... but after the initial shock wore off, I think I was actually more upset that _she_ was so upset about ruinin' something so special to me."

Josephine gently cupped Reno's chin with one hand, forcing him to look at her. "And that right there is why I don't doubt for an instant that you and Elena will be happy together. Don't you pay any attention to that nonsense that grandson of mine keeps spouting. He just hasn't quite gotten around to realizing that his baby sister is all grown up."

"I wish you'd been around when I was a kid..." Reno said softly. He wasn't even sure where it had come from, much less why he'd suddenly felt the need to say it out loud. But he meant it. Growing up with someone like Josephine... someone who would tell him that everything would be alright, and really mean it... would have made such a difference in his life.

"Oh, Reno, sweetie..." she sighed, pulling him into an embrace. Her hands lightly rubbed circles along his back. "So do I." She held him a moment more before finally pushing him back and holding him at arms length. "Now, you listen to me... As far as I'm concerned, you're every bit one of my babies as Elena and Delion are. Don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Yes, Nana..." he managed to say, though his throat felt oddly thick at the moment. Josephine hugged him tight again, the fingers on one hand tenderly carding his hair.

The door behind him creaked open, and he briefly panicked, feeling much too vulnerable and raw to deal with Del again, whether Elena had succeeded in putting him in his place or not.

"Is everything alright?" Elena asked. She stepped into the room, and set down another box.

"Everything is perfectly fine," her grandmother replied, at last releasing the redhead. "Reno and I were just having a nice little discussion about what an ass your brother is being."

"Good. I was having the same discussion with _him_."

"... How'd that go?" Reno asked in a cautious tone. Elena grinned.

"I think he _finally_ gets it. But just in case, I told him to go take a nice long walk while we finish unpacking and think about just how big a jerk he is."

Josephine shook her head. "Well, thank Shiva for small miracles. Why don't you two finish up in here, and _I'll_ go get started on lunch?"

She slipped out of the room, leaving the pair on their own.

"Is everything _really_ alright? You look a little upset..." Elena asked, eying the redhead suspiciously.

"Nah, I'm not. Nana just... made me feel wanted," he said with a small smile, "Never had a grandmother before. I think I kinda like it."

* * *

"So he's really gonna do it, huh?"

Rude dunked a crust of bread into the thick potato soup. Really, it was a little on the warm side tonight for soup, but he'd been in the mood for it for some reason... and Elena certainly wasn't complaining.

"Technically, he already has," the rookie replied, "We moved all of his stuff to my place yesterday."

An eyebrow rose sharply behind dark glasses. " _All_ of it? Even his collection?"

Elena giggled and mirrored his own actions with her bread. "We moved _most_ of his stuff to my place yesterday..." she corrected herself. Rude snorted in laughter.

"I'm surprised you could get him to leave it behind. He's pretty proud of it."

"Well... we didn't leave _all_ of it there," she admitted. "We still ended up taking more than any sane person would ever be able to drink..."

"Hmph... Word of advice. If you're ever feeling thirsty, make sure you ask before you help yourself. Some of those have some sentimental value to him."

The rookie glanced up, intrigued. "Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"Hmm... Well, for one, Rufus gave him a bottle of whiskey years ago that as far as I know he still hasn't opened. Said he's saving it for a special occasion... not sure what exactly. And there's a few others." Rude said, nodding.

"Rufus gave him a bottle of whiskey?" Elena asked, somewhat incredulously, "Are you sure it's not poisoned?"

The other Turk laughed. "He really _does_ kind of like Reno, you know. To a point, anyway... though I'm still not convinced Reno won't push him too far one of these days."

"But why whiskey?"

Rude shrugged. "He knew he'd like it. Just like he knew I'd like the watch he gave me and Tseng would like the car and you'd like the book."

"How'd you know about that?" she asked, surprised. Rude simply looked at her, and she immediately rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. "Reno told you. Of course..."

"He was too proud of you to keep it to himself for long. Little bit of a right of passage. Rufus is hard to impress. You actually managed it a lot faster than Reno did. Or me, for that matter." He smirked slightly. "But don't let it go to your head. Anyway... How'd you manage to talk him into moving in? A week ago, he was half-convinced you were either going to dump him or murder him over Lira."

Elena sipped at her wine before answering. "It was _Lira's_ idea, really." She snickered softly at the memory. "Well... to be honest, she kind of just told him he was doing it. And when I didn't object, Reno just... went along with it."

"Kinda surprised. You've only officially been an item for a couple of months. Never took you for someone who liked to move so fast."

"I'm not... but Reno's different. I mean, I _know_ it was a little sudden, and the timing's weird with my family staying right now, and there's still _so_ much we're going to have to figure out about living together without driving each other nuts... but it's strange. I'm not really worried about any of that. I'm just glad he said yes."

"What's your family think?"

"Nana's ecstatic... But then, _she's_ been absolutely in love with him from the moment she first laid eyes on him. Del's... still warming up to the idea."

At least he'd stopped being so openly hostile toward the redhead after their little talk yesterday. He'd even grudgingly agreed to join Reno for a few rounds of Tides of War as she was on her way out for her Shadow & Sword date with Rude... hopefully any violence between the two men would remain in the digital world.

"Which reminds me... You're invited to dinner Wednesday night. Nana says she didn't have nearly enough time to get to know you and Tseng the last time she was here... and that she still has a thing or two to teach you about place settings?" Elena relayed, not entirely certain what her grandmother had been referring to with that last bit... Rude however, chuckled.

"Want me to bring anything?"

"Just yourself. Trust me... Nana will have plenty of food."

* * *

Reno groaned at the sound of the alarm and rolled over, effectively pinning the rookie underneath his body as he swatted ineffectively at the clock that sat, just inches out of his reach, blaring painfully in his ear. Elena playfully poked him in the side.

"I keep it so far away for a reason, you know. It's so I have to actually get _up_ to shut it off."

"Masochist."

He dragged himself off of her, feet eventually finding the floor as he untangled himself from the sheets. One hand rubbed at bleary eyes while the other hit the snooze button... with significantly more force than was strictly necessary. Reno yawned and turned back to the bed, fully intending to crawl back into it's invitingly warm depths for a few more minutes.

"Oh, no you don't..." Elena, who was already following him out of bed, chided. "Now that you're up, you're staying up."

"'Lena..." the redhead whined, "Gimme a break... it's five thirty AM. We got an hour and a half before we gotta be anywhere."

"I know! I really should have set it earlier!" she replied, her tone far too chipper for his present state of wakefulness. Reno glared at her, and she laughed quietly. "I know, I know... you're not a morning person. But Nana and Del are only going to be in town another week, and I want us to spend as much time as we can with them."

He stretched, hoping that encouraging a little blood flow might help shake the desire to go back to sleep. "You wakin' _them_ up at this ungodly hour, too, then?" he asked, sharply tilting his head until his neck gave a satisfying crack. Elena snickered.

"Oh, please... Nana's probably already making breakfast. Now put some clothes on. As much as _I_ enjoy the view, I don't think you're going to make a good impression on Del looking like _that_."

He raised an eyebrow and teasingly glanced down at himself before meeting her eyes again. "You sayin' I'm not that impressive?"

Elena rolled her eyes and threw a pair of sweatpants at him. Reno smirked and slid into them before slipping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, capturing her. He pulled her, possessively, against his body and nuzzled her shoulder. "Ya know... you _really_ oughta give sleepin' nude a chance yourself, 'Lena. Only time I ever get to wake up to the vision of beauty that is your naked body is when you're too tired to get dressed after you've finished havin' your way with me..." he teased, "Doesn't seem quite fair..."

Truthfully, while he certainly would have enjoyed it, it was probably for the best that she didn't share his penchant for freedom under the covers at the moment. The presence of her houseguests had effectively put a moratorium on anything more intimate than cuddling, and there was only so much temptation he was capable of resisting.

She spun in his embrace to face him, letting her hands caress his shoulders. "So now I'm a vision of beauty, huh?" she giggled.

"Eh... Only when you're naked," he grinned back.

"Pervert." She kissed him and pulled away, heading for the living room. With a sigh, Reno followed. So much for sleeping in... but, he mused as she opened the door and the scent of something sweet hit him, at least there was breakfast.

Nana's cooking _almost_ made up for having to be awake this early.

* * *

"Good morning, sir! Good morning, Rude!" a voice greeted the pair of Turks as the door swung inward.

Tseng looked up and chuckled softly at the sight of the rookie all but bouncing into the office, her redheaded mentor sluggishly dragging himself in behind her.

"Good morning, Elena... Reno? No coffee yet?" the Turk leader observed. The younger man grunted and collapsed onto the couch by the window.

"I'm already on my third cup. Little Miss Sunshine here decided sleep is for losers and got me up at the asscrack of dawn for family time."

"Well, I hope you're planning on drinking a bit more soon. You're going to need it," Tseng replied with a knowing smile. He calmly took a sip of his own tea before continuing. "I'd like to begin materia training with Elena this week. If you have no objections, that is..."

"Tch... Why would _I_ object?" the redhead said, at last managing a grin. "Means _I_ finally get some time off from training..."

Tseng's smile spread. He'd suspected that his protege would assume that... after all, Reno wasn't overly competent when it came to using materia. Oh, he could defend against it well enough, and his EMR actually ran on a materia-based power source... but he'd never been especially adept at using materia itself offensively.

Which made him a truly _terrible_ instructor when it came to introducing others to the techniques. Reno was usually among the best they had when it came to teaching the finer points of the Turks' repertoire of skills... but materia-assisted combat had always been the exception.

"Oh, no... I'm still going to need you," the Wutaiian replied. Very few who had come under his command during his tenure as head of the Turks had ever favored materia. There had been a handful individuals who had been skilled in such fighting styles before that... one senior Turk, years ago when he'd still been a rookie himself, had used it almost exclusively, in fact, and Veld had been fairly adept with healing spells... but by and large, those qualifying for their ranks overwhelmingly tended to prefer the more traditional firearms, blades, or melee weapons. Or, as in Rude's case, pure brute force. Materia was largely the domain of Soldier... their mako-enhanced abilities having the side effect of giving them better control and more casting stamina.

"W-what? What do ya need _me_ for?"

Rude snickered loudly behind him, before he could answer. "She's gonna need a target."

Reno groaned and let his head thump against the wall behind the couch. "Ah, come on, boss. You promised..."

"I only promised that _I_ would stop using you for target practice," Tseng pointed out. Not that he much cared for materia, either, but he _did_ like to be well-rounded. One of Reno's least favorite duties as a rookie had been to assist him during materia practice. He'd finally released him from that bit of servitude when the redhead had been promoted to senior status, with the promise that he wouldn't force it on him any longer. "And besides... this is for Elena, after all."

Reno glared at him. "... No fuckin' fire spells."

"Er... sir?" Elena interjected, curiously, "Why can't Reno just teach me himself?"

The Turk leader chuckled. "Because..."

"Because I suck at it, that's why. Always have, and no amount of training has ever changed that," his lieutenant groused, cutting him off. He quickly turned his gaze on his partner. "And don't _you_ say a goddamn word. You're not exactly an expert, yourself."

"Hmph... Never had any desire to be. But at least _I've_ never managed to cast Lighting on myself," Rude said, with a noticeable smirk, "Remind me... Howmany times have you done that?"

"... Shut it, Rude..." he muttered in reply, crossing his arms over his chest, and the rookie giggled. "Fine. When's my mandated pain and suffering start?"

"Right after my meeting with Heidegger," Tseng replied, glancing up at the clock, "Which begins in five minutes. Go and get your coffee, and then take Elena to the Soldier training arena. I've reserved it for the morning... I don't think our usual practice space will stand up well to a first time materia user. Get her equipped, and run through the basics with her, and I'll meet you when I'm done."

Reno heaved a sigh and stood up. "Come on, 'Lena. Let's go get ready to torture me..."

Tseng laughed silently to himself as he watched the pair of them go. Over-dramatic as he could be, he was pretty sure the redhead was actually quite looking forward to seeing what his rookie could do once she got her hands on some materia. While those skills may have been a rare failure for _him_ , he cared a great deal about seeing his protege succeed... even when she thoroughly showed him up, as she tended to do quite frequently on the firing range. He shook his head and leaned back against Elena's desk, taking his time in finishing off his tea.

"You know... I was a little surprised to see them coming in together this morning. I was under the impression that Reno preferred to stay away from Elena on Sunday nights," he casually noted, "Something about her returning from your little weekly viewing party more obsessed with that show of yours than usual..."

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Rude asked, just as casually, carefully repressing the grin that was slowly creeping over his face.

"Mmm? Heard what?"

The bald Turk waited a brief moment as the Wutaiian Turk took another sip.

"He moved in with her over the weekend."

Tseng choked violently on the steaming liquid, spending the next several seconds sputtering and coughing in surprise. When he finally recovered, he shot Rude a look of contempt.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked.

"No... but it was too perfect a setup to resist."

"It was _not_ amusing."

"Was from where I'm sitting."

* * *

Elena's eyes roamed the practice space. It was huge, encompassing nearly half of the entire floor. And, she noted, it was heavily reinforced... Built to take a beating.

"This is nothin'," Reno said, breaking in on her thoughts as he strolled, unhurriedly, towards her, returning from wherever he'd disappeared to several minutes ago. A small chest was tucked under one arm, which explained his absence. Apparently he'd gone to retrieve a few things for her lesson. He set it down on the floor. "You should see the rooms for Soldier's advanced training sims. Immersive VR... feels totally real. We have pretty limited access to 'em, though. Tseng's gotta request time months in advance. Mostly just cause the current director's an asshole and doesn't really like us much. The previous one was a lot more accommodating."

"What's he got against the Turks?"

"She... and... uh... Yeah. That's kinda _my_ fault, actually."

Elena groaned. "Don't tell me. You slept with her."

"Tch... no," the redhead replied defensively, as he fastened an armlet around her left wrist. "I didn't fuckin' sleep with her. Always had a rule against goin' to bed with people above my pay grade. That was a headache I just didn't need."

The rookie ran a finger along the smooth metal, and around one of the open slots that was clearly made to hold a materia sphere. It was tight, and a little uncomfortable. She glanced back up at Reno, waiting for him to continue.

"... I slept with her daughter," he finally admitted. "But in my defense, I didn't know they were related at the time."

"Guess she's a little overprotective..."

"Uh... not really, no. But it was the night before her daughter was s'posed to be gettin' married. Last fling kinda deal. Only she forgot to mention that to _me_. Little bit of a shock when her fiance walked in on us. Bigger shock when he pulled a gun and started takin' shots at me... Lucky for me, he had shit aim."

"You're kidding... right?"

Reno grinned. "Heh... In this case, I kinda wish I were. I'm not exactly proud of the fact that I ended up bein' the reason the wedding got called off. Wouldn't've gone home with her if I'd known. And bein' arrested wasn't exactly a picnic, either..."

The rookie laughed. "He tried to shoot you and then he called the police?"

"Ya think I stuck around after the shooting started?" he asked, incredulous, "Hell, no! I was out the window and climbin' down from third floor of the building before the fucker had time to reload."

"So... wait. Why'd you get arrested, then?"

"'Cause I don't generally fuck with my clothes on, and I didn't stop to grab 'em on the way out. Got picked up about four blocks away and hauled off to a jail cell for public indecency. _That_ was an interesting phone call... I think Rude was actually a little impressed by the sheer level of stupidity I managed to attain," he replied, snickering. "So... ya know the basic idea behind materia, right?"

She had a general grasp of the concept. Materia was essentially just highly concentrated mako energy, but in a very stable, crystalline form... not like what the reactors collected. Which was the reason that, as far as she was aware, no one had ever gotten mako poisoning from materia. Using it was supposedly just a simple matter of concentration.

But at the moment, she really wasn't very interested in all that.

"Don't try and change the subject on me," she laughed, prodding him in the chest. "How'd her mother find out it was _you_?"

"Easy... Left my wallet and my employee ID in my pants. Guess her daughter called her up cryin' over bein' dumped and told her the whole sordid tale. The director brought all my shit in the next morning and dropped it all right on Veld's desk. Told him point blank that the Turks were on her shit list from there on out," the redhead shrugged, "Fuck, 'Lena... I swear... when she walked in holdin' my clothes, I was dead certain one of us wasn't gonna be leavin' the office alive. And I didn't much like my odds of bein' the last man standing. Hell, I wasn't _real_ sure of 'em even after she left. Veld looked like he was gonna break me in half, and Tseng didn't look any happier. And Rude, of course, was laughin' his goddamn ass off out in the hallway the whole time, the bastard." Reno sighed and shook his head. "Do me a favor and don't ever tell that story to your brother, huh?"

Elena snorted in laughter. "No... _definitely_ not," she agreed. Reno took hold of her wrist, gently adjusting the armlet, before letting his fingers twine with hers.

"Ya know... I'm glad shit like that makes ya laugh," he said, smiling faintly. "A lot of women would just be kinda disgusted with me." He kissed the back of her hand before straightening up and turning to the little chest at their feet. " _Anyway_... Before Tseng shows up and I accidentally remind _him_ of that particular incident..."

He drew two iridescent spheres out. They glowed a soft, pale green.

"What kind of materia are they?" she asked, somewhat fascinated by the lazily swirling lights inside the spheres.

"You tell me." The redhead held one of them out to her, and she took it, cupping it in her hand. It was tiny compared to the few she'd seen before... the size of a large marble. She'd never realized that materia spheres could be so compact. "These are extremely low level materia we use for training..." Reno added, apparently noting her confusion, "That's why they're so small. As they're used, they gradually get bigger until they're about the size of your palm. Hone 'em enough and a new sphere'll eventually split off and you can start the whole process over again. Takes a hell of a lot of work, though. So? What is it?"

Elena frowned and stared at it. The surface was perfectly smooth, with no identification, and no particularly distinguishing features that might give away its type. The color told her that it was magic-class... but there were dozens of different types that fell into that category. It could be anything from healing materia to something far more destructive.

"Don't just look at it. Concentrate on it."

She tried to do so... but the more she concentrated, the less sure she was.

"Try closin' your eyes," Reno advised. Elena cast him a skeptical glance, but did as he said. For the first few moments, nothing happened. But the more she focused, the more she realized something. Her fingers were getting cold. Not just cold... freezing. Like...

"Ice..." she said at last, opening her eyes again, and looking up at the redhead. Her gaze flickered back to the sphere. As soon as she'd stopped thinking about it, her hand felt perfectly normal again.

"Weird, huh?" Reno snickered. He took the materia sphere from her and replaced it with the second one. "What's this?"

She hardly even had to think about it this time. A tiny, but unmistakeable, jolt of electricity shot through her fingertips moments after she touched it.

"Lightning?"

"Heh... Probably shouldn't be surprised that you'd pick up on this shit quick. Yep, that's lightning materia. Only kind I ever had any success with, actually. Not _much_ success, mind you, but at least I can get it to do _something_. Usually just shocks the everliving fuck outta me, though, so it's not exactly what you might call useful... Better than nothin' I guess."

"You really can't use materia?" Elena asked, and Reno shook his head.

"Nope. Don't seem to have an affinity for it. Apparently, some people just don't. No one really knows why," he said, shrugging indifferently, "I mean... I can tell ya what type it is. Usually. Sometimes I can manage a really weak as fuck spell that might make an opponent _laugh_ themselves into submission... but I've never been able to do much more than that. 'Cept when it comes to lightning spells for some reason. But I can't fuckin' control 'em for shit, so I usually just end up half-electrocuting myself."

"And that's why Tseng's teaching me this..."

"And why _I'm_ the fuckin' target," Reno said, groaning audibly. The rookie frowned. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of using her boyfriend as a target. Especially given that she really had absolutely no idea what she was doing. "Relax... You're not gonna be aimin' at me just _yet_ ," he chuckled, "We'll start you off with stationary targets... Once ya can hit those, we'll try moving targets. And then, if you still haven't burned the place down or anything, I'll consider lettin' ya try your luck with me."

"But... what if I actually _do_ hit you?" she asked nervously. There was a reason the Turks held off materia training until a rookie had some experience under their belt. It could be dangerous if misused. Hell, it could be dangerous even if used properly. The redhead smirked.

"Yeah, well... that's why Rude's lendin' me this for awhile." He pushed his sleeve back slightly to reveal an armlet of his own. It wasn't like the plain, unadorned one he'd given her... this one was a coil, starting out silver before gradually changing to gold and finally a deep coppery shade. The entire length was patterned in overlapping scales. Also unlike hers, it had no slots to insert a materia sphere.

"What is it?"

"Zeidrich."

"Excuse me?" she said, not sure she'd understood him.

"Heh... Family heirloom. Apparently someone named it somewhere along the line. Rude doesn't know what the fuck it means, either... but it's damned effective at nullifying elemental spells and a few other things. Whatever you do... don't mention it around anyone in R&D. Scarlet loves shit like this, and things have a habit of goin' missing, if ya catch my drift. And Rude... well, he's not usually the sentimental type, but he'd be pretty upset if it wound up in one of her labs bein' reverse engineered."

Reno rolled his sleeve back down, covering the armlet again. He took the lightning materia from her and tucked it back into the chest. The ice materia he slipped into one of her armlet's slots, snapping it into place.

"Um... So, how do I... ?"

"Trust me, 'Lena... I'm not the person to ask," he laughed, before glancing over his shoulder. "Fortunately, _I'm_ not who you're gonna have to rely on here..."

Elena followed his gaze, and spotted Tseng heading towards them.

"You've picked something to start with?" he asked as he approached.

"Startin' her out on ice." Tseng cocked an eyebrow questioningly, and Reno rolled his eyes. "What? I don't especially enjoy bein' shocked, and fuck if I'm gonna let you turn a beginner loose on me with fire... even _with_ Rude's armlet protectin' me. Worst case scenario with ice materia is I end up with a little frostbite."

Tseng chuckled and waved him off dismissively. "Point taken. Well, then... Let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

By the end of the day, Elena could hardly keep her eyes open. She'd been exhausted after training all morning. At lunch, Reno very nearly had to feed her... though she had to admit, getting some food in her had helped. At least enough to get her through the afternoon. Now, though, she felt dead on her feet.

"Is this normal?" she asked, shaking her head to try and clear it.

"What? Feelin' like you're gonna drop at any second?" the redhead asked. He took a seat on the corner of her desk.

"Yeah... that."

"Yep," he said, simply.

"It can take some time to acclimate to materia use," Tseng added, "And also... we _may_ have gotten a little carried away this morning."

"Tch... Figures she'd be so much of a fuckin' natural she wouldn't want to stop..."

Elena bit back a yawn. It _had_ come pretty easily to her, once she understood what it was she was doing. So much so that she shot down Reno's requests to take a break. He had had ultimately ordered an end to practice over both her objections _and_ Tseng's, and then hustled her off to the cafeteria for lunch. In the end, she was glad he'd done so... by the time they got there, she was starting to feel shaky and tired. Tseng had even tried to send her home at one point, but once she'd eaten, she had managed to convince him that she could make it through the rest of the day.

Tseng smiled slightly. "Indeed. I'm curious to see how her stamina improves. We haven't had a materia specialist in the Turks in quite some time."

Reno... or maybe it was Rude... said something in response, but the rookie didn't quite catch it. The backs of her eyelids seemed far more interesting at the moment. A hand suddenly shook her lightly, forcing her back to reality.

"Hey, boss? Think 'Lena's about had it. Ya mind if we knock off a little early so I can take her home?"

"Go ahead," the Turk leader nodded.

"Heh... Come on, 'Lena," the redhead said, gently prodding her to her feet, "Time for bed."

The rookie managed a half-wave to the rest of the team and let Reno escort her out of the office. The last thing she was aware of was stepping into the elevator.

* * *

Reno pulled the seatbelt across Elena's body and shut the passenger side door as quietly as he could. She hadn't even made it to the parking deck. They were barely in the elevator before she'd gone limp in his grasp, out cold. He'd carried her the rest of the way.

He couldn't help but be a little annoyed with Tseng... He'd let the woman keep going long after they should have quit for the day. It was only her first lesson for fuck's sake... no matter how easily she seemed to be picking up the technique, materia use was draining at her skill level. A person needed to build up to lengthy training sessions, not go for it all at once. Even _he_ knew that, and he didn't even use the stuff. Tseng had been just a little too impressed with her natural ability. Reno had finally been forced to intervene himself and demand a break...

The Turk leader hadn't seemed especially pleased when he'd done so... though once they'd hit the cafeteria, and it became clear just how exhausted the rookie really was, he was far more contrite.

Reno circled around to the driver's side of his car, and moved to climb in... only to be interrupted by his PHS. He answered it on the second ring.

"Reno, here."

"It's Dr. Ward. I have some news for yeh, if yer interested."

He blinked in surprise... He'd damn near forgotten. Which, given how anxious he'd been just a few days ago was a little hard to believe.

"Good news or bad news?" he asked, a vague sense of dread creeping up on him.

"Well, I suppose that depends on how yeh look at it, now doesn't it?"

"Doc... Do _not_ fuck with me right now," he shot back, irritated.

"Language," Ward cautioned.

"Ah, for fuck's sake, Doc... quit bitchin' about my swearin' for once and just tell me already! You're killin' me, here..."

"Alright, alright... calm down, yeh silly thing," the doctor chided, and he could hear the laughter in her voice. "Yeh can relax. Yer _not_ going ta be a father quite yet."

Reno sagged against the side of his car in relief. Granted, Elena seemed to have come to terms with the possibility, so he supposed it wouldn't have been the _worst_ thing in the world... but it still would have been damned awkward. He was glad that weight was off his shoulders... Now he could focus on more important things.

"Oh, thank fuck..." he breathed. "How's Lira?"

"She's doing just fine. In fact, if yeh've got a place for her ta go, I'm more than willing ta discharge her. The poor girl's nowhere _near_ as bad as _you_ are, but I think she's getting a little tired of all the attention, and what she really needs is a little peace and quiet so she can rest properly."

"Uh... yeah. I got a place for her," he replied, glancing at Elena asleep in the car. He'd take her home first. Nana and Del would be there to look after her while he dealt with getting Lira settled in... which was far more comforting a thought that he'd expected it to be. Elena would be perfectly fine on her own, but that didn't mean he wanted her _left_ alone. "I gotta take care of one thing first, and then I'll be there to get her..."

"We'll be waiting," Ward said, and the call ended. Reno tucked his phone back into his jacket and climbed into the car.

* * *

Reno couldn't help but snicker a little as Elena nestled her head against the side of he neck, murmuring something about 'Lysander'. He was pretty sure that was one of the characters on Shadow & Sword he'd heard her mention before. He'd known she was obsessed... but he'd never realized she actually _dreamt_ about the show.

He cradled her, leaning against the side of the elevator as it rose. The rookie really _was_ dead to the world right now. She'd hardly stirred the entire ride home... not even when some asshole had cut him off and he'd instinctively laid on the horn without thinking.

The elevator dropped them off on the eighth floor and he headed for Elena'a apartment. His apartment. _Their_ apartment. Damn it, that was going to take some getting used to.

It was a little bizarre... and he hoped that it wouldn't be too much longer before he stopped feeling so much like a guest that was unapologetically invading the rookie's space. Part of the problem, he mused, was probably that, aside from the bare necessities, he hadn't really made an much of an effort to unpack yet. The apartment was still far more Elena than it was him. Every time he thought about it, though, he found himself making one excuse or another to put it off.

Most of those excuses tended to center around her brother. Reno had to admit, Del _did_ seem to be trying to like him... probably more for his sister's sake than for Reno's, but he'd take what he could get. But their truce felt tenuous to the redhead, and he was hesitant to do anything to rock the boat too much. Elena had already come to his defense twice now... and he was pretty sure she'd continue to do so. Reno didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself if he ended up driving a wedge between the two siblings... so he'd defaulted to keeping as low a profile around Del as he could manage. Which, frankly, wasn't the easiest thing to do when both Elena _and_ Josephine seemed hellbent on including him in damn near everything.

He shifted his grip on his girlfriend and somehow managed to unlock the door without jostling her too much, carrying her inside.

"Reno?" Josephine queried, poking her head out of the bedroom, "Oh, my... Elena..."

Del, too, was on his feet moments after he'd realized they were there, and heading towards them.

"What happened?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry... She's fine. Just worn out," Reno quickly assured them both. "Had a hard day of training..."

"Sweet Shiva... Don't scare me like that. You'll give a poor old lady a heart attack." He repressed the urge to grin. He'd _seen_ Josephine in a tough situation before... the woman didn't scare that easily. He headed for Elena's bedroom, and she followed him, hurrying to draw back the covers so he could set his charge down. Reno tugged her jacket off, along with her sidearm and holster, before tucking the covers around her. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, which drew a sleepy smile from the slumbering rookie.

"She's probably gonna sleep for awhile, but try 'n wake her up in an hour or so, and see if you can get her to eat somethin', will ya? Always seems to help _me_ recover faster."

"Where are _you_ going?" Del asked, in a noticeably accusatory tone. Reno hadn't realized _he'd_ followed him as well.

"Midgar General... to get Lira."

"So your just going to leave El here, and run off to – "

"Delion, you look after your sister. Reno, I'll go with you. I'm sure you could use an extra pair of hands getting your friend settled into her new home."

"Nana! What about El?"

Josephine shushed him and motioned him out of the room, joining him moments later. Reno followed, closing the door softly behind him.

"For Odin's sake, Delion. Keep your voice down and let the poor girl sleep," Josephine quietly chastised him.

"But..."

"Now then... Reno and I will be back later. Dinner is in the oven, and the timer is set. All you have to do it take it out."

"But, Nana..."

Josephine shot him a look that immediately shut him up. "Elena is perfectly alright. What she needs is to be left alone. Now... you do as Reno asked and wake her in a bit. See if you can't get some of that nice roast into her, and then put her straight back to bed."

Reno watched the exchange in silence, and could swear he could pinpoint the exact moment Del decided to surrender. He was beginning to see that Josephine was a bit of a force of nature. Arguing with her was almost as pointless as arguing with Lira. In the end, she was going to get her way, and she knew it.

He'd been seconds away from trying to dissuade her from accompanying him... Now he didn't bother. He been in that sort of argument more than enough times to know there was little use. It was pretty clear that she'd already decided she was coming... which was why he instead chose to simply back off and wait for her by the door.

* * *

"Well? Tell me a little about this Lira..." Josephine said as they pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. Reno flashed her a small grin.

"She was my first real friend. Heh... She was a couple other firsts, too, actually... but... that's the important one."

"It sounds like the two of you have been close for quite a time. Something like that, I'd have put my money on you ending up with her instead of Elena."

He shook his head. "Wasn't gonna happen. Me 'n Lira..." he began, before pausing to collect his thoughts. "It's complicated. Maybe could've ended up together _eventually_ if it weren't for... ya know... life 'n shit... but that's not the hand we got dealt."

"Oh?"

"Lira understands me a little _too_ well," Reno tried to explain, "And that means there are things about me that I think she kinda wishes she didn't know. She understands a lot better than most people what bein' a Turk involves... and it bothers her. I think that's _really_ why things never got to be any kind of romantic between us. She didn't want to find out more than she already knew and I didn't want to drag her into all that shit, anyway. Fuck, the one time I did, I ended up almost gettin' her killed..."

He took the exit for Sector 3 and headed for Midgar General.

"What about before you were a Turk?"

Reno shrugged. "I got recruited when I was just a kid, so there really wasn't much time between when I met Lira and when I became a Turk. 'Sides... I was more concerned about what I was gonna eat tomorrow than a findin' a girlfriend back then. And Lira... far as I know, she's never _wanted_ a serious relationship. With anyone. Think her parents kinda fucked that whole idea up for her... and goin' to work over in Wall Market probably didn't exactly help, either. I got to thinkin' along the same lines for awhile, actually. Didn't see a need for anything like that. And then 'Lena came along."

"From what I hear tell, your Lira had a hand in making sure things started happening between you two," the old woman chuckled.

"No... Lira made damn _sure_ it happened. You ever been in bed with someone, in the middle of havin' a _very_ nice evening... and they're tellin' you that you need to hurry up and get together with someone else?"

Josephine laughed and shook her head. "No, sweetie, I honestly can't say I ever have. But that sounds like it must have been quite the experience..."

"That's the worst part, actually," Reno replied, smirking, "I wasn't surprised by it at all. That's just the way she is, and has been since I first met her. She wants to say somethin', she's gonna say it, and you're gonna listen... or there will be dire consequences..."

"Strong-willed girl..."

"Yeah, well... she's had to be. Only way to survive in the slums."

"You're glad that she's leaving that life behind, aren't you? I can tell..."

They turned into the hospital's parking deck, and Reno set about hunting down a space that wouldn't leave them hiking back once they retrieved Lira.

"You have no idea," he replied, "I worry about her, Nana. She really doesn't have anyone 'cept me. Think her dad might still be alive over in Sector 2, but... even if he is, she'll never speak to him again. Not after all the shit he did to her as a kid. I'm the closest thing she's got to family, and I can't be down in the slums lookin' out for her all the time. Knowin' she's not going back... That's a huge relief for me."

He finally pulled into a space and parked the car.

"Well, then... let's go and get her, shall we?"

* * *

"Took you long enough. For Shiva's sake, Reno... can't you ever be on time for anything?" Lira greeted him with a playful grin the moment he peeked around the door. "I was startin' to think I was gonna be stuck here another night." She pushed herself upright a little in bed. "Where's Elena?"

The redhead laughed. "Long day... I sent her off to bed, and recruited someone else to help me break ya outta here." Reno pushed the door open the rest of the way and strolled in, Josephine close on his heels.

"Oh!" Lira said, surprised, "Um... Hi, there."

"Hello, yourself, sweet pea. I've heard a lot about you." She smiled warmly and joined Reno at the side of the other woman's bed.

"Lira, meet Josephine. 'Lena's grandmother."

"And yours, too... whether you like it or not, so you'd best get used to introducing me as such," she chided him with feigned irritation.

"Yes, Nana," he replied, somewhat embarrassed. Lira giggled.

"Aw... You made him blush..."

He shot her a half-hearted glare, and quickly changed the subject. "So... What do I gotta do to take ya home with me?"

"Yeh have ta go through _me_ ," a familiar voice responded behind him, and the redhead turned at the sound. Dr. Ward stood, framed by the doorway, a faint smile on her otherwise stern face. Her gaze moved past him and fell squarely on Josephine. "I don't believe we've met... Justinia Ward. Shinra's resident head of Medical, and _that_ little troublemaker's personal physician. Mostly because no one else is willing ta put up with him."

"Geez, Doc... Ya make me sound like fuckin' nightmare."

"Yeh _are_ at times, and yeh know it," she said, fondly, "... and watch yer mouth."

Josephine chuckled softly. "Josephine Brewer. It's a pleasure, doctor."

"Brewer? Yeh must be related ta Elena, then..."

"Oh, yes... She's my granddaughter. Unfortunately, it seems she's thoroughly worn herself out today... so I thought I'd come in her place and see if I could be of any help."

Ward raised an eyebrow at turned to the redhead. "Worn out, eh? And just what have yeh had the girl doing that's driven her to exhaustion?"

Reno raised his hand in surrender. "Wasn't me, Doc. Tseng's fault, all the way. 'Lena's startin' to train with materia, and the boss had her in the practice room most of the mornin'."

"Hmm..." Ward narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeh tell Tseng I'll be having a word with him about that first thing tomorrow. In the meantime... let's see ta getting Miss Versailles here home, shall we?"

Reno had to stop for a moment to remind himself that she was talking about Lira. He couldn't recall ever having heard anyone address her as such... Lira never used her family name. For anything. In fact, he'd known her almost a year before she'd even bothered telling him what it was... and he didn't think it had ever come up again. She was always just 'Lira' to pretty much everyone. He smirked slightly.

"Heh... Sure, Doc. What do I have to do to getcha to let ' _Miss Versailles_ ' outta your clutches?" he asked, winking at the woman in bed. Lira rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up. They needed my full name for the medical records."

The redhead grinned, reaching for the chart at the end of her bed. "Oh, yeah?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare..."

"Who's gonna stop me?" he teased. He'd always been a little curious. Lira had only ever told him that she hated her full name... with a burning passion. Never what it actually _was_. He wasn't sure _anyone_ knew it...

She huffed, annoyed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. Jerk."

He knew her well enough to recognize that she was only putting on an act. If she really hadn't wanted him to look, she would have forbidden it. And probably thrown something at him. Reno's eyes scanned over the top of the chart, and he clapped a hand over his mouth, in a desperate attempt not to laugh. It didn't work.

"... Lorelei Liralee Versailles?" he managed, snickering loudly. "Fuck, Lira... no _wonder_ ya never told me..."

A pillow suddenly smacked into his head. "I swear to Ifrit, Reno... you start callin' me that, the next thing I hit ya with won't be a pillow," she said, firmly.

* * *

"El?"

"Mmph..."

Elena rolled away from the irritating voice that kept disturbing her peace and quiet, burying her face in a pillow. Someone shook her.

"El... Come on. Wake up."

"Go 'way..." she muttered, her voice muffled. She heard a sigh, and suddenly someone was pulling her upright. She groaned, forcing her eyes open, at last.

"Del?" she asked, confused as her vision finally focused in on her assailant. She blinked, trying to clear her head. The last thing she remembered was heading for home... with Reno. She must have fallen asleep before they ever got there. Though that didn't explain why her brother was now interrupting her much needed rest. Or, for that matter, why Reno and Nana would be _letting_ him. "What's wrong?"

Del shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. But Reno said you should eat something, and dinner's ready."

Elena rubbed her eyes, and yawned. She didn't want to eat... She wanted to go back to sleep for a few more hours... or days. Maybe a week or two. Who knew materia training was so hard on a person?

"Where's Reno?" she asked in a tired-sounding voice.

"Eat first." It took her a moment to realize he was holding a forkful of something in front of her face. It took her a moment _longer_ to recognize the scent of Nana's roast pork. Eating suddenly seemed like a very good idea. Her stomach growled in apparent agreement. She took the proffered utensil from her brother and and bit down, savoring the familiar recipe.

"Mmm... Okay, I have to admit, that's _really_ good..." she said, swallowing, "But seriously, Del... Where's Reno? And Nana?"

"Your boyfriend went to pick up... his friend... from the hospital." She got the distinct impression that he'd intended to say something else, and deliberately censored himself. "Nana went with him." He plucked the fork out of her grip and speared another bite before handing it back to her.

"Lira's being released?

Del nodded, and encouraged her to keep eating. "Guess so."

"Um... did he say anything _else_ about Lira?" she prodded. She was curious about the results of the paternity test. Not that she was completely discounting the other woman's own assertion that it wasn't Reno's... but something a little more concrete than instinct would be nice. Del shook his head.

"No... He was in a hurry. Just made sure you were comfortable and took off again."

Elena sighed and took a few more bites. Tasty as it was, she just wanted to go back to sleep. She felt like she'd been in a day-long, no-holds-barred battle royale... not a three hour introductory training session. She yawned again and set the fork back on the plate before leaning back against the pillows.

"El... What are you going to do if it's his?"

"Can we talk about this later... I'm exhausted, Del." She groped for the blanket and dragged it over her, snuggling into its warmth.

"Yeah... okay. Get some more sleep." She hear him collect the dishes, and stand, heading for the door.

"... I doesn't matter. I'm still going to love him..." she murmured at his retreating form.

* * *

"Yeah... I just don't see it."

"Right there!" Lira said, excitedly, pointing.

Reno squinted and flipped the image sideways, hoping that a new angle might shed some light on things. "... _Where_?" he finally asked, exasperated. It just looked like shades of gray to him.

"First of all," Dr. Ward broke in, snatching the page from his hand and flipping it over before giving it back to him, "Yeh've got it upside down. And it's right there... in the center." She tapped her fingertip on a slightly darker section of the picture.

"... That little jellybean-shaped blob?" he asked, somewhat incredulously.

"Well, what were yeh expecting? A color portrait? For Odin's sake, she's only a couple of months. The baby's not much bigger than your thumb." Reno shook his head and handed the sonogram printout back to Lira.

"I'll just take your word for it."

Josephine laughed softly. "Oh, don't worry... It'll be much more noticeable in a few more months."

"Yeah, Reno... Plus, I'm gonna make sure you're an expert by the time he or she's ready to come out..."

The redhead blinked. "Why?" he asked, warily.

"So that you're not _completely_ hopeless when you 'n Elena start havin' babies..." she teased, much to the amusement of the other two women. Reno, meanwhile, groaned.

"Lira... will you _please_ just focus on your own family instead of plannin' _mine_?" he pleaded, hanging his head in dismay. Children... his own, at least... were the last thing on his mind. He had a feeling, though, that Lira wasn't going to stop making the suggestion that it ought to be eventually. Thankfully, he was pretty sure Elena wasn't making any such plans at the moment either.

"I agree..." Ward said, "Yeh need ta be looking out for yerself right now, missy. And besides which... I'm not ready ta have a pack of little Renos running around Midgar. I have enough to do just keeping the big one in relatively decent condition."

"Very funny, Doc," the redhead muttered. Great. Now _she_ was getting in on the joke.

"Well, I for one am looking _forward_ to all those precious little Renos," Josephine chimed in. "I've always wanted great-grandchildren..."

Reno looked from one woman to the other and silently stood up, walking towards the door.

"And just where are yeh going now?"

"To track down a wheelchair so we can get the hell outta here. The three of you spend any more time in each other's company, and I'll be gettin' married by the end of the day whether 'Lena's conscious or not."

He did his level best to ignore the laughter that followed him out of the room.

* * *

When Reno and Josephine finally returned to Elena's apartment, it was getting late. His newly appointed grandmother had all but insisted on making sure Lira was settled in before they left... which included feeding both her, and himself, until they could hardly move. It was fortunate that Rude had, at some point in the last twenty four hours, made an effort to stock the kitchen in preparation for Lira's arrival.

The redhead got the impression that his partner was feeling more than a little guilty over what had happened to the woman. After all, Rude had been the one to suggest it to Reno in the first place, and she'd been taken while ostensibly under _his_ protection.

Regardless of who was to blame, Reno was just glad that Lira was safe and comfortable. And he was going to make damn sure she stayed that way.

"Where in Odin's name have your two been?" Del asked almost as soon as they walked through the door. "You've been gone for hours."

"Woulda been back sooner if Nana hadn't insisted on makin' us all a five course dinner..." he replied, and the old woman chuckled softly. "'Lena still asleep?"

"Yeah. I woke her up awhile ago for dinner. She was out again before I could get her to eat much, though."

"Which is exactly the same condition all three of us should be in right now," Josephine interjected. "Off to bed with you both." She shooed her grandson towards the spare bedroom. "Goodnight, Reno," she added with a smile before following him.

"'Night."

He waited until they'd disappeared before turning and moving quietly towards Elena's room, poking his head in. She was sleeping soundly, lying on her side in the center of the mattress, with a pillow hugged tight against her chest.

Odds were pretty good that he couldn't have disturbed her even if he'd tried. Still, though... she'd had a long day and he didn't want to risk it. He slipped silently into the room and retrieved his quilt from the chair in the corner and was out again before anyone would have noticed.

Reno yawned and stripped out of his clothes, before curling up on the couch. One night wouldn't kill him... although to be honest, he wasn't a fan of that particular piece of furniture. Elena seemed to like it, but it was too short and too firm for his taste. He shrugged and laid down. He could sleep just about anywhere, really. He'd manage.

* * *

Elena woke to soft pre-dawn light peeking through the gap in the curtains and sat up in bed with a yawn. She'd slept like a log. The clock beside the bed read five oh seven. Still a little while before she'd set her alarm, but a perfectly reasonable time to be awake. The rookie stretched for a moment before turning with a grin to pester her bedmate awake as well.

Which was right about the time that she realized she was alone in bed. She blinked in confusion, wondering where Reno was. She had a vague memory of Del waking her... and she _thought_ ,at least, that the redhead had been mentioned... but the details of the conversation seemed to be eluding her for the moment. Elena frowned and climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes and hoping that the two men hadn't gotten into some kind of disagreement while she'd been recovering from training. If they had, in all likelihood, Reno would have taken off in an effort to keep the peace.

Her eyes narrowed. If her brother had managed to drive Reno out of his own home for the night, she was going to kick his ass.

That thought in mind, she wrenched open the bedroom door with the intent of yelling at Del until he told her why she'd been snuggling against a pillow all night instead of her boyfriend... but as it turned out, she didn't have to go far for her answer. Elena sighed in relief when she spotted him on the couch, cocooned in a quilt and sleeping peacefully. She knelt down beside him

"Reno?" she said, softly, running her fingers gently along his cheek. His eyes fluttered open immediately, gazing up at her with a sleepy expression.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. What are you doing out here?"

"Wasn't sure how out of it you still were when I got back. Didn't wanna take a chance on wakin' you up," he replied, yawning. The rookie giggled and joined him on the couch, pinning him beneath her.

"I don't think that you would've..." She leaned in and claimed his lips for a moment before pulling away. The redhead whined softly in frustration at the sudden withdrawal. "Where were you, anyway?"

"Del didn't tell ya?"

"He might have... I remember talking to him, but to be honest, I think I was still mostly asleep at the time..."

"Heh... the Doc called me just as I was takin' you home. Said she'd let Lira outta the hospital if I had a place ready for her, so I dropped you off here, and then went to spring her. Me n' Nana got her settled over at my place while Del looked after you."

Elena smiled and let her lips trail soft kisses along his throat, drawing a quiet groan from her captive. "When I woke up and you weren't there, I was worried maybe something happened between you and Del." She felt him shudder faintly at the sensation of her warm breath against the skin of his neck and grinned.

"Nah... We've been gettin' along. Quit torturin' me if ya don't plan on followin' through, will ya?" he said, playfully returning her grin.

"What if I don't?" Elena teased.

"Heh... then I won't tell ya what Ward said about me 'n Lira's baby..."

The rookie paused in her very thorough exploration of his collarbone and looked up, suddenly significantly less interested in teasing him. "She has the results of the test?"

Reno only smirked.

"Well... ?" the rookie prodded.

"Not mine," he said after a few torturous moments. Elena sighed, relieved, and smiled.

"I wouldn't really have been _upset_ , you know. And we'd have figured out how to live with that if we had to," she began. She carefully brushed his hair back from his eyes. "... but I'm still kind of... really, _really_ glad."

"Yeah... same here."

Elena pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. "You know," she whispered breathlessly once they broke apart, "I was thinking... We should go out for lunch today..."

"You in the mood for somethin' specific? Heard a new Wutaiian place opened over in Sector 5..." the redhead innocently replied. Her hand swatted at his thigh through the quilt.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Yeah? _Now_ who's the pervert?" Reno snickered.

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me..." she giggled in reply before returning her attention to his lips. She finally gave him just enough freedom to work his arms loose from their confines, and he obligingly wrapped them around her. For several minutes, Elena simply let herself get lost in his embrace. Nothing else seemed to matter.

A quiet shuffling from the kitchen, and the sound of the stove being lit, very quickly brought her back to reality.

Elena pulled away from the redhead, looking up in surprise. "N-Nana?!"

"Now, don't let me interrupt the two of you, dear. I'm just getting breakfast started."

"I-I... W-we were... just... um..." the rookie stammered, her entire face on fire.

"Oh, I have a pretty good idea what you were doing..." the old woman chuckled, "Would either of you like bacon this morning?"

"... I would," Reno piped up when the rookie didn't seem in any particular hurry to answer her grandmother. Elena glared at him, and he managed a shrug. "What? Who turns down bacon?"

Elena groaned and slid off the couch, beelining for her bedroom. The redhead smirked and followed, his quilt wrapped around him. When he reached the door, he turned back. "Uh... If it's a pain in the ass, don't worry about it, but... ya think you could maybe make some of that stuff with all the cinnamon on it, too?"

"My streusel? Of course I can, sweetie..."

Reno grinned and followed the rookie into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He was starting to like this whole living together idea. The prospect of waking up to Elena every morning from now on was amazing in and of itself. Waking up to Elena _and_ breakfast for the rest of the week was going to spoil him...

~fin~


	43. The End of the Beginning

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 43: The End of the Beginning**

 **by Desha**

Elena tugged gently at the handcuffs that held her in place. They weren't overly tight, but looped as they were around that bar, she wasn't going anywhere... Her captor had wisely removed anything nearby that might have let her pick them.

Speaking of her captor...

He was dozing now, eyes closed, face slack, with his head resting on one arm. She didn't want to risk rousing him just yet... but getting out of those cuffs without doing so wasn't going to be easy. Maybe if she just bent her thumb in a little bit more and pulled...

The chain slipped against the bar with a metallic clatter that was unbearably loud to her ears in the silent room.

"If ya wanted 'em off, ya coulda just said so..." a voice taunted her, and she turned her head. Clear, blue eyes stared back at her, holding her gaze for a few seconds before roving greedily over her body. She laughed softly.

"I was trying not to disturb you..."

Reno grinned and moved closer, pressing himself to her side and letting his fingers trail over her bare skin. "Disturb me? If it means I get to stare at you for awhile, I'd rather be awake. 'Sides... I wasn't really sleepin' anyway."

"Could've fooled me," she snickered. He'd certainly _looked_ like he was asleep. "But _since_ you're awake..." Her eyes flicked suggestively towards the handcuffs that bound her to the headboard. The redhead smirked, and walked his fingertips slowly along her abdomen. The rookie shivered slightly at the ticklish sensation.

"What's in it for me?"

"Not getting in trouble for being late back from lunch, for starters..." she pointed out, "Which, we're _going_ to be, if we don't get out of here pretty soon."

"What's that sayin' about all work 'n no play... ?"

"What's that saying about too much of a good thing... ?" she countered, giggling softly.

"Heh... _You_ are one thing I _definitely_ don't mind over-indulging in..." he replied, burying his face against her throat and lavishing it with tender kisses that gradually began to spread over to her shoulder and then up along one of the arms that was tethered to the bed. Against her better judgment, Elena let her eyes close, enjoying his attention. She gasped softly as his hand caressed her inner thigh.

Well... maybe they could be just a _little_ late getting back to the office...

She was actually on the verge of thinking up legitimate excuses for having taken so long when the moment was spoiled by the insistent ringing of a PHS. Reno audibly groaned and pulled away from her, leaving her frustrated and still craving his touch.

"Remind me to kill him when we get back," he muttered, annoyed, before accepting the call. "Yeah, boss?" He paused, listening to whatever request was being made of them. "Yep... On our way back now." Reno tossed the phone back into the pile of clothes next to the bed, and sighed, casting her an apologetic look. "So much for round two..."

"Is anything wrong?" Elena asked, sitting up slightly, as Reno retrieved the keys to her handcuffs and dutifully released her. He shook his head.

"Nah... Tseng just unexpectedly found some free time this afternoon. He wants to work in an extra training session with ya."

The rookie was a suddenly feeling a little torn. She was starting to enjoy the new training. On the other hand... they hadn't had much in the way of private time in nearly two weeks. And she was pretty sure that Reno held a lot more potential for fun than materia offered...

The redhead suddenly laughed, and handed her clothes to her. "Don't look so disappointed, 'Lena... We can pick this up later tonight."

"I already told you," she said, dressing quickly, "Not while Nana and Del are staying with us."

"What if we're real quiet?" he teased.

"You're never _that_ quiet."

He snickered. "Yeah... 'cause it's all _me_ makin' noise. Remind me. Which one of us was flat out screamin' my name a little while ago?"

"I was _not_ screaming," the rookie scoffed. Reno smirked, and calmly started buttoning his shirt.

"Trust me... You were screamin'."

"Just for that, next time, _you're_ wearing the handcuffs... We'll just _see_ who's screaming about what."

Reno grinned wickedly. "That a promise?"

* * *

Rude frowned as he read through another report. This was the third confirmation he'd gotten in less than eight hours... and the _first_ had been from a reliable enough source that he'd already been deeply concerned before the others had even started rolling in.. If his informants were right about this, they had a day. Maybe two. Or maybe less.

Avalanche. Up until recently, they'd been little more than a side-thought. But with their acquisition of a self-professed former Soldier... who's identity Rude was still struggling to verify – though he did at least have a name to work with now... their potential threat had increased rather drastically. And now it seemed they were ready to move. Three sets of eyes and ears in the Sector 7 slums were reporting that their first real attack on Shinra was imminent.

He'd already ventured down earlier to investigate personally. The Seventh Heaven had been empty save for its bartender and a handful of early morning drunks... which made him wonder if the group had a secondary location in addition to the bar. Nothing of the sort had ever made it into any of his intelligence reports, but that was something that easily could have slipped through the cracks... particularly given how small the group was. As far as he'd been able to determine, its membership numbered somewhere between five and eight. There were one or two individuals he wasn't quite certain were anything more than sympathizers. Something that small was easy to hide.

What the target was, and how they planned to attack was equally unknown... though a portion of a shipment of explosives bound for a construction project had come up missing a few weeks ago. Urban Development had written it off as nothing more than a clerical error, but Rude hadn't been quite so willing to dismiss it as such. He had tagged the incident report as possibly being of interest, but there wasn't a lot to go on, so it had simply been noted and filed away for whenever he might have need of the information.

"Is there anything new?"

"Just more people telling me its going to happen soon," Rude replied, spinning his chair slightly to face the Wutaiian Turk that had suddenly materialized behind him. Tseng frowned.

"Nothing to indicate a target?"

Rude shook his head and turned back to the computer screen. "Not yet. But it would almost certainly be a reactor. We've suspected that for months."

"That still only gives us a one in eight chance of choosing the right one to keep an eye on. Alert reactor security, and do what you can to narrow it down."

"On it."

Tseng nodded and returned to his own little corner of the office. He was beginning to think it had been a mistake letting Avalanche run around loose in the slums. Granted, they hadn't identified all of the members, but they could have dealt with _some_ of them a long time ago if he'd only pushed a bit harder for permission to do so. At the time, though, they hadn't been certain if they'd have been cutting off the head or the tail... and getting that wrong would only have driven them deeper underground.

So they had waited. And watched. Movements were tracked, targets had been studied. At this point, they knew with a fair amount of certainty who was in charge, at least of the cell in Sector 7. It was really more a matter of not knowing who else might have been in play and whether or not there were cells in other sectors that had kept the Turks from acting.

And then there was the new recruit. Cloud Strife, or at least that was the name one of Rude's more reliable informants had passed along to them. He claimed to be ex-Soldier, but there was no record of him in Soldier's files. There was no record of him in the general military's files either... save one very brief mention of a 'C. Strafe, Private' in connection with the Nibelheim incident five years ago – though he had no particular reason to believe the reference might have been a typographical error, beyond gut instinct.

If he was, in fact, connected to Nibelheim, then it was entirely possible that President Shinra had ordered the army to erase any record of his existence. That single entry might very well only still be on record because of a spelling error. Only a handful of people in the company even knew about the coverup. _Some_ of the executive board hadn't even been informed. Tseng knew, perhaps, more than he really should have...

The Turks had been along for the clean-up detail afterwards. It had been one of his earliest assignments as head of the Turks, and he'd seen to it personally along with his newly minted lieutenant. The immediate aftermath had been nothing short of horrifying. Many villagers had burned alive in their homes or in the streets, and others, who were unfortunate enough to cross his path, were violently murdered by the legendary Sephiroth... even Shinra's own personnel hadn't been spared. It was hard to believe that so much destruction had been wrought by one man.

Officially, nothing had happened in Nibelheim five years ago. To admit otherwise would have been a PR nightmare for the company. The Turks had handled security until the ruins had been razed, and then the entire town had been rebuilt in secret from the ground up exactly as it had been before. Shinra had even installed its own personnel and their families to inhabit the town. Short of having been born and raised there, no one would ever have known anything was amiss.

Unofficially, however, was another matter. There had been survivors. Not many, but a few. Those that wouldn't go along with the ruse quietly disappeared, courtesy of the Turks. There had been two _other_ survivors, not from the town's population, as well. One, a young man Tseng had known personally... a Soldier, First Class, by the name of Zack Fair. He'd met him, in part, through Aerith. The other was only a boy, serving as a member of Shinra's ground troops. Tseng had never known his name, or what had happened to him. Hojo had ultimately taken charge of both of them. He never saw either of them again.

Zack, he knew, was officially listed as killed in action... though he also knew that to be false. Zack Fair _was_ most certainly dead... but his death had been far more recent. Whatever experiments Hojo was using him for, he'd apparently found an opportunity, six months ago, to escape. Shinra troops and Soldier had cornered him not far from Midgar and executed him... a fact that he technically wasn't supposed to be aware of, but Heidegger had a habit of shouting rather loudly when he was annoyed. His voice tended to carry, even with his office door closed.

As to the boy... Tseng had no way of knowing if he was alive or dead. The incident had been left in the hands of Soldier, not the Turks. If he was still alive, though... Tseng couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he was this mysterious "ex-Soldier" Avalanche had recruited.

He shook his head. Admittedly, it was a longshot, and it was very likely that he was grasping at straws. Both Zack _and_ the boy had been gravely injured in Nibelhiem. He was surprised, to put it mildly, when he'd learned that _Zack_ had survived. The other young man had more than likely succumbed to his injuries years ago... He doubted even Hojo would have been able to do anything for him.

Still... the possibility nagged at him. The timing of Zack's reappearance and the arrival of the ex-Soldier was just a little too convenient to ignore.

* * *

"Cut it out," Elena giggled, swatting at the body behind her. Reno's arms were wrapped snugly around her waist as he teasingly kissed and nuzzled the back of her neck. "Someone's going to see us!"

One arm untangled itself and reached out, tapping the emergency stop button on the elevator panel. The car came to an abrupt halt.

"Problem solved," he murmured against her skin.

"Reno!" The sudden realization that there were security cameras in all of the elevators was almost enough to make her panic. An emergency stop would trigger an alert. An alert would mean that building security would pull up the camera feed. And that meant that there was almost certainly someone watching as the redhead unapologetically nibbled on her ear. She heard him laugh, the soft tremors of it vibrating gently against her back. He pulled away and jabbed at the button again, sending them upwards again.

"Alright, alright... I'll behave," he said, grinning at her. "But can ya blame me? I have the most beautiful woman on the planet, and I can barely steal an hour alone with her lately."

Elena rolled her eyes. The redhead was starting to make a habit of referring to her like that lately... It was sweet, certainly, but _so_ overly dramatic. Apparently, he noticed her reaction.

"What? You are. Beautiful, I mean."

She smirked slightly. "You've already won me over, Reno. You don't have to keep flattering me every chance you get."

"Who says it's flattery?"

"The 'most beautiful woman in the world'?" she dryly retorted.

"... You are to me, 'Lena," Reno replied, sincerity in his voice, before flashing her a teasing smile, "And if you think resistin' that kinda temptation day after day is easy, you're also completely nuts..."

"It's only for a few more days," she pointed out, laughing. "Nana and Del will be heading home on Sunday... and then we'll have the apartment all to ourselves again."

"So... basically, I can have Nana, or I can have sex. I can't have both," he sighed.

Elena blinked. "Reno... I know what you _meant_ , but that was a mental image I really didn't need," she said, as the elevator doors slid open, depositing them on the Turks' floor.

"Should I even ask?" Tseng's voice queried, and the rookie jumped slightly, not having expected him to be waiting for them.

Reno opened his mouth to respond, but Elena just as quickly cut him off.

"Please don't, sir..."

The Turk leader chuckled softly.

"In that case... If you're ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"You gonna need me for this, boss?" Reno asked, looking somewhat hopeful, but still resigned to his fate. Over the course of the week, the redhead had been frozen, shocked, saturated and briefly buried alive as Elena had made her way through a litany of low-level elemental spells. The only thing Tseng hadn't allowed her to try on him had been a fire spell... though she wasn't particularly upset about it. Even at low power, she'd burned several stationary targets to cinders. She didn't want to think about what fire materia could do to human flesh.

She wasn't even sure she wanted to continue practicing with it, as she had no intention of ever using it in a fight. Killing a person, quick and clean, with a bullet to the head was one thing. Watching someone burn to death was something didn't think she ever wanted to see... or be responsible for.

"Not today," the Turk leader replied. "We're going to be working on defense. Elena will be blocking and nullifying _my_ attacks this time."

Reno smirked. "Oh... Good. You're gonna torture _her_ for a change."

"I do, however, need you to assist Rude. Avalanche is moving again... and I'm officially putting us all on a level two alert, effective immediately."

"Tch... Those assholes again?"

Tseng nodded. "It seems they're getting ready to act upon whatever it is they've been planning. I would prefer they be dealt with before they can do so."

"Understood," Reno replied, taking on a more serious tone. "You want it to be public? Make an example of 'em?"

"No. Try to do it quietly. The less attention drawn, the better, I think."

"Got it. We'll take care of it," the redhead said, "Heh... and don't break my girlfriend while we're gone." He leaned over and kissed Elena goodbye before disappearing into the main office.

"Hmph... His mood never fails to improve after lunch. Where exactly did the two of you go, anyway? Anything I might like?" Tseng commented offhandedly, ushering Elena back into the elevator.

The rookie flushed bright red. "U-um... We..." She really hadn't thought anyone would ask... She was terrible at making things up on the fly, and even if she weren't, she didn't like the idea of lying to Tseng. But on the other hand, the rookie really wasn't about to explain to her superior that the two of them had just spent the last hour at a little motel a few blocks from headquarters, either...

The Turk leader cocked an eyebrow and shook his head, chuckling in realization. "Ah. Nevermind. I'm probably better off not knowing the details."

* * *

Reno trailed his partner through the back alleys of the Sector 7 slums. Thus far, they'd turned up nothing, in spite of meeting with several of Rude's people. The train stations, likewise, had been a dead end. No one had seen anyone matching the descriptions of the terrorist group... and given that one of them had a rather large gun surgically grafted onto his arm, that was saying something. It was as if they'd simply vanished.

Really, it wasn't that hard to do exactly that down here. For all they knew, Avalanche might have moved on to another sector entirely by now... though for what it was worth, Rude didn't seem to think so, and Reno had long ago learned to trust him in matters of intelligence. But if they were still here, they'd found one hell of a deep hole to crawl into.

"Tseng's not gonna be happy, partner... He wanted this taken care of, ASAP."

"... I know."

"Come on, man... Don't get like that. Not your fault. We've been sittin' on this for almost a year now. Boss shoulda just dealt with 'em soon as they popped up on the radar, no matter what Heidegger said..."

Heidegger was only part of the problem... but as usual, he was a large part. While he hadn't expressly forbidden the Turks from simply exterminating the pests, he'd been dicking around on actually ordering an operation to do so. The Turks may have been largely autonomous, but mass murder wasn't something they could just decide to do on the spur of the moment. Tseng could probably have justified it, even without getting the go-ahead from his boss... but there was a certain amount of politics inherent in his position. Heidegger was already of a mind not to do them much in the way of favors... going behind his back, even for the good of the company, wouldn't have helped that. Particularly when they needed to go behind his back for _other_ reasons without having to worry too much about the fallout.

"We're running out of places to look."

"Could always check the bar again..."

Rude shook his head. "Already been in there once today. Bartender's not stupid. I keep turning up and she's gonna know that we know something's going on."

"So I'll go alone," Reno said, shrugging. "She hasn't seen me in... hell, _I_ haven't been in there since she threw me the fuck out. Probably won't even recognize me after so long..."

The other Turk snickered softly. "Ten gil says otherwise. I'll meet you at the weapons shop down the street when you're done," his partner said with a nod.

Reno headed towards the little bar, making sure his weapons were well out of sight before pushing the door open and walking in. For a dive in the slums, he had to admit... the place was nice. The chick that ran it kept it clean... both in terms of the general environment and the clientele.

The first thing that caught his eye was the little girl behind the counter... who seemed to be unusually comfortable with the shaker clasped in her hands. Not that he had any room to talk, given that he'd started over at the Lonely Dragon when he was eleven... but the kid looked like she was barely out of diapers. Couldn't possibly have been older than five or so...

Then again... If you couldn't get a babysitter, why _not_ bring your kid to work? Probably, he mused, she was just playing around, anyway. He doubted there was anything more than water and ice in that shaker.

"You!" a voice suddenly accosted him from across the bar, and Reno cringed. That wasn't exactly a _welcoming_ tone... "I thought I told you never to come back!"

The woman was headed straight for him, and she didn't look happy to see him. The redhead slowly raised his hands in a placating gesture, hoping to avoid any violence. So much for not being recognized. The bartender stopped mere inches away from him.

"Get out," she said, pointing to the door.

"Hey, come on, now... I'm not lookin' for trouble," Reno replied, flashing her his most charming grin. Mentally, he groaned. It just figured... This might not go quite as smoothly as he'd assumed it would.

"Then go somewhere else before you find it. You've got a lot of nerve coming back here... That fight you started destroyed more than half my inventory."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... I didn't _start_ anything, lady. That asshat hit _me_ first." Granted, he'd hit him because Reno had been unabashedly ogling his date from across the bar at the time. And _maybe_ he'd gone just a touch too far when he'd tossed him into the stock behind the counter... but still...

"Get. Out," she repeated, "Or I'll throw you out. Again."

The place was mostly empty. One guy passed out over a bottle in the corner, and two more sitting at the bar who looked like they were taking bets on who was going to throw the first punch. No sign of anything Avalanche-related. Of course there was always the back room... though from his admittedly limited point of view, it looked just as empty as the bar. It might still be wise to subtly check it out, though. But first he'd have to smooth things over with the bartender.

"Listen... I didn't come in to start anything. I just came in for dri–INK!" Reno's voice cracked like a thirteen year old boy's and his eyes went wide as the woman's hand shot out and clenched around an entirely too sensitive portion of his anatomy. He'd expected some resistance on her part, but he hadn't been prepared for _that_... "Ah, fuck! Okay... okay..." he ground out, "I can see we kinda got off on the wrong foot here..."

He wasn't sure if he should try shake her off, or just hope to Ifrit she wasn't as pissed off as she looked at the moment. He certainly hadn't come in here with the goal of hurting her... but if she was going to keep this up, Reno wasn't about to hold back defending himself.

She forced him back, towards the door, her hand still between his legs. He yelped in pain when her grip suddenly tightened.

" _Alright_ , I'm goin'!"

In one swift movement, she released him, and shoved him out the door. Reno stumbled, ending up flat on his face in the gutter, moaning softly.

"Next time I see you in here, I'll crush them!" the bartender said firmly, before turning on her heel and storming back inside.

Reno rolled to one side, hand between his thighs as he tried to soothe the pain. "I think ya just fuckin' did..." he groaned.

* * *

"I think that's enough for today."

Elena frowned and stood down from her defensive posture. "Do we have to stop _now_ , sir? I'm just starting to get the hang of this..."

It was true. The woman seemed to have a real knack for defensive spells... even moreso than her affinity for the elemental materia they'd been using up to this point. By the end of their hour-long session, nothing Tseng had thrown at her had gotten through her barrier. While it was true that nothing he had used against her had been very powerful, considering she'd never done this before, it was impressive progress... and he would have liked to have let her keep going, to be honest.

"I'm sorry, Elena... but we're done. As much as I'd like to continue, I have no desire to face Dr. Ward's wrath a second time. She was, shall we say, less than pleased when she found out that I allowed you to over-exert yourself during your first lesson." He smirked slightly. "I don't think Reno was especially happy about it, either."

Elena snickered quietly and unslotted the materia from her armlet, placing the spheres back in the storage case. "I don't blame you for wanting to tread carefully around Dr. Ward. _I_ wouldn't want to be on her bad side, either..."

"Mmm... She does have quite a way with words. Particularly when she's angry. And I _have_ , unfortunately, been on the receiving end more times than I care to count. Quite possibly more than anyone, in fact."

She paused in her minor struggle to release the stiff clasps on her armlet, and looked up at him in surprise. "Really, sir? I would have thought Reno would be the one to hold that honor..."

Tseng laughed and came to her aid, releasing her from the stubborn accessory. "Oh, no... She's entirely too fond of him to ever truly be angry with him. Frustrated, yes. Annoyed, most certainly... but believe me, Reno has her quite thoroughly charmed. I doubt very much he's ever felt the _full_ force of her temper, even at his worst. Myself, on the other hand..."

He gestured towards the door, and ushered her out of the training arena.

"What did _you_ do that made her so mad, sir?"

"Failed one too many times to properly look after her favorite patient," he replied. At her slightly confused expression, he chuckled, "To be perfectly honest, I probably wasn't _quite_ ready to be in charge of a rookie when I recruited Reno. I had to talk Veld into allowing it just as much as I had to talk him into letting me have _him_ specifically... and as much as I hate to admit it, there _was_ a period of time when Reno suffered for it. I very quickly learned to do better by him... but perhaps not quite quickly enough to gain Justinia's approval. I think she still holds that against me to some extent."

"What do you mean... 'he suffered for it'?"

"I expected far too much of him, much too soon. And I also desperately wanted to prove myself to my _own_ mentor. I pushed him rather relentlessly for a time, because of that. In fact I put him in much the same state you were in after your first materia lesson, on more than one occasion. The doctor finally saw fit to call me out on it... I was actually a bit shocked when I left her office with my head still attached. Anyone listening in would have thought I'd worked him to death, the way she went on..."

"And Reno just let you?" she snickered, "That doesn't seem like him at all..."

"He _has_ come quite a long way since I first found him..." Tseng replied, chuckling. "Reno was just as anxious to prove himself to Veld as I was, I think. And... he was also deeply afraid that _I'd_ reconsider my choice of rookies, as well, if he wasn't everything I demanded he be. I didn't realize that right away, or I might have started to question my tactics a little sooner." Tseng sighed and shook his head. "It's... not an easy revelation when you discover just how much harm you're doing to someone who is ostensibly under your care and protection. Particularly when that someone is little more than a child. As unpleasant as the experience was, I consider myself fortunate that Ward is as... opinionated... as she is."

"You know, sir... Reno _still_ insists that he was an absolute nightmare for you at first..." the rookie teased.

Tseng smirked slightly. "He does tend to exaggerate at times, doesn't he? He wasn't a _really_ nightmare, of course... He was just your average teenager. Though... now that I think about it, those may be one in the same."

They walked along the hallway, and stood, waiting for the elevator.

"Truthfully," Tseng added, "As aggravating as he could be, it never once crossed my mind to dismiss him. I will admit, however... for quite some time I _did_ wonder if I'd really done him any favors by recruiting him."

"I think Reno would disagree, sir..."

"Oh, I _know_ he would," the Turk leader said, smiling. "But, because of me, he's been injured repeatedly... nearly killed a dozen times over... tortured more than once. He risks his life just by coming into work everyday... as do we all. The Turks gave him a home and a family, but I have no doubt he would have eventually found those things in the slums as well. It would have gone very different for him if I'd left him there... and it's very likely his life would be significantly less dangerous if I _had_. It used to be a grave concern of mine that I stole something from him by bringing him into this life."

The car arrived and the elevator doors opened, and the pair of Turks brushed past the exiting passengers. Elena waited until the entire group had disembarked and they were alone again before continuing the conversation.

"What changed your mind about that, sir?" she asked, curious.

"Time, mostly. In spite of all of the bad, there has been much more good in his life. More recently, though, the thing that most keeps my guilt at bay is the way he looks at _you_ ," he replied, with a smile. "I think I can safely say that I have never seen Reno happier in all the years I've known him."

* * *

"..."

"Don't even fuckin' ask," the redhead muttered. Rude shrugged and pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against, repressing the urge to smirk. Apparently, the redhead's charms didn't work especially well on Miss Lockheart... and judging by his partner's somewhat pained gait, neither did his usual skill at avoiding a physical confrontation.

"No luck, then?" he asked, putting his amusement aside and getting back to the task at hand. Reno shook his head.

"No sign of any of 'em, 'cept your girlfriend. Place was practically dead. Tifa says hi, by the way... ya know... if grabbin' a guy by the balls and shoving him out the door is how she typically greets people. Which I guess means I owe ya ten gil..."

Rude snorted a quiet laugh. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "All in all, she probably coulda done a lot worse. Glad me 'n 'Lena had some fun over lunch, though. I don't think I'm gonna be in the mood tonight..."

The two Turks started down the narrow road, back towards the train station. This trip was a bust. They really hadn't done anything except successfully waste a lot of time.

"Thought Elena wasn't willing to 'go out for lunch' anymore..."

"Yeah, well... With her family at her place right now, and Lira living in my old apartment..." He shrugged and trailed off. "... And, do me a favor. Don't mention to her that I told ya about our little lunch date. I'd kinda like to keephavin' those..."

The bald Turk snickered quietly. "What's with you lately?"

"The fuck're ya talkin' about?"

"Moving in with Elena? Openly discussing things you know would piss her off? Almost like you're suddenly not terrified of driving her away anymore..." he teased.

"Fuck off," the redhead shot back, rolling his eyes. Rude let a grin creep over his face.

"You're not, are you..." he stated. They stepped onto the platform. Rude could see the train winding its way down the central pillar and glanced at his watch. It was running a little late today. "Are you?" he prodded, when Reno didn't answer him.

His friend fidgeted awkwardly. "Not _terrified_..." he admitted, with a small smile. "Still slightly anxious, maybe. Guess I just figured that if she wasn't willin' to ditch me over the whole thing with Lira, it's gonna take a hell of a lot to convince her I suck as boyfriend."

"Hmph... Progress at last," Rude said, clapping the younger man on the back and letting his arm rest over the redhead's shoulders. Reno glared at him briefly, but didn't make any move to extricate himself.

"Don't you _dare_ fuckin' say 'I told you so'," he warned him. The train finally arrived, and Rude tightened his grip on his partner in a odd sort of half hug, before gently shoving him forward through the open door in the car that had come to a stop in front of them. He followed him aboard.

"I told you so."

* * *

"As soon as Reno and Rude return... assuming our issue hasn't been dealt with... I want a security sweep of all of the city's reactors."

"Sir?" Elena queried from her seat at her desk, "Are you sure we're not overreacting a little? I mean... Avalanche has always been more talk than action. And after all the new security we helped implement..."

The Wutaiian Turk sighed and leaned against the corner of Rude's desk. "Yes, I know... It _does_ seem just a little paranoid on my part." He shook his head and glanced over at the clock. Nearly two in the afternoon. "Still... I have a bad feeling about them. Particularly since the acquisition of this alleged ex-Soldier."

Elena wasn't sure she agreed. Sure, it was a nice brag, but she was inclined to think that's _all_ it was... and she knew that Reno wasn't entirely convinced this new recruit was anything more than your slightly above average mercenary, either. But then... she supposed it was better to be over prepared than under. Before she could say as much, the office door opened and the pair of absent Turks trudged back inside... Rude looking slightly disappointed behind the mask of his ever-present sunglasses, and Reno immediately flopped onto the couch with a loud groan.

"No luck, I take it?" Tseng asked.

"Not in locating Avalanche," Rude replied, "Reno got groped, though, if that counts."

The redhead glowered at his partner. "If that's your idea of bein' groped, it's no wonder you can't get a fuckin' date..."

Rude snickered and sat down at his desk. "They've made themselves scarce. Closest we got was the Seventh Heaven bartender..."

"Who got a little _too_ close to _me_... and not in a good way..." the redhead interjected.

"Other than that, everything's quiet in Sector 7."

Tseng frowned thoughtfully. "In that case... don't get comfortable."

"Boss?" Reno questioned, sitting up slightly.

"As I was just telling Elena before the two of you returned, I want security sweeps of the reactors. I'll head to One. Rude, start with Three. Reno and Elena, take Six. We'll meet up again at Number Eight."

"On it, Boss." Reno dragged himself back to his feet.

* * *

The Number 6 Reactor seemed somehow larger than the last time she'd been this close to it... though at least this time around there was no bomb-filled train barreling towards it. As far as she knew, anyway. Even so, it felt a lot more foreboding now.

Maybe because the last time, she'd only been overseeing an evacuation. She hadn't even gone inside... Tseng had handled that, leaving her out on the street to direct the Shinra personnel towards the safe zone. It was strange, really... it wasn't as if she'd never been inside a reactor before. They'd all spent the better part of two weeks in and out of several of them during the initial security upgrade last year.

But Number 6 was different.

"Hey, come on... We gotta get through here and then go check out Numbers 7 and 8. So unless you wanna be at this 'til dinner time, keep up, 'Lena," Reno prodded her, and she suddenly realized that she had indeed fallen quite a ways behind, just staring up at the looming structure. Elena hurried to catch up to him.

"Sorry..."

They mounted the stairs to the main entrance, and Reno swiped his ID card through the reader. The security door slid open, and the pair of Turks headed in with a brief nod to the two men standing guard just inside the door.

"'Kay... You've never been stuck with Reactor security before, so just follow me on this one. I'll let you run the show at Seven and we'll see how much of the process ya remember," he said, grinning.

"Oh... um... Right," she replied, somewhat distractedly. The rookie was a little preoccupied looking around at the cold, metal-paneled corridor. She shuddered involuntarily.

Reno paused for a moment, glancing back at her. "Somethin' wrong?"

She didn't have time to answer him. A man was heading down the corridor, straight for them, with a determined step. He was older, with thinning hair and a grizzled beard, a hard hat tucked under one arm.

"You damn Turks are goddamned paranoid fucks, ya know that? First ya come in here to oversee a metric shit-ton of upgrades no one goddamn needs, then ya send out a goddamn level two security notice to the control room... now you're out here interruptin' _my_ goddamn afternoon to come look at door locks and guard stations, and I gotta play tour guide. Don't you assholes have anything better to do? 'Cause I sure as fuck do..."

"Heh... Yeah, nice to see _you_ again, too, Bastion," Reno snickered. Elena blinked in surprised at the name.

"Bastion?" she echoed, uncertainly. "Bastion... Meheara?" She looked him over a bit more carefully. It certainly _could_ have been him... though a dozen or so years older than the last time she'd seen him. She hadn't even known he still worked the reactors... much less Number 6. He seemed surprised for a moment, before his eyes widened in recognition. Reno cast her a quizzical look.

"Ellie Brewer... Well, goddamn," the man replied, tone immediately shifting to one that was much more friendly. " _You've_ certainly done a bit of growin'. I haven't see you since... well... Not for a good long while, anyway. I, uh... I heard about your brother. I'm sorry. Woulda come to pay my respects, but... I wasn't sure how welcome I'd be."

Bastion had been one of her father's best friends. He'd worked under him as assistant foreman at the Number Six reactor, and they'd both been on duty the day it had malfunctioned. Bastion had made it out... because her father hadn't. He had gone on ahead while Aaron Brewer had stayed behind in the control room in an attempt to buy the workers a little more time. And ultimately, her father done so... but he hadn't bought enough of it to make it out himself. She hadn't seen much of her father's friend after the funeral... Her mother had never explicitly said so, but Elena had been old enough at the time to pick up on the fact that she'd blamed Bastion, at least in part, for his death. They'd lost contact years ago.

"You should have come. I'd have been glad to see you," Elena said, with a somewhat sad smile. Bastion awkwardly cleared his throat.

"So... A Turk, eh?" he said, changing the subject. "Well, don't that beat all. And they stuck ya with _this_ annoying son of a bitch, too... Who'd you piss off to end up with luck like that?"

"Hey!" Reno shot back, indignantly, and Elena laughed.

"He's not really _that_ bad..."

The redhead sighed and shook his head. "Can we just get this over with? Us Turks got other shit to do, too, ya know... You're not the only one around here who works for a living."

Bastion grunted affirmatively. "Fine... Follow me, and keep on this side of the white line." Elena looked down at her feet and suddenly realized that there was a long white stripe painted down one side of the hallway, leading straight through the door at the far end. That was odd. She didn't remember anything like that in the Number 1 Reactor when she'd been there... but then, they hadn't actually gone in through the main entrance. They'd used an auxiliary entrance beneath the reactor to offload the equipment from one of Junon's airships.

"Lot's of moving parts in the next room, and if ya don't know where they're headin', it's real easy to get clobbered by 'em. This side of the line's the safe zone," Reno explained as Bastion moved off ahead of them to unlock the door. He dropped his voice slightly. "... Guess I kinda forgot. This is where your dad... worked... huh?"

The pause wasn't exactly subtle. He'd intended to say something else, and thought better of it. She was grateful he had.

"Yeah."

"You gonna be alright with this?"

"Yeah, it's fine. It's just... weird," the rookie said. "So... I take it you and Bastion don't reSally get along?"

He shrugged. "Eh... He's alright. But I'm only ever here where Tseng orders me to grossly inconvenience him, so..."

"Move it along, Red... We got thirty points of interest for you to okay, and I'm on a double production schedule this week 'cause Number 1 and Number 5're shut down for maintenance," Bastion called over his shoulder, waiting impatiently at the door.

"Yeah, yeah... Don't lose your shit. We're comin'..."

The pair followed him through the door, and Elena got her first good look at the inner workings of a mako reactor. Turbines in huge, transparent pipes spun at dizzying speeds, and overhead, dozens of robotic arms swung this way and that.

"Those mostly stop things from breaking down around here," Bastion explained, following the rookie's gaze upwards. "Lot of automation... lot of stuff we do manually, too, though, to keep all that automation working." They continued on to an elevator at the far end of the room and stepped aboard. Bastion closed the gate and the platform descended to the next level down and another metal hallway. This one contained a number of doors that branched off into individual offices, supply rooms, and the like. They were being lead towards the one labeled 'Main Control'.

Halfway along, Elena stopped short, eyes dawn to a grouping of framed photos on the wall. Most, she didn't recognize... but the one in the center...

"Lost a lot of good people that day," Bastion piped up, somberly, having noticed that the young woman was no longer following the two men. Reno walked the short distance back to her.

"That your dad?" he asked, following her gaze to the photo. Elena nodded, silently. His hand settled itself in the small of her back, rubbing lightly along her spine. He gave her a moment to compose herself before adding gently, "Come on... We got work to do."

* * *

Tseng made his way out of Reactor Number 1, heading for his car. The reactor was currently in a partial shut down for scheduled maintenance... and that in and of itself worried him a little. It left a handful of avenues open for penetration that normally wouldn't have been an issue. The foreman had told him that Number 5 was in a similar state and that Numbers 2 and 6 had increased production to make up for it.

To his mind, that gave Avalanche four prime targets. One and Five would be easier to access. Two and Six would cause a larger disruption. On the bright side, that very likely eliminated half the city's reactors as targets... The downside was that the threat Rude had been informed of would almost certainly occur at some point within the maintenance window, which stretched from today through Wednesday of the following week. He had already phoned and spoken to Heidegger about increasing the number of guards on those four reactors until it was finished... a recommendation to which his superior had agreed.

In the meantime, he was off to Number 2. Rude was likely one his way to _his_ next destination as well, though he suspected that Reno would take his time at Number 6. Elena had never been through a security inspection before, and knowing the protocol and actually seeing it firsthand were two different things.

He frowned in thought as he climbed into the car and pulled the seat belt across his body. If it were _him_ , he'd target one or both of the reactors pulling double duty. That would guarantee a significant disruption to the power grid, and likely a longer than usual recovery time. If you wanted to send a message and sow discord, that was certainly the way to do it.

But he was perfectly aware that the members of Avalanche may not be thinking in the same vein. The other two reactors were the easier targets. This was their first major move since Shinra had taken an interest in the group, and they had shown themselves to be cautious. They might try testing the waters a bit first, rather than going for the grander attack.

Or they might simply throw caution to the wind... which unfortunately still left him with four potential targets.

Tseng shook his head and sped off towards his next stop. He wasn't going to accomplish anything just sitting there.

* * *

Elena groaned as she let herself sink down onto the couch.

"Long day, sweet pea?" Josephine asked, warmly, handing her granddaughter a cup of tea and joining her. 'Long day' didn't even begin to describe it. After Reactor Number 6, they'd gone on to inspect 7 and 8... Reno had pressed her to take the lead at 7, but their previous stop seemed to have made a much bigger impression on her than she'd thought it would. She'd been distracted and withdrawn for the rest of the day.

Worse, she felt intensely guilty over it, because she'd more or less foisted her half of the responsibility off on Reno... and on top of that, she was pretty sure she'd failed miserably at learning anything he'd been trying to teach her.

She'd never expected it to affect her so badly. It had happened twelve years ago. But suddenly being confronted with her father's death all over again had been emotional, to say the least... and it had been just as sudden the first time around, too.

She'd kept it together, but by the end of the day she was certain Reno could see her starting to falter... which was probably why he'd sent her home without him when Tseng had requested he stay for a while to go over any problems they'd encountered during the security sweeps. Rude had stuck around of his own accord to see to any new reports, and Elena had felt a little bad just taking off... but the redhead had insisted.

"El?" her brother's voice broke in, and she suddenly realized that she'd been sitting there, staring at the tea in her mug.

"Reno and I had to go to the Number 6 reactor today..." she sighed, "It was a lot harder than I ever thought it'd be."

"Oh... I see," her grandmother replied understandingly, patting her shoulder, "Does he know?"

The rookie nodded. "That's why he sent me home. Everyone else is working late tonight. I _really_ should be, too... I was completely useless all afternoon."

Josephine smiled warmly. "Well... I doubt very much that Reno will hold that against you. Now, dinner's nearly ready, and you'll feel much better once you've eaten."

Elena managed a smile as well. Food was Nana's solution to just about everything. To be fair... it usually seemed to work. "Yes, Nana..."

Josephine got up to see to her meatloaf, and Del quickly took her place. "Must've been weird, walking in there. I don't think I'd want to."

The rookie laughed softly. "You know... I was more or less okay, right up until we went down to the control room. There's a memorial. Dad's photo right in the middle, and everyone else who didn't make it out, too. It caught me really off-guard. I wasn't expecting anything like that, and I guess Bastion didn't think to warn me about it."

"Bastion? Bastion's still there?" Del asked, surprised.

"Yeah... he's the reactor foreman, now. I haven't seen him... haven't even _heard_ from him... in years, and then all of a sudden he's walking down the hall towards me. So I guess the visit wasn't all bad. It was kind of nice to reconnect a little."

"Reno have anything to say when he realized what was going on?" her brother pried, and Elena narrowed her eyes.

"Del... don't start. Not tonight."

"I didn't mean it like that..." he began, only to stop at the slightly annoyed glare from his sister. "Okay... maybe I _kind of_ meant it like that. I'm trying to like him, El. I really am. And... I'll admit, he's not _completely_ awful."

Elena snickered softly.

"What?"

"Nothing... It's just that... That's almost word for word what _I_ said when he first asked if I was attracted to him..."

Del rolled his eyes. "Don't go getting any ideas..."

"I'm pretty sure you're not his type. And anyway, he's _mine_ ," she giggled softly. "I'm just saying... He'll grow on you if you let him. I know how he can come across sometimes... but Reno really _is_ a terrific guy."

"Alright, you two... dinner!" Josephine suddenly called out from the kitchen.

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

" _Please?_ Just for a few blocks?"

"What part of 'no' was unclear?"

"The 'no' part?" Reno teased. "I mean... it does leave a lot of room for interpretation, boss..."

"Reno..." Tseng groaned, and pinched the bridge of his nose. At this rate, the redhead was going to pester him the entire way home.

Which, now that he thought about it, he probably should have expected. The man had been dropping subtle hints about wanting to drive it since he'd first seen the new car. Reno sighed in resignation.

"Fine... be that way. Do me a favor, though... there's a flower shop on 28th street. Swing by and see if they're still open, will ya?"

Tseng's eyebrow rose in curiosity. "What exactly have you done that warrants flowers?" Elena had left at the end of the day rather than wait for Reno to finish up the meeting he had pulled him into. The whole reason he was giving him a ride tonight to begin with was that she and Reno were still carpooling this week and her earlier departure had left him stranded. If flowers were required, it seemed there had been more reason for it than the rookie simply being eager to get home to her visiting relatives.

The redhead glared at him. "Ya know... I'm seriously gettin' sick of everyone just automatically jumpin' to the conclusion that I fucked up any time I do somethin' nice for my girlfriend..."

Tseng chuckled and turned down 28th Street. The man had a point. It wasn't _really_ fair. That didn't make teasing him any less enjoyable, however. "What's the occasion, then?"

He shrugged. "Hittin' up Number 6 today was kinda rough on her. Not sure if she ever mentioned it to ya, but her dad was the foreman there when it blew. I just figured some flowers might cheer her up a little."

"... I _had_ thought she seemed a bit subdued when we returned to the office. No... I knew her father had worked in the reactors, but I was not aware of that." He stopped in front of the shop where lights still shown in the windows. "It looks as though you're in luck."

* * *

"More pie, dear?"

Elena suppressed the urge to moan in agony. Yes... food was _definitely_ Nana's solution to everything. And not having redhead around to bear the brunt of it, meant she'd ended up eating far more than she should have.

"I'd love to, Nana... But there's just no more room..." she managed. "Besides... Reno will be devastated if he misses out on dessert."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Josephine smiled, "I made him his own. I think I'm finally making progress with that poor boy... He's _definitely_ starting to fill in a bit. His sweet little friend, too..."

"Lira?" the rookie asked, somewhat surprised.

"Oh, didn't we tell you?" Del interjected, with a roll of his eyes "Nana's insisted that we go over and keep her company while you were at work every day this week."

Josephine chuckled softly. "Well, she should hardly be expected to cook for herself in her condition, and she needs to keep her strength up for the baby's sake. And don't you act as though I dragged you along, Delion. I told you _I_ was going to go and look in on her for a bit. _You_ came of your _own_ accord every time. And spent far more time talking with her than even I did, I might add..."

Elena stared at her brother, surprised.

"Del?" she queried. He shifted awkwardly, and Elena was almost certain for a moment that he was actually blushing.

"She's... nice," he said, simply.

"And _very_ pretty..." Josephine snuck in, in a teasing tone.

"Nana!"

This time, Elena was absolutely positive her brother was blushing. In fact, he looked downright scandalized, and she giggled quietly wondering just how Reno would react to _that_. In a way, Lira was an awful lot like a sister to the redhead, and she knew firsthand how over-protective brothers could be...

She didn't have long to dwell on the thought, however. A key rattled softly in the lock and the door to her apartment swung inward as the very subject of her musings arrived home.

"Well, it's about time!" Nana chided, good-naturedly, before he could say anything. "You know, when I was growing up, if we were so late we missed supper, we either went without or cooked for ourselves." She laughed quietly to herself, before adding, "You're lucky I always hated that rule. Come sit down and eat something. You must be starving by now."

"Heh... In a minute, Nana," he replied, moving instead towards the couch, and the siblings seated on it. He leaned over and kissed Elena on the cheek. "Gotcha somethin'..."

The rookie smiled as Reno produced a bouquet from behind his back. Daisies and carnations... her favorites. Though how he'd known that, she wasn't sure. She didn't remember ever telling him...

"Thought they might make you feel better after this afternoon..."

"Oh, Reno... They're beautiful..." Elena smiled and pulled him towards her, capturing his lips and letting her fingers toy with his hair. When she finally released him, he grinned.

"I'm gonna have to start bringin' you flowers more often..." he gently taunted her.

* * *

It was some time later that they finally crawled into bed. Josephine had only relented on stuffing the redhead to the point of bursting after Elena had suggested a walk. The relieved expression on Reno's face had drawn a laugh even from Del, and the rookie had found herself elated that her brother really _did_ seem to be trying to find things he liked about him. It was getting dark by the time they returned, and they'd spent a little while playing a few friendly card games before calling it a night.

"Remind me never to play poker with Nana for real," Reno said, yawning widely as he turned down the bed and crawled under the covers. "After those last few hands, I get the distinct impression that she'd clean me out and laugh all the way to the bank afterwards."

She climbed in beside him and curled up in his arms.

"Trust me... she would," she murmured against her neck.

"Nana's fuckin' awesome..." he chuckled, and kissed the top of her head. Elena sighed and let her eyes drift shut.

"Tomorrow's Saturday..." she said quietly, a few minutes later, "I know we're still on alert, but do you want to try and do something a little more fun than just getting beaten at poker? It's their last day here, after all. They'll be heading home Sunday morning."

"Sure... Anything ya want, 'Lena," the redhead said, sleepily.

"We should find something we can take Lira along for... I bet she'd love to get outside for awhile..."

"Mmmhmm..." He nestled closer to her and sighed in content, beginning to drift off. Elena smirked slightly.

"And I know _Del_ would love it if she came. I think he's got a little bit of a crush on her..."

"Mmm... That's nice..." he replied, automatically. It took a moment for her words to fully register, but she had no problem pinpointing the exact moment they did. His entire body tensed and his eyes snapped open as he pulled away, staring at her in a mixture of confusion, shock, and possibly horror. "He _what_?!"

* * *

The sun wasn't even up yet, but Tseng most certainly was. Sleep had simply refused to claim him last night. He'd spent much of it tossing and turning, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding that had begun to plague him yesterday morning, in the hopes of snatching at least a few hours. He'd finally given up just before dawn.

And now, he was jogging along lamp-lit streets, as the sun was just beginning to peek over the edge of the Plate. He stopped when he reached the little cafe on the corner, and turned to head back. It was much too early for it to be open yet, or else he would have put his run on hold for something to eat. It was the only place within walking distance of his apartment that served something even vaguely close to a traditional Wutaiian breakfast... not quite what he remembered from his childhood, and heavily influenced by Midgar's melting pot of cultures... but still very enjoyable. Certainly better than his own cooking, at any rate.

Maybe he'd come back later.

He felt it before he heard it. In fact, the ground beneath his feet shook so violently for a moment that he stumbled mid-stride and had to grab hold of a nearby street sign for support. After that came the sound... an ear-splitting _boom_ that threatened to deafen him after he'd grown so used to the early morning silence. He knew immediately what it was without even looking.

Tseng turned to face the edge of the Sector 1 Plate and the reactor that stood there. Thick, black smoke curled into the sky, and he could see and hear the smaller explosions that were still going off. _He_ was far enough away that there was no danger... but many others in the sector weren't going to be so lucky.

With a grim expression, he reached for his PHS. Avalanche had finally made their move.

~fin~

 _ **Author's note:**_ _My original intention, years ago when I started this project, was to end this story at the point where the game picks up... the destruction of the Number 1 Reactor at the hands of Avalanche. But now that I've finally reached that point, I'm considering continuing, if there's still enough interest in it... so review and let me know!_


	44. The Beginning of the End

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 44:** **The Beginning of the End**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Since people seem to want me to go on, I've decided that I will. :) This is going to be a short chapter as a sort of transition into the FF7 storyline. I'm not sure when the next update will be, as I need to refamiliarize myself a bit with the order of events in the game before I start writing._

* * *

Reno found himself unexpectedly awake, the resounding _boom_ that woke him still echoing across the city. Elena was clinging to him, looking around wildly as she tried to determine what the _hell_ had just happened. He could feel her heart pounding in response to the adrenaline surge. His _own_ wasn't exactly beating calmly.

"R-Reno?"

"Fuck..." he breathed, instinctively pulling her closer for a moment before shaking off his shock and slipping out of bed. "Get dressed..." he said, "Not sure what the fuck that was, but it can't've been anything good..."

The sudden ringing of his PHS only confirmed that... and also confirmed the suspicions that had begun to creep into his head regarding the origins of the blast. The redhead stopped halfway into pulling on a pair of pants and snatched the device off the nightstand.

"I'm guessin' _you_ heard that, too, huh, Boss?" he answered.

"Actually, I _saw_ it. Part of it, anyway. Number 1 Reactor. Don't bother heading into headquarters... we'll coordinate from my apartment for the time being. It's closer."

"Me 'n 'Lena'll be there in twenty minutes..." He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed so he could finish dressing.

"What happened? Was it one of the reactors?" Elena asked, as she hurriedly shrugged into her jacket. She'd apparently come to the same conclusion he had moments ago.

"Elena?! Reno?!" a frightened voice from the other side of the bedroom door interrupted before he could answer. The rookie shook her head and opened it. Josephine hovered anxiously just beyond, looking somewhat pale. "What in the wide world was that?!"

"The reactor over in Sector 1 blew," Reno replied, pulling his hair back and tying it in place. "Sorry, Nana, but it looks like we're workin' this weekend..."

"I always _knew_ those things were more dangerous than they're worth..." Del piped up over his grandmother's shoulder. "How many accidents is this city going to put up with before they figure that out?"

"Didn't blow on it's own... That's why _we're_ gettin' called in." Technically, he didn't know that for certain yet... but it was a pretty safe bet. Numbers 1 and 5 had been at the top of Tseng's list of likely targets when they'd left for the weekend... apparently the added security he'd ordered hadn't been quite enough. He wondered how bad it was over in Sector 1 right now. An explosion was deadly enough... but if mako was leaking out onto the Plate, a full quarter of the sector could end up contaminated in a matter of hours if the cleanup crews weren't quick about getting things contained... to say nothing of the slums directly below. And that meant even _more_ deaths and _more_ injuries, as the populace succumbed to mako poisoning.

"W-wait... you're saying someone did this on _purpose_?" Del replied, incredulously.

Elena nodded, already heading for the door. "That's exactly what he's saying. We'll be back as soon as we can..."

Reno hurried to follow her, but paused for a moment, turning to Del. "I know I don't have any right to ask ya for favors, but... do you think you could maybe check in on Lira for me? That had to've freaked her out pretty bad..."

The other man blinked, slightly surprised. "Uh... yeah. Sure," he said, nodding.

"Don't you worry about her," Nana added, "We'll _both_ head over there just as soon as we're dressed and make sure she's alright."

* * *

"How bad is it?" Reno asked, walking straight into Tseng's apartment. Normally, he would have knocked, out of courtesy... but today the Turk leader's home was mission control. Tseng glanced up from the television screen where the local news was running footage of the destruction in the vicinity of the reactor.

"It could have been much worse, all things considered," he replied, "The reactor was down for maintenance, so the power failures are mostly confined to the immediate area surrounding it. Primarily support buildings... a few blocks worth of residences and businesses. There _is_ a mako leak... We seem to have been fortunate, however. It's a small one, and the repair crews are already working on containing it. There's always the potential of something shifting in the wreckage, however, and causing it to worsen before they can get a handle on it."

"Casualties?"

Tseng shook his head. "I haven't received an official count yet... and when I do, it will probably only be an estimate. At least eleven employees are still unaccounted for in the reactor itself, but there was also significant damage to surrounding buildings. Structural collapse from the shock wave, fires... Nevermind the people who were poisoned rather than killed outright. It may be days yet before we know the full extent. As I said, it could have been worse... but it's still bad."

Reno scowled and watched as a news helicopter circled high above Sector 1 on television, its camera panning across the destruction.

"We shoulda taken those fuckers out months ago..." he said, angrily. In general, he didn't give a shit about politics... Avalanche's or anyone else's. And he was the first to admit that Shinra Company was hardly the picture of lily-white innocence... but people were dead, and more were likely dying... all because some upstart little holier-than-thou assholes decided that Shinra needed to be taught a lesson.

He'd read through some of their bullshit propaganda fliers, and he'd come to the conclusion that they were nothing more than short-sighted idealists with no concept of how things really worked. They condemned mako energy as "draining the planet of its life force"... but they didn't offer a damn thing as far as alternatives. If the entire planet was somehow going to magically stop using mako, _something_ had to take its place. You didn't make the world better by haphazardly tearing down infrastructure with no plans for rebuilding it. Even _he_ could understand that much, and such matters were well beyond what Shinra paid him to care about.

Tseng sighed, and hung his head. "You're right. We should have."

"Boss... I didn't mean –"

"I know."

"So... What do we do now, sir?" Elena asked.

"Soldier will be dealing with the immediate fallout. I've sent Rude down to Sector 7 with orders to locate our terrorists. If he succeeds in doing so, he'll contact us with the details. The president has demanded they be brought in alive."

" _What?!_ " Reno intoned, disbelief clearly evident in his voice. "You can't fuckin' be serious, Tseng..."

"President Shinra wants them made an example of. Publicly."

The redhead didn't much care for that idea... he'd much rather have simply eliminated the threat and been done with it. But... orders were orders.

"And what do _we_ do while we're waitin' on Rude?"

"Until we locate Avalanche, we'll be assisting with search and rescue as needed," the Turk leader replied. "Reno, you're our best pilot... I'm going to need you in the air. There are are lot of people trapped that can't be reached from the ground. Dr. Ward and some of the other medical staff are already on their way to headquarters. They'll be waiting for you on the helipad."

Reno nodded. "Got it."

"Elena... you and I will join Soldier in helping anyone we _can_ reach from the ground."

"Yes, sir."

Reno pulled Elena into his arms, kissing her gently. "Be careful out there, 'kay?"

"You, too," she replied, smiling slightly. He reluctantly let her go, and headed out the door again, bound for the Shinra Building and the helicopter that waited for him on its roof.

* * *

It wasn't possible. He'd _seen_ them walk inside, one by one – the last one arriving not five minutes ago – and they damn well hadn't come back out after the bar had unexpectedly closed up shop. And yet, now... his targets had mysteriously vanished. All six of them... even the bartender was nowhere to be found.

Which meant there had to be a secret exit. And he'd just let them slip right past him like a goddamned rookie.

Rude punched the wall beside him in frustration, splintering a section of the wooden paneling. This was _not_ the report he'd been planning to make to Tseng. He turned, defeated, towards the door, hand reaching for his PHS... but before he could notify the Turk leader of his failure, a loud mechanical hum started up behind him. The Turk glanced back over his shoulder in surprise as he watched the pinball machine in the corner slowly sink into the floor.

"..."

It took him a moment to realize what exactly was happening... but when he did, he darted into the shadows of the back room, concealing himself behind a shelf and peering though the narrow openings between the stock. It wasn't long before the game rose back into place... carrying with it the alleged ex-Soldier.

So that was their _real_ headquarters. A hidden room below the bar. Rude smirked to himself. He had them now.

* * *

"Yes, sir... I understand," Tseng said, frowning at his phone. Heidegger had told him to wait... to watch. The president wanted the city to see Avalanche caught in the act, not just publicly executed. He actually wanted to _allow_ them to move forward with their next attack... which, thanks to Rude, they knew knew would be directed at the Number 5 Reactor. The Turk leader shook his head in dismay... Something told him this wasn't going to end well.

Public relations be damned... letting those lunatics continue to run around unchecked until they were ready to pull something else was insanity. The destruction that presently surrounded him was _more_ than enough to prove that, as far as he was concerned. But then, it wasn't really up to him... so he messaged their orders to Rude, anyway.

President Shinra had always been a somewhat callous man... but there was no denying that he was generally well-liked by the denizens of Midgar. To Tseng, he was nothing more than the quintessential business man. He did what was in the best interest of the company... and if it made Shinra look good and someone else look bad, that was _always_ in the best interested of the company. To be fair, it was a mentality that had served him well over the years. The populace tended to overlook a few things – the existence of a group like the Turks, for example – that they might otherwise not have, because Shinra Company was looking out for them. The company had become a global power under the president's watch.

But this... This had so much potential to backfire on them. One reactor was already in its death throes. It would be months before Number 1 was back up and running again, assuming they didn't end up having to scrap the whole thing and rebuild it. Now they were planning to risk Number 5 as well, just for the sake of a public execution. Tseng didn't like the idea at all.

He sighed and tucked his phone away. At least this time they knew where it would happen. They might have to risk the reactor, but they didn't have to risk any more lives. A low-key evacuation of the blast radius around Number 5 was already being planned... and the media, at Mayor Domino's urging – which, in turn, had come at the behest of the Shinra executive board – had been recommending all morning that residents should move away from all of the reactors, in case of more attacks. Shinra Company was doing everything in their power to turn public sentiment against Avalanche... not that it was that difficult a task once images of the aftermath had made their way onto TV screens around the city...

"Sir!" Elena's voice called out to him, and Tseng turned, seeing the rookie struggling to help an injured man out of the rubble. He nodded and made his way over, taking some of the man's weight from her and walking him towards the makeshift triage center that had been set up in the middle of the block.

The list of injured had rapidly ballooned into the mid-hundreds, once rescuers had begun searching for survivors. Midgar General's emergency department was already overwhelmed. At this point, only the very worst cases were being sent on to the city's main hospital. Everyone else was stuck in a holding pattern as they waited for transportation to become available to one of the smaller medical facilities or simply to be treated in place and taken elsewhere for shelter.

The death toll was closing in on sixty, the last Tseng had heard. That had been nearly an hour ago. He was fairly sure he should be feeling something over that number. Outrage, at the very least. Perhaps a sense of tragic loss. Almost certainly guilt over failing so spectacularly to prevent it. The truth was, though, for the moment at any rate, he felt surprisingly numb to all.

As they set the injured man down on the nearest stretcher and left him in the hands of the medical personnel, he could see that Elena didn't share his detachment.

"Let's go and take short break. Get something to eat."

The rookie shook her head. "I'm not hungry, sir," she replied, flatly.

"Something to drink, then. So long as you step away from this for a few minutes."

"Yes, sir..."

Tseng escorted her off to the little coffee shop that was pulling double duty as respite for those working to bring in survivors. It was pleasantly cool inside compared to the early summer heat that was gradually warming the streets as the sun rose higher in the sky, but the atmosphere was somber. As they entered, a few other volunteers filtered back out. The two Turks found a table in the back, far from the windows that overlooked sight outside, and Tseng left Elena there before going to get some water for the both of them. When he returned, she seemed lost in thought. He wordlessly set the bottle in front of her.

"How could anyone do something like this?" she asked after a minute or two.

"I wish I could say I don't know," he replied, "But unfortunately, I'm intimately acquainted with the mindset of justifying something that has no right being justified."

"Sir?"

"You forget, Elena... my own sister was a victim of an attack much like this. One that I had a hand in instigating. The benefits ultimately outweighed the costs... or at least that's what we told ourselves. I don't know that it was ever really true. It certainly wasn't for me, in the end. I suspect at least _some_ members of Avalanche may harbor similar regrets by now."

"Enough to stop them from attacking again?" she asked softly, taking a small sip from the bottle of water. He hadn't yet told her about the president's plan. President Shinra,at least, seemed to be banking on the group's conscience failing to get the better of them.

"That I can't say. Probably not... There will always be _someone_ out there capable of justifying further violence."

And sometimes that someone wasn't the terrorists.

"It's barbaric," she stated.

"Yes. It is."

"But it's going to keep happening anyway, isn't it? And one of these days, it might be _us_ causing something like this."

"It's certainly possible," Tseng agreed. If history was anything to go by, it was more than just possible. It was very likely. The rookie didn't need to know that right now, however.

Elena finally looked up at him. "How are we supposed to live with something like that?"

"We tell ourselves that the ends justify the means... and then hope that we're convincing enough that we believe it."

~fin~


	45. An Avalanche of Trouble

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 45: An Avalanche of Trouble**

 **by Desha**

"The waiting's fuckin' killin' me, man," Reno muttered, walking slowly along the sidewalk. Rude grunted softly in agreement. He wasn't enjoying this much either. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if they had something else to occupy their time with... but for now, the pair were stuck in Sector 5, not far from the reactor, just waiting for Avalanche to make their next move. They knew with certainty that it would be tonight... _when_ tonight was a little more tenuous. They were there early... and keeping their distance for the time being, just in case Avalanche had scouts watching the area. The group didn't need to know just yet that the Turks were onto them.

Tseng and Elena were likewise positioned and playing the waiting game elsewhere in Midgar... but their job was to ensure the safety of the president. Reno and Rude had the responsibility of minimizing damage to the reactor. A bomb would go off as Avalanche planned... just not the bomb they were expecting. The Turks would be disarming that one, and placing one of their own; a much smaller one that would shut down the reactor for a short while, but not cause any serious destruction or danger to the populace. Number 5 would be back up and running within a week, but the terrorist group would take the fall for the bombing.

It seemed, to Rude at least, like a lot of hassle just for the sake of swaying public opinion farther in Shinra's favor, and a great deal of unnecessary risk. But the president had ordered it. It was his job to obey those orders. He glanced up after a moment, and realized that his partner was no longer walking beside him.

"... Something wrong?"

Reno was staring into a shop window, a thoughtful expression on his face. He shook his head, but didn't turn away from whatever had caught his eye. Rude backtracked a few steps, joining him. His eyebrow rose in surprise when he followed the redhead's gaze.

"Reno?"

"Ya think she'd say yes if I ever asked her?"

It wasn't a flashy ring... Just a diamond in a simple gold setting. But then, Elena didn't wear much in the way of jewelry... and what little she did wear tended to be similarly simple. Rude had a feeling that would be exactly the sort of ring she'd prefer.

"... You _thinking_ about asking her?"

The redhead shrugged, noncommittally. "You know I don't give a fuck about ceremonies 'n shit," he replied, " _I'm_ fine with things the way they are. But 'Lena... She's kind of a romantic, ya know? I think it'd be important to _her_ to make it official eventually."

"Buy the ring."

Reno glanced sideways at his partner, laughing. "For fuck's sake, Rude... I was just askin' if you thought she'd be up for it one of these days. Don't you think actually _buyin'_ it is rushin' things a little? We haven't even been together three months yet."

Rude snorted softly. "Please. You've been together a year and half. You just didn't _realize_ it until a few months ago. Buy the damn ring."

The redhead rolled his eyes, and started down the sidewalk again. "And do what with it? It's not like I'm planning on askin' her _soon_. I mean, come on... Jumpin' straight from moving in together... which wasn't exactly planned, by the way... to proposin'? I want her to _stay_ with me... not send her running," he countered.

"... You don't have to ask right away just because you have a ring."

"Y-yeah... I _guess_ you kinda have a point there..." he mused, pausing and glancing back towards the shop. He suddenly shook his head, vehemently. "The fuck am I even thinkin'? What if she found the damn thing? You ever seen how obsessively that woman cleans? There's _nowhere_ in that apartment I could hide it and be even reasonably sure she wouldn't just come across it before I get around to askin'... And then I'd _have_ to ask her right away 'cause she'd know it was comin' and she'd be expectin' it."

The bald Turk snickered quietly. He wasn't quite sure if the man was trying to talk himself _into_ buying it or out of it at this point.

"Buy the ring," he repeated again, " _I'll_ hold onto it for you until you're ready."

"... Seriously?" Reno queried, still sounding decidedly uncertain.

"Buy the ring."

"You're startin' to sound like a broken record, partner..." He turned away and started walking again. "No way. It's way too fuckin' soon to be thinkin' about shit like that..."

Rude shrugged and hurried after him, quickly falling into step beside him. His friend really _could_ be ridiculously stubborn. But sometimes, he just needed the right sort of push to get him over it.

"Hmph... Guess you're right," he replied, "It's not as if we're in a dangerous line of work that might kill us at any moment. No sense rushing into things... _Especially_ when you know it's what you want more than anything. Just hold off awhile."

Reno stopped and glared at him for a moment, before turning on his heel and storming back the way they'd come.

"Now where are you going?" Rude called after him, smirking slightly. As if he really had to ask.

"Where do you fuckin' think? To buy the goddamn ring," came the annoyed reply.

* * *

She'd missed dinner. Nana and Del's last night in Midgar, and she'd missed dinner. She wished they could stay longer, but they had things to tend to back in Veraheim. They couldn't hang around in Midgar forever... And really, given recent events, maybe it was just as well they headed home and got themselves out of harm's way.

Elena's phone chimed softly with an incoming message. It was Reno with news. She hurriedly dialed Tseng to relay the information.

"Sir? Security just confirmed there's movement in the tunnels. Reno and Rude are moving in now."

"Understood..." Tseng's voice replied over her PHS. "Be ready to evacuate."

"Yes, sir. Standing by."

Elena took a deep breath and released it slowly, as her fingers curled around the helicopter controls. She couldn't help feeling nervous. The safety of all three of her fellow Turks, _and_ the president of the company was riding on her piloting skills. President Shinra planned to confront the members of Avalanche personally before leaving them to their fate... a fate which was to be recorded, edited, and presented on an emergency news broadcast to the public in the morning. At the same time, Reno and Rude would be neutralizing the terrorist group's bomb and replacing it with a much smaller one. The plan was for her to pick up the pair of them as they exited the reactor, then arrive in time to whisk both the president, and Tseng, who would be keeping a close watch over him from the shadows, away from the area as well.

There wasn't much margin for error. And it certainly didn't help knowing that the two Turks currently entering the reactor were going to be messing around, trying to disarm some sort of half-assed, jury-rigged explosive device. She was pretty sure she was going to be on edge until everyone was safely aboard the helicopter.

She'd be glad when Avalanche was out of the picture... though she wished the president had just let them finish the group off as soon as Rude had found them. There was no good reason that she could see to be putting themselves at risk like this. It was all for some stupid, ultimately pointless, show-boating that the president could turn into good PR. Most of the Plate was _already_ out for blood when it came to Avalanche after their attack on Sector 1. Shinra really didn't need any further justification to crush them to a pulp.

Elena sighed. It wasn't her place to question their orders. Tseng didn't like this idea any more than she did... neither did Reno. Or Rude. But it was what the president demanded. He wanted a spectacle that would paint Shinra as Midgar's guardian angel... and that's what he was going to get.

* * *

Reno watched as the small group made their way out. He'd counted six initially. Half had already taken off. The last three were leaving now.

"Looks like your girlfriend is helpin' out tonight. Bad luck, pal... Shoulda asked her out before she painted a target on her back," he quietly goaded the other man as they watched the remaining members haul ass out of the reactor core.

"... Can't a guy have crush without being mocked for it?" Rude replied, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Tch... Not when said crush is a wanted terrorist plantin' bombs in mako reactors. 'Sides... you only like her for her tits. Just admit it..." the redhead said with a grin. Rude snorted derisively... but didn't actually deny it. Reno smirked and watched as the busty bartender and her friends boarded the elevator and disappeared. "Time to move, partner."

Oh, how he would have loved to have just ended things for those bastards while they'd been right in front of him. But their job was remain unseen and take care of that bomb. Rude nodded and tailed him as Reno sprinted towards the room that housed the reactor core. He kept a careful watch, just in case any other Avalanche operatives had slipped in without him noticing and stuck around to make sure nothing went wrong... but the place was empty.

The two Turks hurried along the wide catwalk that led to the core, and the redhead let out a low whistle upon seeing what they were dealing with.

"Fuck, man... These assholes aren't playin' around." No wonder the Number 1 Reactor had gone down in flames. They'd certainly packed enough C-4 into _this_ one. Reno was no demolitions expert, but the damn thing was the size of his head. And it was counting down. "This isn't gonna be a problem, is it?"

"... Could be worse," Rude said shrugging as he pulled out a set of tools and went to work.

"You're _sure_ you know what you're doin' with that shit, right, pal?"

"Hmph... you want to disarm it?" he shot back.

"I'll get the next one," Reno joked. Not that he didn't know how to do it... but frankly, he'd never needed to put those skills to the test outside of training with dummy rigs that _wouldn't_ blow him to pieces if he fucked up. Rude, at least, had done this a couple of times in the field. The redhead was really just there to watch his back in case of trouble. "Just don't fuckin' blow us up, huh?"

"Catch."

" _Fuck_ , man!" the redhead cried as Rude chucked the bomb at him. He nearly dropped it, juggling it from one hand to the other for a moment before finally getting a solid grip on the device. "You _tryin'_ to kill us or somethin'?!" It took him a moment to realize that the timer had already gone dark.

Rude chuckled, and began placing their own explosives. "Relax. That stuff's perfectly safe with the detonator removed."

"That was _not_ funny, you son of a bitch..."

"Done. Let's go," Rude replied, standing up. Reno couldn't help but notice the amused expression he now wore.

"Fuck you, Rude. I'm tellin' 'Lena you threw a fuckin' bomb at me. Just wait 'til _she_ gets her hands on you."

* * *

Tseng scowled, hidden from view. His weapon was pointed squarely at the man with the gun arm. He seemed, by far, the most volatile of the group and he would definitely be the first one taken down if Tseng had to intervene, the president's precious video be damned. The ex-Soldier wouldn't be far behind, and then the girl.

This was foolishness. Utter foolishness. The president could be dead seven times over before he could do anything about it, the way he'd positioned himself. _Tseng_ had wanted him to stay out of reach, on the upper catwalk... and in fact had believed he'd talked the man into just that... right up until the point President Shinra had walked out behind Avalanche as they'd attempted to escape the soldiers sent out to pen them in. The Wutaiian Turk was indescribably angry that his charge had opted to change the plan without informing him.

It was times like this he wished he had Elena's marksmanship. Tseng was a good shot. The rookie was better... and had a level confidence in her aim that he'd somehow allowed to degrade in himself over the years. There had been a time when he knew with absolute certainty that his bullet would hit within millimeters of its mark... any other outcome would have been inconceivable. But that had been years ago. Regardless... now wasn't the time to start doubting his own skill. He might not be able to quite measure up to Elena these days, but he could certainly manage a fatal headshot or three from this distance.

"So... you all must be that... What was it again?" the President asked, with infuriating calm.

" _Avalanche_! And don't you forget it!" their leader replied, clearly angered by the executive's apparent lack of concern... which, knowing Bertrand Shinra, was exactly the reaction he'd intended. His bodyguard, meanwhile, was internally cringing. Was it really necessary to provoke them like that? He watched in silence, finger tense on the trigger as the blonde man stepped forward, and adjusted his aim to a new target.

"Long time no see, Mr. President," he said.

"Hmph... and _you_ must be the traitor. You'll have to forgive me if I don't recognize you... but I can't be expected to remember the name of everyone who works for me," Shinra sneered, "Unless of course you managed to become another Sephiroth... but I hardly think that's likely. A pity. He was brilliant... perhaps _too_ brilliant."

Tseng narrowed his eyes as the female member of the group seemed to tense at that remark. An interesting reaction... Rude's intel had indicated she came from Nibelheim originally. But Tseng was certain she hadn't been among the few survivors they'd found after Sephiroth had burned it to the ground. She couldn't know the truth. And yet... her posture was telling him that she was furious at the mere mention of the legendary Soldier.

"Don't give a damn about no Sephiroth!" the leader – Wallace, if he recalled correctly... Barret Wallace – snapped back at the President. "This place is goin' up with hell of a _bang_ pretty soon. Just like the Number 1 Reactor. Serves you bastards right!"

"Such a waste," Shinra replied, with a dismissive wave, "I wonder... Do you know how hated you are right now for the lives your little display over in Sector 1 cost? Well, it hardly matters one way or the other. You won't be around long enough to hear the people of Midgar calling for blood. It's unfortunate we have to sacrifice yet another reactor just to get rid of vermin like you..."

" _Vermin_?! That's all you can say? Vermin?!" Barret growled, pushing out in front of his two comrades. Tseng eyed the gun mounted to his arm. "You Shinra scum are the _vermin_ , killin' the planet! And that makes you King Vermin! So... shut up, jackass!"

The Turk leader snorted softly. The man wasn't exactly the most articulate of terrorists. The sound of rotor blades cutting through the air suddenly caught his attention, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief. Reno and Rude must have finished their task... the President's ride was here.

And none too soon, as far as Tseng was concerned.

"... _You_ are beginning to bore me," Shinra stated, glancing subtly to his right. By now he had to have been able to see the approaching helicopter. "I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me... I have a dinner I must attend tonight."

The aircraft finally rose to the level of the catwalk, and Tseng could see his teammates on board – Reno and Rude, both with weapons drawn and covering the President from inside, while Elena held it steady, waiting for him to board.

"Dinner?!" Barret started forward angrily, only coming to a halt when he looked up and saw the guns aimed at him. "Don't gimme that! I ain't even started wit' you yet!"

The President smiled condescendingly. "Not to worry. I've made arrangements for a playmate for all of you..." He snapped his fingers and right on cue, a loud mechanical hum could be heard above the whine of the helicopter engines.

"What's that sound?" the woman asked, looking around for the source as her large, angry friend backed up nervously.

"The hell is this?!" Barret demanded. The ex-Soldier, Cloud Strife, fell into a defensive stance, ready for an attack as an intimidating robot emerged from its hiding place.

Tseng shook his head. Another of Scarlet's little inventions. He would have preferred the simplicity of a bullet to the head, but apparently the Turks' way of doing things didn't make for good television. He couldn't help but harbor a few reservations about using the mechanical monstrosity, though. Scarlet's Guard Scorpion had done nothing to stop the group in the Number 1 Reactor... and her Proud Clod had been felled by little more than the woman's grudge against Elena. He hoped this creation was a bit more effective.

The President, however, was positively beaming. "Meet Airbuster... our new techo-Soldier. Our Weapons Development Department created him. The data he'll extract from your corpses should be of great use to us in future experiments."

With that, he turned to the copter and allowed Reno to help him aboard. Strife ran forward, apparently hoping to stop him, but Elena hurried to raise them out of the man's range before leaving the soon-to-be battleground all together.

Tseng relaxed. The President was safe. His team was safe. That was his cue to exit as well. He slipped away from his perch, and up a nearby ladder, heading for his rendezvous point. The helicopter reappeared moments after he reached it, a rope ladder tumbling from the open door. He seized it and hauled himself up.

"I trust everything went according to plan on your end?"

"No problem, Boss," the redhead replied, as the Turk leader took a seat beside him. "Should be goin' off in about thirty seconds."

"Excellent," the President piped up. "I want the footage from the catwalk recovered as soon as possible. See to it that it's delivered to the marketing department immediately."

"Yes, sir," Tseng acknowledged, before turning to the rookie at the controls. They could do that from the office. There was no need to linger. "Elena, take us back to headquarters."

Before she could answer, a loud explosion echoed across the sector, and large area below them went dark. Tseng leaned forward, gazing out through the cockpit window. Aside from several darkened city blocks, things looked perfectly fine... just as planned. And if Scarlet's drone had done its job effectively, that was the end of their Avalanche problem, as well.

The sped across the city, landing minutes later on top of Shinra Company Headquarters.

"Good work, Tseng..." President Shinra said, as he disembarked, "You and your team did well this evening."

The Wutaiian Turk gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Thank you, sir," he said, as the executive disappeared into the elevator. When he was gone, Tseng shook his head, and turned back to the others. "What a waste of time. Rude... see to that footage before you leave for the night. Elena... I'll leave the helicopter to you."

The rookie nodded and headed off to see to securing and refueling the aircraft as the other three Turks made their way inside.

"I have a task for you, as well, that I would like you to handle in the morning," Tseng said as the elevator doors closed behind them, glancing over at the redhead.

"Sure, what's up, Boss?" Reno replied.

"Aerith."

He blinked in surprise. "You want her picked up? Why the sudden rush?"

"Because if Heidegger is to be believed, the president is going to demand that we find her soon. He's wants to move forward with the Neo-Midgar project... a desire that has not been officially announced to anyone yet, including some members of the board, so keep quiet about it. I trust you know where to find her?"

"Yeah, no problem there... Not like she makes a habit of hidin'. I'll head down first thing."

"Take a a few security officers with you when you go."

"Boss?" Reno asked, looking slightly annoyed by the request. Tseng chuckled softly.

"I'm well aware you could easily manage her on your own. It's not intended as a slight. Security has been clamoring for field training and Heidegger has been pushing me to agree to it. A relatively boring and uneventful trip to the slums might... give them pause... about placing such demands on our time."

"Tch... Fuckin' pain in the ass," he muttered in reply, "Fine... Guess I can always use 'em as a human shield if she gets pissed at me..."

The three Turks stepped out of the elevator, and strolled towards their office.

"Afraid of the flower girl?" Rude teased. Reno fixed him with a smirk.

"Don't ever underestimate an angry woman, pal... Ya never know what they might try. I've already ended up on the ground holdin' myself _once_ this week, thanks to that goddamn bartender of yours."

* * *

"Five more minutes..."

Reno sighed, sorely tempted to agree to the quiet demand... especially with the warmth of Elena's body permeating his own skin and her fingers gently twirling a lock of his hair. Hell... normally, _he'd_ be the one begging for a few more minutes under the covers. He nuzzled her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Mmm... Sorry, 'Lena. Tseng wants the girl first thing. I gotta get up."

Elena propped herself up on one elbow, but didn't release him. Instead, her palm slid in a tempting caress across his bare chest, and down his stomach, pausing suggestively just past his hips.

"That's not what I meant..." he smirked at the unspoken offer. Elena sank back down, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Two more minutes?" she pleaded, with a soft smile. "We _finally_ don't have to worry about things blowing up any more. Can't we hold off on the kidnapping for a little while and enjoy it?"

Reno grinned and rolled over, pinning her against the pillows. He couldn't say know no to her. "'Kay... two more minutes," he grinned, "But then I really _do_ need to go take care of this..." He straddled her, and let his hands roam along her sides as their lips met. "Ya know... I'm startin' to think maybe I'm not the only pervert in this relationship..." he teased.

Elena smiled warmly. "I love you."

"And I love _you_ ," he responded, stealing one final kiss. "But I gotta go to work, so quit tryin' to tempt me into somethin' that's, A, gonna take a lot longer than two minutes if ya want it done right, and B, is _definitely_ gonna wake up our guests in the next room. After two weeks, I don't have _that_ much self-control left."

The rookie groaned at the joke and untangled herself from her boyfriend. She held onto his hand as he left the bed, only releasing it as he began to move away.

"Tonight?" she asked, as he dressed, and his grinned widened. Her family would be heading home later this morning. He was a little sad to see Nana go... but on the bright side, it meant that they would finally have the place all to themselves again. Thank Ifrit... He wasn't sure how many more nights he could stand lying next to her in bed and not being allowed to do anything for fear of Elena's houseguests overhearing something.

"Just try 'n stop me..." Reno pulled on his jacket, and tucked his backup weapon into its holster, before returning to the bed. If he'd had the time right now, he'd have just said to hell with worrying about waking people up. He wanted her. Badly. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her again. "I'll see ya at work, 'Lena."

* * *

She wasn't at home. Her mother was there, and so he'd kept carefully out of sight, waiting to get eyes on his target... but it soon became clear that he wasn't the only person who was up and about unbearably early this morning.

"Hear this girl's something special."

"What's so special about her?"

"Hell, I dunno. But they're sending the Turks after her, ain't they?"

Reno clamped down on the desire to just ditch these assholes. The three of them weren't exactly helping... and more to the point, they'd been driving him nuts since he picked them up. He hoped Tseng was right and this assignment ended up being so boring and by the book that Security would stop their requests for field training. Because if he had to make this a regular thing, he was gonna end up strangling someone.

"Would you fuckwits keep it down already?" he finally hissed. "We're gonna be at this all day if my target notices you and takes off runnin'. I have other shit to do today, ya know... Fuckin' amateurs..."

He ignored the glares from the three _members of building security_ – he had to forcibly remind himself that Tseng had specifically asked him _not_ to refer to them as rent-a-cops while they were with him – and left his hiding place near the little garden, heading back out into Sector 5. They scurried to follow him.

If she wasn't at home, odds were good that she'd either be at the church, or on her way up to the Plate to sell her flowers. Reno hoped she was at the church. He didn't really want to cause a scene in a more public area... and he definitely didn't want to risk letting her get hurt if some idiot do-gooder decided to intervene on her behalf. Aerith was cute and vulnerable-looking... anyone not looking to take advantage of her tended to wantto _help_ her. And if he needed proof of that, he didn't have to look any farther than Tseng.

He had only briefly met Tseng's younger sister... just before she'd died, in fact. She'd come across in much the same way as the flower girl. Adorable, sweet, and delicate. And also like the flower girl, he'd very quickly discovered that looks could be deceiving. He'd learned _that_ lesson right after Mayu had effortlessly knocked his feet out from under him and dropped him to the floor for sneaking a peak down her blouse... and then held him there with his fingers bent backwards until he'd apologized and sworn he'd never do it again.

Reno had always assumed that the similarities contributed heavily to the his mentor's desire to do what he could to shield the young woman he was now searching for from Shinra. Granted, Aerith wasn't very likely to kick his ass the way Mayu had... but she probably wouldn't come quietly, either.

He was shaken from his musing by the sound of a discharging EMR. Reno stopped dead and spun around to glare at his 'backup'... who seemed to be comparing armament.

"Put that shit away... I fuckin' told you. No weapons. She gets hurt 'cause one of you does somethin' stupid, I'm turning my boss loose on your sorry asses," he growled, irritated. "Now fuckin' move!"

"What if she tries to run?" one of them asked.

"Then we _chase_ her," the redhead said, through gritted teeth. "We do not shoot, stab, electrocute, or otherwise injure this target. Clear?"

"Well, what if _she_ attacks _us_ first?"

"I don't care if she fuckin' summons Ifrit to deep fry your ass," he replied as they were nearing the church, "She comes back with so much as a scratch on her, I'll make sure all three of you get _volunteered_ for whatever Hojo needs specimens for next. Now, shut the hell up while I see if she's in there."

Reno shook his head and left his security detail on the street as he strode up to the door and slipped silently inside. It didn't take him long to spot her... though much to his surprise, she wasn't alone. Aerith was laughing quietly, apparently at something her companion had said. Reno's eyes widened slightly as he recognized the man. It was the damn ex-Soldier. How the _fuck_ had _he_ managed to survive? And how'd he end up here?

"What's so funny?" Strife was asking her.

"Sorry... I just..." Aerith suddenly glanced his way, and froze. The redhead cringed as he heard the door creak open behind him, and resisted the urge to turn around and smack some sense into his entourage. Idiots.

 _'Great,'_ he thought, _'Now she's gonna know why I'm here.'_

He'd been hoping to talk to her first... maybe even convince her to come with him instead of being dragged off. That definitely wasn't going to be happening now. Though to be fair, it probably wouldn't have happened anyway with Soldier-boy over there, hanging around. Strife was already eying him... sizing him up. Aerith stepped back, behind her new friend.

"Say, Cloud... Have you ever been a bodyguard?" she asked.

Reno groaned softly. That figured. He never seemed to catch a break. The pair of them seemed to be discussing it, now, and apparently reached an agreement. At last, Cloud turned away from Aerith and started towards him.

"I don't know who you are, but..." he began, only to pause, mumbling to himself, "You don't know me... ?" His expression went blank for a few seconds. "Oh, yeah... I know you. That uniform..." he continued.

Reno blinked, caught slightly by surprise. Something was off with this guy.

"H-hey... this one's a little weird..." one of the guards behind Reno said, sounding a little nervous.

 _'Tch... No shit,'_ he thought. He didn't like it... fuck only knew what the guy was capable of. He'd somehow managed to survive Scarlet's techno-Soldier, and judging by the disquieting glow of his eyes, his line about formerly being with Soldier was no marketing gimmick. This asshole had been exposed to mako. A lot of it. If he _wasn't_ Soldier, Reno wasn't sure he wanted to know what he _was_.

"Reno! Want him taken out?" the guard to his right asked, just a little too enthusiastically for the redhead's taste.

"I haven't decided yet..." he replied, casting an annoyed glance at the man... whom he recognized as the member of the trio who'd been playing with his weapon earlier. He looked like he was just itching for a fight. Something told Reno that this wasn't going to end well...

"Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!" Aerith suddenly called out, and to the Turk's shock, Strife actually backed off. "This way!"

He scowled as the pair of them darted towards the back of the church. Of _course_ she wasn't going to make this easy.

"Alright, you morons... Let's go get 'em," he muttered, starting forward. "And don't step on the..." Something crunched softly underfoot, and he looked down and sighed. Typical. "... Flowers."

He pointedly ignored the snickering behind him and hurried off in the direction his target had disappeared.

* * *

Elena made her way into the office, arms loaded down with food. Nana had sent breakfast – ostensibly for the Tseng and Rude... if the two men had suddenly started to eat like Reno, that is.

She'd gotten her five more minutes with the redhead after all. Nana was already awake and cooking when he'd headed for the door. It had been a slightly tearful goodbye, and her grandmother hadn't let Reno leave until she'd fed him, hugged him, and told him she'd miss him... and then fed him again, for good measure, insisting that he was still too skinny. In spite of it all, the redhead had definitely looked like he really hadn't wanted to leave so soon... but he had an assignment to take care of, and Tseng wouldn't be happy if he put it off. The rookie, meanwhile, hadn't been _allowed_ to leave until she'd had breakfast as well, and then agreed to help prepare and take still _more_ food to Tseng and Rude. She was a little late getting in today because of it.

She smiled to herself as she maneuvered her way through the door. She was going to miss having Nana around just as much as Reno would. The next vacation she got, she was definitely spending it in Veraheim.

"Good morning!" she chirped as she stepped into the office, setting down her load on her desk for the moment. "I hope you're both hungry!"

The two men were hovering over Rude's computer screen... Neither looked especially happy.

"... What happened now?" she asked, automatically, recognizing the expression.

"We've been reviewing the security footage from last night. It seems the President's plan wasn't quite as foolproof as he believed it to be," Tseng replied with an irritated shake of his head. "Our terrorists escaped."

"... Though on the bright side, Scarlet now has some terrific video of her Airbuster being completely decimated," Rude added, and Elena couldn't help but think he looked just a little sadistically pleased by that fact. She sort of felt the same way herself. Scarlet's ego could stand to be knocked down a peg or two.

"When are we going after them?"

Tseng frowned. "We've been asked to wait. Heidegger and President Shinra are planning _something_. In the mean time, I've already been in contact with Corneo."

"Sir?" the rookie queried, slightly confused. Rude turned to face her and smirked.

"Told you... He can sometimes be useful. Avalanche hasn't returned to their hideout, and by now a lot of my people in Seven might be a little too recognizable. He's doing a little reconnaissance for us."

"In exchange for quite a large sum of money, and my agreement to look the other way on a certain transaction we were planning to interrupt," Tseng added. "With luck, he'll be able to give us a location before the end of the day."

"Who's doin' what now?" a new voice interrupted, "... And do I smell bacon?"

The rookie laughed softly and glanced back toward the door as Reno stepped inside.

"Ah... Reno," Tseng said, following her gaze. He paused upon seeing that he was alone. "You haven't already taken Aerith to the holding cells, have you?"

"So, uh..." he began, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "About that... I _kinda_ didn't get her. But on the plus side, I don't think Security's gonna be buggin' us about field training anymore. Might be lodgin' a complaint later, though..."

"Naturally..." Tseng said with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "As if today wasn't already shaping up to be one giant headache. What's gone wrong now?"

"One of those Avalanche fuckers made it out alive... the ex-Solider. Apparently, he's friends with Aerith now. My... _backup_... decided to try their luck against him. Against my orders, I might add. I fuckin' told 'em no goddamn weapons, 'cause if the girl got hurt, it was gonna be their hide and probably mine, too. Idiots started shootin'," he said, disgusted, "And before ya ask... they managed to miss the girl. She's fine. So's that Strife guy, for that matter. Those fuckwits couldn't hit shit to save their lives."

"Where are they now?" the Turk leader ground out.

"Downstairs in medical. Nothin' life-threatening, but they're gonna be hurtin' for awhile. Soldier-boy got the drop on 'em. Literally. Dropped a couple of barrels on two of 'em and knocked the third off a staircase."

Tseng snorted in contempt. "Good." He sighed softly. "We'll try again later today. _Without_ the additional personnel this time."

"So what'd _I_ miss? You three look like Heidegger canceled Christmas next year..." Reno asked, gravitating towards the covered containers of food on Elena's desk. He lifted the lid on one and grinned as he found the bacon he'd detected earlier.

"Strife wasn't the only member of Avalanche to escape."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Well, that figures. Fuckin' joke of a plan to begin with. President shoulda just let us off 'em soon as Rude found 'em. Over 'n done with. Anyone else eatin' this?"

"It's a goodbye present from Nana..." Elena answered, with a teasing smile, "For Tseng and Rude, not for you."

"... I suppose I could be tempted..." Tseng responded. "If nothing else, it will make for a welcome last meal. The President is already aware that two members of Avalanche made it out alive. I'm not looking forward to informing him that the ex-Soldier survived as well."

* * *

The remainder of the day was spent waiting. Waiting to hear from Corneo. Waiting for the President to make a decision on what to do once Avalanche was located. Waiting to for the workday to end.

Reno really _hated_ waiting.

So much so that he'd opted to give in to Elena's request for some practice time with _him_ instead of Tseng, and her slowly growing collection of preferred materia. Which was why he presently found himself in their usual training space, watching as the rookie tried to decide what she was going to hit him with this time. Though, he mused, this was kind of the perfect opportunity to give her the little gift he'd picked up for her. As it had turned out, the little accessory shop he'd chanced past the other day had more to offer than just a ring.

"Hey... 'Lena?" he said, breaking in on her decision-making process. The woman looked up, curiously.

"Yeah?"

Reno grinned. "I got somethin' for ya," he replied, pulling the the item from his pocket. "Since you're kinda gettin' into this whole materia thing, I figured a decent armlet might come in handy. The one you've been usin' to train with is kinda crap."

He held it out to her, and she smiled. The band was soft leather with bronze and mythril metalwork and had a distinctly feminine flare to it. Moreover, it contained several more slots for materia spheres than the old one.

"Guy at the shop called it a Minerva band," Reno added, "Said it's got some defensive properties to it, too, like the one I borrowed off Rude..."

"Oh, Reno... Thank you!" Elena grinned as she leaned in an pressed a quick kiss to his lips. She giggled softly. "You're not just trying to get me in a good mood for tonight, are you?"

"'Course not... This is strictly 'cause ya need the right equipment for the job." He flashed her a teasing smirk and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. "Puttin' you in a good mood is just a happy side effect."

The rookie laughed and fastened it around her forearm, then snapped a few of the materia spheres into the slots. "Know what would put me in an even _better_ mood?" she purred suggestively, prodding him gently in the ribs.

"What?"

She smiled innocently and slipped out of his grasp. "If you gave me a target to aim for."

The redhead groaned softly, but sighed and took up his position on the other side of the room. "Alright... but just remember. Any damage ya do to me now is gonna have a direct impact on just how _energetic_ I'm feelin' once we're off work..."

* * *

Rude stabbed idly at the salad in front of him, largely ignoring his lunch. Neither Corneo's agents nor his own had yet had any luck in finding the missing terrorists. The flower girl, however, had been spotted at home... still in the company of the ex-Soldier, Strife. As such, Tseng had decided to hold off on trying to take her again, in the hopes that they would eventually separate. If they did, they might be able to simply _follow_ the man straight back to his friends in Sector 7. Rude had one of his more trusted informants keeping watch, but for the time being, Cloud Strife seemed to be staying put. The Turks were stuck playing the waiting game for now.

"Tch... What's up with you?" Reno's voice suddenly broke in on his musings. The bald Turk glanced up at his partner and shrugged.

"Just thinking," he replied as the redhead set his plate down and joined him, "Where's Elena?"

"Showin' off her new armlet to Tseng. She'll be down in a few." He bit into a piece of fried chicken. "Fuck, man... I don't know what the hell you did to those guys in the kitchen to scare 'em into shapin' up, but their standards are _way_ up. This is actually _good_."

"I just showed them how it was supposed to be done," Rude replied, with a faint grin, "... And threatened them a little. Thought that armlet was supposed to be a promotion gift."

"... Yeah. I kinda couldn't wait to give it to her," he replied, with an embarrassed laugh. "I know I'm spoilin' her a little, but I mean... I _just_ made the recommendation to Tseng. He's still gotta approve it and put the paperwork 'n shit through... and busy as we are right now, it might be awhile yet."

"Gonna be sad to see your rookie go?"

Reno rolled his eyes. "She's not _goin'_ anywhere... she's just gettin' a new rank."

"But she won't be your rookie anymore. No more probationary status. She'll be a full-fledged Turk. Our little Elena's all grown up," he teased.

"You tryin' to make me rethink this or somethin'?" Reno shot back, chuckling, and Rude laughed.

"Does she know she's up for promotion?"

Reno shook his head. "Not yet. I kinda wanted to surprise her. Maybe take her out for lunch and tell her... ya know, once it's official."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in hearing about your sex life?" Rude asked, with a taunting smirk.

"Not _that_ kind of lunch, asshole. Figured we'd _all_ go."

"I'm even _less_ interested in _participating_ in your sex life," the other Turk deadpanned.

"Very funny."

Rude chuckled and turned back to his salad, finally taking a bite. The redhead was right. Standards in the kitchen _were_ up.

"So... If you already gave her the armlet, what are you getting her for her promotion, then?"

"Not sure yet," Reno replied, finishing off one piece of chicken and starting in on another. "Guess I better figure it out though. The boss might not have time to approve promotions right this _second_ , but he'll get to it as soon as he can. Doesn't leave me much time to go shoppin'."

"Hmph... Got a nice ring you could give her..."

"... You're startin' to sound an awful lot like Lira, partner," the redhead muttered, "Neither one of you are gonna be satisfied 'til me 'n 'Lena are hitched..."

The other Turk smiled slightly. "The difference is that Lira's already planning the proposal, the wedding, the honeymoon, your _first_ kid, and the next five or so. I'm just trying to get you married before you talk yourself out of it. Baby steps."

"Just do me one favor, Rude..." he sighed, resigned to his fate.

"What's that?"

"For the love of Ifrit, don't tell _Lira_ I bought 'Lena a ring... She finds out, she'll probably do the proposin' _for_ me."

* * *

The following morning, Reno found himself seated next to Tseng in the executive conference room. Heidegger had taken up the seat normally reserved for the President... who apparently had decided to skip the meeting and leave it to his subordinate. Why the hell they were meeting here and not Heidegger's office, the redhead could only guess at...

"President Shinra is disappointed," Heidegger began, standing up and glaring at the pair of Turks. "Avalanche escaped all because of _your_ botched plan."

"It wasn't _our_ plan!" Reno growled, angrily, returning the other man's glare until Tseng elbowed him. "... sir. We did _our_ part."

"That doesn't matter! You were in charge of the operation, and you failed to eliminate the targets!" the man huffed, puffing out his chest and pacing at the head of the room. The pompous executive smirked. "Fortunately for you, _I_ was able to convince the President that you deserve a second chance."

"That's gracious of you, sir," Tseng replied, without any trace of sincerity. "We'll eliminate them as soon as our contacts in the slums locate them. It shouldn't take long."

"That's not good enough," Heidegger stated, "The President wants it taken care of immediately."

"Sir... There's little we can do until we locate the group again..." the Turk leader began.

"We're going to take them out all at once," he interrupted, with a dismissive wave. "You're reasonably confident they've fled back to the Sector 7 slums, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," Tseng said, cautiously. Reno remained silent... he wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

"Then we'll simply destroy the Sector 7 slums."

" _WHAT_?!" the redhead shouted, rising to his feet and bracing himself against the table, thoroughly blindsided by the declaration. "You can't be serious... You have any idea how many people are down there?"

"I have to agree with Reno, sir. We _will_ locate the group. There's no need to take such drastic action."

"It's already been decided. In two hours, the Turks will activate the Emergency Plate Release system over Sector 7. Shinra will blame the incident on Avalanche."

Reno felt his blood run cold. "The Plate Release system? But... that won't just take out the slums..."

"That will destroy the enter sector..." Tseng finished for him, in disbelief. "Sir... We can't possibly evacuate the Sector 7 Plate in less than two hours..."

"There will be no evacuation and no warnings to the public. Make your preparations and get to it!"

With that, the executive strode out of the conference room, leaving two very shocked Turks in his wake.

Reno glanced over at Tseng. The Wutaiian looked noticeably pale. "Boss... the death toll in the slums alone'll be in the thousands..."

"And the Plate will easily double it," he said, softly.

"This is fuckin' wrong. We're talking about killin' thousands of innocent people just to get at a handful assholes. Even _Avalanche's_ attacks didn't cause that much destruction!"

Tseng was silent for a long moment. At last, he shook his head in resignation. "If you have friends in Sector 7... tell them to get out. Don't tell them why."

"Boss..."

The Turk leader's fist clenched angrily, and Reno wasn't certain if that anger was directed at Heidegger or Tseng himself. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath before he spoke again.

"We have our orders. We will carry them out," he said, simply, "Shinra has ordered sacrifices like this before. We always knew it was only a matter of time before he did it again. If there is anyone you care about in Sector 7... warn them now. Tell Rude and Elena to do the same, and have Rude warn Corneo as well so he can pull his people out. _Quietly_. We have two hours to prepare."

"We're really goin' through with this?" the redhead asked, hoping his mentor would think of some way to avoid it.

"There's little choice. The order has been given. We'll save the few we can, but in the end... it's our job."

"Sometimes our job sucks," Reno muttered, prompting a weak smile from the other man.

"Yes... It does."

The redhead turned and strode towards the door, but paused halfway there and glanced back. "So... Who's actually gonna do it?"

"You, Rude, and I will draw for it. I think we'd all prefer leaving it up to blind fortune than asking for a volunteer."

Reno nodded. "I'll let him know," he said, "And... Thanks for not makin' 'Lena do it. Not sure she's ready for somethin' like that."

"I doubt any of us are 'ready' to kill thousands of people with the press of a button," Tseng replied. "But Elena is still a rookie... your recommendation for promotion aside. I can't in good conscience subject her to that. Go on back to the office. I'll join you shortly."

* * *

Rude knew something was wrong the moment Reno walked through the door. The redhead was far too quiet and somber. He seen that look before. He'd been given an assignment he wasn't happy about... and not simply because it inconvenienced or annoyed him. The last time Reno had looked like that was when he'd been sent deal with a fellow Turk who'd turned traitor.

Elena could see it, too, he could tell. She was watching him, uncertain of whether or not she should even ask.

"We got orders from the President," Reno said after a moment, matter-of-factly. There was none of his usual joking or half-hearted complaining, and Rude sat up in his chair. Whatever this was, it was big. "In two hours... we're droppin' the Sector 7 Plate on Avalanche."

"... The Plate?" Rude repeated, half convinced he'd misheard his friend. He glanced over at Elena, who looked utterly horrified. Reno gave a grim nod.

"B-but... Two hours? How are we going to get so many people out in just two hours?" Elena stammered.

Rude shook his head. "... We're not, are we..." There was no way to do it... it was simply too large an area, and the panic that would almost certainly ensue would only make it worse.

"No... We're not," the redhead confirmed. "The President has ordered no evacuation, and no public announcements. Tseng's given us permission to quietly warn Corneo and anyone we know personally in the Sector."

Rude was already making a mental list of his people down in Seven. Most he could contact without any great effort, but there might be one or two that were a little trickier. He reached for his PHS, pulling up contact information. Elena was still staring at the redhead in disbelief.

"'Lena... there's no time to sit around thinkin' about this. If you know _anyone_ over in Seven, call 'em. Now. Tell 'em to get the hell outta the sector... but don't give 'em any specifics. Incitin' a panic's not gonna do anyone any good."

The rookie swallowed sharply and fumbled for her own phone. "R-right..." she managed, and Rude could clearly see her hands shaking.

"Anyone volunteered yet?" Rude asked, and he caught Elena out of the corner of his eye looking at him in confusion. Reno shook his head in the negative.

"No volunteers. Boss says we're gonna draw for it. Leave it up to chance."

"Draw for what?" Elena finally asked.

"To decide who's gonna be the one to push the button."

* * *

Tseng returned to them some thirty minutes later, looking noticeably defeated. Elena looked up from her PHS. She'd managed to get ahold of her friend, Sadi, in Sector 7 and was pretty sure she'd convinced her to leave... It hadn't been an easy feat, not being able to tell her why, though. Her father's old friend, Bastion lived in the sector as well... but by now he was at work at the Number 6 Reactor, well out of harm's way. She'd left him a message not to go home, anyway.

"Goin' by your expression, I'm guessin' you _didn't_ have any luck gettin' us outta this..." Reno spoke up, breaking the long silence that had fallen between them as they'd been working to warn friends of the impending danger. The Wutaiian Turk shook his head.

"I really didn't think I would. But I had to at least try."

"Tch... Guess that's it, then. You ready, partner?" Reno asked, and Elena saw his hand move to the drawer of his desk. He withdrew a small black pouch and tossed it onto the desktop.

"What's that?" the rookie asked.

Rude stood and made his way across the room. "... Tradition."

"I'm not entirely sure which of our ranks actually started it," Tseng elaborated, picking up the little bag. "It was going on long before _I_ was recruited. There are, occasionally, particularly nasty assignments that no one wishes to voluntarily take on, nor assign. The second-in-command has always kept this on hand for such occasions."

As Elena stood and joined the group, he dumped the contents onto Reno's desk. Several white stones fell out, along with a single black one. Tseng picked up the black stone, and two of the others, dropping them back into the pouch.

"Sir... that's only three..." the rookie pointed out.

"You're not going to be drawing, Elena," the Turk leader replied, "I won't force this on a rookie." Elena narrowed her eyes, angrily. It wasn't that she _wanted_ to be the one to have to do it... but sitting it out felt wrong. It was too big to just accept a pass on based on her rank.

"I want to."

"'Lena..." Reno began, only to be cut off.

"No. I know I'm still a rookie... but I'm just as much as Turk as any of you. If the rest of you have to draw, I want to, too. We're all in this together, aren't we?"

Tseng was silent for a moment, but at last he sighed and picked up a third white stone, dropping it in with the others. "Far be it from me to tell you you're any less of a Turk than the rest of us," he said, softly, and Elena couldn't help the faint smile that ghosted across her lips at that comment. He handed the bag back to Reno.

"Who wants to go first?" the redhead asked, holding it up so that none of them could see inside.

"I will." Tseng reached in and drew out the first of the four stones, opening his hand to reveal the smooth, white object.

"I'll go next," Elena said before either of the other two men could volunteer, and mirrored the Turk leader's actions, drawing out one of her own. There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from her fellow Turks when they saw that it, too, was white.

"Guess it's down to you 'n me, partner," Reno said, glancing over at Rude. Elena felt chilled as Rude nodded and reached in for a stone. She felt vaguely sick as she realized that she was hoping it would be the black one. She desperately didn't want it to be Reno. She didn't want it to be Rude, either... but it had to be _one_ of them.

Rude withdrew his hand and hesitated, eyes meeting his partner's for a moment, before he uncurled his fingers. Elena felt the color drain from her face when she saw it.

Reno shook his head with a sigh, and dumped the last remaining stone into his own hand, it's black surface somehow even darker against his pale skin.

"Well... Fuck."

~fin~


	46. Tumbling Down

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 46: Tumbling Down**

 **by Desha**

 **Author's Note:** _Since it was such a major event for the Turks, and Reno in particular, I decided to give the collapse of the Sector 7 plate an entire chapter all to itself._

* * *

"Rude... you will be piloting," Tseng ordered, before turning to the rookie, who very obviously wanted to object, "While I don't doubt your skills, Elena, flying beneath the plate takes a great deal of precision. You're simply not experienced enough yet. You and I will cover Reno while he's on the pillar."

She frowned, but didn't argue the point. "Yes, sir."

"We'll be doing this as quickly as possible. There is a fairly long delay between activation and collapse, but once the release system is armed and the countdown begins, it _can't_ be shut down. Not by us, at any rate... which means if for some reason we're _not_ out from under the Plate before it falls, we're going down with it. Let's try to avoid leaving our departure until the last second, shall we?"

"In and out. Don't fuck around. Got it," Reno acknowledged, and Elena could hear the somewhat detached note in his voice. He was trying very hard to pretend that this assignment wasn't bothering him. She wasn't buying it, and she doubted the others were, either.

"We leave in an hour," Tseng concluded, "I'll leave it to you to determine how to spend that time yourselves."

The Turk leader retreated into his office, closing the door behind him. Reno leaned back in his chair, hands cushioning the back of his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "Hey, Rude... Any idea on the exact count in Sector 7?"

"... Could probably find out. You sure you want to know?"

"Tch... No. But I probably should."

"I'll check with Domino's office before we leave," Rude replied.

"How can you two be so calm about this?" Elena asked, shaking her head. She herself felt as though she was slowly crawling out of her own skin, the anxiety over what they were about to do was getting so bad. Rude laughed mirthlessly.

"We're not."

"We're just good at fakin' it," Reno finished for him.

"It's a skill you'll learn eventually," Rude added. Reno caught her by the wrist and silently urged her towards him, pulling her down onto his lap. His arms encircled her waist, and he held her tight against him. He wasn't lying. Elena could feel the tension in his body.

"Think I'll go check on that population info in person..." Rude said, a less than subtle excuse for leaving the two of them alone for awhile. For a few minutes, the redhead simply held her, his face buried against her shoulder.

"Tell me I'm not a monster for doin' this..." he said at last.

Elena blinked in surprise. "Reno..."

"Just... tell me."

The rookie squeezed him, hands finding the sensitive spot on the back of his neck, and gently massaging the pressure point. "You're _not_ a monster," she said, firmly. He sighed softly, and she felt the tiniest bit of tension relax.

"Long as you don't think so... I think I can live with it," the redhead murmured against the side of her neck. "Either way... I'm glad it's me 'n not you. I was terrified it was _gonna_ be when you made Tseng let you draw..."

"I didn't want it to be _you_ either..."

Reno raised his head and cracked a small smile. "I know. But you know how I like to look out for ya..."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Self-sacrificing idiot..." she teased, gently.

The redhead's smile widened a little. "You been talkin' to Lira or somethin'? She likes to call me that, too..."

"I'm starting to understand why," the rookie quipped, before placing a tender kiss against his lips. "Reno... I know what you're thinking..."

"Yeah... You're definitely hangin' out with Lira too much..."

She ignored the half-hearted joke. "This could never make me hate you. I care about you too much and I know you too well. And I know what it must be doing to you... because you're _not_ a heartless monster."

"... Sometimes this job makes ya wonder."

* * *

"Yes, sir. I understand," Tseng sighed, thumb and forefinger lightly massaging the bridge of his nose as he cradled his PHS against one ear. "Thank you for trying. I'll keep you updated."

The Turk leader ended the call and tossed the phone onto his desk, dejected. He'd known it was something of a long shot... but it was the only avenue he had left to explore. Unfortunately, even Rufus had been unable to talk some sense into his father. Though on the bright side... if there was to be a bright side in all of this... the conversation between father and son _had_ resulted in the younger Shinra finally swallowing his pride and apologizing for the slight against his step-mother that had resulted in him being banished in the first place. He was coming home in a day or two. That, at least, brought Tseng _some_ measure of relief.

His young charge had been in exile for far too long, and the effects were becoming apparent in both parties. The president would almost certainly never openly admit it, but he missed his son. Bertrand Shinra was not especially good at showing it, but he loved Rufus dearly and having him so far from home had taken a toll on him. Tseng was even beginning to wonder if this decision to obliterate Sector 7 might not have, at least in part, resulted from the effects the situation had had on his objectivity.

Rufus, too, was tired of living in isolation, though it was only his own stubborn pride that keep him sequestered in Junon. Tseng would be glad to have the young man safely back under his care again.

He glanced at the clock. They would be leaving in about ten minutes. He had better see to rounding up his Turks.

The operation was straightforward and simple. Perhaps a little _too_ simple, given the gravity of what they were about to do. It was difficult to imagine anything going wrong... at least as far as dropping the Plate went. But he couldn't deny that he was worried about other aspects of their assignment. Namely, Reno.

Oh, there was no doubt in his mind that his lieutenant would carry out his orders flawlessly. What concerned him was what sort of effect doing so would have on his one-time rookie.

Tseng had, to some extent, been hoping to draw the black stone himself, and failing to do so had been almost as much a disappointment as it was a relief. He didn't really want to see any of them have to take on that sort of burden, Reno, least of all. For all his frequent bravado, at heart Reno was... kind. He never failed to do what was required of him, but Tseng knew full well that there were already a number of missions that would haunt him for life. This one would top them all.

The Wutaiian Turk slowly stood, collecting his PHS and his jacket before stepping out into the main office. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight that greeted him, and vaguely wondered how long Reno and Elena had been sitting like that. Long enough for Rude to have beat a hasty retreat and left them on their own, apparently.

He shook his head slightly. Elena had stolen the fiery young man's heart and she didn't seem inclined to return it any time soon. He doubted Reno would have accepted it even had it been offered. The rookie seemed to complete him in a way even Tseng had never realized his protege had needed... and he was immeasurably grateful to her for it.

The Turk leader loudly cleared his throat, very nearly startling the couple out of their embrace.

"I'm afraid it's time to go," he said.

* * *

The helicopter wound its way through the underside of the Plate, carefully skirting the numerous bundles of cables that hung from the structure above them and avoiding the taller buildings and junk piles. Ahead, the Sector 7 Pillar loomed, and Tseng frowned as he spotted the telltale flash of gunfire about halfway up.

"... Thought Shinra ordered all our people out..." Rude said, his voice somewhat electronic-sounding over Tseng's headset. So had he... but those were definitely Shinra military uniforms. Not Soldier... just regular ground troops. What some might term 'cannon-fodder', he silently mused.

"They're not our problem. They have their orders and we have ours," he replied. On the staircase, he could just make out the source of the commotion. Barret Wallace's silhouette was hard to mistake, and as the helicopter closed in, he could see that the woman... Tifa... was with him as well. Farther down, he spotted the ex-Soldier, as well, quickly making his way up behind them. "It looks like we've got some resistance... Reno, we'll –"

"Sir!" Elena's voice cut in, and the Turk leader spun to face her, only to see the rookie leaning out of the open side door, her gaze locked on something on the ground. She pointed. "Isn't that the girl we're supposed to capture?"

Tseng's eyes widened slightly and he joined her at the opening, swearing loudly... and rather profusely... in his native tongue as he realized she was absolutely right. That was Aerith, alright.

"What in Leviathan's name is she doing in Sector 7!?" he wondered aloud. Reno was at his side a moment later.

"Fuckin' figures... Drop me off 'n go get her."

"You won't have any cover fire until we return..." Tseng pointed out, though the redhead didn't look concerned.

"I'll manage. Avalanche gets control of the Pillar, though, it's gonna be a pain in the ass tryin' to finish our mission. Without sacrificin' ourselves, I mean."

Tseng hesitated barely more than a split second before agreeing. "Rude... head for the Pillar. As soon as Reno's clear, take us down." They really didn't have a choice. The girl was a high priority target and having to report that she had ended up collateral damage wasn't something Tseng relished explaining... either to President Shinra _or_ to her mother. In fact, he wasn't entirely certain which made him more uneasy.

Rude signaled an affirmative, and banked towards the pillar. As they neared the target, Reno pulled Elena into his arms, and kissed her.

"Make sure these assholes come back for me quick, huh, 'Lena?" he teased, "I don't wanna end up a fuckin' pancake 'cause the boss is busy chattin' up the flower girl..."

"Please, be careful," the rookie replied. Reno grinned and gave the three of them a mock salute before jumping to the platform below.

Once he was down safely, the helicopter peeled off, heading back in the direction of their secondary target, and Reno sprinted for the control panel... ignoring for the moment the trio that had reached the top as well. Before they could react, he'd punched in the arming code.

"No turnin' back now..." he murmured under his breath, before turning to them. "Too late, boys 'n girls. Once I push this button..." He paused just long enough press the final button, activating the code. "That's all, folks. Mission accomplished."

Mission accomplished, alright. He'd just doomed fuck only knew how many people – since Rude never _did_ get around to giving him the actual number – to varying degrees of painful deaths. He swallowed back the bile rising in his throat as the ramifications of what he'd just done clawed at him. He'd have to deal with the guilt later... right now, he needed to focus on keeping himself in one piece long enough for Rude to haul ass back over here and pick him up.

And given that it was three on one, that was going to be quite a feat. He had a sneaking suspicion he was going to be paying Ward a visit later...

* * *

Rude set down in a small open area, keeping the engine running as Tseng and Elena hopped out, and headed into the sector. Elena hoped they would find her quickly... she hated thinking about Reno stuck up there on the Pillar any longer than he had to be. She followed Tseng into the residential section, surprised at just how empty things seemed to be. There were still a handful of people lingering, staring somewhat transfixed, up at the towering Pillar... and several more rushed past the pair of Turks, apparently on their way out of the area... but by and large, the place might as well have been abandoned.

"Sir... They've evacuated..."

The Turk leader nodded. "Yes... it seems many of them have. At least from _this_ part of the sector. And clearly Avalanche knows what's about to happen as well. Odd... Corneo's not stupid enough to warn them after he agreed not to, and no one else had the information." He shook his head and continued on. "We'll worry about it later. We have very little time at the moment."

Suddenly, some movement ahead of them caught her eye. "Over there!"

Aerith was just walking out of the Seventh Heaven bar, pulling along a little girl firmly by the hand. She seemed shocked to see them, and for a moment looked like she wasn't sure if she should run or not. The child seemed to be the deciding factor, as she apparently realized that she wouldn't make it far with her in tow.

"Tseng..." she whispered, resigned.

"I _am_ sorry, Aerith. Truly, I am. But we both knew this day would come sooner or later."

The girl nodded. "I'll go with you quietly. _If_ you promise to do something for me in return."

"I'm listening..." Tseng replied.

Aerith glanced down at the little girl. "This is Marlene. I promised a friend I'd take her somewhere safe. Will you... take her to my mother?"

He looked over at the rookie. "Elena... Aerith's mother lives in Sector 5. It's a small house near the old church, with a large garden. You take the girl there while Rude and I see to Reno."

"Yes, sir..." She stepped forward and held a hand out to the little brown-haired girl. Marlene shrank back, hiding behind Aerith's long skirt.

"It's alright, Marlene. I've known Tseng for a long time... Go with his friend."

"Are you sure?" she asked, in a small voice, and Aerith smiled, nodding. Marlene hesitantly accepted Elena's hand, and followed her towards the sector exit. Tseng gestured in the opposite direction, guiding Aerith towards the helicopter.

"You... You aren't really going to destroy the Pillar... are you?" she asked. Tseng sighed.

"I'm afraid those are our orders, yes."

"Why?" The sadness in her voice seemed not to be directed at the fate of the people in Sector 7, but more at him personally.

"Because it's our job..." he replied. Aerith glared at him.

"I used to think you were a good person, Tseng... I'm not so sure about that anymore."

He ushered her aboard, and pressed her into one of the seats before signaling to Rude to take off.

"I suppose that makes two of us, then."

* * *

Reno staggered back several steps, reeling from the punch the damned bartender had just delivered to his stomach. He'd been too busy trying not to get himself shot by the large angry gunner to dodge it. His EMR lashed out defensively, forcing the woman to back off while he recovered.

"That all ya got?" he taunted them, and sidestepped Strife's incoming swing before sending an electrical charge straight up the massive sword. The yelp of pain he gave in response was entirely too satisfying... but Reno knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer. He was outnumbered and on the defensive. Eventually, they'd wear him down to the point that he'd start making mistakes and once that happened, it would be all over.

But no one could say that he wasn't holding his own for the moment... not that he really had much of a choice, given that the trio were blocking his only exit, and looked more than willing to finish him off given half the chance. He hoped that the others nabbed Aerith quick. The sooner they came back for him, the better.

The redhead was forced to hit the deck as Barret let loose a barrage of gunfire in his direction, rolling to one side, and taking cover behind the control panel. This wasn't working. Between the leader of the group shooting at him every few seconds and Strife swinging around his ridiculously oversized weapon, close range attacks were only going to get him killed faster. He reached into his jacket, drawing his backup weapon, and fired a few shots blindly over the top of the console, grinning as he heard Tifa shouting for her allies to take cover.

Having an opening now, he stood just enough to see over the meager protection of the machinery, and took aim at Barret. Two more shots in quick succession before the Turk had to duck again sent him to one knee and the redhead smirked at the profanity laden response that followed. Unfortunately, judging by the next round of shots that peppered the the Pillar controls, he'd only winged the man. And... seriously pissed him off.

Which was why he breathed a long sigh of relief when the next sound he heard was that of helicopter blades cutting through the still air of the slums.

"Heh... It's been fun, guys, but it's time for me to go!" he called out from his hiding place as he spotted his ride. Reno fired several more shots as he broke cover and ran for the railing, easily making the short jump. More gunfire erupted behind him as soon as he left the platform, and before he landed, he felt the all too familiar sting of metal penetrating flesh.

The redhead hit the floor hard, his left leg going out from under him. He gasped softly as he tried to move it, only to be met with an agonizingly sharp pain radiating from his knee and upper thigh. He opted to just stay right where he was for the moment.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Tseng's voice cautioned, and for a moment, Reno had no idea what he was talking about. He lifted his head, grunting softly with the effort, and caught sight of his mentor at the open door. "Only a Shinra executive can disarm the Emergency Plate Release System. If you persist in making the attempt, you'll only set it off early."

Reno cringed... The idiots were trying to disarm it. Great. Apparently, Tseng didn't think Rude could get them out of there in time if the fuckers set off the failsafe. He heard their leader yell something that sounded distinctly like "Shut yer hole!" back at him followed by another round of angry gunfire. Tseng ducked behind the armored side of the copter until it stopped.

"Careful... You'll injure our special guest," he retorted once it was clear. He forced Aerith into view of the terrorists. By that point, Reno was starting to feel dizzy from blood loss, and Tseng's attempt to buy them more time to escape wasn't holding his interest. He groaned softly, ignoring the rest of the conversation, and let his head fall back to the floor, his vision darkening.

* * *

Reno needed help... Tseng could see the blood beginning to pool around him. But _they_ needed time. And if Avalanche caused the Release System to activate earlier, the wouldn't have enough of it. His lieutenant would be crushed before he had the chance to bleed to death... along with the rest of them.

"Careful... You'll injure our special guest," he said, coolly, grabbing Aerith by the shoulder, and pulling her into view. He didn't like using her as a bargaining chip, but he needed to end this.

"Aerith!" Tifa called out.

"What are you gonna do with her?" the ex-Soldier demanded, sword raised in a useless threat.

"Our orders were to find and capture the last remaining Ancient," Tseng replied, "And I can finally report that we have done so to the President."

Aerith suddenly pulled away from him, leaning forward. "Tifa! Don't worry... She's alright! She's –" Whatever the young woman planned to add was forgotten as the copter tilted in an effort to avoid the cabling it was drifting toward. She slipped, falling forward. Tseng's eyes widened, and he reached out, seizing her and almost violently yanking her backwards. She landed in a heap behind him, a little stunned, but unhurt. He spared her a brief apologetic glance for the somewhat unnecessarily rough rescue, before turning his attention back to the three terrorists gathered on the platform below.

"We're out of time here. The countdown has almost finished."

He nodded towards Rude, and the helicopter headed for safe airspace, leaving Avalanche to their fate. Almost as soon as they were clear, Tseng heard the first of the explosions. His attention, however, was no longer on the mission. It was on the unconscious redhead bleeding on the floor of the helicopter. Aerith was crouched beside him.

"He's really hurt badly..." she said, looking up at the Wutaiian Turk. He couldn't help but agree with her assessment.

"Rude... Head straight for Midgar General," Tseng said, kneeling beside his lieutenant. The worst of it seemed to be the gunshot wound to his upper thigh. It was bleeding profusely, and the Turk leader had a feeling that the bullet had hit an artery. He yanked his tie off, tightening it around the younger man's leg in a tourniquet.

"What about Elena?" Rude asked, even as he flew them above the Plate and towards its center.

"Let her know there will be a delay in retrieving her."

* * *

The trip to Sector 5 had been slow-going with a five year old in tow... and she hadn't been overly thrilled about running into a small pack of ugly little cripshays in the Sector 6 ruins along the way... but somehow she'd made it. Sector 5 was just ahead. They both jumped in alarm at the sound of the first explosion, and Elena turned to see the Sector 7 plate as it fell, painfully slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed.

"Papa! Tifa!" the little girl shouted at her side, in dismay, and Elena felt her heart break. She knew all too well what it was like to lose family. But there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Hurry! In here!" she urged, pulling Marlene into a wide drainage pipe, and crouching down protectively over the girl. She focused on one of the defensive materia spheres slotted into her armlet, wrapping the two of them in the strongest barrier she could manage and hoping it would be enough. Moments later, the shock wave came, bringing with it a cloud of dust and debris that seemed as though it would never stop. The girl clung to her, terrified. The pipe, bolstered by her magic, held up admirably against the onslaught, shielding the two of them until the danger had passed. When it was finally over, Elena peered out, coughing harshly in the dusty air.

Sector 7 was gone. Above, there was only clear, blue sky and sunlight peering down into the slums. Below... she was a little glad she couldn't really see was was left below from where she presently stood, to be honest. She hoped Reno and the others had made it out alright. Elena shook her head. She had her own mission to take care of right now.

"Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling down in front of her charge and brushing some of the dust from her clothes. Marlene nodded. "Then let's go... We're almost there."

"Did the Shinra do that?" she asked, eyes still locked on the empty space where the Sector 7 Plate had once been, and the rookie sighed softly.

"... Yes," the rookie admitted.

"Papa... Papa always said they were bad people," Marlene said, sniffling quietly and wiping her eyes on her now-filthy sleeve. Elena really didn't know what to say to that. Under the circumstances, it was an impossible accusation to deny.

"Only some of them," she said at last, and began guiding her out of the ruins and into Sector 5. "Most of them are good people who sometimes have to do bad things."

* * *

Tseng tucked his PHS back into his pocket and sighed. By the time he'd contacted her, the little girl had been safely deposited at Aerith's home in Sector 5, and Elena was already on her way back to the Plate via train. He'd sent Rude to pick her up at the station and bring her here... here being the waiting room of Midgar General's surgical recovery ward. Reno... a transfusion or two later... was still in the operating room to repair the damage to his leg. Dr. Ward was observing, and relaying updates to the concerned Turk leader.

He had left the hospital only briefly... to reluctantly deliver Aerith to a holding cell at company headquarters.

Tseng glared at the television in the corner and took a seat, turning his gaze instead out the window, glad that this particular room didn't face Sector 7. Every channel was running footage of the collapse, and Shinra Company had wasted no time in pinning the blame on Avalanche.

"Yeh look like yeh've had a lousy day."

The Wutaiian shifted his eyes towards the door and snorted derisively in response. "I suppose you could say that." Dr. Ward strode over to him, placing a fresh cup of tea in his hands. He managed a slight smile. "I always thought you were of the same mind as your favorite patient when it comes to tea."

"Oh, believe me... I personally find it ta be about as tempting as stagnant pond water. But yeh looked like yeh could use something ta settle yeh. Not keep yeh awake. For once."

"How's he doing?" he asked, gratefully taking a sip.

"They're finishing up now. All in all, it wasn't that bad... The biggest danger was the blood loss. They've repaired the artery and given him another pint of blood since I last talked to yeh. His knee's still a bit of a mess, and there are some broken ribs, but a little materia therapy and he should be back on his feet before the week's out. He's going ta be fine."

"Physically, at any rate..."

Ward raised an eyebrow at the comment. "There something yeh think I should know about?"

"Were it not for your security clearance, I would say no."

"Company secrets, then..." she surmised, taking a seat beside the Turk leader. "Well? Let's hear it. What is it that's liable ta be weighing so heavily on the boy's mind when he wakes up?"

"I assume I needn't remind you that this goes no farther than this room?"

"Hmph... Yeh needn't... but yeh just did anyway." Ward crossed her arms over her chest, eying the Turk impatiently. "Out with it."

"Avalanche was not responsible for the Sector 7 collapse. We were. Reno had the dubious honor of being the one to actually set it in motion."

Justina Ward's eyes widened, and for a moment Tseng thought he'd actually managed to render her speechless for once. They quickly narrowed again, and the next thing he knew, his left cheek was stinging as the woman delivered a surprisingly sound slap. Her finger poked him roughly in the chest "Yeh've done a lot of low things in yer day, Tseng Itsudake... but sending that boy in ta do something like that takes the cake."

If he hadn't been absolutely certain it would have gotten him slapped a second time, he would have smiled. The fact that the good doctor was apparently far angrier that he'd given Reno the order than that they'd just murdered several thousand people was testament to her loyalty and affection for his little family.

"I know," he replied. "But I can't take it back now... no matter how much I might wish to."

Justinia glowered at him. "Yeh know I'll have ta schedule him for a psych evaluation after somethin' like this..."

"Something I'm sure he'll appreciate," Tseng couldn't help but note, unable to prevent a small smile from forcing the corners of his mouth upwards. If Reno's disdain for doctors in general was well-known, his dislike of the psych department was downright legendary.

"Don't yeh make light of this, Tseng... I won't clear him for duty until I'm satisfied he's fit for it."

"I would expect no less," he said, seriously. "You know what he's like, though. He won't be happy if you force him to remain on the sidelines for too long..."

Ward scowled and conceded the point. "Yes... unfortunately, I'm _well_ acquainted with what he's like."

* * *

Elena stepped from the train and onto the Sector 0 platform, and scanned the area. It didn't take her long to spot Rude waiting patiently for her near the exit and she hurried to push her way through the crowd toward him. Tseng hadn't told her much... Only that the mission was successful and everyone was safe, but Reno had been injured. He hadn't said just how badly the redhead was hurt, however, and that worried her. Either his injuries were so minor that they hardly warranted mentioning... or they were so serious that he hadn't wanted to alarm her. She couldn't tell which.

"How is he?" she asked, as soon as she was within earshot of her fellow Turk. Rude smirked slightly.

"He'll be okay. Lost a lot of blood on the way back, but Tseng just told me they moved him to the recovery ward. Should be waking up pretty soon."

"What happened?"

"Took a few rounds as he was making a run for it. He'll probably be on crutches for a couple weeks. One of 'em tore up his knee pretty bad. You get the kid taken care of?"

Elena nodded. "Aerith's mom didn't seem too happy to see me once she recognized my uniform under all the dirt... but she said she'd look after the girl."

"Hmph... She never likes seeing one of us at her door," he chuckled softly, leading her out of the station, "She _especially_ hates Reno... Never did find out what he ever did to piss her off so much more than the rest of us have." He opened his truck's passenger door for her. "You want to go change first? Hate to mention it, but you're kind of a mess."

The rookie shook her head and climbed in. "No... I just want to see Reno."

"Figured as much."

Rude shut the door and rounded the truck, hopping behind the wheel, and heading for the freeway. They made good time, really... Faster than Elena could _usually_ get across town. The streets were nearly empty.

"Everyone's over in Sector 8... checking out the damage up close," Rude commented. "Shinra sent in the rescue units that were standing by... as soon as the news cameras showed up."

"I'm not sure what bothers me more. That we _did_ this... or that now we're _using_ it to our advantage," she replied, resting her chin on her hand and staring out the window. She turned to look at Rude. "Was it even worth it? How do we even know we got them all?"

"We don't." The hospital loomed ahead of them, and the bald Turk turned into the drive that lead to one of the parking decks. "And nothing like this is ever worth it. But if we don't do it, someone else will."

"Is that a good enough reason to just sit back and blindly obey orders, though?"

"Guess it depends on how you look at it."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, a little confused by the comment. Rude pulled into a space and shrugged, glancing over at her.

"It was always going to happen... one way or another, someone was going to end up pushing that button. Us doing it spares someone else from having to obey that order."

* * *

Reno blinked slowly, staring up at the entirely too familiar ceiling tiles. The smell of antiseptic wouldn't leave him alone, nor would the obnoxious beeping of the monitor beside his bed. In fact, most of his senses seemed to be in overdrive at the moment... with one notable exception. He wasn't feeling much of anything. And given that he distinctly recalled being shot at least twice, he was pretty sure he should have been hurting right now.

"Are you awake, or merely conscious?" a voice to his left asked, and he turned his head.

"I'll let ya know soon as I figure it out... What the fuck's Ward got me on?"

"Vicodin... along with something to help reduce the anxiety you always seem to feel when you're on vicodin. You should be fairly pain-free for a few hours yet."

Reno pushed himself up slightly, and Tseng helpfully tucked a pillow behind his back to help prop him up.

"Where's 'Lena? Haven't been out so long she got sick of waitin', have I?"

"She's on her way now. You were losing a rather concerning amount of blood after you passed out. Getting you here took priority. We had to delay picking her up from Sector 5."

Reno blinked in clear confusion. "The fuck's she doin' in Sector 5?"

Tseng shook his head. "I'm sorry. You obviously would have no idea what happened, given that you were unconscious for most of our exit," he replied, with a self-deprecating chuckle. "We were able to secure Aerith... on the condition that we deliver a young girl she was with to her mother in exchange for her cooperation. I sent the girl to Sector 5 with Elena, and returned to the helicopter with Aerith to retrieve _you_."

"If I were a little more with it right now, I think I'd be pretty ticked about you sendin' 'Lena off into the slums on her own..."

"She's fine... as is the little girl. You should know better than anyone how capable Elena really is. Weren't you the one who recommended she be promoted?" he gently teased.

"Don't remind me... Rude's already got me rethinkin' the whole givin' up my rookie thing."

Tseng smiled and patted his arm. "I had to give you up. I'm afraid you'll have to do the same." His expression slowly turned more serious. "How are you feeling?"

"Heh... Pretty good, at the moment. That vicodin shit's pretty sweet when it's not givin' me a fuckin' panic attack."

"Reno..."

"Yeah. I know. Not what ya meant. Don't think it's quite sunk in yet, boss," he said with a sigh. "I'll let you know when it finally does." He raised his hand, gazing at the back of it with an odd expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Tch... Apparently, whatever the Doc's givin' me to keep me relaxed isn't doin' shit for the hallucinations. Either that or I should be _very_ worried... 'cause I don't think skin's s'posed to be quite that shade of fluorescent orange. Or glowing."

Tseng chuckled and pressed the redhead's hand back down to his side. "Mmm... I _think_ it will be alright. Do tell me if I should happen to sprout an extra head, though."

Before that request could garner a response, the door to Reno's room swung open, admitting Dr. Ward... followed closely by the two absent members of the team.

"I found these two wandering about, looking for yeh... Thought I'd drop them off before they got themselves inta trouble." She walked up to the bed and tugged away the sheet from the redhead's chest. He flinched... somewhat exaggeratedly... when she tried to press her stethoscope against his skin. "Yer not a child..." she sighed with a hint of exasperation... right before she obligingly warmed the instrument on her sleeve.

"Anything wrong?" Tseng asked, but Ward shook her head.

"I've never tried this combination of drugs on him before. Just wanted ta make sure we weren't seeing any side effects. He seems ta be tolerating it nicely, though. Seems ta be fairly calm, as well." A penlight appeared in her hand, and she tilted his chin upwards, shining it into each eye... to which Reno responded with an annoyed growl. "Bit sluggish... but that's ta be expected with the medication," she murmured, ignoring him. She smiled and looked over at the rookie. "Alright, Elena... He's all yours. But mind the ribs... just because he can't feel it right now doesn't mean they'll stand up to much abuse."

Rude snickered as his teammate blushed slightly at being called out on her impatience to get to the redhead, but moments later, she was carefully hugging him. Tseng headed for the door.

"I'll leave him in your care. Rude and I should make our official report to the President."

"Are you okay?" she queried as the two men were shown out by Dr. Ward. Reno sighed and leaned back against the pillows.

"Think so..." he replied, "'Course I'm also stoned off my ass right now, so... ya know... relatively speakin'. You know I don't usually do so great on this shit..."

The rookie nodded. "I know. Dr. Ward said she gave you something she thought would help, though. And on the way up she said she's not going to keep you here if she doesn't have to... You can come home tonight, as long as there aren't any reactions to the medication." She perched herself beside him on the edge of the bed, petting his hair. "I'm going to see if Tseng will let me take the rest of the week off so I can stay home with you."

"Don't..." he said shaking his head. "Not that I wouldn't love a little vacation with you, but with me out, they're probably gonna need you around to help tie up the loose ends that are bound to pop up, and Tseng's got just enough of a soft spot for me to say yes anyway."

"Well... then he can call me in when he has something for me to do," she said firmly. "You need me more."

Reno found her hand, and his fingers carefully entwined themselves with hers. He raised it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Ya know... I'm startin' to think it's gonna be damn near impossible to get rid of you..."

"You want to get rid of me?" she asked, in a mockingly hurt tone, and Reno snickered.

"Hell, no. Just sayin'... I'm startin' to think I won't be able to."

"Well, it's about time you got that through that thick skull of yours," Elena teased.

* * *

"Casualties in Sector 7 are estimated between six and eight thousand. They would have been higher, but we're receiving reports from rescue teams that at least half of the Sector 7 Slums managed to evacuated before the Plate fell. They've crowed into Wall Market and Sector 8."

The President frowned at the news and turned away from Heidegger. "Tseng? Can you account for that?"

"We believe the leak came from Don Corneo. At the very least, we know now that he informed some members of Avalanche shortly before we arrived to trigger the release system. Aerith... the Ancient, that is... told us that she had been with the ex-Soldier and another member of the group when they'd threatened him into divulging our plans. They reached the sector just as things were getting underway which resulted in the confrontation on the Pillar. I doubt they're the only ones he let it slip to, either... Corneo has business associates in Sector 7 he may have felt obliged to warn. Or the people he sent in to search for Avalanche beforehand may have told friends and family."

President Shinra turned to gaze out the tall windows in his office, that looked out over Midgar. Sector 7, and the buzz of activity that still surrounded it, was clearly visible. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced.

"Is the terrorist group taken care of?" he finally asked.

"We believe so, sir," Rude replied. "We've confirmed that at least three members were trapped. Recovery teams have found the bodies. The other three were still on the Pillar when our team evacuated. They haven't been located, but it's unlikely they had time to get out."

Shinra nodded and turned back to the window.

"Dispose of Corneo."

"Yes, sir," Tseng acknowledged with a sidelong glance at Rude. _That_ ought to stir things up in Wall Market. As awful a person as he was, Corneo was what kept his little oddity in the slums from turning into a cesspool. With him gone, things would likely go downhill fairly quickly. None of Corneo's underlings had ever struck him as having the business sense to hold it together. On the other hand... the bastard had it coming.

He'd never been fond of Corneo. Dealing with him was a necessary evil. The man was sleazy, underhanded, and a pervert of a level even Reno couldn't begin to attain. The Turk leader wasn't going to lose any sleep over having to take him out. He _did_ feel a little bad for the girls in Corneo's employ, however. They'd likely have it harder than anyone for awhile. He vaguely wondered if Reno's friend, Lira, might have some ideas on how to mitigate the effects of putting an end to Don Corneo and made a mental note to ask Elena to speak with her before they acted.

"And the Ancient? She was recovered unharmed?" the president continued.

"Completely, sir. She's in a holding cell for now," Tseng replied. He cringed almost imperceptibly. "Professor Hojo has been informed."

"Good. Very well, you're dismissed."

Tseng nodded and left the president's office, Rude following silently behind him. Neither man spoke until they were safely in the elevator.

"Getting rid of Corneo... _That_ should be interesting," Rude commented. The Turk leader smirked slightly.

"Interesting may not have been the word I would have used... but yes. It will. Set up surveillance on him. It's only a matter of time before he finds out we know he leaked information. He may try to run."

"You don't want me to just handle it?" Rude asked.

"If it looks like he's on his way out of town, then yes. Finish the job. If he seems to be biding his time, just keep watch. I'd like to speak to Lira first and see if there's anything we might be able to do to minimize the turmoil his permanent departure will inevitably set off."

"I'll be in Wall Market if you need me," he replied, as the elevator delivered them to their floor. Tseng stepped out, leaving Rude to continue downwards. Meanwhile, the Wutaiian Turk pulled out his phone and dialed Elena.

* * *

Reno grinned and flicked a few strands of hair across the rookie's face. She scrunched up her nose and absently swatted at them, before burrowing her cheek into the crook of the redhead's neck. He sighed contentedly and reached for the sleeping woman's hand.

She'd been _trying_ to get _him_ to fall asleep for a little while. Her efforts seemed to have backfired on her, however, and now she was resting, somewhat precariously, on the edge of his bed, cuddled up against his right side. Reno, meanwhile, was wide awake... even though Ward had been in twice already to chastise him for ignoring her orders to get some rest.

The fact was, he simply wasn't sleepy, which was odd. Usually heavy duty pain killers knocked him out for hours... after they reduced him to an anxiety-ridden mess for awhile, of course. Ward's new prescription plan had fixed _that_ side-effect at least, but it also seemed to be keeping him far more alert than he had any right being with what he was fairly sure was a pretty high dosage in his system.

Mentally, he shrugged. He wasn't going to complain. He wasn't in pain and he wasn't freaking out for no particular reason. Those were both pluses in his book. If it meant a little insomnia, he could live with that.

The door to his room opened and Ward stepped inside, a tray of food balanced on one hand.

"Yeh know," she said softly, spotting the slumbering rookie, "Pawning off my orders on yer girlfriend doesn't count. When I said 'get some rest', I meant _yeh_ should be the one sleeping..."

She set the tray down on the table beside the bed.

"Tried. Can't," he replied with a half shrug, not wanting to disturb Elena.

"Hmm..." Ward frowned. "Must be the anti-anxiety meds... though I'm a bit hesitant to try mixing in a sedative as well. Yeh tend ta be sensitive to things like that. Don't want ta overload yeh. Do yeh feel alright otherwise?"

He eyed the tray. "Aside from starvin' to death, ya mean?"

Dr. Ward rolled her eyes, scoffing, but turned to retrieve the tray anyway. Before she could, however, a loud, musical tone started up. Elena was startled awake, and apparently had forgotten where she was... because a moment later she found herself on the floor next to the bed. She groaned aloud as she stood, rubbing her hip with one hand and reaching into her jacket for her PHS with the other.

"Elena here, sir..." she said, glaring at at the redhead's sudden bout of muffled laughter. "But... Y-yes, sir. Alright."

She tucked the phone back into her pocket, frowning.

"Heh... Boss need ya for somethin' already?"

"Don't you dare say 'I told you so'," she warned. The redhead grinned.

"I told –"

"Reno, I swear to Shiva..." she quickly cut him off with a quiet laugh. He smirked and settled back against the pillows again, but said nothing more. Elena sighed. "I have to go. Tseng wants me to talk to Lira."

Reno's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "What's the boss want with Lira?"

Elena glanced over at the doctor. "Umm..."

"Tch... relax, 'Lena. The Doc's got a higher security clearance than _you_ do. Has to in order to be able to look after us sometimes. She knows how shit works around here..."

"The President has ordered us to terminate Corneo for leaking information about the Pillar operation to Avalanche."

"Oh. Yeah... I can see why he might want a little inside advice on somethin' like that. Gonna be a mess. That jackass is about the only thing keepin' any kinda order down in Wall Market."

Dr. Ward clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "As if Shinra hasn't caused enough damage ta the slums lately..." She glanced immediately over to her patient. "And don't yeh go taking that ta mean I blame yeh personally for it. That arrogant son of a bitch, Shinra, didn't give yeh a choice in the matter."

Reno blinked in surprise. "Doc..." he gasped, his voice the epitome of scandalized disbelief, "Language!"

His reaction drew a giggle from the rookie. Ward set the tray of food on his lap and fixed him with a stern look.

"Just because I disapprove in general doesn't mean there aren't occasions that warrant it," she snapped back. "Now... eat."

Instead, Reno chuckled, shaking his head. "Ten fuckin' years... Never once heard ya swear, Doc. Didn't think ya had it in ya."

Ward rolled her eyes. "Oh, for Odin's sake... The things yeh find amusing..." she muttered.

* * *

Elena arrived outside Reno's old apartment... now Lira's new home... in under fifteen minutes. She knocked, hoping she wasn't disturbing the woman. Lira was still recovering from her own ordeal. She didn't want to intrude if she was trying to get some rest... but orders were orders, and Tseng wanted her opinion.

The door opened surprisingly swiftly, and the rookie was greeted by the sight of her friend, propped up on crutches, and looking decidedly concerned.

"Elena! Oh, thank Shiva... It's all over the news!" she said, hobbling back a bit so that the Turk could step inside. "I've been callin' friends of mine down below for hours, makin' sure they're alright. Thankfully, most of the girls I know from Seven were workin' today, but one or two... I just can't get ahold of. Are you alright? Where's Reno? Is _he_ alright?! They said Avalanche was behind the collapse... I know you've been after 'em for awhile now. He _is_ alright, isn't he? I tried callin' him, too, but he doesn't always answer when he's on duty..."

Elena felt almost dizzy from the sudden onslaught. She shut the door behind her before saying anything.

"Reno's okay. He's a little banged up... but okay."

"Oh..." she sighed, and Elena realized that the woman was blinking back tears. "Good..." Lira's palm rose to rest protectively over her stomach. She sniffed softly and wiped her eyes with the back of her other hand, and managed a laugh. "Sorry... This little guy's makin' a complete mess of my hormones lately. Yesterday I started cryin' like an idiot 'cause I dropped a goddamn coffee cup."

The rookie smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it. Let's go sit down... Tseng wanted me to ask your advice on something."

" _My_ advice?" Lira echoed, cocking an eyebrow suspiciously as she let Elena help her down onto the couch. "What in Shiva's name could I offer _him_ advice on?"

"Er... well..." the rookie began. " _Hypothetically_ , let's say Don Corneo suddenly wasn't in charge of Wall Market anymore... What would happen?"

Lira's eyes widened. "Hypothetically, huh?" she snorted, in obvious disbelief, before taking on a more pensive expression. "Well, let's see... Probably the first thing that'd happen is that one of those assholes he's got workin' for him'll try n' take the reigns. My money'd be on Koch. Not a lot of brains, but most of Corneo's other guys are pretty intimidated by him. The girls at the Honeybee can't stand him, though, and neither can most of the other businesses in the sector... and without Corneo backin' up his authority, I'm not so sure they'd do a damn thing he said. So... I s'pose what would happen would kinda depend on whether or not Koch actually has the balls to take control of the rest of Corneo's goons. If he's got all that muscle, he could probably threaten the rest of Wall Market into lettin' him take over. If not... It's gonna be a free-for-all, like it was over in Two after Jericho went missing. But probably not as bloody."

"Any ideas on how we could prevent that from happening?" Elena asked, nodding her understanding. The other woman thought for a moment.

"I'd suggest puttin' someone else in charge before Koch makes the attempt himself. He'll either pull it off, and the whole place'll eventually go to shit because he's a fuckin' moron, or he'll fail spectacularly and everyone and their brother'll be looking for a piece of the pie." She leaned back and, with some effort, propped her feet up on the coffee table, rubbing at her injured leg. "I'm not really sure who you'd get to do it, though. I mean... I know who _I'd_ want in charge down there, but it probably wouldn't happen without a whole lotta help."

"Who?" Elena asked, curious.

"Rose. That old gal's been runnin' the Honeybee for Corneo since before _I_ got there. She knows Wall Market better than anyone... maybe even better than Corneo himself."

The rookie remembered meeting the woman back during her brief stint as an undercover brothel girl. She was shrewd and deliberate, and _extremely_ protective of 'her girls'.

"Thanks for the info," Elena replied. "I need to get back... but is there anything I can do before I leave?"

Lira shook her head. "Not unless you've got a new knee ya can lend me 'til Doc Ward gets mine fixed up completely. Ugh... I'll be glad to get rid of those damn crutches. 'Specially since I'm just gonna keep gettin' bigger here pretty soon." She giggled softly and poked her stomach. "Can't really tell it yet, but I've already gained five pounds. 'Course that might be more from Del and your grandmother droppin' by with food every day while they were here... Those two make it home okay?"

"I heard from them this morning. They'd just made it to Rocket Town and were waiting to catch a ride on to Veraheim. They'll probably get there tomorrow."

"Hmph... I can't even _imagine_ livin' out in the middle of nowhere like that. I think I'd go crazy wantin' somethin' to do all day..."

"Oh, there's _plenty_ to do," Elena snickered, enumerating the various activities on her fingers, "Feeding the chickens, keeping the homestead repaired, cutting firewood, clearing brush... Not to mention working the mine. That's what keeps the town going, after all. Nana's great great grandfather was the one who first opened it, and the whole town works there. That mountain range is full of mithryl ore and silver."

Lira laughed. "That's not really the the kind of entertainment I'm into. Seems to suit your brother, though. Told me he went out there one day and just couldn't bring himself to come back to Midgar."

"Yeah... But I think it had more to do with my dad dying and Veraheim being so far away. He never liked living in Midgar much after it happened. He left a couple of years later. But he's been really happy ever since, so I guess it was the right thing for him."

"Too bad... He's a real sweetheart. Kinda wish I could see more of him, to be honest... but I don't really see myself livin' on a mountain, feedin' chickens and haulin' in firewood," she said, smiling. She paused, looking over at the rookie. "I shouldn't keep you any longer. You've got your hands full with the mess outside."

Elena nodded and stood up. "I'll see you later. But let me know if you need anything, okay?"

* * *

By the time Elena had reported back to Tseng... and handled the three additional tasks he assigned her, as Rude, apparently, was down below keeping an eye on Corneo... and returned to Midgar General, Dr. Ward was already releasing the injured redhead.

"Now... Yeh take it easy tonight, and don't go skipping the painkillers just because yer worried about the side effects. If yer hurting, take them. First round of materia therapy will be tomorrow morning at eight sharp, and Shiva help yeh if yer late."

Elena smirked. She could hear the woman halfway down the hall. She silently slipped into the room, waiting quietly while Ward finished up with her patient.

"That goes for yer psych evaluation, too... which is at ten. And don't yeh even _think_ about 'forgetting' about it this time, because I've marked yeh as mandatory and yer not going back on active duty until yeh do it."

The redhead groaned. "Aw, come on, Doc... I know you 'n the boss are worried about how I'm handlin' shit, but I'm tellin' ya... I'm _fine_. _Please_ don't make me sit through one of those bullshit evals. I fuckin' hate 'em."

"It's not up for negotiation. Yer ta report at ten tomorrow morning. And if yeh keep complaining, I'll just keep yeh here after I'm done with yeh at yer mako session, and walk yeh upstairs myself. _And_ yeh'll get no treat!"

The rookie sniggered softly... not so much at the threat, but at the look of dejected disappointment that came over Reno's face at the pronouncement. The doctor turned to glance behind her, realizing that she suddenly had an audience, and smirked.

"Ah... seems yeh've been granted a reprieve from my terrible company," she joked, patting the redhead on the shoulder. "Yeh can take him home now. Keep him off his feet, and... I can't believe I'm even bothering ta say it, but... make sure he gets some food in him tonight. I'll expect him bright and early tomorrow so we can start to get that knee taken care of. Shouldn't take more than one or two sessions."

"Great. Ya know what the downside of livin' with your girlfriend is, Doc?" Reno asked, petulantly, "The fact that you're stuck with a fuckin' built-in babysitter."

Ward chuckled softly. "If that's the best yeh can come up with, I wonder just what the downsides of living with _yeh_ are for poor Elena over there..." she teased, leaving the pair of them alone. "Go on. I'll handle gettin' yeh checked out."

The rookie waved to her as she exited and picked up a pair of crutches that had been leaning against the wall near the door, carrying them over to the redhead. She sat down next to him on the bed and kissed him on the cheek.

"There aren't any downsides, you know..." she said, smiling. "Well... except that you hog the covers. And never do the dishes. And eat everything in sight as soon as I go grocery shopping. And keep using the same icky, damp towel for days at a time until I finally get sick of seeing it in the bathroom and wash it. And..."

Reno laughed. "Okay... I get the point. Take me home and babysit me already..." She grinned and passed him the crutches. "How'd things go with Lira?"

"Fine... She was pretty worried about you when I got there. She said you weren't answering your phone."

"Tch... That's 'cause the Doc took it away from me so it wouldn't ' _disturb_ ' me. Didn't give it back 'til right before you got here," he replied, rolling his eyes. He pulled himself up, hobbling towards the door. Elena hurried to follow, trying not to laugh as he headed for the elevator as fast as he could. Apparently, he was anxious to get out of there.

* * *

"You're certain?" Tseng asked, frowning.

"Positive. He's no where to be found. Even Koch doesn't know where that rat's run off to. I have my people checking the other sectors... but if I had to bet, my money would be on Corneo skipping town."

Tseng resisted the strong urge to groan and wondered if he'd been tipped off that the Turks were coming after him, or had simply packed up and left as soon as Avalanche had forced the information out of him.

"Send out an alert to the entire company. All facilities worldwide, all personnel. If anyone even _thinks_ they see him, I want to know about it."

"Yes, sir," Rude replied.

"And then go home. We've both had a long day. I think we can justify leaving a little early."

"Planning on checking in on Reno on the way home?"

Tseng shook his head. "Ward released him an hour ago. By now he's safely at home with Elena. I hate to disturb them, when I'm sure she's busy spoiling him."

"Hmph..." Rude snorted, laughing softly. "You just don't want to risk interrupting them in bed again."

Tseng couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll admit... the thought _had_ crossed my mind. Though I doubt even Reno would be up for such strenuous activity tonight."

"Not sure a little thing like being shot would stop him from at least trying..."

"Perhaps... but I think _Elena_ probably would," the Turk leader shot back, smirking. Rude finished typing up the alert and sent it out to the company's global mailing list. It was a longshot... If Corneo really didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be. Not any time soon, at any rate. Especially if he'd left the city. He had the means to go anywhere.

He stood and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "You're probably right," he acknowledged. "... How do you think he's really handling this?"

Tseng sighed and shook his head. He really wasn't sure. The redhead had _seemed_ alright... and Ward had told him that he'd been no worse than his usually grumpy hospital-self later in the afternoon... but Tseng still remembered exactly how broken inside he'd felt after Shinra had ordered the attack on the Sector 3 train station. Granted, much of that had been related to his sister's unnecessary and preventable death... but it had been more than just that loss that had reduced him to a state of seemingly hopeless depression for several long weeks and nearly driven him to tender his resignation. He hadn't been the one to give the order... but he had suggested to Veld the plan that ultimately killed more than three hundred people. That guilt had weighed heavily on him... It still did from time to time. The death toll this time around was several orders of magnitude higher.

"I think it's too soon to tell," he said at last. "I don't think it's really hit him quite yet."

"..."

Tseng had a feeling he knew where Rude's train of thought was heading, and he couldn't fault him for being worried about his best friend. He, too, had seen what the Turk leader had gone through.

"Reno's a bit more resilient than I was back then..."

Rude nodded slightly and started out the door. "Doesn't mean he can't break."

"No... it's doesn't," Tseng sighed, shutting off the lights and heading for the elevator.

* * *

Reno woke shaking and drenched in sweat, his stomach in knots as he tried to catch his breath. For a few frightening moments, he had no idea where he was... just that it was pitch black. As he calmed, he realized he wasn't alone. A soft, warm figure was slumbering peacefully beside him, none the wiser to his sudden restless state. He exhaled slowly, realizing he'd only been dreaming... and the Elena was safe and sound at his side, not pinned beneath several tons of metal and concrete with the rest of those unfortunate enough to have been in Sector 7.

How he hadn't woken her, he wasn't sure... though in his dream, once he'd pushed the button, he'd been paralyzed at the top of the Pillar, unable to move. Maybe that had somehow translated through to the real world.

He reached over to her, fingers gently caressing her cheek, and she murmured something thoroughly incoherent, leaning into his touch. The redhead desperately wanted to rouse her, if only to assure himself that she was really there, and not just a figment of his drug-addled brain... though, if the pain radiating outward from his knee was anything to go by, Ward's prescriptions had worn off some time ago. If he did, he knew he'd immediately be the object of her concern and pampering... and the thought of being enveloped in her arms, and petted and cuddled until he turned to mush was sorely tempting.

He couldn't bring himself to do it. Reno winced as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, fumbling for his crutches. Elena had been all but waiting on him hand and foot since she'd brought him home. She needed and _deserved_ a decent night's sleep.

As for himself... after that, _he_ needed a drink.

Ward would almost certainly murder him if she found out, particularly given that he'd been pretty heavily medicated earlier in the day... but right now, he really didn't care. The redhead made his way out of the bedroom as silently as he could, and thanked whichever deity might be listening that Elena wasn't even remotely as light a sleeper as _he_ was... especially after he damn near screamed when he bumped into her dresser in the dark, painfully jarring his injured leg.

Three goddamn weeks... _almost_ four... he'd been living with her, and he still couldn't seem to navigate by memory.

Finally, he made it out, shutting the door behind him and leaving the woman to sleep undisturbed, and hobbled to the kitchen. Reno glanced over at the clock that glowed on the back of the stove, and swore under his breath. It wasn't even three in the morning yet. He still had half the night to get through, and he didn't think he'd be getting back to sleep any time soon... though he was trying very hard not to think about why.

He reached for one of the cabinets over the stove, pushing aside a few of the bottles he found there. The one he was looking for right now he'd hidden away in the back so that it wouldn't accidentally find its way into the hands of a certain houseguest if he'd gone snooping. Reno's fingers finally closed around the neck of the bottle, and he carefully brought it down.

He'd been saving it for years... but until tonight, he'd never really known what he was saving it _for_ ,exactly _._ Rufus had gifted him this particular bottle of whiskey back when he was still a rookie. He grabbed a glass and awkwardly make his way into the living room with his load, setting it on the coffee table and lowing himself onto the couch.

He opened the bottle, and poured himself a glass.

~fin~


	47. Problems to Solve

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 47: Problems to Solve**

 **by Desha**

Elena yawned and rolled over... only to find herself alone. She sat up in confusion, rubbing her eyes and trying to figure out where Reno had disappeared to.

He hadn't been quite himself when they'd gone to bed last night, but then, _she_ probably wouldn't have been, either, after the day he'd had. It seemed to have grown worse as the medications Ward had given him had started to wear off, though he'd refused to take any more. By that evening, he hadn't been hungry, picking at his dinner and even turning down dessert. She still wasn't sure if he'd been in pain or if it was something deeper.

The rookie rolled out of bed, glancing at the clock as she made her way to the door. It was just before six in the morning. Normally she'd have been up and getting ready for work by now... and pestering Reno to do the same, even though she knew he wouldn't willingly drag himself out from under the covers for at least another half hour. Today, though, she'd shut off the alarm. Tseng had given her permission to use a few days of vacation time to look after the redhead, so long as she remained on call in the event of an emergency. Still... Elena was an early riser by nature. It wasn't unusual for her to be up well before her alarm went off.

It _was_ unusual for Reno, though.

She opened the door and stepped out into the living room, spotting him immediately on the couch... along with the empty bottle on the coffee table. Frowning, she walked over to him, kneeling down beside him.

He was lying on his stomach, his injured leg stretched out along the couch while the other leg dangled over the edge of the cushions. His head was pillowed on folded arms, and he was snoring softly.

"Reno?" She shook him gently, but the only reply she got was a soft groan. He didn't wake right away. The rookie could smell the sharp scent of liquor, and wondered how full that bottle had been when he'd started drinking last night. The sight was disheartening. "Oh, Reno..." she sighed, letting her hands drift along his spine. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Mmph..." His head slowly turned towards her, bleary eyes struggling to focus. "'Lena? What're you doin' up?" he slurred, obviously still more than just slightly inebriated.

"Worrying about why my boyfriend is drunk on the couch at six A.M. instead of in bed with me where he belongs," Elena replied.

"Tch... m'not drunk. Just... pre-hung over." The redhead slowly pushed himself up, trying to get into some semblance of an upright position. He only succeeded in tumbling gracelessly to the floor, with a loud yelp, before Elena could catch him.

"Reno!" she cried, alarmed.

"Ow..." he muttered. The rookie slipped behind him, grabbing him under each arm, and lifted him back onto the couch, careful to avoid aggravating his injuries any farther. "S'okay... I'm good."

"... Reno, just how much did you have to drink last night?" she asked, somewhat incredulously. She'd seen the man drunk before, but never to the point that he was falling all over himself. It scared her a little. He shook his head.

"Just th'one bottle..." he replied, his arm snaking its way around her shoulders. "Prob'ly shouldn'ta done that... didn't eat much b'fore bed..." He grinned drunkenly and leaned into her, one hand deftly sliding beneath her pajama top and fondling her as he teasingly kissed her neck. "Fuck, you're beautiful, 'Lena..." he murmured against her skin. "Too fuckin' beautiful..."

Elena rolled her eyes and gently coaxed his hand out from under her shirt and squirmed her way out of his grip. Well... at least _that_ response was normal. " _You_ need some coffee," she stated firmly.

"Don't want coffee. I'm happily perfect bein' drunk right now."

"Well, you know who's _not_ going to be very 'happily perfect'?" she asked with a soft laugh at the muddled phrase, stroking his hair affectionately. "Dr. Ward. You have an appointment with her in less than two hours."

The redhead paled slightly. "... Ah, fuck. Doc's gonna murder me. Or worse, revoke my candy privileges for th'rest of my life..."

She giggled quietly, in spite of herself, at his slightly panicked expression and eased him back until he was laying down again. "Just relax... We'll get you sobered up," she assured him, leaving him for the moment and stepping into the kitchen. Elena opened a cabinet and grabbed the coffee, dumping a generous amount into the coffee maker. She had a feeling he was going to need it extra strong this morning. Once it was brewing, she returned to him and settled herself next to him, petting him.

"So... Thought you could get away with throwing a party and not inviting me, huh?" she teased, trying not to let her concern over his present condition show thought too much.

"Ya didn't miss anything. It was a pretty shit party," he retorted. Elena trailed the backs of her fingers along his cheek, drawing a soft sigh from the redhead.

"What's _really_ going on?"

Reno shrugged, and looked away. "Couldn't sleep."

"Reno..."

He turned his gaze back toward her and sighed. "'Kay... fine. Had a dream that freaked me the hell out. Came out for somethin' to drink 'n maybe mighta got a li'l carried away..."

"You think?" she smirked, holding up the empty bottle, before turning serious. "I wish you'd woken me up instead."

"... You're not gonna ask what it was about?" Reno asked, and Elena was sure he'd done so to avoid responding to the desire she'd just expressed. She shook her head in the negative.

"I think I already have a pretty good idea..." It wasn't exactly any great leap to make, after all. What he'd been forced to do yesterday would have been traumatic for _any_ of them. To be honest, the only thing that really surprised her was that it had taken so long before it had seemed to hit him... but then, that, too, wasn't difficult to explain given the injuries and the medications, and the general air of safety and protection he'd been enveloped in since waking up in the hospital. Elena doubted very much that Ward would have left him on his own for long after she'd been called back in to work. Reno probably hadn't even had _time_ to process it all until he'd finally fallen asleep last night.

The sound of the coffee maker using up the last few drops of water in its reservoir told her his coffee was ready, and she hurried to get him some.

"Come on..." she said, returning quickly with a large mug. "Let's try and get you fixed before Ward skins you alive."

* * *

She refused to even look at him. He been standing there calmly, patiently, for almost five minutes now, and she hadn't even acknowledged him. She simply sat, perched on the edge of the cot, arms folded, her face turned away from the door.

"I didn't want this," Tseng said, finally breaking the silence.

Aerith shifted slightly but otherwise didn't move.

"I tried to prevent it," he said with a sigh. Even he wasn't sure if he was referring to the Sector 7 Plate or her capture. He's tried to stop both. He tried for years, in fact, on _her_ behalf... hoping that if he just continued to pretend they had no idea where she was, he'd never have to bring her back here. He'd come to think of it as an atonement of sorts... for what had happened so many years ago in Sector 3 and for the countless other black marks on his soul. Deep down, he'd always known it was a foolish wish. His first loyalty was to his Turks, and his second was to Shinra. And if the company demanded her imprisonment, it was his duty to be her jailer.

"I'm not speaking to you right now."

He smiled faintly. It was so very like the young woman to be considerate enough to inform him of that fact instead of just holding her tongue.

"That's... very unfortunate for me," he responded, "But I understand. If you need anything, ask the guards. I've instructed them to make you as comfortable as possible."

Tseng turned and left the little cell, closing the door behind him and nodding to the guard outside to re-lock it. As he made his way down the hall, he could feel her eyes on him, watching from the barred window in the door. He didn't look back. If he had, he was certain she'd only turn away again.

* * *

"Of all the knuckle-headed, idiotic, asinine, outright _foolish_ things ta do! Yer lucky yer already hurt or I'd be sorely tempted ta violate my Hippocratic oath right about now and slap some sense inta yeh, yeh Ifrit-forsaken little troublemaker! Do yeh even _know_ how dangerous that was? I have told yeh _time_ and _time_ again, yeh are _not_ ta drink when yer medicated! And what d'yeh go 'n do?! Yeh down an entire Shiva-be-cursed bottle of whiskey! I swear ta Odin, sometimes I wonder if yeh have a brain in that head of yers..."

By now, Reno was really only half-listening to the doctor's rant. She'd been laying into him for a good six minutes now if the wall clock was accurate, alternating between deep concern about possible interactions between her prescribed drugs and his early morning binge drinking, and outright fury. It was actually pretty impressive that someone could spend that long berating a person without swearing even once. _He_ certainly couldn't have done it. Not that he'd have ever made such an attempt to begin with...

But what was truly amusing was the way her accent became more and more pronounced the angrier she got. By now, she had very nearly reached Mideelian northlander, it was so thick. She always spoke with a more than a hint of that familiar lilt to her words, but at the moment, the woman might as well have just stepped off the boat from the little island nation. The fact that he couldn't quite stop grinning because of it was undoubtedly pissing her off even more.

… And it probably didn't help that he was still just a bit buzzed. The coffee had helped – and Elena had continued plying him with it the entire way to Midgar General – but there was really no hiding the fact that he was less than completely sober. He'd ultimately had to come clean.

"Are yeh ev'n listenin' ta me, yeh daft little pain in my backside?! Yer lucky yer less a child then yeh act... Oth'rwise I've have yeh over my knee, just as my mam did ta her brood when we dared ta step outta line!"

" _Easy_ , Doc..." Reno replied, raising his hands in surrender. "I get the point..."

"Oh, yeh do, do yeh?" Ward angrily crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Well, just ta make sure it sticks... No. Treat."

The redhead cringed. He'd seen that coming, but it was still disappointing. There was really nothing particularly special about Ward's candy. He could have bought a week's supply from just about any corner convenience store. For some reason, it always seemed to taste sweeter coming from her, though.

"Now then..." she continued, visibly calming herself as professionalism crept back in, "Yeh've got an hour-long session and I don't have all day ta stand about and scream at yeh... so we'd best get started."

Reno sighed and laid back on the bed, pulling his injured leg up onto the mattress. "We really gotta go a whole hour? This shit's boring as fuck and I think ya might've scared 'Lena right out of the hospital with all that yellin'..." he teased. Really, Elena only had disappeared to retrieve something she'd left in the car. She hadn't said what it was, but he could guess. She had a captive audience, after all... He was fairly certain he was getting read to, whether he liked it or not.

"Yeh watch yer language, young man... I'm still very angry with yeh and yeh've already lost yer treat for _one_ visit," the doctor warned him. "Yeh'll be getting an hour and not a half-second less... I plan on having yeh back on yer feet again by the end of next week if not sooner." She turned on her heel and marched over to the hefty piece of machinery stationed in the far corner of the room, pulling it's heavy-duty cart to his bedside.

Mako therapy was a relatively new advance in medical technology... The result of years of research in the Shinra Biologics Department had, for a pleasant change, produced something that wouldn't poison, maim, or attempt to eat a person. Reno wasn't clear on the specifics – nor did he particularly care about them – but they'd somehow found a way to harness and amplify the properties of mako energy that produced healing materia. From what he'd been told, it accelerated a person's natural healing rate by nearly ten times. Injuries that would normally take months to mend could be taken care of in weeks, even days, instead.

And he'd certainly had plenty of opportunities to see it in action over the past couple of years.

The only downside was that it had to be done in sessions due to the danger of over-exposure and subsequent mako poisoning. That meant repeated trips to the hospital, sitting or laying still in one place for an hour or more, over and over and over until the Doc finally deemed him repaired. It was, as he'd said, boring as fuck. Particularly since the damned machine tended to interfere with other nearby electronics, so he couldn't watch television, listen to music, or even play a game on his PHS while he was waiting for it to finish up. It was enough to drive him mad sometimes.

Being read to was suddenly sounding a lot more appealing. As long as Ward didn't stick around for it. He wasn't about to admit it, but he liked listening to Elena read... he just didn't want people finding out about it. It was babyish. He didn't typically care about what most people thought of him... but _still_. He had at least _some_ dignity left.

And so of course, the rookie chose that precise moment to return, the large, familiar book in hand. Reno sighed and hoped Ward wouldn't notice.

"Now, don't yeh forget... yer psych evaluation is at ten. Are yeh going ta make it there on yer own, or do I need ta admit yeh so I can keep an eye on yeh personally?" the doctor asked as she encased his leg in the thick transparent material that the mako would eventually be flowing through. She pulled the heavy arm of the mako therapy machine over his leg, hooking him up.

"Tch... I'll behave," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Probably lose out on my candy for a _month_ if I don't..."

"Yer darn right yeh will," Ward replied with a smirk, and Elena smothered a giggle. "Everything comfortable?"

The redhead shrugged. "Comfortable as this thing ever gets..." It was bulky and cumbersome... and worse, if you started to itch, there was was absolutely no way to get at it until the whole process was over. Dr. Ward nodded and pressed several buttons on the control panel. The therapy machine started up with a low hum, and Reno watched as the mako began to swirl.

It wasn't _entirely_ unpleasant once it was actually going. It was an odd thing to say, but he could swear that he could actually feel himself healing bit by bit. It didn't hurt... In some ways, it was actually pretty enjoyable. Or might have been, if not for the time and boredom involved.

Elena had settled herself into the chair by the bed, the book already open on her lap, and Ward eyed it curiously.

"Planning on entertaining my patient, then?" she chuckled, and the rookie grinned.

"He _says_ it's silly for a grown man to be read to... but I know he secretly likes it," Elena replied. Reno glared at her in response.

"Mmm... Is that Mesker's 'Anthology'?" Ward asked, and Elena quickly nodded, prompting a smile from the physician, "I had that book as a girl... Lovely stories. Have yeh read him 'The Tattling Stone' yet? That was always _my_ favorite."

"Has _everyone_ read this damn book?" he petulantly wondered aloud.

Elena ignored him and shook her head. "We haven't gotten that far yet."

"Well... I'll leave yeh to it, then," the doctor replied, before turning to Reno, "Yeh know the drill by now. No squirming, no complaining, and _absolutely_ no tampering with yer monitors. The nursing staff was _not_ amused the last time. I'll check in on yeh in a bit."

* * *

"Hmph... She dump you or something?" Rude asked as Tseng returned to the office. The Wutaiian Turk cast him an annoyed look. Both he _and_ Reno liked to tease their superior occasionally over his apparent fondness for the young woman... even though he'd made it perfectly clear to them – several dozen times by now – that he didn't see her in any such way. The pair persisted, however... it had been a running joke between them for years. After awhile, he'd given up any hope of ever making them stop.

"She's not particularly happy with me, no."

"Well, maybe this'll cheer you up. Heidegger dropped it off while you were gone," the other man said, handing Tseng a sheet of paper. He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"When has Heidegger's presence in our offices _ever_ cheered me up?" he deadpanned, before turning his attention to the memo. Rude smirked and let him read it. "Ah..." Tseng smiled slightly. "Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything."

It was an itinerary for Rufus' return to Midgar. The younger Shinra would be arriving by helicopter tomorrow evening, followed by a private dinner with the executive board. A welcome home luncheon was planned for the entire company the following afternoon. Nothing that pertained specifically to the Turks... but Tseng was grudgingly grateful to their department head for endeavoring to inform them of the schedule.

"Glad to have him coming home?"

"Extremely. I dislike Rufus being housed so far out of our reach."

"And you miss him."

Tseng snorted a quiet laugh. It was true... Rufus was really the only executive who's company the Turk leader actually enjoyed. It was a cool and understated friendship... but a friendship none the less, and Tseng had difficulty simply ignoring his absence.

"Yes... And I miss him," he agreed. "Though the three of _you_ have kept me more than entertained while he's been gone. Speaking of which... I haven't heard from Justinia yet this morning. Is it possible that Reno actually showed up for a medical appointment on time and without complaint?"

Now it was Rude's turn to laugh. "Probably more like _Elena_ showed up on time and brought him along with her. He _cooperates_ for her, you know..."

Tseng sighed. "Then Elena seems to have managed something _I've_ spent ten years attempting to master."

"Well... to be fair, _you_ never tried sleeping with him," Rude teased.

"There _are_ limits to how far I will go to obtain the desired result," he responded dryly, with a roll of his eyes. He shook his head. "But enough joking around... Have we gotten confirmation that the remaining members of Avalanche were killed? The odds of them having survived are admittedly slim, but I'd prefer to have that particular loose end tied up sooner rather than later."

"No... no sign of their bodies. Rescue personnel are still combing the area for survivors and remains, though. It's gonna be awhile before everyone's accounted for and they've got to be buried pretty deep." He frowned slightly before continuing. "But..."

"But?" Tseng echo, curious.

"I've had someone keeping an eye on the Gainsborough house since last night, just in case. It's just been the kid and Aerith's mother so far... but I haven't heard from my lookout yet this morning. Not sure why."

"I see. The girl... she's the bartender's?"

Rude shook his head. "Thought so at first, but Tifa's just a family friend. She's Barret Wallace's kid... or at least he's raising her. His background check says his wife died four years ago after the Mount Corel reactor was bombed. No children. Not entirely sure where she came from. Maybe an orphan from Corel... maybe from the slums."

Tseng frowned thoughtfully. He remembered that mess. Corel had very nearly been another Nibelhiem... but Shinra had characterized the destruction of the town as protecting the reactor nestled in the mountains above it... in reality, it was a punishment for the townspeople's audacity to attempt to destroy the very thing that was ensuring their livelihoods. The Corel reactor was one of the first Shinra had ever built and the little town of Corel had been something of a guinea pig. The President had not been happy when it was damaged, and his retaliation had been swift and deadly.

The Turks hadn't been called in to deal with the situation – it had been left to the company's military troops under Scarlet's supervision, as by that point in time, the reactor had been in the middle of a transition to study way of weaponizing the technology – but he had certainly heard an earful about it from Rufus. The Vice President had thought Scarlet's decision to raze the town had been a needless waste of resources and labor that could have been put into repairing the damage to the reactor.

"If any of them survived, they'd undoubtedly go looking for her," the Turk leader finally said. "I believe Aerith was trying to inform them that she'd managed to secure her safety at the Pillar."

"Had the same thought. That's why I was watching. Want me to check in personally?"

"No. Unfortunately, we have more pressing matters today. Someone has been in one of Hojo's labs without authorization."

"More of a building security issue, isn't it?" Rude replied.

"I'd normally agree, except that Aerith's present attitude toward me isn't the only reason for the expression I was wearing when I walked in here. Security has already gone through the camera footage and can find nothing but a few minutes of technical glitches. The cameras in the lab in question briefly cut out late last night... They can't explain why."

"Anything important get taken?"

"That's just it. _Nothing_ seems to have been taken. Several specimens were extremely agitated this morning, however. And the Jenova specimen's enclosure showed evidence of someone attempting to open it."

"Jenova?" Rude asked, peering over his sunglasses in surprise. Tseng nodded.

"I suspect it was someone with fairly high level access... and of course, industrial espionage falls to us to investigate. If this is some underpaid lab assistant looking to sell company secrets, it's a priority and needs to be dealt with quickly."

"Gonna call Elena in?"

Tseng shook his head in the negative. "Not if I don't have to. I'd prefer she stay with Reno right now... and I'm sure she would prefer that as well. I want my second-in-command back, and the sooner he's up to the task, the better."

* * *

Reno fidgeted on the plush sofa in the waiting room, eyes glancing up at the clock every few seconds. The rookie wasn't sure if he was anxious to get this over with or hoping that time would stop so he wouldn't have to worry about it. Knowing the redhead, it was probably both. She leaned in, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Would you relax?"

He sighed and rubbed absently at his knee. The mako therapy had done a remarkable job on it. He would still need crutches for awhile... probably until his next session finished things up... but it hurt a lot less, and the swelling had gone down. He'd even been able to put some weight on it, though Ward had immediately yelled at him for doing so.

By the time Ward had finished with him, there had been very little time to kill before his mandatory pysch evaluation. The doctor had gone out of her way to examine every inch of him, and he suspected it was purely for the purpose of keeping him there so he wouldn't have an excuse to ditch his second appointment of the day. Not that Elena would have let him.

"Ward's bad enough... 'least she's got candy. I _hate_ these assholes," he muttered. Psychiatrists were probably the only exception to his love of being the center of attention. The pried, they judged, and they inevitably made him feel like there was something wrong with him. And given his choice of profession, there probably _was_ ,but he didn't need to be reminded of that by some over-educated jackass who didn't really know the first thing about him. Every psych eval he'd ever been forced into he'd left pissed off and mentally exhausted... and in one case, semi-conscious, after he'd hit his limit of bullshit and threatened the doctor. He'd been tasered by hospital security in response.

It was a complete over-reaction on their part. He hadn't actually been serious about tossing the guy off the roof.

He was _especially_ not looking forward to _this_ evaluation. Reno had honestly started to think he had shit under control yesterday. He'd been upset, but it had been manageable. At least until the medication had started to wear off and he could think a little more clearly. He was sure Elena had noticed... if not earlier in the evening, then certainly by dinner time. He'd had no appetite whatsoever, and even choking down the few bites he'd managed had taken some effort. To her credit, she hadn't tried to discuss it with him then, even though she'd clearly wanted to... and he was sure it was because she could tell he just wasn't up to it yet.

He was also sure his little display this morning had frightened her, even if she'd been pretty cool about it, and he wished he'd left that damn bottle right where it was in the back of the cabinet. It was bad enough having to carry around the guilt for what he'd had to do in Sector 7... he didn't need to add more to that by worrying the hell out of the woman he loved.

Reno's eyes instinctively fluttered shut as Elena's fingers snuck to the back of his neck, squeezing gently, and he sighed as he felt the soft touch of her lips on his cheek... the briefest of kisses. It was repeated a moment later, and this time she drew it out just a little longer. The redhead smiled in spite of himself and turned his head, capturing the next kiss with his lips instead.

A part of him... the part he'd slowly learned to tell to fuck the hell off over the past few months... told him he had no right to her. She was too perfect. Too amazing. He didn't deserve her... especially now. In response, he lost himself in her, ignoring the nagging feelings of inadequacy and silently begging her not to let him go. Elena's arms tightened around him, and for a moment he wondered if he'd said that out loud. He didn't _think_ he had...

"Ah hem..." a voice broke in with an exaggerated clearing of the throat, and he bit back a growl of irritation at the interruption. _That_ had probably been the most relaxed and normal he'd felt all day, and this fucker had just ruined it. Reno's eyes narrowed as he turned to glare at the interloper... an expression that was quickly replaced with a look of surprise as he caught site of her.

It was rare he lucked out and got a woman for his evals – he half-wondered if someone had put a note in his file prohibiting it after the last time, given that he'd wound up taking her home with him – much less one that looked like _that_.

She was smiling pleasantly, looking amused by what she'd stumbled in on. She was young... likely no older than Elena, in fact... and slim and tone, her ebony skin made all the darker by the stark white coat she wore. Her hair hung in long, narrow braids to the small of her back, where a tight, gray pencil skirt hugged her hips, accentuating her body's natural curves. She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and glanced down at the clipboard in her hand.

"Reno Donovan? I'm Dr. Quaid. If you'll come with me?"

He jumped slightly as Elena jabbed him in the shoulder. "You can put your tongue back in your mouth now, you pervert..." she deadpanned, and he quickly turned back to look at her, words of denial and protest already on his lips. The rookie snickered quietly, grinning.

"Very funny, 'Lena..." he said, rolling his eyes... and thanking his lucky stars that Elena wasn't as insecure as _he_ sometimes tended to be. He stood, and followed the doctor into her office, glancing back at the rookie before the door closed.

"Have a seat," Dr. Quaid said, gesturing to the couch in the middle of the room, and taking up her own place in a nearby chair. Reno did as requested, hoping this would go quickly. "Now... before we get started, there are a few things I want to be _very_ clear about. I've read through your file, _and_ all of the notes your previous doctors have made. I don't care how impressive you _think_ you are... I won't be going home with you."

Reno's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Wait... there really _is_ a note about that?"

"Yes. So don't get any ideas."

"Tch... Relax, Doc. That was a long time ago. 'Sides... I'm taken, now." He gave her a slight lecherous smirk. "So don't _you_ go gettin' any ideas, either. Trust me... you don't piss off my girlfriend."

"I take it that was her in the waiting room?"

"Yeah. That's her."

"Well... Let's start there, then," Dr. Quaid replied, leaning back in the chair and crossing her legs. "Tell me about her."

Reno shook his head. "Thought this was s'posed to be about _me_..." he replied, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"In general... but anything that's important to you is something I'm interested in hearing about. What's her name?"

"Elena." The redhead propped his injured leg up on the coffee table and sat back against the couch cushions.

"And how do you feel about Elena?"

Reno blinked once and stared at the woman. How the fuck was he even supposed to answer that? He wasn't sure he could put those feelings into actual words, even for Elena... let alone some random stranger. The doctor didn't seem to mind his silence, patiently awaiting an answer. He got the feeling that if he didn't say _something_ they were going to be here all day.

"'Lena's the best thing that's ever happened to me," he finally replied. He'd probably said those words a hundred times by now. And he meant them more every time he said them... but even that didn't come close to describing the deep-seated need he felt for her.

"Why?" the woman asked, almost innocently.

Half a dozen answers flashed through his mind. Because he loved her. Because she loved him. Because she didn't judge him for his past or his personality or his imperfections. Because she was the most beautiful woman on the planet and she was his. Because she filled in a part of him he'd never noticed was missing until she'd come along. Because he could loose everything and be happy as long as he still had her. Somehow none of them seemed to say what needed to be said.

"'Cause she just is."

"Hmm..." the doctor hummed thoughtfully, "And how does she feel about your line of work? Have you told her what you do for a living?"

Normally, he might have been vaguely annoyed by such a loaded question... to the point of getting defensive if he was in a bad enough mood. This time, though, all he could do was laugh.

"Didn't exactly _have_ to tell her, Doc..." he said once he got control of himself. "'Lena's a Turk, too. She knows _exactly_ what I 'do for a living'. She's usually doin' it _with_ me."

Dr. Quaid looked somewhat surprised for a moment before quickly schooling her expression. Reno could sort of understand the reaction. Elena really didn't _look_ like what most people thought of when they heard the word 'Turk'. Though to be fair, he wasn't sure _he_ really fit that bill either. Rude was more the stereotypical image of a Turk. Even Tseng wouldn't garner so much as a raised eyebrow from the average Midgar resident.

"How long have you been together?" she asked, recovering.

Reno shrugged. "Depends who ya ask. My partner'll tell ya we've been together since the day she was promoted. But my partner's also an asshole who thinks _his_ jokes are better than mine. Boss'll say about three months, and he's _got_ no sense of humor, so... take your pick."

"What would _she_ say?"

"Heh... 'Lena? She could tell ya down to the second, if you asked her, probably." He frowned, pensively. "Come to think of it, though... I'm not _entirely_ sure where she started countin'. We weren't technically an item when we first slept together... and we weren't technically an item for awhile _after_ either." He shrugged, making a mental note to find that out one of these days. He knew where _he_ started counting... it had been the moment Elena had said yes to him in her bedroom the first night he'd been with her. That was when he'd finally dared to believe that there was a chance he could have something he was certain he never would.

"Tell me something about Elena's personality. What drew you to her?"

"She's perfect," Reno said, without even having to think about it.

"Oh? In what way?"

"Every fuckin' way someone _can_ be perfect." He paused for a moment before adding, "Well... 'cept her taste in music. Some of that shit she listens to is just... ugh..." He shuddered slightly, but then grinned. "'Cept for that, though, she's perfect." Reno sighed softly and shook his head. "Look... much as I love talkin' about 'Lena... and trust me, I could do it all day if someone actually _wanted_ to listen to me make a complete idiot of myself... can we just get this bullshit over with? We both know I'm not here to talk about my relationship with my girlfriend."

Dr. Quaid scribbled something in her notes and nodded. "Alright. Let's talk about Sector 7, then."

Well... that was blunt. He almost laughed at the sudden shift. Reno vaguely wondered how such a young doctor had managed to get high enough security clearance to even know about the reason for this evaluation, let alone conduct it.

"Where should I start?" he asked, steeling himself.

"Why don't you start by tell me how you ended up being the one to trigger the collapse?"

"Tch... That's easy. Luck of the draw. And I have terrible, shitty luck."

"You weren't ordered to do it?" Quaid asked.

"Not me specifically. The Turks were ordered to do it. We left the details up to chance." He massaged his knee and shifted position slightly. It was starting to get stiff.

"Why didn't you refuse?"

Reno eyed her, not sure if that was a legitimate question or an accusation. "Two reasons. One, it's tradition. Ya draw black, ya do the job. No complaining. Two... If I'd refused, someone else woulda had to do it. And I didn't want that. Those guys are the only family I got, and fuck if I'm gonna try 'n pawn shit like that off on one of 'em."

More notes being jotted down. "How did you feel afterwards?"

"I was a little busy tryin' not to get shot _immediately_ afterwards. Then I _did_ get shot, so I was a little busy bleedin' all over the helicopter 'n tryin' not to die. Then I was unconscious for awhile. And then Ward doped me up with fuck only knows what, so... I was pretty much fine," he said in a tone of mixed seriousness and sarcasm. The doctor smiled wanly.

"What about now?"

The redhead hesitated. This was the part he wasn't looking forward to... but if he didn't pass this evaluation, Ward would have him on desk duty for the foreseeable future. Or worse... extended leave. He wasn't sure he could handle being alone with his thoughts right now with no outlet.

"I had a dream last night. I was on the Pillar, watchin' the Plate fall. I was trapped there. Couldn't move. Couldn't get to 'Lena or Rude or Tseng. They needed me, but... I couldn't make myself move. I watched it bury 'em all."

"And then what?"

"Tch... _Then_ I woke up, scared outta my mind 'til I realized where I was. Still don't know how I managed not to wake up 'Lena. She was sleepin' right next to me." He could still remember how badly he had wanted to be held at that moment... and how he couldn't bring himself to disturb her.

"Were you able to sleep after that?"

"Downed an entire bottle of whiskey 'n passed out in the living room... so, yeah. S'pose you could say I got back to sleep..."

That answer, apparently, merited several seconds of furious scribbling. When the woman was done, she looked up at him again. "Is that something you make a habit of?"

"What? Drinkin' myself unconscious?" he snickered. "Nah... I don't typically let it get that far."

"But you _are_ a heavy drinker, according to your file."

Reno shrugged. "That a question, or you just pointin' out my short-comings for me?" This _always_ came up... never failed. At least a few of of the various members of the psych department he'd had to deal with over the years _had_ to be convinced he was a raging alcoholic by now.

"It was only an observation. Do you _consider_ it a short-coming?" Quaid probed. The redhead sighed and rolled his eyes. He'd walked right into that one.

"Not personally. Lotta people might. You one of 'em?" he shot back. He smirked a little when she seemed startled by the question. She _was_ pretty young... Probably new at this and not really used to a patient calling her out. To her credit, she recovered quickly.

"I'd say it depends on the circumstances."

"Yeah, well... for the record, it takes a hell of a lot to actually _get_ me drunk. I'm just weird like that. Last night was kind of an exception to the rule. Hadn't eaten much of anything, and that always fucks me over if I drink."

"Did you feel better when you woke up?"

Reno raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You don't do much drinkin' yourself, do ya? You don't typically 'feel better' the next morning if you overdo it," he snickered. "Hell, I was still wasted when I woke up, 'cause 'Lena came lookin' for me. Didn't even get the _chance_ to sleep it off."

"Was she angry? Upset?"

He shook his head. "Think she was too worried about me to be mad."

"And how did _that_ make you feel?"

"Like shit. I don't like makin' her worry over me. I don't like doin' _anything_ that hurts her 'cause she deserves better than that," the redhead replied. It suddenly occurred to him they'd somehow come full circle back to Elena, and couldn't help but wonder what the doctor's interest was in her. The hell with it... He decided to just ask. "Why so curious about my girlfriend, Doc?"

Dr. Quaid smiled warmly. "Actually... _you're_ the one who keeps bringing her up. Even after I asked you explicitly about Sector 7. She means a great deal to you... doesn't she? You care about her, and it sounds like you also rely on her. Tell me something... why do you think you had that dream last night?"

Reno snorted derisively. "Think that's more your job to figure out than mine, Doc. But if I had to guess, I'd say it mighta had somethin' to do with me murderin' somethin' like eight thousand people."

"Do you feel guilty about that?"

"Of course I do," he said, with a glare. "I fuckin' grew up in the slums. I still _know_ people down there. Fuck, I might even know some of the people who got caught in the collapse. It was overkill. I knew it, Tseng knew it. The President sure as _fuck_ knew it. But feelin' guilty about it after the fact doesn't change anything. You're still stuck livin' with it."

"Would you change things if you _could_?"

The redhead leaned back against the cushions and folded his arms across his chest. "No."

"No?" the doctor parroted, sounding surprised.

"No. Like I said, Doc. If I didn't do it, someone else woulda had to. Turks don't get to pick and choose what orders they obey, and the ones that have tried in the past didn't live very long. I'd rather have to deal with this shit myself than let it fuck up someone I care about. 'Specially 'Lena. I've... seen what it can do to a person."

"Are you worried about what it might do to you?" Dr. Quaid probed.

"I'd be stupid if I wasn't," Reno replied, looking away, "Somethin' like this broke someone I didn't think _could_ break once. Came out of it alright in the end... but there was a while I wasn't so sure he would."

* * *

Elena turned the page and gazed at the text in front of her. She had no idea which of the stories she was supposedly reading. To be honest, she'd pretty much just been staring blankly at the book, and occasionally flipping to the next page when it felt like enough time had passed for her to have finished it. It was mostly just so the young woman who'd come in several minutes ago, waiting for her own appointment, wouldn't try to talk to her. The rookie didn't feel like having a conversation at the moment. She was too focused on Reno.

He'd been in there for... _ages_ , it felt like. A quick glance at the clock told her it had really only been about an hour. She just wanted him back so she could take care of him... and she was going to feel on edge until she had him.

When her PHS suddenly vibrated, she jumped, startled from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen before answering.

"Yes, sir?" She stepped quickly into the hallway, away from the prying ears of the receptionists and the other patient.

"I'm just checking in," Tseng's voice assured her, "I trust Reno hasn't been too much of a hassle this morning?"

She smiled somewhat mischievously. "No more than usual, sir."

"I'm truly sorry to hear that," the the Turk leader deadpanned, drawing a soft laugh from the woman. "Is he finished at the hospital yet?"

"Not yet... But she can't possibly keep him in there _much_ longer," Elena responded, some of her impatience slipping into her voice.

"She?" Tseng asked, sounding vaguely surprised. "Don't tell me they're letting a woman handle his psych evaluation. I was under the impression he was banned from interacting with the female psychiatric staff for life after the last time..."

"Sir?" she queried, wondering what had happened. Though given that it was Reno they were talking about... she could probably make a few guesses.

"Nevermind," he snickered, "Ask _Reno_ about that... assuming you even want to know. How is he?"

"... I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. He _really_ wasn't himself last night. And then this morning... well... let's just say he didn't sleep very well. But he seemed like he was doing a little better after the mako therapy... even though Dr. Ward wouldn't give him his treat," she added with a giggle at the memory.

"I... have to admit, I'm surprised. Ward is usually a bit more forgiving when he's had a particularly rough time... What in Leviathan's name did he do to manage to lose out on it?"

"Well... actually, sir, he didn't lose out. She gave it to me when he wasn't looking and said he could still have it if he behaved for his psych eval. If he doesn't, I'm supposed to eat it in front of him." She knew she was skirting his question, but she just didn't want to tell Tseng how she'd found the redhead earlier that morning. The Turk leader chuckled.

"I see. Well... when they finally deign to release him, ask him if he's in the mood to join Rude and I for lunch. Both of us could use a short break after the morning _we've_ had. And there are a few things that have been going on you should both be made aware of."

Elena blinked in surprise. "Do you need me to come into work?" she asked. She would rather not have left Reno alone, but she doubted the redhead would stand for it if she was needed and didn't go in. It had taken some convincing just to get him to agree to her using her vacation time this week.

"No... There's no need. In fact, there's very little you could assist with even if you did. I simply want to keep you both in the loop and would prefer to do so in person," Tseng replied.

* * *

Lunchtime found them seated inside of a small Wutaiian restaurant in Sector 1, waiting for the arrival of their missing teammates. Tseng flipped through the menu, torn between a handful of options. This particular establishment was a favorite of his, and he could never decide what looked the most appetizing.

"Nothing catching your eye?" Rude asked.

"Just the opposite, unfortunately. A pity the more traditional Wutaiian establishments in Midgar aren't partial to combo platters..." he replied, with a shake of his head. The bald Turk laughed quietly.

"Easy solution."

"What's that?"

"Learn to eat like Reno," he shrugged.

"Tempting an idea as that is, I don't think my waistline would appreciate it." His gaze suddenly shifted towards the front of the restaurant and he smiled warmly. "Speaking of our resident bottomless pit..."

Reno and Elena were making their way toward them... a task that seemed almost frustratingly slow for the redhead as he navigated the spaces between the tables on his crutches. Tseng had hoped the mako treatment this morning would have negated the need for those... but he wasn't really that surprised to see him still relying on them. The redhead sank into the chair opposite him, and Elena joined him, moments later.

"I'm fuckin' sick of these things already," he groused, and Tseng chuckled.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Reno... you've had them for all of twenty four hours. Not even, actually. And Dr. Ward said you'd probably only need one or two more sessions."

"Yeah, yeah..." he sighed, picking up the menu in front of him. He peered at the Turk leader over the top of it. "S'pose you're wonderin' about the eval."

"It _had_ crossed my mind," the Wutaiian Turk answered.

"Yeah, well, it was a fuckin' pain in the ass, just like they always are."

"I'm not going to be fielding assault charges again, am I?"

Reno looked up from the menu, an indignant expression on his face. "I never fuckin' _touched_ that asshole. And _I_ was the one who left with fuckin' taser burns!"

Rude snorted softly. "At least you managed to avoid _that_ this time..."

"... Um... Do I want to know?" Elena asked, hesitantly.

"Probably not," Rude replied, smirking, which earned him a raised middle finger from the redhead.

"Well?" Tseng prodded. He fixed Reno with an expectant stare.

"Provisionally cleared," he said at last, and Tseng breathed a sigh of relief. "She wants to talk to me again before I'm cleared for field duty, and I'm on mandated leave for the rest of this week regardless of what Ward says..." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "And she mighta mentioned makin' it a regular thing for awhile. But I'm fine for light duty startin' Monday."

"I'm glad to hear it. I was... concerned... that a longer leave might be recommended, and wasn't sure how you'd take it."

"Heh... _That_ mighta gotten you some assault charges to deal with..." he quipped turning back to the menu. Tseng settled back, relaxing somewhat. That the redhead had been cleared was undoubtedly good news, but seeing him behaving like his normal self was reassuring... though Tseng was under no illusion that Reno was as "fine" as he claimed to be. Still, he seemed to be coping well enough for the moment... and Elena would be nearby should things take a turn for the worse. "This place do combo plates?" the redhead added, glancing up. And Rude snickered.

"Not a word from you," Tseng warned him, before returning his attention to his lieutenant, "And no... sadly, they do not."

Reno shrugged. "Fuck it... Long as it's food, it's fine. I feel like I haven't eaten all day."

"That's because you haven't," Elena pointed out. "We ran out of time for breakfast, remember? You've been running off the two gallons of coffee you drank this morning."

"That's explains it, then," he replied, flashing her a quick, teasing grin. "Alright... So why're we _really_ here, Boss? You actually got somethin' you want me 'n 'Lena to know about? Or were you just lookin' for an excuse to make sure I'm not fallin' apart over shit?"

"Hmph... a bit of both, to be honest," Tseng conceded. "And now that my first concern had been satisfied for the time being, I suppose we should move on to the second."

He paused abruptly, spotting their waitress making their way towards them, and didn't resume until their orders had been taken and she was well out of ear-shot.

"Early this morning, someone broke into one of the biologics labs," he continued, dropping his voice so as not to be overheard. "Camera systems were compromised, and nothing was taken. In fact the only evidence anyone was there at all were some odd readings on the containment unit housing the Jenova specimen, and some unusual behavior from a number of the live specimens kept in that lab."

"What kinda unusual behavior?" Reno asked, curious.

"I'm not personally an expert in animal behavior... but I would say they were terrified."

"Tch... I'd be, too, if I was stuck livin' in one of Hojo's labs."

Tseng shook his head. "We're fairly convinced this is more than just normal stress from their environment. Someone seems to have been in there... though to what end, we're not certain."

"Heh... Maybe Jenova tried to get out and go for a late night stroll," Reno joked. "That'd freak _me_ out..."

"Um... Sir?" Elena broke in, brow furrowed, "What's Jenova?"

"Sorry... Details are classified above your security clearance," Reno answered before Tseng could.

Tseng smiled slightly. "Not anymore," he said, looking pointedly at Reno. "There _was_ one other reason I wanted you two to join us for lunch. It seemed only appropriate we all be here celebrate."

Reno grinned, quickly catching on. "Fuckin' took ya long enough. And you keep tellin' me _I'm_ terrible about puttin' off paperwork."

"What's going on?" the rookie asked, confused. "Celebrate what?"

Rude grinned widely, but said nothing. The redhead, meanwhile, was snickering. "Your promotion, 'Lena. You're not a probationary Turk anymore... or my rookie. You're officially graduatin'."

Elena blinked in surprise, and seemed to be thoroughly at a loss for words. Tseng's smile widened.

"Congratulations," the Turk leader added. "Along with the new rank and associated pay increase, your security clearance has also been raised to 7-Beta. Which, as implied, means I can tell you about Jenova... but, I'm fairly certain your mentor would prefer I hold off for a moment."

Tseng sat back and watched as Reno pulled her over to him, kissing her. He still clearly remembered how it had felt telling the redhead the same thing nearly ten years ago. He'd taken great pride in it... and Reno had certainly earned it, going from a slum rat who Veld had barely even agreed to allow his second to take on at all to a valued and irreplaceable member of the team. More than that, though, it had been a personal achievement... perhaps Tseng's greatest achievement to date. Seeing his own former rookie going through it himself brought that back.

"... Don't remember you or Veld doing _that_ when you told me _I_ was being promoted," Rude commented to the Turk leader, as the redhead's arms snaked their way around his girlfriend's waist, pulling her closer still.

The pair broke apart moments later, and Reno smirked. "What? Ya mean it was just me?" he said, in mock confusion. "I always just thought that's how we did things..." Tseng rolled his eyes as Rude sniggered loudly next to him.

"If you're finished making less than vague implications about me..." he said, shaking his head indulgently at the joke, "Elena _was_ asking about Jenova, I believe."

Reno shrugged, grinning innocently. "What implications?"

"Jenova is one of Hojo's most highly classified specimen's," Tseng continued, ignoring the other man's attempted goading. "It is, ostensibly, the remains of a female Ancient. It was previously stored at the Nibelheim Reactor. We retrieved it five years ago and brought it back to Midgar, where it has remained ever since."

"Thing's creepy as all fuck," Reno added, "Tentacles, bluish gray skin... _and_ she's kinda missin' her head, so... ya know. There's that, too." He paused for a moment, with a pensive expression on his face, "Nice tits, though."

"Oh, really?" Elena intoned, clearly not especially amused, and he grinned.

"Not as nice as yours, of course..."

Elena swatted at him, landing a glancing blow on his shoulder as he ducked out of the way. She sighed and laughed slightly, returning her attention to Tseng.

"So then... it's not alive. I mean, obviously, since it has no head..."

"... Oh, it's alive, alright," Rude piped up, shuddering.

"Tch... It's _not_ alive," the redhead countered, " _You_ just freaked yourself out... that's all. Ya big wuss."

"I know what I saw."

Reno laughed softly at Elena's curious expression. "Rude got saddled with temporary guard duty for a couple of days after we brought her back... Alone. At night. _Swears_ he saw her movin' in the tank. Ya ask me, he just let the place get to him and doesn't want to admit it."

"Enough," Tseng said, calmly, "Frankly, it's one of Hojo's experiments, so Leviathan only knows what's _really_ going on with it. There are any number of details about the project that we're not privy to. In any case, the specimen appears to have been at the center of last night's disturbance. Rude and I will continue to investigate. You needn't concern yourselves about it right now. I simply wanted to keep the both of you up to date."

* * *

Lunch had gone on a bit longer than usual, given that the meeting had doubled as a celebration of Elena's promotion. Once the food had arrived, shop talk had ceased, and she'd quickly been made the center of attention. _Her_ focus had been mostly on Reno at first. She couldn't help thinking back to the state she'd found him in that morning, and how vastly different... how perfectly normal... he seemed now. She couldn't tell if he was really doing better, or just putting up a front.

They returned home later that afternoon.

"You were watchin' me all through lunch," the redhead suddenly stated. He was stretched out on the couch, eyes following her as he made herself a cup of tea in the kitchen. His tone wasn't accusatory... just matter-of-fact. Elena's gaze was locked firmly onto her cup as she stirred in a spoonful of honey. "I'm not ticked off about it, or anything..." Reno added, "Actually... I kinda like knowin' that you're lookin' out for me."

She glanced up at him, and made her way back into the living room.

"I just want you to be okay. That's all. And you're not... I can tell."

"Yeah. It fucks with ya, ya know? One second, I'm fine. Then I suddenly remember what I did... and then I feel like shit for feeling fine about it." He raised a hand, smiling slightly has he caught hold of hers, pulling her down onto the couch next to him. "So... for the record, I don't like talkin' about shit like that, even when I know I should."

"Reno..."

"Don't start in on me... I know. You want me to talk to _you_. I'll try. And I promise not to freak ya out again like I did this morning."

Elena set her tea on the coffee table and kissed him gently on the forehead. "You'd better not... or I'll throw out your entire collection."

"Geez, 'Lena... You don't have to threaten me..." he chuckled.

* * *

Rude yawned and scowled at his computer's screen. They hadn't made any kind of progress determining who had accessed the biologics lab the previous evening... and now it had been more than twenty-four hours since the sentinel he'd stationed near Aerith's home had checked in. He hadn't been able to contact him, either.

He groaned softly when stiff muscles protested as he stood up, intent upon grabbing some coffee... and perhaps some dinner as well, while he was at it. Normally, he'd be heading home right about now... Not tonight, though. Tseng, too, was sticking around, just in case there was a repeat of last night, though he'd disappeared somewhere almost an hour ago.

He silently shuddered at the thought of someone... or something... messing around with the Jenova specimen. Rude typically regarded himself as a pragmatic, grounded, sensible individual... but, dammit, that thing gave him the creeps. At first glance, it was little more than a preserved corpse. Granted, a decidedly bizarre-looking corpse... but a corpse none-the-less. He'd seen a few photos of it prior to having its head removed. That, at least, was very human looking, whatever else it was. He, himself, had a hard time swallowing the claim that it was an Ancient. Aerith, too, was supposedly a descendent of that long ago race... and _she_ didn't look a damn thing like Jenova.

All he knew for certain was that, no matter what Reno thought, that... _thing_... wasn't dead. With a second shudder, he stepped out of the office and headed for the elevator, pressing the button for the cafeteria floor. Rude leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, as the car descended. It still kind of annoyed him that his partner didn't believe him, but it didn't alter his conviction that Jenova was very much alive. And quite possibly aware... in spite of its lack of a head. It was just a feeling he got any time he had to go anywhere near the damned thing.

Tseng had always been a bit more open to the possibility, but it was clear that he had his doubts. Tseng, however, hadn't seen it moving around in its tank. He hadn't seen it freeze when it realized that Rude was watching it. He hadn't felt like it was inexplicably watching him _back_.

The elevator finally came to a stop, and Rude strode out, trying to put the memory out of his mind. The cafeteria was largely deserted this time of night, but there were still a handful of personnel lingering. Mostly night-shift building security waiting for their shift to start.

"I was just going to call you," a voice to his left stated, and Rude turned, not entirely surprised to find Tseng down here as well. "It seems we had the same idea."

Rude nodded and walked over to their usual table, where the Wutaiian Turk was seated, a plate of baked pasta in front of him. "Was wondering where you ran off to."

"Oh, I've been visiting with building security. I've arranged to have a few extra cameras installed in the lab as soon as the last of Hojo's personnel leave for the evening. They may have been able to disable the ones they _knew_ about, but I think we'll catch our intruder with the additions. Did you have any luck locating your operative?"

"No," Rude replied, shaking his head. "No answer from him, and no one's seen him since yesterday."

"Assuming we get to the bottom of this issue in the biologics lab, go ahead and head down tomorrow morning to see what's going on," said Tseng, "For now... get something to eat. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."

Rude had just opened his mouth to answer when the security alarms went off. At almost the same time, the familiar trill of an alert tone emanated from both men's phones. Tseng was on his feet and pulling up the alert immediately, waving for Rude to follow.

"It seems Hojo's mystery will have to wait. We have intruders in the building. It's Avalanche."

~fin~


	48. Raid

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 48: Raid**

 **by Desha**

Reno smiled slightly as Elena leaned into him. He could get used to this. He probably _shouldn't_ get used to it, but he certainly _could_. Being allowed to do basically anything you wanted and not having to compromise with one's significant other was decidedly enjoyable.

But he was fairly certain Elena would eventually get tired of video games all afternoon, pizza for dinner, and movies until dawn.

He'd been a little all over the place, emotionally, after they'd returned from lunch... though as long as he didn't let himself dwell on Sector 7 and instead focused more on the beautiful woman who was so willingly catering to his every request, he'd found that he could generally stave off the inevitable feelings of guilt for awhile. Elena had pointedly shut off the TV shortly after they'd gotten back... nearly every channel was running wall to wall coverage of the ongoing rescue efforts. He knew she was only trying to protect him... but on some level, he wanted to watch. Every person they pulled out of that mess alive was one less death on his conscience.

Unfortunately, the dead seemed to be far outnumbering the living... so in retrospect, it was probably better that he _wasn't_ watching.

"What are you thinking about?" Elena suddenly asked, gazing up at him from her position nestled against his side.

"Mostly, you..." he replied, grinning. Which was at least half-true. A great deal of his attention for the last hour or two had been devoted to her rather than the movies they'd been watching, fighting off the various other things that had tried to creep into his mind. Elena rolled her eyes and giggled.

"Reno..."

"What? You're what I spend most of my time thinkin' about anyway... Why would that ever change?"

"Oh, really?" she teased, "So what were you thinking about me just now, then?"

"Heh... I was thinkin' how I'd probably be a mess right now if you weren't here. And how havin' someone who'll put up we me _bein'_ a mess makes me less worried about the possibility of shit eventually fallin' apart... And how fuckin' amazing you are for still _wanting_ to deal with all that after all the _other_ shit I've put you through." His grin faded into a more genuine smile. "You're a lot stronger than I'll ever be, 'Lena... You know that, right?"

"What in Shiva's name are you talking about?" she scoffed. "I cry at the drop of a hat..."

"And then ya pick yourself right back up and do whatever needs to be done. Me... I dwell on shit 'n beat myself up 'til someone comes along and snaps me out of it." Reno pressed a kiss to her forehead and chuckled. "Trust me... I've got issues."

"I think I'll keep you anyway," she teased. "But... you and your issues need a good night's sleep tonight. So this is the last movie. We're going to bed as soon as its over."

The redhead's eyebrows rose in surprise. "'Lena... it's not even gonna be eight by the time this is over..."

"That's right..."

"I'm not even tired," he pointed out. "I'm sure as fuck not _gonna_ be tired in another ninety minutes... And don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not really in the mood for anything _else_ that's gonna wear me out tonight..."

"Dr. Ward _did_ prescribe something to help you sleep..." Elena was quick to point out, and Reno frowned. He'd been avoiding _everything_ the doctor had sent home with him, really... but the sedatives, in particular.

"No."

"Why not?" Elena asked, curious.

"'Cause... I don't like it. I don't wake up like I usually do when I take that shit."

"Well... that's sort of the whole point..." she argued.

"They don't stop me from dreamin', 'Lena... and Ward doesn't want me on the stuff that does. Neither do I, to be honest... even though I'm pretty sure my dreams aren't gonna be so great for awhile. You ever been stuck in a nightmare you can't wake up from, even after you've figured out it was a fuckin' nightmare? 'Cause _I_ have. It's not a lot of fun." He shuddered slightly. The last time _that_ had happened had been years ago... long before Elena had been promoted to the Turks. He'd been in the hospital recovering from a deep stab wound – a mission gone about as bad as it could have gone, wherein he'd lost not only the VIP he was meant to be guarding, but also a fellow Turk – and a nurse had ignored the note Ward had left on his chart regarding his preferences. It had felt like it had gone on for days... though really, from what he'd pieced together later, it had only been a few hours.

Nightmares really _weren't_ a regular occurrence for him under normal circumstances... but stress definitely affected his dreams, and he knew himself well enough to be certain that he'd be having more than his fair share of them for the time being.

Elena's grip tightened around him. "I'll wake you up."

He very nearly agreed in spite of his misgivings... if only to give _her_ a little peace of mind. But he didn't get the chance to answer. The obnoxiously shrill, and distinctly familiar, sound of the alert tone emanating from his former rookie's PHS chose that very moment to interrupt, causing both Turks to jump slightly, startled. He could hear his own phone echoing the cry from the bedroom.

* * *

Tseng was... intensely annoyed... as he made his way out of Heidegger's office. Mostly because that was really the most he ever allowed himself to be in the presence of his department head. Otherwise, it was fairly likely he would have punched a wall. Or Heidegger. Rude was waiting for him.

Building Security really _was_ the very definition of useless. Not only had they allowed three members of the apparently-not-as-dead-as-they'd-thought Avalanche to infiltrate the building, the idiots couldn't even manage the relatively simple task of tracking them. And for some Leviathan-forsaken reason, that was Tseng's fault. He suspected it was because, otherwise, it would have been Heidegger's.

He said nothing... Only motioned for his subordinate to follow him to the elevators. They had terrorists to hunt.

"This _all_ could have been avoided if the President had simply let us _shoot_ them!" Tseng finally growled, as the doors slid shut behind them. He jabbed at the button that would take them to the holding cells where Aerith was being held. She was undoubtedly their objective.

"Elena checked in while you were with Heidegger," Rude simply commented. "She and Reno saw the alert. Wanted to know if she should head in."

"I trust you told her we'd handle things?" the Wutaiian replied, visibly calming a bit. The other man nodded.

"Figured you'd want her to stay with him. Especially since this sort of means the entire operation in Sector 7 was for nothing..."

Tseng cringed... The thought hadn't yet occurred to him. Reno wasn't going to like _that_ one bit. He wasn't especially happy about it himself, now that he had the chance to consider it. The elevator stopped, and the pair of them rushed out, heading for the holding cells... only to find them empty. A lone security officer was manning the workstation outside of the corridor.

"Where is she?" the Turk leader asked, without preamble.

"The woman you brought in the other day? Hojo had her taken to the main biologics lab an hour ago."

That figured. Leviathan forbid anything ever be easy. His scowl deepened.

"Lock down _everything_ except the executive elevators," he said to the younger man, before turning back to Rude. "If we miss them in the lab, we'll take them when they've realized the other ways are blocked."

He waited for the slightly terrified guard to nod his understanding and started back toward the elevators, Rude in tow.

"You seem upset," Rude chided him as they re-boarded the car and headed upstairs.

"And _you_ are irritatingly calm..." he snapped back. The bald Turk only smirked. Tseng knew he was beginning to let his temper show... which was something he generally tried to avoid... but it had been a long, stressful few days and he was very nearly at the end of his patience with the idiocy of the company executives. However... There was nothing to gain from letting himself become distracted by his own frustration. The Turk leader forced himself to calm down, drawing in a deep breath and slowly releasing it. "... fortunately for me..." he added, glancing sidelong at his fellow Turk. Rude shrugged.

The elevator chimed when it reached the sixty-eighth floor, and they hurried out.

"Hmph... think we're too late," Rude commented. Tseng had little choice but to agree. The remains of... something... lay in the middle of the lab. Judging by the absolute mess that surrounded it, it hadn't gone down quietly. The Turk leader's eyes narrowed angrily... Hojo really was a bastard. He was certain the creature had been intentionally set loose. Probably to stop the invaders from reclaiming Aerith. He wondered if the scientist had even bothered to give any consideration to the young woman's safety in doing so. He doubted it.

"Take the elevator back down. Check every floor if you have to. I'll take the stairs and do the same." A floor by floor search would be slow going... but with only the executive elevators operational, the area to cover was drastically cut down. Rude wordlessly disappeared back into the car.

Tseng ran for the stairs, sliding his access card and keying in the override code to allow him into the stairwell. He descended to the sixty-seventh floor, ignoring the guard at the holding cell station and opening the the massive security door that separated it from Hojo's specimen lab, slipping silently inside.

There was no movement inside... Hojo's lab personnel seemed to have already evacuated. The only sound in the darkened space was the quiet mewling of the various specimens in their crates. The Turk leader made a quick sweep of the room, but came up empty and turned to head back to the stairs.

A soft gurgling sound made him freeze and spin back around, eyes roving the cramped space and finally settling on the large containment tank in the corner.

Jenova.

Tseng shook his head. Of all the creatures stored up here, the headless creature floating harmlessly in that tank was the least of his worries. The sound was probably just the machinery circulating whatever that fluid was inside. Though, he mused to himself, he did have to agree with Rude on one thing... It was a disquieting sight, even knowing it was long-since dead.

He hurried back to the stairs and headed down to sixty-six... only to nearly run headlong into the very people he was looking for. Two, of them, at any rate... trying to unlock the door with a stolen keycard. He smiled slightly... they'd been trapped by the security lockdown.

"Aerith. Miss Lockheart."

The girl jumped in surprise, spinning to face him... Her companion, on the other hand, fell into a fighting stance ready to take him on. He saw the punch coming a mile away. Tifa lunged for him, but Tseng was ready for it. He caught her by the elbow and used the woman's own momentum to throw her into the wall.

"Tifa!" Aerith shouted, concerned for her friend when she went down.

"As much as it pains me... I'm under orders not to kill you. Yet. But as I have no such restrictions against gravely _injuring_ you, I would suggest surrendering."

"Bastard..." the woman hissed. She was on her feet again surprisingly quickly. She charged him again... slightly more controlled this time, but no more effective that her first attempt. Tseng did have to admit, though... she was skilled. He'd been in enough fights to recognize ability when he saw it. If she hadn't been so angry, she might have even been a challenge.

The Wutaiian Turk ducked her attack and neatly swept her legs out from under her, sending her to the floor a second time. Before she could recover, he'd pinned her with one knee pressed firmly into her back and snapped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists.

He paused, sensing someone approaching from behind.

"Aerith, please... Don't," Tseng said without looking up from his task. "I really have no desire to hurt _you_ , but I will if you attack me. Don't force my hand."

He waited for a response, and a moment later, a loud metallic clatter echoed though the stairwell. Tseng spared a brief glance over his shoulder, seeing the young woman's staff lying on the ground beside her.

"Thank you," he whispered.

* * *

"..."

Rude was watching, motionless and silent, from the doorway of a darkened office, as two of his targets... and something else entirely... filed past him, running for the elevators. Whatever that cat-like creature was, Avalanche had to have acquired it from Hojo's lab. He wondered what their interest was in it.

He caught the faint sound of the stairwell door opening behind him, spotting Tseng as he emerged, and stepped out of his own hiding place just as the ex-Soldier and Avalanche's leader hurried into the elevator with their furry friend. He covered the distance in a matter of second, calmly stepping in with them.

"Would you press 'Up' please," he asked, much to the surprise of the elevator's occupants.

"Turks..." Cloud muttered, just as Tseng joined them. "Must've been a trap all along."

There was no room to fight... and with the two of them blocking the only exit, no escape, either.

"If you're wise, you'll come quietly," the Turk leader added, looking pointedly at Barret and the gun mounted to his arm. The two men looked at one another, and Strife shook his head in response. His compatriot deflated slightly. "Good choice. Restrain them."

The other Turk handcuffed both men... no easy task when it came to the one with the gun arm, but he managed it.

Tseng drew his PHS out of his jacket pocket and dialed Heidegger. "Sir... We have them. We're bringing them up now," his said, as he pressed the button for sixty-seven. The elevator rose for a few seconds and then opened with a soft chime. "Take them to the President's office. I'll join you with their other friend in a moment."

* * *

Reno stood on the balcony looking out over the city. He couldn't really see much of what used to be Sector 7 from there – he could only just make out the corner of the Number 7 Reactor at the edge of the Plate – but he could picture it. The gaping hole the size of a small town, neatly sliced away from the edges of Sector 8 and the unfinished Sector 6. The news crews that were almost certainly still buzzing around the scene, reporting back to their stations on the current death toll and thrusting cameras into the faces of survivors being transported out.

All those people.

His grip on the railing tightened. It was all for nothing. Thousands were dead, and somehow... _somehow_ those Avalanche fuckers were still alive. At least before tonight he could have told himself that those thousands had died in the name of protecting the rest of the city. It was a bit of a stretch... but he could have at least made the argument. Those who'd ended up collateral damage... their deaths were utterly meaningless now.

The redhead let his gaze drop to the street below. Eight stories up. The people on the Sector 7 Plate had fallen much farther than that, but eight stories would be just as fatal.

He laughed mirthlessly and looked back out across the Plate. He doubted he had balls to ever try anything like that. Even in his worst moments... and there had been a fair few over the years... he'd never seriously considered it. Besides which... Reno knew better than most the pain others would endure if he went down _that_ road. He had people who cared about him... and he could never do that to them. He'd inflicted enough suffering in recent days anyway.

"... Reno?" Elena's hesitant voice broke in on his thoughts. He sighed and leaned forward on the railing, letting his arms take most of his weight. He wasn't technically supposed to be using his injured leg yet... but the pain was more or less tolerable for short distances. He'd been ignoring his crutches for the last hour or so and limping slowly from room to room. He glanced back at her with a weak smile.

"Hey."

"Come back inside, okay?" she said, and he saw her gaze sweep downwards, nervously.

"Relax, 'Lena... I'm not plannin' on jumpin'."

"Come back inside anyway." She moved closer to him until she could touch him, her hand coming to rest on his back before running gently down his spine and back up. "I made hot chocolate."

"It's eighty degrees out here."

"I'll turn up the air conditioning," she replied, and Reno could hear the slight undertone of worry in her voice. He snorted a soft laugh, wondering how he hadn't realized that she was _this_ protective of him, before turning away from the view and following her back into their apartment. It wasn't long before he found himself back on the couch with a mug of the promised beverage in his hands.

"I know it's kind of a weird time of year for it, but it's Nana's recipe," she said, joining him with her own mug. "It always seems to make _me_ feel better."

"Heard anything else from the boss yet?" he asked, taking a sip. It was good... hot and rich and creamy and sweet enough to make a person's teeth ache.

"Not yet. Drink." she prodded insistently, and he obeyed without a second thought.

"Think we might as well forget about goin' to bed early tonight," Reno sighed. Hell, he'd be lucky if he managed to get to sleep at all. And even if he did, he doubted he'd stay asleep. Elena hummed noncommittally in reply, and the redhead got the impression that she thought otherwise. He drained the rest of the drink and wrapped an arm around her. "Seriously, 'Lena... I got too much on my mind. But don't worry about stayin' up all night with me. I'll be fine. 'Sides... Tseng might need you tomorrow. Not gonna be any good to him if you're fallin' asleep at your desk all day."

He leaned his head against her shoulder and let his eyes close for a moment. A few minutes later, he had to force them back open. He yawned, tiredly and nestled himself into a more comfortable position. Maybe he was a little more drained than he'd thought.

"Come on," Elena said gently, "Let's get you to bed before you're out cold." She pulled him to his feet and slipped under his arm, supporting some of his weight as she started guiding him to the bedroom.

Something was wrong. It took him much longer than it should have to realize it, but something was definitely wrong. His thoughts felt sluggish... his body strangely uncoordinated. And he was _so_ sleepy all of a sudden... Reno's eyes narrowed as he tried to focus, seeking a reason for it, and he could only come up with one. As she was tucking him into the bed he looked up at her, questioningly. Accusingly.

She wouldn't. Would she?

"... 'Lena?"

Elena looked away, guilt blanketing her face. "I'm really sorry, Reno. Please don't be mad. I... I knew you wouldn't take them otherwise..."

He suddenly felt cold in spite of the summer heat. She'd _drugged_ him?! Anger vied with betrayal as he tried to keep his eyes from closing again. And, he had to admit, he was a little terrified as well, wondering just how rough a night lay ahead of him if he couldn't wake himself from his dreams.

* * *

"Move," Rude intoned in a voice that wasn't to be argued with. He shoved the the terrorist leader forward a few steps.

"Goddamn Shinra scum," Barret spat back when he stumbled, but he took the hint and continued on up the wide staircase. Behind him, Tseng followed, urging along the rest of his little group, and keeping a close eye on the ex-Soldier.

The President had insisted on this. And even afterward, when he was finished with them, they were to return them to the holding cells. Shinra still demanded a public execution. Rude was sorely tempted, after all the trouble they'd caused, to ensure they met with an unfortunate accident on the way back down. It wouldn't have been the first time... but he'd leave that decision up to Tseng.

Rude pushed open the heavy mahogany door that lead to the President's office, and the two Turks lined their prisoners up in front of his enormous desk. Bertrand Shinra looked down at them, smug in his assurance that he was the one in control.

"Where's Aerith?!" Cloud demanded before the executive could say anything, drawing an annoyed frown from the man.

"In a safe place." He got up from his desk and circled around towards the assembled group. "She's very important to us. My Turks have been ordered to ensure she _remains_ safe. That girl is unique... One of a kind, in fact. She's the last surviving Ancient, you know. The Cetra, they called themselves... a powerful race that's now little more than a forgotten page in history."

"A Cetra? That girl is a survivor of the Cetra?" the crimson-furred beast asked in astonishment. Though if _it_ was astonished, Rude was moreso... but he was careful not to allow his reaction to show any such thing. He'd had no idea the creature was intelligent. What in Odin's name was Hojo doing up in that lab of his these days? The President, apparently, didn't find it especially odd.

"Oh, yes. I'm expecting quite a lot from her. She will lead Shinra Company into a new era. With her, we will finally locate the Promised Land."

The cat-like specimen scoffed. "The Promised Land? A legend."

"We shall see... It's much too appealing an opportunity to ignore. Think of it... A land, lush and fertile... completely untouched for centuries. And if the land is fertile..."

"Then there's gotta be mako!" Barret angrily cut him off.

"You're not as big a fool as you look," the President quipped, smiling nastily, "Yes... a place so filled with mako, it will render our money-sucking reactors unnecessary. And Shinra will be the one to tap it... _That_ is where we will built our Neo-Midgar, Shinra's crowning glory!"

Barret struggled against his bonds, furious, and Rude backhanded him. The man glared at him viciously, but ceased his attempts to break free. Tifa started to go for the Turk, but at a look from the ex-Soldier, apparently thought better of it.

"Shit... Quit dreamin'..." Barret finally muttered. Shinra smirked.

"All it takes for dreams to come true is money and science... and I have both in great abundance," he boasted. "Well... I think that's all for our little meeting. The next time I see you will be when you finally answer for your crimes against the people of Midgar. Lock them up."

Tseng ushered the group out, but Barret wasn't quite ready to go. He lunged towards the President, and Rude caught him before he could get out of control.

"Hold it!" he shouted, as the Turk began to drag him off, "I got a lot I wanna say to you!"

Rude twisted the man's arm upwards, eliciting a pained gasp. A little more and he could easily snap it. "Move," he commanded a second time, and Barret had no choice but to obey.

The pair of Turks herded their prisoners towards the elevator... Not the elaborate glass-walled executive elevators this time, but the more common ones, hidden away in a far corner of the main lobby. Tseng pressed the button that would deliver them to the detention cells.

"If it's any consolation for your failure, the President has ordered that your execution be swift and relatively painless," Tseng said as they guided them to their cells. "In." He gestured to the two cells on the end, placing Barret and Hojo's creature into one, and Tifa and Cloud into the other, securely locking the doors behind them.

"Goddamn murderers..." Barret growled in reply. "You'll get yours someday. For every last person in Sector 7 you bastards killed."

"Perhaps," Tseng replied with a slight shrug. "Though I've never really been much of a believer in karma, to be honest. But tell me... What do you think _you_ deserve in return for those lives _you_ claimed in Sector 1?"

He didn't wait for a reply before turning his back on the cell and walking down the hallway. Rude fell into step behind him. Tseng paused briefly at the last door, but didn't look inside.

"... Goodnight, Aerith," he said, somewhat sadly, before leaving them all behind.

* * *

"Go home already."

Tseng moved his arm away from his eyes and sat up, squinting briefly as his vision readjusted to the light in the office.

"Unless I'm far more tired than I realized, I do believe I'm not the _only_ Turk guilty of working late," the Turk leader responded with a half smile. Rude pointedly picked up his jacket from the back of his chair.

" _This_ Turk's done for the night. Go home. They're not going anywhere."

Tseng swung his legs over the edge of the couch and got to his feet, stretching. "I'm not concerned about that. Our prisoners are secure... It's our other issue that's keeping me here."

"The lab break-in?" Rude said, incredulously. "You don't really think anything's gonna happen with that tonight, do you? The whole building was on high alert not three hours ago, and security's been doubled on that floor because of our guests. They'd have to be nuts to try again so soon."

The Wutaiian Turk sighed. "Yes... You're probably right. Still, though..."

Rude snorted softly. "You work too damn hard."

"Oh, really? I was actually quite relaxed until you interrupted me just now. Just what have _you_ been doing for the last two hours?" he queried, smirking, but like his fellow-Turk, he reached across the couch and grabbed his own jacket.

"Found my missing lookout, finally." There was a definite note of anger in the other man's tone. "Turns out an old friend of his ran into him while he was supposed to be watching Aerith's house and made him a better offer. One of my other informants just let me know the son of a bitch is strung out over in a Sector 2 drug den. Shoulda known better than to get Dominic to do it. Been clean for awhile now, but once a junkie, always a junkie."

"And the little girl we sent to Mrs. Gainsborough?"

"She's still there. Seems okay," Rude shrugged. "Not that it really matters to us now."

Tseng shook his head. "No, I suppose professionally it doesn't. Though I do feel somewhat responsible for her. It's hardly her fault who her father is. She's an unfortunate casualty of circumstance."

"Planning on taking her in or something?" Rude chuckled, and Tseng rolled his eyes. Feelings of personal responsibility aside, he wasn't exactly a suitable guardian for a small child even had he been willing.

"I doubt I'd have to. Elmyra will likely keep her. It hardly makes up for us stealing her _own_ daughter from her, but... it's something."

Rude slung his jacket over one shoulder and headed out the door. "You're getting philosophical, Tseng. Go home and get some sleep."

* * *

The sheer amount of dust in the air was enough to choke him with every breath. It gathered in his nose, making it itch incessantly, and filled his mouth with a dry grittiness that he couldn't rid himself of. It stung his eyes, leaving them watering, and coated his skin in a filthy layer. Still, he forced his way through it, scanning the ruins desperately for Elena.

He hadn't been able to reach her. It had come down so fast. One moment, she was standing there, mere feet from him. The next, she'd vanished in an avalanche of debris. By the time he'd recovered, she was nowhere to be seen... and so he'd started to search.

He'd been at it for hours. Maybe even a day by now. His lungs ached from breathing in the dust-filled air and he was so very tired, a sense of hopelessness bringing the fatigue on faster with every passing moment.

He didn't know what he was going to do without her. Didn't even want to consider it. But the longer he searched, the more certain he became that she was gone. He could feel it, deep inside... like a piece of him had been torn out and utterly destroyed. He knew the truth... he just didn't want to admit it. Admitting it would mean admitting that he'd killed her, and he wasn't sure he could live with that. He didn't know if he even wanted to try.

"...'Lena..." he whispered, a quiet sob. What was the point? There was nothing alive down here. Even if he _did_ find her, there wouldn't be anything left but an empty shell. He didn't want to see her like that.

Loss. Despair. Hopelessness. They consumed him... paralyzed him... sending him to his knees in the rubble. She was gone, and with her so too was the best part of him.

* * *

Elena woke, rubbing at her eyes blearily, not quite aware enough to figure out what had roused her. A moment later, it became painfully obvious, as Reno's body twitched in her grasp. She heard him sob quietly, her name choked out so softly she barely caught it. The sheer amount of despair contained in that single word made her breath catch in her throat.

"Reno?" she said, shaking him slightly. His only response was to curl in on himself. She reached over him, flipping on the bedside light. "Reno... Wake up," she prodded. She frowned when he didn't. Normally, it took no effort at all to jar the redhead from even a sound sleep... Apparently, he hadn't been exaggerating about the effects of sedatives on him, because now she was shaking him almost violently and getting nothing for the effort.

"Come on... Reno, please, wake up. You need to wake up!" Her stomach twisted nervously, wondering if she'd made a terrible mistake dosing him like that. She'd only wanted him to sleep. She'd thought he was just being stubborn... that she was helping. This _wasn't_ helping.

Elena didn't know what it was he was experiencing, but whatever it was he looked... distraught. She tapped cheek with the palm of her hand, hoping it might get through to him... briefly even considered slapping him, though she didn't want to.

She had very nearly reached a point of desperation great enough that she was considering waking up Tseng... or Ward... or maybe both of them for advice. The thought of Ward for whatever reason called up memories of movies she'd seen... doctors trying to rouse unresponsive patients. Not knowing what else to try, she pressed her knuckles into his breastbone, rubbing firmly, mimicking those scenes. It took a moment, but his eyes snapped open at last, much to her surprise. Who knew that actually worked?

"'Lena?!" he managed, almost as if he were shocked to see her. Elena sighed in relief, and gathered him into her arms. She could feel his heart hammering in his chest... He was shaking.

"Shh... It's alright. It was only a dream," she murmured softly next to his ear, and his arms reflexively wrapped around her, clinging to her so tight it was almost painful.

"I don't want to sleep anymore..." he whispered, though it was clear he was already having to fight to stay awake. He hadn't been out that long... it would probably be hours yet before the sedatives she'd given him wore off completely.

* * *

Rude walked into the office ten minutes late. Given the extra hours he'd put in the night before, he doubted Tseng would care. Not surprisingly, the Turk leader was already at his desk, calmly sipping a cup of tea and reading through the morning's emails.

"You could have slept in a bit, you know..." he commented without looking up. Rude smirked.

"So could you."

Tseng glanced up at the comment and shrugged. "I seriously considered it... but I wanted to check in on Reno this morning."

"And?" Rude asked, quirking an eyebrow upwards. He'd intended to stop by as well... but he actually _had_ ended up oversleeping, and had been in a rush as a result. The Turk leader frowned.

"Apparently he didn't have a good night. And he's rather... upset... with Elena. She'll be in shortly. I suggested they spend a little time apart and cool off."

Rude stopped short halfway to his desk. "Say that again?" He'd never known Reno to have ever been more than vaguely irritated with the woman. And even then, it was generally in a professional capacity... He'd begun to think that Elena could do no wrong in his friend's eyes.

Tseng shifted awkwardly. "Apparently, Elena took it upon herself to make sure Reno got a good night's sleep..."

"Meaning?" he prodded, peering over his sunglasses.

"She slipped him something and knocked him out. You can imagine how things went from there, I'm sure. He was less than pleased when he woke up. I arrived at the tail end of him saying a number of things I'm fairly certainly he already regrets."

Rude shook his head and dropped into his chair with a sigh. The redhead _hated_ being sedated. And having it done without his knowledge? No wonder he was pissed. Though to be fair to Elena... she probably hadn't realized just what she was doing to him. Her experiences with Reno's somewhat over-the-top reactions to certain medications were limited. For that matter, her experience with Reno's _temper_ was limited... as far as he was aware, the pair had only ever had one fight the entire time they'd been together, and not a particularly serious one at that.

He had no time to think any further on the matter, however, as Elena chose that very moment to join them. Rude looked up at her, expecting her usual greeting. He didn't get it. Instead she managed only a quick wave before retreating behind her computer screen.

Rude didn't have to be especially observant to be able to tell she'd been crying. Her eyes were still puffy and faintly red.

"He'll get over it," the bald Turk stated, shuffling some papers around his desk. Elena looked up, surprised.

"You already know?"

"I apologize if I overstepped, but I thought I'd spare you the trouble of explaining for a second time today..." Tseng called out from his own office.

Elena managed a small smile, but then quickly returned to the morose mood that had accompanied her arrival. "I just feel like I did something unforgivably awful to him. It was so hard to wake him up... and then when I finally did, he was trying so hard to _stay_ awake, but he couldn't and the whole disaster started all over again." She let her head drop into her arms on her desk. "I'm afraid he'll never trust me again."

"Well... I see you're acquiring your significant other's flare for the dramatic..." the Turk leader commented, joining her. He smiled reassuringly. "Rude's right. He _will_ get over it. He's angry and stressed, and probably more than slightly exhausted right now, but I'm sure he realizes that you were only trying to help."

She sighed and looked up at him. "Do you want to know what the worst part is, sir?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "It wasn't just that he was mad. It was the way he looked at me. Like I'd stabbed him in the back."

"Elena... Trust me. I have made my share of foolish mistakes where Reno is concerned. By the time you get home tonight, he'll have forgiven you... assuming he hasn't already. He's never been one to hold a grudge for long, and the last thing he would want to do is cause you further worry..."

"I hope so, sir..." the youngest of the Turks said, miserably.

* * *

Reno stared at his PHS and the message he'd typed in and groaned. He'd been trying to text Elena for over an hour, but nothing he came up with seemed like the right thing to say. He didn't want to lie to her and tell her he wasn't still upset... because he _definitely_ was. At the same time, though, he knew she had to be pretty pissed at _herself_ for last night... and he didn't want her to feel worse than she already did. He growled, annoyed and deleted everything he'd typed, starting again from scratch.

He hadn't gotten more than three words in when he was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. The redhead sighed, slightly relieved at the excuse to set this task aside for a moment, and grabbed his crutches, hobbling over to the entryway. On the way, he cursed the fact that he needed them again. Apparently, he'd overdone it a little yesterday going without them all afternoon and evening, and now his knee was swollen and stiff and painful to the point that it outright refused to support his weight. Ward wasn't going to be real happy with him if it didn't improve by his next appointment with her.

Reno opened the door... somewhat cautiously given that he wasn't expecting any visitors.

"'Bout time, slowpoke!" His guest giggled and poked playfully at him with one of her own crutches.

"Lira? What're you doin' here?"

"What? I can't come visit?" the woman asked, shrugging. "Elena told me you got hurt and you'd be on leave for awhile... so I figured you'd be hangin' around the house drivin' yourself nuts. Thought I'd come keep you company for awhile. You look terrible, by the way..."

"Yeah. Thanks," he replied, with a soft chuckle. He moved back a little to let her in. "How's the leg?"

"At the moment? Great. Just got back from the hospital and mako session number five. Dr. Ward says I'll probably only need two or three more." She shut the door behind her and Reno trailed her as she made her way to the couch. Before she sat down though, she turned to face him, a mischievous grin on her face. "Okay... Honest opinion..." Lira began, before lifting her t-shirt and giving him an unimpeded view of her upper body from the collarbone down. "Can you tell yet?"

Reno snickered in spite of the lousy day he was having. Lira had never been overly fond of bras. Pregnancy didn't seem to have changed that. "That a serious question? Or were ya just lookin' for an excuse to flash me?"

"Mmm... Little of both..." she teased. "So? What's the verdict? Can you tell?"

He shook his head. "Sorry..."

Lira sighed, somewhat disappointed, and let her shirt fall back into place. "Oh, well... Guess it's still too soon."

"Ya know, I don't think I've ever seen you this excited, Lira."

"... Yeah. It's weird. I mean... I never really thought about havin' kids. Most of the girls at the Honeybee who end up pregnant... well... they don't usually decide to _stay_ pregnant. Always kinda figured that if it happened, I'd just pay a visit to the potions shop over in the marketplace and... that'd be that." She finally lowered herself onto the couch, putting her feet up on the coffee table with a soft groan. "It's a little different when it's real, though. I mean... I guess I sort of suspected before Dr. Ward told me. I put off findin' out for sure though... 'cause then I'd have to start seriously thinkin' about what I was gonna do about it. And then she tells me, and my first thought... wasn't what I expected it to be."

Reno winced and lowered himself down onto the couch next to her. "Ah, fuck, that hurts... Yeah? What were you expectin'?"

"I guess... not to care, maybe? I'm not even sure, really." She let her hand rest protectively over her belly. "Soon as she said it though... only thing I could think was I gotta get the fuck outta Wall Market. I _won't_ raise a kid in a goddamn whorehouse." She lifted her shirt again, just past her naval. "You _sure_ you can't tell yet?"

The redhead snorted softly and poked at the exposed skin. "Okay...you're just tryin' to get me to say you're gettin' fat so you can yell at me, aren't you?" he said, smirking. Lira laughed and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"You've seen through my clever plan," she snickered. "So _anyway_... How are _you_ doin'? Elena was kinda vague about what happened. Just said that you were a little beat up after the mess down in Seven."

Reno sighed and sank back against the cushions. "Honestly, Lira... I've been better."

Lira studied him for a long moment, frowning in concern. "You're not kidding..." she commented. "I was just joking around before, but you really _do_ look kinda terrible. Did you really get that badly hurt?"

"Nah... Just took a couple rounds to the leg. Coulda been worse..." the redhead replied. "But... I didn't sleep so great last night. And I kinda yelled at 'Lena this mornin'..."

"Hmm..." The woman eyed him, and Reno couldn't help but think she was taking stock of every little detail. "What'd you do?" she asked, accusingly. The redhead glared.

"Goddammit... _I_ didn't do shit!" he insisted. " _She_ thought it'd be a terrific idea to drug me before she hauled me off to bed. Spent the whole fuckin' night either living my worst nightmares, or desperately trying not to fall back asleep after she woke me from 'em. She had no right to do that to me! I was _pissed_ when that shit finally wore off." Reno sighed and snatched one of the throw pillows beside him, fingers clenching the fabric, angrily. "... And then I yelled at her and said a lot of shit I didn't really mean, and Tseng showed up to check on me and ended up ordering her to head into the office today instead of stayin' here with me. Been sitting here for fuck only knows how long tryin' to figure out what to say to her."

Lira's fingers stole around to the back of his neck, massaging the tense muscles. "Poor Reno..." she purred. She shook her head lightly. " _What_ in the wide world had you so freaked out last night to begin with? There must've been a reason she resorted to somethin' like that..."

The redhead shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't exactly explain himself. The whole operation was classified... and most of the people outside of Shinra who knew about it were either dead or sitting in a holding cell waiting to be executed. That aside... he wasn't quite sure how Lira might react to knowing he'd been directly responsibly for... how many thousands of deaths? In the end, though, he decided to tell her at least part of the truth.

"Sector 7..." he said at last. "We damn near got caught in the collapse ourselves. Last night... I kept dreaming about what woulda happened if not all of us had made it out. It started out bad, and it just kept gettin' worse and worse. Got to the point that I was startin' to have trouble tellin' what was real... watchin' the most important people in my life die over and over again, or wakin' up to 'Lena tryin' to comfort me. I kept thinkin'... one of these can't be real. What if it's 'Lena?"

"That sounds awful..." Lira gasped.

"Tch... Think ya just won the award for understatement of the year. I'm still pretty ticked about it... but what really sucks is that she _thought_ she was doin' me favor. I don't wanna be mad at her, Lira. I can't help it, though. Last night was fuckin' torture. But I don't want her to start thinkin' she did somethin' I'm never gonna forgive..."

"Hmm... You know what you need?" the woman asked, petting him lightly. Reno raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "You need a nice long nap."

" _Right_..." he said with a derisive snort, "Just what I wanna do. Go _back_ to sleep."

Lira giggled quietly. "Oh, cut the sarcasm. I'm tryin' to help ya. I'll stick around and make sure you don't have any bad dreams... or at least wake you up if you start to."

"You're assumin' I could fall asleep right now even if I wanted to..."

"Reno... You _look_ like you're half asleep already," Lira teased. "But I have a solution for that. A little birdie told me that _you_ like gettin' read to..."

Reno's eyes narrowed as she reached for the book that Elena had left on the coffee table. "Who told you _that_?" he demanded, cheeks flushing faintly. As if he couldn't guess. She'd just come from Ward... who had been entirely too amused to see Elena settling in with that damn book yesterday. At the rate he was going, any semblance of a reputation he'd managed to acquire as a Turk was going to be utterly obliterated by the time he was cleared for active duty.

"Just calm down and relax," said Lira, as she shifted over a bit. "Here... lie down and get comfortable, and I'll read to you for awhile."

"No!" Reno crossed his arms, glaring indignantly. The woman smirked and opened the book.

"Well... fine, then. Lie down and get comfortable, and I'll read to the baby for awhile. You can listen, too," Lira said, snickering. Reno rolled his eyes, but laid back, letting his head rest on her lap. He turned his head slightly so he was facing her stomach.

"Kid... If I were you, I'd get _real_ comfortable with the idea that your mom is always gonna get her way."

* * *

Tseng hit the mat, hard... both surprised _and_ impressed. It wasn't often Elena managed to take him down so thoroughly. He calmly accepted the young woman's proffered hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"I see you've calmed down a bit," he commented, smiling slightly, but Elena shook her head.

"Not really, sir... just channeled my frustration into something more productive than sulking."

"Hmm..." The Turk leader suddenly caught her wrist, and twisted her arm behind her back. She'd seen it coming, though, and managed to avoid it when he attempted to sweep her legs out from under her. Instead, she threw her weight back and forced _him_ to the ground again, breaking his grip on her arm. "Well... It seems to be working for you. Either that, or I've gotten a bit lax with my own practice..."

He stood again. "Which reminds me..." he continued, taking up a more defensive stance this time. "I've been meaning to ask... do you intend to continue training with materia?"

Elena paused, caught a bit off-guard by the question. "Yes, sir... I think so," she replied. "I still prefer my gun, but... materia is kind of a nice backup."

She suddenly struck out at him, attacking from the left. The Wutaiian easily dodged the blow.

"Then I think a new tutor is in order," he said. He followed up with an attack of his own, throwing her to one side as she came at him from the right. She hit the mat and rolled to her feet again.

"Sir?"

"I'm afraid you've already reached the limits of my own skill. Rude has never bothered to learn more than the basics, and of course materia is hardly Reno's forte given that he tends to do more damage to himself than to his opponent... when he can manage to get it to do anything at all." He dropped to one knee and let the momentum of Elena's next attempt carry her over his shoulder. She landed behind him, flat on her back with a loud _oof_.

"Then... who did you have in mind, sir?" she asked, hiding a soft groan as she got back to her feet.

"I _had_ thought about requesting training from Soldier. They're the experts, after all. Failing that, there's the materia corps in Junon... though that will almost certainly require you to spend far more time there than I would like. With Avalanche finally taken care of, though, it would be feasible."

"I thought Soldier didn't like us..."

Tseng smirked, and caught her leg as she aimed a kick at him. "The director doesn't... but the members themselves are fairly indifferent to her opinion. A few of them I even count as friends. If nothing else, I could probably talk one of them into working with you unofficially." He released his grip on her and glanced at his watch. "In any case, I'll try the official route first. For now, though... I believe its lunch time. Would you care to join me?"

Elena smile faintly. "Thank you, sir... But I was actually going to run home. I... um... need to pick up a few things. I'm going to stay in the office sleeping quarters tonight."

The Turk leader sighed and shook his head. "Elena... Don't you think you're over-reacting a bit?"

"He's still angry... I know it. I would've heard from him by now if he wanted to talk to me," she said. "And I don't want to end up getting into another fight. He has enough to deal with."

The pair left the training area and began walking towards the locker rooms. Before they could part ways, Tseng reached for her, grabbing her shoulder. "You're going about this in entirely the wrong way."

"Sir?"

"Avoiding conflict never solves anything. Go home. You're supposed to be on vacation time as it is... use it."

"But..."

"If you really think he'll be better off without you, even temporarily, you haven't been paying attention, Elena."

* * *

Elena leaned back against the wall of the elevator car. No matter how many times she rehearsed what she was going to say, it never seemed quite right. Tseng may have been right... avoiding this wouldn't fix it. But she had her doubts that confronting it head on would be any better. A part of her hoped that Reno had gotten frustrated being stuck inside all day and gone out for some fresh air, so she could sneak out with what she'd need overnight and quietly disappear back to the office. She didn't think Tseng would approve, though. The elevator stopped at the eighth floor and she stepped out, making her way down the hallway toward her apartment.

This morning really had been bad. It was the first time she could ever remember Reno being truly irate over something she'd done... not that she hadn't deserved it. She'd condemned him to close to eight hours of pure emotional torment. And worse, she'd done it in such an underhanded way. The betrayal in his eyes had hurt far worse than the angry words... though there had been plenty of those, too. It had ultimately been Tseng who'd brokered a temporary truce... one long enough for her to get dressed and ready for work, and slip out the door. She'd held it together until she reached her car... and then had spent the next ten minutes in tears over her own stupidity before she managed to calm down enough to drive herself to the office.

She desperately hoped this wasn't going to be a repeat of this morning.

Putting aside her feelings of dread for the moment, she unlocked the door and pushed it open. It was surprisingly silent inside. There was no music, no sounds of gunfire from one of the redhead's video games, no screams of terror from the TV... not even Snuffy's usual happy-to-see-her chirring from his cage. Elena closed the door behind her, glancing curiously toward the little ferret's cage, spotting him snoozing peacefully with his head in his food bowl.

As she stepped farther into the room, two more figures caught her eye. Reno was curled up on the couch, his head resting contentedly on Lira's lap. Her fingers on one hand were splayed across his head, entwined in his hair, and the other loosely held Elena's book of short stories. Both were sound asleep, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that it was Lira looking after him and not her.

Lira knew him so much better than she did. She understood him better. And she certainly would never have been stupid enough to try and sedate the redhead into a good night's sleep.

It occurred to her that, if Lira was here, then maybe it really _was_ better that she stay at the office tonight. Reno would have someone to make sure he was alright, and it would give him a little longer to cool off. They could start fresh in the morning.

She started to creep past them, towards the bedroom, intent on tucking some pajamas and a few other things into an overnight bag.

"'Lena?" Elena froze momentarily, then slowly turned to find Reno pushing himself upright, one hand rubbing blearily at his eyes. "Thought you were workin' all day..."

"I'm... going right back," she replied, somewhat sheepishly. "I was just going to pack a few things and..."

"Pack?" he echoed, still sounding half asleep. His eyes widened, suddenly panicked. "Where the fuck are you goin'?" He groped for the crutches that were leaning against the end of the couch, sending them clattering to the floor. The unexpected commotion very quickly roused Lira as well.

"What in Shiva's name is goin' on?" she asked, yawning. Her gaze soon fell on the other woman and she grinned. "Oh... Elena. You're home! 'Bout time... Reno? What are you doin'?"

The redhead was turned at an awkward angle, attempting to fish his crutches out from under the coffee table. "The fuck's it look like I'm doin'? I'm tryin' to get my ass off this couch! Ah, fuck it..."

He abandoned his quest for the crutches and untwisted himself before forcing himself to his feet. Reno only managed a single step towards Elena before his injured knee buckled painfully underneath him, sending him to the floor with a sharp cry.

"Reno!" the two women chorused. Elena rushed over to him.

"Ah... son of a bitch... The fuck'd I just do?!" he ground out between clenched teeth as his fellow-Turk hauled him back onto the couch. He leaned his head back, panting softly.

"Hate to break it to ya," Lira replied, lifting his leg as gently as she could to prop it up on the coffee table, "But I think you mighta dislocated somethin'..."

"Since when can you dislocate your fuckin' knee?!" He winced, trying to bend it, only to be rewarded by a wave of pain radiating from the injury.

"I-I'll call Ward," Elena said quickly, reaching for her PHS and heading into the kitchen.

"... I'm pretty sure you can dislocate _any_ joint, Reno," Lira replied, deadpan, "What the hell were you thinkin'?"

"What anyone who's only half awake would think if their girlfriend told 'em she came home to pack. That I had to fuckin' grab her before she could walk out the fuckin' door!" He groaned in pain. " _Fuck_... And I thought doin' this to my _shoulder_ hurt..."

Elena returned with a bag of ice, hoping it would help. "Reno... I... I didn't mean I was leaving _you_..."

"Yeah, well... I kinda panicked, wakin' up like that 'n shit," he said, with a soft grunt of relief at the feeling of cold against the abused knee.

"Hello? Elena?" Ward's voice was tiny coming from the PHS, and Elena realized that she'd very nearly forgotten that she'd dialed her. She raised the phone back to her ear.

"Sorry, Dr. Ward... I got a little distracted..."

There was a long-suffering sigh on the other end of the line. "Well, what's he done ta himself now, then?"

* * *

"Got it. I'll let him know." Rude ended the call and tucked his PHS back into his jacket.

"You'll let him know what?" a voice behind him asked, curious. "If it's about Elena returning to her working vacation instead of coming back from lunch, I'm already aware. _I_ suggested it."

The bald Turk actually jumped slightly... Tseng had managed to catch him by surprise with one of his mysterious, out-of-nowhere appearances for once.

"She's taking Reno to the hospital. He decided he could get around without the crutches, and dislocated his knee. Ward's already waiting for him."

Tseng pinched the bridge of his nose and suppressed the urge to groan. "Do you think Elena would hold it against me if I simply tied him to the bed until Ward clears him for duty?" he sighed. Rude simply chuckled in reply.

"So... what's on the schedule for the rest of the day?" he asked. The Turk leader had been tapped for a meeting with the President shortly after he'd returned from lunch. He wondered if they were finally going to be allowed to dispose of their prisoners.

"In the first place, some minor preparations for Rufus' homecoming. He'll be arriving around six for the monthly board meeting and dinner in the executive conference room. I'll need you to move the executive helicopter to the secondary helipad in Sector 3 before then to make room for his transport."

"No problem," Rude said with a shrug. It was a fifteen minute job, max, even factoring in walking back to the office.

"And... Avalanche," Tseng continued. "The President has _at last_ decided to stop leaving their fate up to chance. We're to deal with them first thing tomorrow morning. He's scheduled time on all of the major local networks."

"We're gonna do it live?"

The Turk leader nodded. "Mmm... Distasteful, if you ask me, but as no one bothered to do so... yes."

"Gonna call Elena in?"

"No. I see no need. I'm fairly certain you and I are still capable of hitting a target at close range," he said, with a hint of humor in his voice, "And besides which, the less public exposure the Turks get, the better. I see little to gain from having _all_ of our faces broadcast across Midgar."

Rude smirked. "Not looking forward to your fifteen minutes of fame?"

"Fifteen minutes seems rather excessive, don't you think? I wasn't planning on it taking more than fifteen seconds or so." He turned to gaze out the window. "I can handle it myself if you prefer. I _am_ aware that you were somewhat fond of Miss Lockheart."

"She's a pretty face. Doesn't go any deeper than that," the other Turk assured him. He had to admit... that wasn't _entirely_ true. Tifa had made an impression on him. She was strong and capable... but there was a certain vulnerability in her that he found endearing. If circumstances had been different... if they weren't on opposing sides that had no hope of reconciliation... he might have been tempted to think of her as more than just a pretty face. But he'd known from the start how this would end... and he'd been very careful not to let his thoughts stray in that direction. Too much.

"In that case... there's nothing else to do but wait for once. You're free to see to anything you've been putting off lately. I, on the other hand... need to decide what to do about Reno's evaluation."

"Thought he was cleared..." Rude said, concerned. If something had changed, he hadn't been told... and that would definitely irk him. Tseng chuckled and shook his head.

"Not that _that_ evaluation. His evaluation as second. You haven't forgotten that I'd intended to hold it soon, have you? It's somewhat overdue... particularly with Elena's promotion. But clearly he's not up to it physically at the moment. And I have my doubts about mentally, as well. To be honest, I'm debating whether or not I should simply cancel it entirely... At this point, it's little more than tradition for tradition's sake anyway. Reno has more than proven himself to me over the years, and that's all that really matters."

The bald Turk relaxed at that. He _had_ ,in fact, forgotten all about it, to be honest... in spite of being asked to help with the planning several weeks ago.

"I say postpone it. Don't cancel."

Tseng's eyebrows quirked upwards. "Oh?"

"He'll be disappointed if he misses out."

"... He _does_ enjoy having the opportunity to show off a bit, doesn't he?" Tseng mused, thoughtfully.

"Likes having the opportunity to make you proud of him, too..." Rude pointed out.

* * *

"I swear ta Odin... Yer going ta drive me mad one of these days," Dr. Ward sighed, as she gently prodded the redhead's knee. "Can yeh feel anything now?"

Reno shook his head in the negative. "Nope. Totally numb."

"Hmph." The doctor slowly flexed the joint, bending the injured knee and lifting it up to his chest. "Now just yeh try and stay relaxed. This will only take a second or two..."

She pressed hard against the dislocation as she straightened his leg, and it snapped back into place with an audible pop. Ward motioned to the nurse to immobilize it for her.

"Yeh'll be fine... _if_ yeh listen to me this time and _stay off that leg_ ," she said, crossly. "And don't yeh think for a minute I don't know yeh've been putting yer weight on it when I told yeh not to. That swelling isn't _just_ from the fresh damage."

"Is this going to keep him sidelined even longer?" Elena asked, hesitantly. She'd been lingering on the periphery since the doctor had arrived to meet them in the emergency room, watching silently.

"Mmm... Hard ta say quite yet, but I don't think so. As long as my little headache actually gives it a chance ta heal instead of re-injuring it, that is..."

"Tch... not like I did it on purpose, Doc..."

Dr. Ward smirked and held out a sucker to him, only to sharply pull it back when he reached for it. "Yeh give me yer word I won't see yeh in here again before yer next appointment."

"Yeah, yeah... I promise," the redhead muttered. He reached for the treat again, but Ward didn't relent.

" _AND_ that yeh'll keep that splint on until I say otherwise?"

Reno rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. Can I have my candy now?"

Ward finally handed it over, and turned to Elena. "Take him home and keep him off his feet for the rest of the night. He's to use his crutches... no exceptions. I want absolutely no weight on that leg."

"Yes, ma'am," she hurriedly agreed, and spent the next several minutes escorting her injured lover back out to the car.

"So are ya finally gonna tell me what the hell that was all about?" Reno asked. He crawled awkwardly into the passenger seat, wincing as he pulled his leg in behind him. Whatever Ward had used on him to reduce the pain while she fixed him was already beginning to wear off.

"What?" Elena asked, not sure what he was referring to.

"Why were you comin' home to pack?" The pain had temporarily pushed that question aside... but now that it had returned to more bearable levels, familiar worries were quickly starting to creep, unbidden, into his mind. He'd fallen asleep before he'd ever gotten around to finishing the message he'd planned on sending her... and regretted that now.

She blushed slightly, and turned her attention on the road. "I-I was... I thought I'd... stay at headquarters tonight. Er... Especially when I saw that Lira was there."

Reno blinked, not certain how to respond to that. "You're not thinkin' there's somethin' goin' on between us, are you?" he asked, "'Cause there's _definitely_ not."

"No!" Elena quickly replied, shaking her head, "Of course not... I just... after last night... and this morning... I thought maybe you'd rather I not be there for a little while. And I felt a lot better about it, knowing Lira'd be around if you needed someone to talk to."

He relaxed slightly and leaned back in the seat. "Heh... well, if you were tryin' to _scare_ me outta being mad at you, I think it worked..."

"Reno... I'm –"

"I need you, 'Lena," he interrupted, suddenly serious. "No matter how pissed off I am at you, I need you. Not Lira... Not Tseng... Not Rude. You. So don't go disappearin' on me... okay? You're what's holdin' me together right now."

"Reno..."

"Look, I'm... I'm still comin' to terms with what I did. I'm alright most of the time... I think. But when I'm not, you're what pulls me back to myself. So... don't let me run ya off. 'Cause I love you. And I need you."

* * *

The biologics lab was dark... its staff well on their way home for the evening. Tseng sighed and leaned back in his chair, eyes still on the security feed. He knew that Rude thought he was wasting his time. After all, it really _was_ very slim odds that their mysterious intruder would return so soon after another major security incident. And even if they did, his cameras would be watching.

Nevermind the fact that he was _technically_ supposed to be on his way to the heliport to greet Rufus and escort him to his father. He would be arriving shortly. The Turk leader shook his head and shut off the monitor, standing and walking out into the main office.

"Hmph... Our long lost executive here already?" Rude asked, glancing up from his own monitor.

"Not quite... but soon. And, frankly, I could use some fresh air. I feel as though I've been pent up in this office all day."

"Maybe because you have..." Rude was quick to point out. "You've been watching those camera feeds all afternoon. See anything interesting?"

Tseng shook his head and laughed. "For a moment, I was quite certain I saw Jenova move... but other than that, no." It had been something of a shock, actually. He'd spent a solid fifteen minutes staring at the screen afterward before he was finally convinced he'd imagined it. He'd _definitely_ been at it much too long... That was another reason for wanting to take a break. The pair left the office, and Tseng turned towards the elevators... only to be stopped by his fellow-Turk. Rude shook his head.

"They shut them down after five for maintenance tonight. Only ones still working are the executive elevators."

"Ah. Well... I suppose we're taking the _stairs_ to the roof, then."

Rude followed the Turk leader upwards, past the sixtieth floor... the sixty-fifth... the sixty-seventh... When they reached the sixty-eighth floor, however, both men stopped short, staring in shock. The metal paneling of the wall was deeply gouged near the doorway leading onto the floor proper... but far more disturbing than that was the trail of crimson that lead from the door and up the stairs to sixty-nine. The coppery scent that hung in the air left neither man in any doubt of what it was.

"President Shinra..." Rude said, in a foreboding tone.

"Upstairs. Now!"

Weapons drawn, the two Turks rushed up the next flight of stairs to the executive floor, following the blood trail. It led them through the sixty-ninth floor's entrance, and around to the executive lobby. Rude was the first to spot the bodies, silently drawing his fellow-Turk's attention to them.

One of them, Tseng recognized as the president's receptionist... a young red-haired woman, well known around the company as a bit of a flirt. She'd been nearly sliced in two. Whoever – or whatever – had done this, had to have been incredibly strong. It looked to have been done with a single blow.

The second body was that of a middle-aged man in a suit and tie... Judging by the papers that littered the floor around him, he was from the legal department. His eyes stared lifelessly up at the ceiling, a look of terror frozen on his face.

They left them where they lay and hurried on. The blood trail continued up the curving staircase to their left. On its twin to their right was a third body... a much younger man, his head hanging at a impossible angle, neck clearly broken. He looked to have been simply tossed there, like he was nothing to his attacker.

Tseng took the stairs two at a time, rushing to push open the heavy doors that led to President Shinra's office. Something told him that they were already much too late. Moments later, that suspicion was confirmed.

The Turks entered the office, eyes drawn immediately to the President's desk in the center of the room. The President himself was slumped over on the desktop, the razor-sharp blade of a massive nodachi sword impaling him between his shoulders. The sheer amount of blood pooling around him was proof enough the man was already dead.

"Lock down the building, and divert Rufus' transport," Tseng said, grimly. The blood trail continued out onto the balcony, and the Wutaiian Turk followed it cautiously while his cohort started making calls. There was nothing to be found outside. Only more blood, and a handprint on the railing. He looked down over the edge, to the street seventy floors down... but saw nothing. Traffic below flowed unimpeded, and pedestrians meandered by unaware that anything was wrong in Shinra Headquarters.

Where the _hell_ had this... _thing_... come from?

He turned back striding purposefully through the office and back down the stairs. Rude followed him, still on the phone with building security. As they entered the back stairwell, he hung up.

"I sent Rufus' helicopter straight to the family home. The building is going into a full lockdown now," he relayed as they descended. They stopped on sixty-eight, following the trail backwards into Hojo's lab.

"What in Leviathan's name has that lunatic created now?" Tseng muttered. He unlocked the door and moved on. The blood led them to a cargo elevator at the far end of the lab.

"... Came from sixty-seven," Rude commented. The Turk leader keyed in the override code for the elevator and stepped inside.

"Take the stairs... just in case anything _else_ is loose down there."

Rude nodded and headed back the way they'd come. Tseng, meanwhile, hit the button to drop down to the floor below. When it stopped, he peered out, gun poised to fire if needed. The sound of terrified animals filled the space, but nothing seemed to be moving outside of the cages. He slowly made his way into the lab, guided by the bloody trail on the floor and feeling surprisingly calm, given the circumstances.

Beyond the cages, he heard the quite _woosh_ of the the electronic door opening, and hoped it was simply Rude moving into position.

The trail led him across the floor... to a large containment tank. Its door had been ripped off its hinges, the floor around it a puddle of preservative liquid. Rude rounded the corner, his own weapon in hand. He stopped short as he saw the familiar tank.

"... Told you that damn thing wasn't as dead as everyone thought."

~fin~


	49. Chasing Sephiroth

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 49: Chasing Sephiroth**

 **by Desha**

"Rude... see to the other executives. Whatever did this..." He paused at the somewhat incredulous look from his subordinate. " _Whatever_ did this," he reiterated, not quite willing to accept that a long-dead and headless research specimen had miraculously come back to life and murdered the head of the company, "appears to have fled... but I don't want to take any chances. Have security search the entire building."

"On it," Rude replied. "Where will you be?"

"It seems I have the unenviable task of informing Rufus that his father is dead..." It wasn't one he was looking forward to. The young executive may have been well known for his cold aloofness... but he was far from heartless. And no matter how much discord may have existed between the two men, Tseng had no illusions that the elder Shinra's passing would simply be glossed over by his son.

Rude nodded and headed for the elevators. The Turk leader glanced over his shoulder at the destroyed containment tank. Assuming Jenova _hadn't_ somehow been resurrected... what was their intruder's interest in it? Was it the same person who had infiltrated the lab earlier in the week? And for that matter... where had all the blood come from? Corpses... particularly millennia-old, half-fossilized ones that had been in storage for longer than he'd been a Turk... generally didn't tend to bleed much.

His gaze turned to the camera mounted above the door and he smirked. The answer to those questions might not be quite so difficult to find after all. He'd check the feeds after he spoke to Rufus. But there was one thing he had to do first...

Tseng keyed open the door leading from the lab to the holding cells and stepped behind the abandoned guard station... He wondered, vaguely, when security had decided to desert their post. That, however, was a worry for later. For the time being, he shut down the security cameras in the room, and cleared the footage for the past few minutes. It wouldn't do for anyone to find out he'd been there.

That done, the Wutaiian Turk snatched a set of keys from the desk and moved silently down the hallway towards the cells, stopping at the first in the row and peering through the window in the door. Aerith was asleep on the narrow cot, oblivious to everything that had been going on tonight.

It was insubordination at best... If he were discovered, things wouldn't go well for him. But it was also the least he could do for her. The young woman didn't deserve her fate. He couldn't take her from headquarters personally... but he could at least give her a chance to escape. He noiselessly slipped the key into the lock. It turned with a soft click.

The rest was up to her.

He was suddenly aware of eyes watching him, and he turned sharply, coming face to face with a member of building security... probably the very man who was supposed to have been on duty at the guard station. Tseng frowned and took a few steps towards him, forcing him to back up, around the corner.

"I apologize for this... but I'm afraid you have rather poor timing," he said, quietly. In one swift movement, Tseng was behind him, his arm around the guard's throat, silencing him. It was unfortunate... but he couldn't afford to leave a witness. A sharp twist, a loud snap, and the guard went limp. The Turk leader lowered the body to the floor and made a hasty exit from the holding cells.

* * *

Rude pointedly resisted the urge to interject. Scarlet and Heidegger had been arguing over which of them was in charge now for the last ten minutes... and didn't seem to be reaching any sort of an agreement. He was strongly tempted to remind them that Rufus outranked them both and was in Midgar even now. The temptation to simply tell the pair to shut the hell up was even stronger, but he wisely held his tongue.

Reeve Tuesti, meanwhile, seemed content to sit quietly at the the conference table. He'd gone a bit pale when the Turk had explained why the executives were being rounded up, but appeared to have recovered. The head of Urban Development had always struck him as the careful type. Much like himself, he preferred to stay out of politics unless absolutely necessary. To be honest, Rude _really_ wasn't quite sure how the man had managed to rise to the executive board with such an attitude... He'd always thought there was a bit more to him than meets the eye.

The only member of the board he _hadn't_ managed to locate was Irving Palmer, head of Shinra's mostly defunct space program. Rude had never been able to determine if they kept the fat son of a bitch around out of pity or merely for their amusement... though he strongly suspected the latter. He's been all but stripped of any real power years ago. Palmer was an executive in name only these days. But he was very much a lap dog who knew how to suck up to the boss. That alone had probably made him just useful enough to the president to justify not throwing him out on his ass. Rufus wasn't likely to be quite so generous towards him.

Still, though... he should probably make one more attempt at locating the man. If nothing else, a second sweep would get him away from the Terrible Twosome. It wasn't as if he were needed _here_ ,after all. Building security had locked down the floor and stationed guards, and two members of Soldier had been summoned to back them up.

With an annoyed shake of his head, he slipped out of the conference room. Palmer was low priority... but anything had to be better than listening to those two idiots argue.

* * *

"Sir... Where are you exactly?" Tseng asked, PHS pressed to his ear as he made his way back to the Turks' offices. Rufus should have been on the ground by now. The pilot had been specifically ordered to take him to the family home and wait... yet he could clearly hear the craft's engine over the line. Spinning up, as though it was preparing to take off.

"Upstairs," he responded, simply. "If you're calling to inform me of my father's demise, you needn't bother. Gossip seems to have traveled quite fast, and my pilot has an unusually large mouth. I want to see him."

"Sir, you shouldn't be – " His reply was cut off by a sudden commotion.

"Palmer? What are you doing here, you worthless piece of –"

The rest was too muffled to hear, and it appeared that Rufus had shoved the phone back into his pocket in order to deal with the executive's sudden arrival. Tseng could hear some panicked shouting... Palmer's voice... what sounded like "Sephiroth!"... followed by a crash, and angry shouting from Rufus. Moments later, the whine of helicopter's engines began to fade, as though it were moving away. When it had faded out entirely, he could hear other voices, as well.

Rufus wasn't alone.

* * *

Elena carried two plates out into the living room and set them on the coffee table. Normally, she had a very strict rule against eating anything messier than popcorn on the couch... but Reno had been comfortable, and she hadn't wanted to force him to move.

"'Lena... ?" he laughed softly, "I think Rude needs to go over the definition of 'omelette' with you... 'Cause that really doesn't look much like an omelette."

"It... um... sort of turned into scrambled eggs halfway through," she replied, blushing faintly. "I've never been very good at flipping them. Sorry. I can try again if you want..."

She reached for the plate intent on taking it back to the kitchen, but the redhead grabbed her hand, and brought it to his lips, placing a tender kiss on the back. "I'm not that picky, 'Lena... It's fine." He pulled her down next to him on the couch.

"I don't seem to be able to get anything right lately..." She sighed as she felt his arms coil around her, enjoying the contact.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're perfect, 'Lena..."

She looked at him in disbelief. "How can you even say that? After what I did to you last n–"

"We agreed we're not gonna dwell on that," the redhead said firmly, a serious expression on his face. "You fucked up. You're never gonna do somethin' like that again. We're movin' on... 'cause I don't wanna be mad at you anymore." He grinned slightly. "So you're back to bein' perfect. Now quit arguin' with me. You're hungry and _I'm_ starved."

Elena smiled as well. He'd been adamant on the ride home... He wanted to forget all about it. She, on the other hand, had a hard time imagining how someone _could_ just forget something like that. "How in Shiva's name can you just forgive me so quickly?"

Reno reached for a fork and started in on his dinner. "Easy. I don't _like_ bein' pissed off at the people who are important to me. Tseng's always told me that holdin' a grudge just isn't in my nature. I don't stay mad for long. Not when it's someone who means somethin' to me..." He dropped his gaze, staring down at his plate and Elena was positive she could see his cheeks reddening. "And especially not when it's someone who means _everything_ to me."

She couldn't help it. She teared up a little. Elena had never had anyone say something like that to her, let alone actually mean it. And he _did_ mean it. It was a little terrifying, knowing that she was that irreplaceable to him. Terrifying... but at the same time reassuring. Reno was hers and nothing was going to change that... not even her own stupidity. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"I'm _still_ going to make it up to you," she said softly. "I promise."

The painfully loud ringtone of Reno's PHS stopped him from replying – and utterly killed the mood – as he reached across the coffee table for the device. The redhead frowned.

"What?" Elena asked, not sure what had him so concerned.

"I'm sidelined... and even if this wasn't business, he knows you're with me. Boss oughta be callin' _you_ first. That's protocol." He accepted the call, automatically switching it over to speakerphone.

"What'd we miss?" he asked.

"The President is dead."

Elena's jaw dropped, and Reno could only blink in mute shock. It took him a moment to recover. "I... Did I hear you right?"

"I'm afraid so," Tseng's voice replied, somewhat breathlessly. It sounded as though he was trying to get somewhere in a hurry. In the background, Elena could hear the familiar churning of rotor blades. "I need both of you to head to the Shinra family residence. Rude and I will retrieve Rufus and meet you there."

"Uh... Yeah, sure. On our way." The call dropped as soon as he'd indicated that he understood, and he pocketed the phone. "Guess that means I'm back on duty..."

"Reno..."

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. Get changed. We're workin' tonight."

* * *

Tseng had barely even hung up with Reno before he was stepping aboard the helicopter. Building security had encountered hostiles, and Rufus had managed to strand himself in his father's office with, at least by the sound of things, more of them. Rather than wasting time trying to get past an unknown enemy and take him out safely through the building, Tseng had opted to cut out the middleman and simply extract the young VIP directly from the balcony.

"Let's make this quick. I don't want Rufus caught in the middle of a firefight," he said as he pulled on a headset. Rude nodded and took them up. The helicopter dropped as they circled the building, coming to hover near the wide balcony of the presidential office.

Rufus was there... and so too was the ex-Soldier, preparing to attack. The Turk's eyes narrowed and he had to bite back a few choice invectives. That certainly explained the resistance security had run into.

He should have known better. Of _course_ Aerith would have tried to save her friends as well once she realized she was free. Releasing her had been a foolish, and potentially costly, choice. Still, though, a part of him hoped that she was safely out of the building and on her way home by now... even if it _did_ mean that what remained of Avalanche escaped with her.

Now wasn't the time to worry about that, however. He had much more pressing concerns... the primary of which being Rufus.

"Get us in closer," he ordered, and Rude was quick to obey. The younger man spared a glance up, and Tseng was quite certain that his expression was one of relief. He couldn't blame him... Rufus wasn't exactly helpless, but against a former Soldier? He stood no chance.

Neither, for that matter, did Tseng. This was no time for a fight. This was a time to cut their losses and run like hell. Rufus said something to Strife before very quickly reaching upwards and grabbing hold of the helicopter's skid. Tseng was pulling him aboard moments later, as the helicopter moved rapidly away from the building.

"Are you injured, sir?" he asked, once the young man was secure.

"Nothing serious." Rufus calmly brushed away some non-existent dirt from the sleeve of his immaculate white coat. The slight tremor in his voice betrayed him, however. He'd known he was outmatched... and until the Turks had shown up, Tseng was fairly sure he'd had no idea what he was going to do about it.

The helicopter flew over the city for several minutes before finally hovering for a moment and sinking to the ground behind the tall steel and concrete fence that kept the Shinra home separated from the rest of the city. The engines slowed and the rotors came to a stop, and the little group disembarked.

"Boss!" a voice called out to him from the house, and the Turk leader spotted his lieutenant making his way towards them, as quickly as he could manage on crutches. Elena wasn't far behind.

"Hmph... What happened to you?" Rufus asked once the pair was within earshot, pointedly trying not to let it show just how shaken he really was.

"Took a bullet to the knee. What happened to you?" the redhead shot back. Rufus scoffed and brushed past him, heading into the house. Reno turned to Tseng instead. "Seriously... what happened? Guy's white as a sheet."

A bit of an over-statement, perhaps, but no less insightful, Tseng mused silently. "He attempted to take on Strife. We pulled him out before it could go much further than posturing."

"The fuck? Don't tell me those assholes got away _again_..." He paused a moment, and then Reno's eyes narrowed angrily. "They the ones that killed the Pres?" he asked in a low voice.

"Not out here." Tseng gestured for them to follow the retreating executive. By the time they caught up, another conversation was already in progress.

"Well, this should make _you_ quite happy," Rufus spat, "You're officially a widow. I'm surprised you're not already on the phone with that mediocre lawyer you think I don't know you've been keeping on retainer preparing to contest the will!"

"I have a right to –" Juliet Shinra began, only to be ignored as the blond man swept past her and into the sitting room.

"Do whatever you want, you useless whore. Just stay out of my sight. Your lawyer can call my lawyer." He slammed the door behind him, leaving both his step-mother _and_ the Turks standing in the foyer.

"Spoiled little brat," Juliet muttered, storming back upstairs.

"She's _real_ broken up over her husband's death..." Reno deadpanned. "Tch... You believe she actually asked 'Lena what she thought of the outfit she's wearin' to the funeral? That woman is one seriously cold-hearted bitch."

"Juliet is not our concern right now," Tseng replied, "Rufus is. As is dealing with the President's murderer."

"So? Was it Avalanche?"

The Wutaiian Turk shook his head. "No. They escaped in the confusion afterward. I don't know what business Strife had in the President's office when we pulled Rufus out of there, but Shinra was dead well before then."

"But, then... who _did_ kill him, sir?" Elena asked.

"We're not certain yet. It's possible that one of Hojo's creations got loose and attacked him, but we haven't yet had a chance to review the security footage."

Rude snorted softly. "It was Jenova."

"I hardly think –"

"Tank was ripped apart... blood leading from the lab all the way to the President's body... huge sword embedded in the man's back... What other lab specimen could've done all that?" the bald Turk demanded.

"It was the sword that piqued _my_ interest. I know of only one person connected to Shinra who used a sword like that... and who, perhaps not so coincidentally, had more than a passing interest in Jenova."

"... Sephiroth? He's been dead for five years." Rude pointed out.

"I don't recall ever finding a body, do you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Hold on," Reno cut in. "Can we back this up and start at the beginning please? Me 'n 'Lena have been kinda out of the loop here..."

Tseng nodded. "As has Rufus... I suggest we involve _him_ in this conversation as well, rather than having to rehash it all later." He turned toward the door the vice president... now the president of Shinra Company... had disappeared through, and pushed it open.

The executive was standing at the wide picture window on the far side of the room, looking out towards the imposing profile of the Shinra Building. He didn't acknowledge their presence until Tseng was standing right next to him.

"I want to know what happened. Every detail."

"Yes, sir," Tseng replied, "Though we don't yet have all of them ourselves."

"Palmer claimed he saw Sephiroth murder my father. Hmph... right before the fat bastard turned tale and commandeered my transport," the young man said, dispassionately. "Ridiculous as it sounds... Palmer is too much of a coward to lie to my face."

"We don't know who or what killed him, sir... But a sword very like Sephiroth's famous Masamune _was_ the weapon that was used."

"Start from the beginning."

The Turk leader gestured toward the rest of his team, who had taken up residence on various pieces of furniture. Rufus calmly joined them.

"Rude and I were on our way to meet _you_ at the heliport on the roof," he began, "On the sixty-eighth floor, we discovered a trail of blood leading into the stairwell from Hojo's lab and up the stairs. We followed it to your father's office where we found him, at his desk, dead. He'd been impaled by a sword... which, as I said, was very similar to the one known to be used by the Soldier, Sephiroth. The trail then led out onto the balcony, and disappeared."

"And no one _saw_ anything?" Rufus asked, coldly.

"Several people saw something... Unfortunately, none of _them_ survived the encounter, either. We placed the building on emergency lockdown in case the killer was still somewhere inside or had additional accomplices, and then followed the blood trail back to its source. It originated in Hojo's specimen lab."

"At the Jenova tank," Rude added, insistently.

"The Cetra specimen?" Rufus asked. "The one missing its head?"

"Yes, sir..." Tseng confirmed. "The tank was destroyed. Ripped apart, in fact. We're not sure if the blood came from the specimen or from whoever took it... or from something else entirely. Per protocol, we escorted the remaining members of the board to a secure area... and requested that _your_ flight be diverted. An order I can only assume you chose to override." He fixed the younger man with an accusing stare.

"It... was admittedly not the wisest choice," Rufus conceded. He turned his gaze back on the window. "The news was relayed to me by the pilot. I wanted to see him."

The Wutaiian Turk's glare softened somewhat. Rufus made it far too easy to forget that he was mourning and probably not thinking entirely rationally.

"I was returning to our offices to review the security footage when I learned of that decision... and went immediately to reclaim you instead. What happened while you were in your father's office?"

Rufus snorted softly in contempt. "I never even made it _into_ the office. I'd hardly set foot on the balcony when Palmer came flying out at me screaming about Sephiroth. Then the coward jumped aboard and ordered the pilot to take off. Without _me_. The next thing I know I'm being stared down by people claiming to be Avalanche. Most of them took the opportunity to escape... the one with the sword stayed behind accusing me wanting to take over some nonsensical Promised Land."

"I supposed Strife simply assumed that your plans for the company mirrored those of your father..." Tseng replied.

"I'm afraid I was not privy to those plans. What was he talking about?"

"Shortly before your father's death, we recaptured the Ancient. He still believed that Aerith was the key to finally completing the Neo-Midgar project."

The younger man shook his head. "Neo-Midgar? Don't be ridiculous..."

"Er... Neo-Midgar, sir?" Elena hesitantly broke in... and immediately looked as though she regretted the interruption, as Rufus rolled his eyes.

"A fantasy of my father's," Rufus explained. "Years ago, that whackjob Hojo sold him on some legend about an unexplored part of the planet so rich in mako energy that it practically flows out of the ground... Supposedly it was once protected by a people who called themselves the Cetra... and when they died out, its location was lost. He believed that if we could find a Cetra, we could find this so-called 'Promised Land' and tap the limitless energy there. Neo-Midgar was to have been built on the spot as a testament to Shinra's ingenuity and perseverance... but it was only dream. There is no Rumah-foresaken 'Promised Land'."

"Huh... You so sure about that?" Reno asked, and Rufus glared at him. "Hey, I'm just sayin' what if... Maybe it _does_ exist. Or maybe someone's just as _convinced_ it does as your dad was. And maybe that someone thought he was a gettin' too close."

The new president looked as though he was going to comment... but instead, took on a somewhat pensive expression, apparently giving the redhead's suggestion some consideration.

"Let's hold off on speculating on motives for the time being," Tseng interjected. "Rude... Go and retrieve the security footage. I want to see what _really_ happened up there. Get the footage from the lab as well. Elena... You and I are going to see if we can find what rock Palmer is currently hiding under and get him to tell us what he saw."

"And let me guess," Reno said, with an over-dramatized sigh, "I get to stay here 'n babysit 'n make sure the two remaining Shinras don't shank one another while you're gone."

Rufus muttered something that was probably uncomplimentary under his breath. Though whether it was about Reno or his step-mother, the Wutaiian Turk couldn't tell.

"If you would be so kind," Tseng replied with a slight nod.

* * *

It didn't take them long to track down the missing helicopter. It's pilot had radioed in as soon as he'd landed. He was presently parked on the helipad on top of an auxiliary building for the Sector 2 reactor. As Elena and Tseng made their way inside, it became clear that their missing executive hadn't strayed far. The night-shift staff all seemed to be on edge, and there were whisperings of the President's murder and mentions of a Soldier previously thought to be dead.

They found him in the manager's office.

"Sir."

Palmer squealed in terror, spinning to face the pair of Turks, one hand clutched to his chest... the other shakily brandishing a small gun. In his panic, he pulled the trigger, letting loose a short barrage of shots in their direction.

Tseng grabbed Elena and pulled her back into the hallway as the bullets lodged themselves in the drywall, forcing them both to take cover. Moments later the gun jammed and the firing ceased. The Turk leader scowled and stood up, storming into the room.

"I would _prefer_ that you refrain from shooting at either myself or my subordinates, sir," he ground out, swiftly disarming the man. He passed the gun to Elena for safe-keeping. "We're here to escort you back to the Shinra Building."

"Oh, thank Rumah..." Palmer breathed, finally recognizing them, apparently oblivious to the Wutaiian Turk's less-that-pleased expression. "I was afraid everyone had forgotten about me..."

 _'If only we could...'_ Tseng thought to himself. We're it not for the fact that the man had valuable information, he would have been seriously considering just leaving the idiot there.

"If you'll come with us..." he said, instead, with a sweeping gesture towards the door. The portly executive made a hasty exit, heading for the the lobby. Elena watched him go, shaking her head.

"Sir... Is he always like –"

"Yes," Tseng replied before she could even get the question out, not quite able to refrain from rolling his eyes.

The short drive back to headquarters was filled with Palmer's voice alternately babbling nervously about nothing in particular, and wondering aloud whether or not he was in trouble for taking off without Rufus. As much as Tseng would have enjoyed leaving him with the implication that Rufus had ordered his immediate execution... terrifying the man into a heart attack likely wouldn't be very conducive to getting anything useful out of him.

Besides which... Palmer was generally harmless. Just very much a coward. Were it not that, in his rush to escape, he actually _had_ put the new president's life in jeopardy, Tseng might have been tempted to pity him. He was little more than the executive board's whipping boy... and he either didn't realize it, or he had long since embraced the abuse as the only way he'd ever retain his position.

"You know... you're much too pretty to be a Turk..." the executive commented, offhandedly, and Tseng glanced at him in the rearview mirror. Palmer was staring somewhat owlishly at Elena. He had intentionally directed her into the backseat... in part because he didn't dare leave Palmer unsupervised in his car, and in part because it meant that the man would likely spend the trip talking to – or perhaps more aptly, _at_ – Elena instead of him.

"I... er... Thank you?" the woman replied, somewhat surprised.

"Not that I'm complaining, mind you. They haven't let any girls into the Turks in... hmm... well, in _years_. It's nice to see a pretty face for a change..." He drew a handkerchief from his pocket and blotted the sweat on his balding forehead, smiling. "If I were a few years younger... I'd be making you an offer you'd find awfully hard to refuse..." His eyebrows waggled suggestively and the thin smile widened into a lecherous grin.

"Uhh..."

Tseng had to try very hard not to laugh at the look his youngest Turk was currently shooting at him in the mirror. It seemed to be a mixture of shock and disgust.

"But... if you don't _mind_ an older man..." Palmer quickly added, apparently taking her non-response as interest, and leaning closer to her.

"I-I have boyfriend." Elena said, decisively.

"Oh..." His tone was disappointed, but the leering gaze didn't quite disappear. "We... well, we certainly wouldn't have to _tell_ him..."

"She's seeing Reno, sir," Tseng interjected, at last taking pity on the younger Turk, and smirking in satisfaction as the rotund executive visibly paled and backpedal to the far side of his seat.

"I-I... Er... That is... obviously I'd never want to... um... I... Y-you won't mention any of this to _him_...will you?" he stammered, as Tseng made the final turn into the Shinra Building parking deck and pulled into his space. The Turk leader didn't hear his fellow-Turk's answer, as he stepped out of the car and around to the back, opening the executive's door for him.

The man stayed mercifully silent for the short elevator ride up to the Turks' main office, occasionally eying Elena with varying degrees of interest and fear. The pair escorted him into the lounge, settling him on the couch.

"Sir... President Rufus told us that you witnessed his father's murder. We would very much like to hear your version of events."

"Oh... Oh, yes. I see. I mean, I saw. Yes, I saw it. Him. Sephiroth."

Elena looked over at Tseng, questioningly, but he simply shook his head.

"What happened?"

"Well..." Palmer began, "I had a meeting with the President before Rufus' dinner was to start..."

Tseng mentally laughed. The reality was probably something along the lines of Palmer having cornered the President before he could head downstairs. He doubted very much that the man would have agreed to a meeting with anyone... let along Palmer... when his son was minutes away from returning home.

"We were discussing my department's funding, you see. Bertrand was _very_ enthusiastic about my latest ideas for the space exploration program. You see, I was thinking... what if we launched a new satellite that was capable of detecting mako close to the surface of the planet? We could..."

"Sir... please. We need to know what happened to the President." He wasn't about to sit there listening to a sales pitch from the Space Department that, in all likelihood, the former-President Shinra had rejected out of hand.

"O-oh. Yes. Well, I had just finished explaining my proposal when we heard quite a commotion from the reception area. Bertrand asked me to poke my head out and see what was going on... so I did. And I wish to Shiva that I hadn't," he said with a shudder. "It was terrible. Just terrible. That poor girl... He cut her right in two! Right in front of my eyes... And then he started up the stairs. He must not have seen me back behind the door. He was on the opposite staircase, you understand... And well, I... I just didn't know what to do. So I closed the door and hid behind the potted plants."

"Did he _say_ anything? Did he give any indication why he was there?" Tseng prodded.

"He said... he said that we couldn't have the Promised Land. That it was _his_. And then... he killed him. I didn't know what to do! I couldn't move... Not even after he was gone. Not even when you and that other Turk showed up. I was just too frightened! And then those terrorists showed up and found me. T-they threatened me!"

Tseng's eyebrow rose in curiosity. "You spoke to them?" Palmer nodded meekly. "What did you tell them?"

"J-just what I told you. I didn't _see_ anything else... there was nothing else to tell. And then I heard the helicopter... and I ran for it."

"Did _they_ say anything?" he asked, curious as to whether or not Avalanche might have something to do with Sephiroth's return. It seemed – if nothing else – that they shared similar goals. Palmer thought a moment.

"Well... not really. The woman asked her friends if they thought Sephiroth was trying to save the Promised Land. The man with the sword said no. He said... 'Sephiroth's mission is different'. Yes... That's what he said."

"That doesn't sound like they're working together, does it, sir?" Elena commented.

"No," the Turk leader agreed, "Though it seems at least one of our terrorist friends has had past dealings with Sephiroth. If that's really who he is."

"It _was_ Sephiroth!" Palmer insisted. "I'm sure of _that_."

Tseng turned his attention back to the executive. "Thank you, sir. You've been very helpful. The rest of the board is meeting in the executive conference room, if you'd care to join them..."

"Yes. Yes, I think I will." The man stood, wiping a hand across his brow, and hurried from the room, leaving the two Turks to themselves.

"Sir..." Elena began, once she was certain he was out of earshot, "I always... well, I always thought that Sephiroth was dead. That's what all the papers said, anyway. That he was killed defending the reactor in Nibelheim from a monster outbreak."

Tseng chuckled softly. "It's a very good thing Reno put you up for promotion when he did. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell you any of this... Have a seat."

The woman did as she was asked, perching herself on the arm of the couch, and looking up at her superior inquisitively.

"I suppose I'd have to begin by explaining that everything that _really_ happened in Nibelheim five years ago was swiftly and thoroughly covered up. The entire incident has a level seven classification rating. It started out as simple reconnaissance. There had been reports of highly aggressive creatures threatening the village... and consequently, the reactor. Two members of Soldier, and a handful of Shinra military personnel were dispatched to investigate and deal with the problem."

"Sephiroth was one of them?" Elena asked.

"Yes. Sephiroth... and a newly promoted Soldier First Class by the name of Zack Fair. The details of what precisely transpired are unknown... but from the handful of survivors, we learned that Sephiroth became... obsessed... with something he found in the archives at the Shinra manor at Nibelheim. In the end, he burned the entire village to the ground and murdered anyone who tried to stop him. Nearly every resident of the village died, either in the fire or by his hand."

"WHAT?!" She stared at him, in wide-eyed disbelief, and Tseng didn't have to wonder why. Sephiroth was known as a hero. Even after the Nibelheim Incident, Shinra had allowed that image to live on.

"It's all true. There a handful of eye witness accounts from the few who managed to avoid death. He eventually retreated to the reactor in the mountains... That's where Zack and the surviving military officers confronted him. Based on the investigation that followed, it appeared he was after the Jenova specimen. He tried to take it, but was interrupted... and only managed to remove its head. Unfortunately, Zack was no match for him. He was gravely injured and left for dead."

"But... what happened to Sephiroth?" 

"We _believed_ that he was challenged by one of the guards and fell into the reactor well, along with Jenova's head. The boy was either incredibly lucky, or Zack had done enough damage that Sephiroth was too weakened to continue to fight back. Of course, there was no way to prove any such thing actually happened... Only the somewhat incoherent ramblings of a dying young private."

"So... everything was covered up. Then what? What about the village?"

"Shinra rebuilt it. An exact replica of the original. It's currently populated with Shinra employees and their families, all sworn to secrecy. The few survivors either agreed to follow suit, or... were dealt with. Reno and I retrieved was was left of the Jenova specimen and brought it back here. Zack and the young boy who'd allegedly finished Sephiroth off for him were remanded to Hojo's custody... and until very recently, I had believed that they had both succumbed to their injuries shortly after. As it turns out, I was wrong. Zack, at least, survived and escaped not long ago. He was gunned down a few miles from Midgar by Shinra forces sent to recapture him."

Elena shuddered. "What did Hojo do to them?"

"I have no idea. Nothing pleasant, I'm sure. Regardless... Everyone assumed that Sephiroth was dead. There was, in fact, no evidence to the contrary, and a fair amount supporting the private's claims."

"But no body," she finished for him, "And it stands to reason that if he really _is_ still alive, he probably wouldn't be especially loyal to Shinra."

"And possibly looking to obtain the _rest_ of the Jenova specimen, as well."

"... Sir? Do you think it's really him?"

Tseng shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not sure... though the evidence certainly _does_ seem to be piling up. Come on. We should go and see what Rude has managed to turn up."

* * *

"What's taking them so long?" Rufus muttered. He'd been pacing the room for a solid forty-five minutes. He finally stopped for a moment at the ornate bar at the far side of the room, and snatched a crystal decanter from the shelf, pouring some of its contents into a glass. He downed it and refilled it before resuming his pacing.

"You're gonna wear a path in your expensive as fuck carpet, ya keep that up much longer..." Reno commented from a plush chair next to the fireplace. His injured leg was propped up on a stack of thick books he'd stolen from a nearby shelf. "Boss'll be back soon as he's got a better idea what's goin' on."

The blonde stormed up to him and kicked the pile out from under his foot. The redhead yelped as the sudden movement jarred his wounded knee. "Show some respect, Turk! Shinra Company is mine now. That means _you're_ mine, as well."

"Not if ya fuckin' cripple me..." he countered, wincing. "Just so ya know... that hurt."

Rufus growled and flung his still-full glass into the fireplace. It shattered against the cold stone. He turned on the Turk, seizing him by the collar and yanking him upwards, his face inches from Reno's.

"What're you gonna do? Huh? Kick me when I can't fight back?" Reno asked, calm in spite of the somewhat murderous glare in the other man's eye. His eyes flickered towards the small pool of alcohol in the hearth. "Tch... Waste of good booze..."

"I could kill you now, and no one could do anything about it, _Turk_."

Reno shrugged. "You're probably right. But you're not gonna. And you _know_ you're not gonna, so quit actin' like an asshole and just admit that you want a little sympathy."

Rufus continued to glare, but grudgingly released his grip on him. "I really can't stand you..." he sneered. The Turk grinned.

"Yeah... well... I'm sure you're not alone in that." Finally free, he reached down, rubbing at the abused limb. "Wasn't kiddin' about that hurtin', by the way. Look... I get it. You're pissed. You just lost your dad, you're step-mom's a bitch, and the one person who's shoulder you _might_ actually be willin' to cry on is busy figurin' out who killed him. Sucks to be you right now."

The executive's expression shifted slightly, and he turned his back on the redhead, returning his gaze to the window. Night had fallen completely by now, and the darkened city was lit up by mako-powered street lamps and the lights from highrise windows.

"Sucks to be me right now, too, for that matter. Totally different reason, and I doubt you'd care... but point is we all got problems. You want sympathy... I can sympathize. You wanna talk... Fuck it, I'll listen. But don't expect me to treat ya any different than I usually do, 'cause knowin' _you_ , that'd just make shit worse."

Rufus didn't answer him. He simply continued to stare out the window, at the silhouette of the Shinra Building in the distance, outlined by the lights of Midgar. After a minute or two, he shook his head and walked back to the bar, pouring two glasses this time, before returning to the Turk's side. He handed him one.

"I don't want to _talk_."

Reno smirked and raised his glass. "I'm good with drinkin', too, sir."

* * *

"... That's as good as it gets." Rude ran the video back and let it play. The footage was garbled and next to impossible to make out. "They're all like that. Every camera. It's some kind of electrical interference or something."

"Do you have any idea what could have caused it?" Tseng asked, eyes locked on the monitor. Every once in awhile, the image cleared up slightly, and they got a glimpse of... something.

"Not really my area of expertise. But I can tell you when it started." He scanned back farther in the recording, until the image was crisp and clear. The camera was trained on the Jenova enclosure. He hit play.

For several moments, nothing happened. Then the picture began to get grainy, and bursts of static popped from the computer speakers. Tseng watched as the tank's door buckled, crumpled by some unseen force. Then the video went bad again and he he could hardly tell what he was looking at.

"What about the footage from the President's office?" he asked.

"Told you... They're all like this. Best I could do was pull some still shots that were half-way decent."

"Let's see them."

Rude nodded and began pulling up a group of still images captured from the video feed. The first was from the lab, showing the tank just as they'd later found it... ripped open and destroyed. The next showed... well, Tseng wasn't quite sure what it showed. There was blood. There was flesh... an arm, perhaps. Certainly not Jenova's, but not a normal, human arm, either... it was almost as though it were only half-formed.

Rude clicked through to the next image, this one from a different camera. More blood. A body, covered in it... Tseng could just make out exposed muscle, as though the body had been flayed.

"Dear Shiva..." Elena whispered softly next to him, staring at it. "What is it?"

The next image... the hilt of sword. Tseng recognized it immediately. It was still embedded in Bertrand Shinra's back.

The last still was from the camera outside the President's office. A tall, silver-haired man dressed in black on the staircase. He was looking directly into the camera, a cruel smile on his face, as though he knew someone would be watching.

"Sir... Is... Is that really... ?" Elena began.

"Sephiroth," Rude confirmed. "Not so dead after all."

"Apparently so," Tseng agreed. He leaned back against the edge of the desk, a pensive expression on his face. Obviously, it had been Sephiroth who'd taken the Jenova specimen... the only alternative was that Jenova was still alive and had escaped on its own, and Tseng still maintained that _that_ was impossible. The question was... why? What interest did the man have in it?

Palmer had told them that Sephiroth was intent on laying claim to the Promised Land. Perhaps the long-dead Cetra really _was_ the key to finding it...

"I think the video has told us all it's going to. We'll see to the rest of the board first... I suspect Heidegger will demand personal escorts home for each of them... and then return to Rufus. The President will be wondering about our investigation's progress by now, I'm sure."

* * *

Reno grunted softly as he sifted his leg off of the stack of books and groped for his crutches. Rufus never _had_ been much of a drinker... as evidenced by the fact that he was currently on the floor, leaning up against the leg of a sidetable, thoroughly passed out. The redhead made his way over and tapped him lightly on the cheek with the palm of his hand.

"Hey... Come on. No sleepin' on the expensive carpet, kid." He got no response from him, besides a soft groan. Reno shook his head and smirked. "Fuckin' lightweight."

Between the two of them, they'd polished off the decanter of brandy fairly quickly. _He_ was barely even feeling it. Rufus, however...

Well, the man wasn't going anywhere any time soon, that was for sure. If it weren't for being stuck on crutches, Reno would have made an effort to move him somewhere a little more comfortable... but he didn't think Ward would be quite so forgiving a second time if he aggravated his injury any more than he already had before the next time he was due for treatment.

With a shrug, he lowered himself down next to him, finding a relatively comfortable position. He wrapped an arm around the young executive's shoulders and plucked the half-full glass from his hand.

"Ya know... the boss isn't gonna be too happy with me, lettin' you drink yourself comatose..." he sighed. Rufus didn't wake... simply curled into Reno's side slightly, the hand that had previously been clutching the glass unconsciously taking hold of his jacket. "Yeah, yeah... Relax. I'm not goin' anywhere."

He swirled the amber liquid in the glass. "Heh... No sense lettin' it go to waste..." he murmured, before tossing it back and swallowing. Normally, he stayed well away from alcohol while he was working... even something as minor as babysitting a VIP while he slept off the past couple of hours of drinking. It was a personal rule. Technically, if he wasn't officially on duty – which, due to his injury, he wasn't – he was free to do as he pleased. But _his_ rule stemmed largely from a minor mission early on in his career that had resulted in a late night celebration of successfully completing his objective... and a decidedly unimpressed Veld on the return trip. After that, he'd decided to try a little harder to maintain at least some semblance of professional decorum until he was officially on his own time. To be honest, he wasn't sure whether or not Veld himself had ever really noticed... though Tseng certainly had.

He probably shouldn't have be drinking at all right now to begin with. He wasn't in the habit of drinking while depressed... but it definitely wasn't one he ever wanted to get into. And tonight's events were certainly depressing. One one hand... he couldn't help but think the elder Shinra had finally gotten what was coming to him. Reno may have been the one to push the button in Sector 7, but it had been on _Shinra's_ orders. He was having a hard time mourning the man's death. He blamed the president for making him do something that went so far against his nature that he doubted he'd _ever_ get over it completely.

On the other hand, though... He liked Rufus. And whatever else the former-President was, he was still Rufus' father... The young man was taking his death hard. The new President stirred fitfully in his alcohol-induced sleep.

"Just take it easy, kid... We're not lettin' anything happen to you."

Reno glanced up as the door to the room swung inward, and caught sight of Tseng as he returned, followed quickly by Rude and Elena. The Turk leader's eyebrow rose in curiosity... and moderate disapproval when he spotted the empty glasses.

"Hey, don't blame me... What was I s'posed to do to stop him? I can barely walk," the redhead pointed out, only half serious.

"I suppose our report will have to wait until morning..." Tseng replied with a soft sigh. He crossed the room and hefted the younger man into his arms. "I'll stay with him tonight. The rest of you may as well go home."

As his mentor disappeared with his charge, Reno held a hand out to Rude, silently asking for help getting to his feet. The other Turk snorted a quiet laugh.

"You that drunk?" he joked.

"Tch... No. I'm that _crippled_ ," the redhead shot back, before turning his gaze on Elena. "Come on, guys... I can't bend my knee with this stupid brace on. _One_ of you is gonna have to help me here, or I'm gonna be stuck on the floor all night."

"You're stronger..." Elena said, looking over at Rude.

"He's _your_ boyfriend, not mine..."

"Do you want him?" she asked, snickering. Reno glared at them both, annoyed.

"Will you two just shut up and help me already? This floor is fuckin' uncomfortable."

Rude chuckled quietly and and picked him up bodily, setting him on his feet, as Elena retrieved his crutches from the floor.

" _Thank_ you." He looped an arm around Elena, pulling her against his side and kissing her.

"You're welcome," Rude snorted.

"What? You want a kiss, too, partner?"

Rude rolled his eyes. "How was babysitting?" he asked. Reno shrugged.

"Kid's takin' it pretty hard. Tch... Not that he'd ever actually say so."

"You _do_ remember that the 'kid' is three years _older_ than you are, right?" Rude asked as the group headed for the door.

"Yeah... But I got more life experience. You guys find out anything interesting? Like who killed the President? Your headless science experiment actually come back to life, or what?"

"It was a ghost," Rude replied. "One we thought we'd seen the last of five years ago."

Reno raised an eyebrow, and turned to Elena. "Sounds like I'm not the only one of us who's been drinkin' tonight... Rude here's talkin' in riddles."

They three of them stepped out of the manor and into the driveway. The night was sultry and humid, and Reno could feel the sweat already beading on the back of his neck as they slowly walked toward their respective cars.

"It was Sephiroth," Elena clarified, " _The_ Sephiroth..."

"... That's not possible."

"Then the guy has an identical twin. We saw him on the security cameras, clear as day. Palmer saw him, too."

"Son of bitch," Reno sighed, shaking his head, "Ya know... If Sephiroth's still out there runnin' around, we might have a problem. Never actually met the guy myself, but from what I hear tell, he was about as good as good gets."

"I met him once," Rude said, off-handedly. Reno and Elena paused in their bid for the car.

"When?" the redhead demanded.

"Right before Tseng brought you in. Got sent to the Director of Soldier's office with some requests from Veld. Ran into him as he was coming out."

"... Yeah? And?"

Rude shrugged. "That's it."

"... That's it? You practically walk right into the most famous person to ever come outta Shinra and you just stare at the guy? Don't even say anything?"

The other Turk shrugged again. The redhead groaned and elbowed his partner.

"I damn near forgot what a loser you were back then. Thanks for remindin' me," he said with a snicker. Rude smirked.

" _You_ couldn't even get off the floor on your own five minutes ago... and I'm the loser?" he teased.

* * *

Elena sank back against the pillows and guided Reno's head down onto her shoulder, gently petting him. The redhead smiled and cuddled up to her, making himself comfortable.

"Hey... 'Lena?" he prodded. His fingers trailed along her hip in a light caress.

"Hmm?"

"... I just want you to know. I'm really glad you're here."

She lifted her head slightly, eying him with curiosity. "Where else would I be?"

Reno chuckled. "I mean... I'm glad I'm not stuck all alone in my old apartment, not wantin' to fall asleep 'cause I know what's comin'. 'Cause that's what I'd be doin' right now if we weren't together. I'm glad I'm here instead. With you."

"Where'd that come from?" she asked. He felt her arms tighten around him a bit.

"Thinkin' about Rufus, I s'pose. I'm guessin' he's not havin' the greatest night's sleep, no matter how drunk he mighta been when we left..." Reno nuzzled her and let his eyes close as he settled himself. "Guy's got everything anyone could ever want. 'Cept someone like you. Closest thing _he's_ got is Tseng... and that's just not the same thing."

Elena pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and he sighed. "Do you think he'll be alright?" she asked.

"Rufus? Sure. He's _already_ all kinds of fucked up..." He opened his eyes again and looked at her, grinning slightly. "'Course, I'm hardly one to talk..."

"You're not fucked up," she said firmly, and Reno couldn't help but laugh.

"... 'Lena, I'm havin' night terrors to the point that you won't let go of me in bed so that you know when to wake me up. I can go from perfectly fine to guilt-ridden and depressed in a matter of minutes. Trust me... 'Fucked up' is a very apt description of me right now."

"Well... I don't care if you _are_. You're mine."

"Mmmhmm..." He sighed and let himself relax against her body. "That's what makes it bearable... knowin' that you're not gonna give up on fixin' me."

Elena's lips brushed against his forehead for a second time. "Never," she agreed.

* * *

Rufus rolled over in bed and opened his eyes... almost immediately squeezing them tightly shut again as the morning light scorched his retinas and set off a painful throbbing in his head. He groaned loudly.

"Good morning to you, as well, sir," a familiar voice greeted him. The blonde man gazed across the room through slitted eyes, and slowly pushed himself upright, trying to organize his thoughts as the room tilted, leaving him feeling nauseous. The last thing he remembered was drinking with that goddamned slum rat. The bastard hadn't even _tried_ to stop him from doing this to himself.

Still, though... He couldn't help but feel _mildly_ grateful that he'd been there. Drinking alone would have been... depressing. He jumped slightly as a pillow was tucked behind him, allowing him to lean back instead of propping himself up on one arm.

"What happened?" he finally managed.

"You attempted to outdo Reno with a bottle of brandy. I'm afraid you lost... by quite a wide margin, given that my Turk wasn't even halfway to being drunk by the time I returned."

Rufus glared, irritated, at the Wutaiian, and squeezed his eyes shut again. "I think I may be dying..." he moaned. Tseng chuckled softly.

"I doubt that, sir. Though if my own experiences drinking with Reno are anything to go by, I'm sure it feels like it. This should help."

Rufus glanced over, spying the cup of coffee the man was holding out to him, along with several aspirins. He gratefully reached for it, swallowing the pills with a large mouthful of the bitter black liquid.

"If that stays down, we'll try some breakfast in a little while," Tseng added.

"I trust the slum rat has been appropriately punished for his role in putting me in my present condition?" Rufus asked, though without his normal strength of voice. He really wasn't up for playing his usual games with the Turk, but it had been worth a try.

"I sent him home with Elena, sir."

He snorted in contempt... which, as it happened, was a terrible mistake. For a moment, he was quite certain his skull was going to split in two.

"I wake up suffering like the wretched souls of the damned. _He_ wakes up cradled in the arms of his lover. That hardly seems fair," he commented once his vision cleared. "... What did you find out?"

"Sir... I think that can wait until you're feeling better."

"No. I have a responsibility to the company... and... to my father. I want this resolved." 

Tseng sighed, and shook his head. "If you insist. But you _will_ be remaining in bed for this briefing, sir."

"Get on with it, then," he ordered, taking another swig of coffee and grimacing. He never took it black, and Tseng knew it. A part of him vaguely wondered if that was a little extra punishment for his idiotic decision to drink himself senseless last night.

"The Jenova specimen is gone as is your father's killer. Security swept the entire building last night. They found nothing. We're not even entirely certain how he gained access to the secure floors."

"Who?" Rufus demanded. That was really the only thing he wanted to know right now. The details could wait.

"... Sephiroth."

He raised his eyes to meet Tseng's in shock, convinced he must have misheard him. "You can't be serious."

"I'm quite serious, sir. Palmer recounted what he saw, and security footage backs up his statement. It _was_ Sephiroth... or someone virtually identical to him."

"Impossible... Sephiroth is dead."

"There was no body five years ago, sir," Tseng replied. "It is, perhaps, unlikely... but not impossible."

Rufus shook his head, and immediately regretted it. "But why? What reason could he have had?"

"We believe his goals were twofold. In the first place, he wanted to secure the rest of the Jenova specimen. In the second... He wanted to prevent your father from locating the Promised Land," he explained, cutting the younger man off before he could protest the mysterious realm's existence. "I realize that you don't think it exists, sir... but Sephiroth apparently does. And wishes to claim it for himself. To what end, we don't know."

The President's eyes narrowed and he glared down at his coffee. "Then we find him. We follow him. And, if it _does_ exist, we _end_ him and take it for ourselves."

Sephiroth may have drawn first blood... but Rufus would make sure that Shinra would draw the last. If the rogue Soldier wanted a war with Shinra Company... that's what he would have.

~fin~


	50. Ahead On Our Way

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 50: Ahead On Our Way**

 **by Desha**

"You're not going to wander off and 'forget', are you?" Elena asked eying the redhead suspiciously, "Because if you are, I'm –"

Reno silenced her with a kiss, which he held for far longer than he really needed to for the desired effect. When he finally pulled away, he grinned. "Just fuckin' go to work already. I'm not gonna skip out on my appointment with Ward just 'cause you're not here holdin' my leash," he snickered. "Trust me... I want off these damn crutches enough at this point that I'll put up with just about anything. Even the Doc, if it'll get me back in the field."

Elena giggled softly. "Alright... I'll see you tonight, then."

"Heh... Wouldn't count on it."

She paused in her bid to leave, turning back with a frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, 'Lena. Rufus is goin' after Sephiroth. That means _you're_ goin' after Sephiroth. You don't really think he stuck around Midgar after he shishkebobbed the President, do ya? Soon as Rude picks up his trail, you're gonna be followin' him. Tseng might not _want_ to leave me behind... but he's gonna have to. And he'll need _you_."

Her frown deepened. "I... I... You're right," she replied as the realization hit her. "Are you going to be okay with that?"

"Guess I'm gonna have to be," he said, with a shrug. Reno shook his head dismissively. "Worry about yourself, 'kay? Last thing I want is you gettin' distracted out there. I'll manage. Tseng'll find somethin' to keep me busy, anyway. Probably paperwork..." He made a disgusted face at the prospect of having to spend the next few days catching up on his unfiled reports, and Elena gave him a small smile.

"Promise you'll call me if you need to talk?" she prodded. The redhead smirked.

"You plannin' on tellin' Sephiroth to hold off on kickin' your ass mid-fight just so you can play therapist to your boyfriend?"

Elena poked him playfully in the ribs. "If I have to. And what make you think _he'll_ be kicking _my_ ass, anyway?"

"Don't get cocky," he chastised her, "I want you in one piece when Ward finally says I can come help you guys. Be careful, 'kay, 'Lena?"

"I will," she whispered, hugging him tight. She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"And if ya happen to run into those Avalanche assholes... tell 'em I'm gonna be payin' 'em back for puttin' me outta commission in the first place. With interest."

* * *

Elena stepped into the elevator and headed up the the Turks' main office. Leaving Reno at the hospital had been hard enough _before_ she'd realized that she might not be seeing him again for awhile... It had been next to impossible after he'd enlightened her on that possibility.

He hadn't slept well again last night... but this time, she'd been able to rouse him before the nightmares could really take hold, so he'd gotten at least _some_ rest. She wanted so badly to make things better... but there really wasn't much of anything she could do except be there for him. And now, odds were good she couldn't even do _that_. A part of her hoped that Sephiroth had decided to disappear back to wherever he'd been hiding for the last five years. Her more rational side told her that was unlikely.

The elevator opened on her floor, and Elena stepped out, and walked towards the office. She could already hear voices from within. She pushed open the door and was greeted by the sight of Tseng and Rude poring over a map that had been spread out on Reno's desk. Various office supplies were being used as markers of some sort.

"Are you _always_ this late?" a voice from the corner queried, and she jumped in surprise, spinning to face whomever had just addressed her. Elena's eyes fell on the familiar figure of Rufus Shinra, who stood near the window, calmly sipping a cup of coffee. He looked a little more rough around the edges than he usually did, but had she not seen him passed out drunk the evening before, she wouldn't have suspected anything was out of the ordinary.

"I had to take Reno to his next mako therapy session, sir..."

"Which you knew perfectly well, given that I already informed you of that very fact not twenty minutes ago, sir..." Tseng added from the other side of the room, without looking up. "Stop playing with my Turks, if you would. It's far too early and we're much too busy."

Rufus scowled slightly and flicked back a lock of hair that was hanging over his eyes. "I was only trying to break the monotony. We've done little more than sit around waiting for _her_ all morning."

"Has there been any news, sir?" Elena asked, turning to the Turk leader.

"Some." He gestured to the map. "Sephiroth has definitely left the city. He was reportedly sighted in Kalm late last night... He left, on foot, heading south. There's very little in that direction, so we've been attempting to determine a target. The chocobo farm would be the obvious choice. It makes sense that he would be looking to procure transportation and a chocobo could take him into the mountains where he could easily vanish."

"Of course, he might not be looking to 'vanish' at all," Rufus pointed out. "He didn't seem too concerned with secrecy when he killed my father."

Tseng nodded. "No, sir... he didn't," he agreed. Elena made her way over to the map, studying the markers. A large eraser sat on Kalm... apparently it was being used to represent a confirmed sighting. Assorted paperclips and rubber bands had been placed over a number of other points. The chocobo farm... Mithryl Mine... Fort Condor... even Junon.

"Reno seems to have... _misplaced_... our usual map markers," Tseng explained. "We've had to improvise."

"Rubber bands are possible destinations. Paperclips are likely destinations," Rude added. The chocobo farm had a paperclip sitting on top of it, as did Junon.

"Why Junon?" she asked, "Wouldn't he want to avoid Shinra's most heavily armed military installation like the plague? He _must_ know we'll be looking for him..."

"Because he's on foot, obviously... Or at best, chocobo-back," Rufus replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Junon is the only port of call for miles. If he's traveling to his so-called 'Promised Land', it stands to reason that he's going to need to acquire transportation with a bit more range... because it's certainly nowhere on _this_ continent."

"Rufus will be leaving Midgar the day after tomorrow for Junon... the city is holding a parade in his honor to welcome him as the new President. We're going on ahead to ensure that his visit will be a safe one, and to look for any signs of which direction our target has gone along the way... which is why we will be traveling the same path _he_ did, starting in Kalm."

"Er... When are we leaving, sir?"

"Now that you're here... immediately," Tseng replied.

* * *

Reno moaned in sheer boredom. He'd already been hooked up to this damned machine for nearly an hour... and Ward had promised him a full _two_ hours before she would be cutting him loose. It was torture. He moaned again, louder this time.

"Oh, will yeh stop with the dramatics..." Dr. Ward said, rolling her eyes at him. "Yeh act as though yeh've been imprisoned for years..."

"Why the fuck're we doin' this shit all at once anyway?" he muttered, "Ya couldn't've scheduled a break halfway through or somethin'?"

Ward chuckled softly... which only served to annoy him further. It was decidedly condescending.

"Yeh watch that mouth of yers and just lay back and relax, yeh little troublemaker. I'm planning on watching yeh _walk_ out of here on yer own two feet today. The sooner yer physically sound, the better, I think," she said with a smirk, "And just so yeh know... I'm tired of listening to yer constant moaning. Yer much more pleasant ta deal with when yer better half is with yeh."

The redhead sighed and sank down against the pillows. He'd been trying not to think about that. Elena had been gone less than an hour... and he already missed her. Worse, he was sure she wouldn't be coming home tonight. It wouldn't take Rude long to find some sort of clue as to where Sephiroth had gone... and Tseng would want to act on it before the trail went cold. Knowing that he'd be on his own for awhile left him feeling uncomfortably vulnerable.

He vaguely wondered if maybe he was relying _too_ much on Elena right now. Had it been someone else being propped up by the young woman, he was fairly certain he would have known when to say enough was enough and force them to work through things on their own. But when it was his own issues he was dealing with, it was harder. He didn't want to become dependent on Elena for his mental well-being... but he didn't feel ready to start backing away from her support quite yet. And he wasn't sure if that was because he was still much too raw and wounded... or simply because she made him feel so safe and he _liked_ feeling safe.

Either way... she wasn't going to be there tonight, so he was going to find out just how much progress he'd made, one way or the other.

Reno suddenly became aware of the fact that Dr. Ward was still standing over him, her fingers gently carding his hair. He looked up in mild surprise at the attention. Much like Tseng, Ward didn't tend to cross that particular boundary very often.

"Yeh looked a little lost there for a second," she explained with a warm smile, giving him one final pet before drawing her hand back and glancing at her watch. "I have good news for yeh, by the way."

"I get an extra sucker for the extra hour of torment?" he quipped.

"No."

He eyed her, suspicion growing. "This isn't like a 'Hey, Reno... Good news! You're due for a flu shot!' kinda thing, is it...? 'Cause if so... your definition of good news and _my_ definition of good news are _way_ outta sync here..."

Dr. Ward scoffed and shook her head. "For Shiva's sake... I'm beginning ta think that yeh really _are_ convinced I get some sort of twisted pleasure out of watching yeh suffer through yer fear of injections," the woman chided him.

"Not _totally_ convinced ya don't, Doc..." he replied, laughing softly.

"Well... For the record, I don't like torturing my favorite patient. Even if it _is_ necessary on occasion," she said, "But no... I haven't got any shots for yeh today."

"Thank Ifrit..." Reno sighed.

"But like I said, I _do_ have some good news for yeh. And it should be here right about..."

"Hey, Reno!" a familiar voice interrupted from the doorway, and the redhead automatically turned towards the sound.

"... Now," Ward finished, chuckling.

"Lira?" The woman was being wheeled into the room by an orderly, and grinning from ear to ear.

"Yer friend is here for _her_ next treatment as well. So yeh'll have someone besides _me_ ta keep yeh company for a bit." She motioned to the man pushing the wheelchair to bring her over the the second bed in the room.

"Doctor Ward said that you behave better when you have a babysitter," Lira teased as she was helped first to her feet, and then onto the bed. "So I offered to help keep you in line since I'm here anyway. And she said that if you _didn't_ behave... I could have your treat."

The redhead glared at the doctor. "Very funny..." His expression quickly softened however, at the prospect of having Lira to talk to for awhile. The monotony was starting to get to him. The doctor chuckled and gently ruffled his hair before moving off to see to her other patient.

* * *

"Anything?" Tseng asked as they reconvened in the town center.

"Two men at the flour mill said they saw a man in black walking south around eleven. They tried to warn him about traveling the plains at night... but he ignored them and just kept going," Elena replied. The Wutaiian Turk shifted his gaze to Rude, who leaned back against a sign post.

"Nothing about Sephiroth. But Avalanche is here."

Tseng looked up in surprise. _That_ he hadn't expected. He have thought they'd have gone to ground somewhere in the slums. "Where?" he asked.

"The inn. Whole group's sequestered upstairs in one of the rooms. They brought along that cat creature from Hojo's lab, too..." Rude replied, pausing for a moment before adding, "... and Aerith's with them."

The Turk leader's eyes narrowed. "What could they want with her?" he wondered aloud, though he had his suspicions. Aerith was the last living Ancient. And given that Sephiroth had taken Jenova's body, it stood to reason that an Ancient was in some way required to reach the Promised Land.

"Seems to be with them of her own free will, if that's what you're asking. They're not holding her captive. And they've been asking around some about Sephiroth. Looks like _they're_ following him, too."

"Shouldn't we do something about them, sir?" Elena inquired, but Tseng only shook his head.

"Our priority is Sephiroth. We can't afford to lose his trail wasting time dealing with a handful of terrorists on the run. Leave them for now. We'll use them if we can, and eliminate them if and when they actually get in our way. Right now, we need to start south."

* * *

Reno stared, slightly awed, at the woman across the table from him. The pair had gone out for an early lunch once Ward had finished with them. Lira had polished off her first order even before _he_ managed it... and when she'd started filching bites from _his_ plate, he'd quickly insisted she order more.

"Fuck, Lira... Since when do you eat like... _me_?" he laughed. Lira glanced up from the steak and baked potato in front of her and grinned.

"Just the past week or so. Guess my body's finally decided I need to start eatin' for two. It's _crazy_ how hungry I am all the time lately..."

"Heh... Welcome to my world."

Lira snickered and reached for the pepper shaker. "So... does that mean that you've just been pregnant all this time?"

The redhead snorted in amusement. "If I have, it's the longest pregnancy in history. Goin' on twenty seven years now..."

"Ward said it's perfectly normal, though," Lira continued, giggling, "She said it's a good sign. Means the baby's healthy and wants to be fed. _And_ she thinks I'll probably start showin' in a few more weeks."

"Heh... what's with you and wantin' to get fat, anyway?" he teased.

The woman rolled her eyes. "I don't want to get _fat_. I want to actually _look_ pregnant. It's so weird... knowin' he's in there but not bein' able to tell just by lookin'." Lira let one hand rest on her belly, smiling. "I can't wait until I can actually see him growin' and feel him movin' around..."

"Personally, I think I'd freak the hell out if I had a person growin' inside of _me_..."

Lira laughed so loud several other tables looked over at the pair of them. "Reno..." she manged a few moments later, wiping her eyes, "If _you_ had a person growin' inside you, I think _everyone_ would freak the hell out. Right before they came along and hauled your ass off to the one of those labs at Shinra to figure out how the hell somethin' like that happened."

"Point taken," he chuckled. "Hey... How do ya know it's a him? Could just as easily be a girl, ya know..."

"Well... I don't, really," Lira admitted, shrugging. "Fifty fifty shot either way, though. I just don't like callin' him 'it'... and... 'kay, so maybe I'm kinda _hopin'_ it's a him, too..."

Reno's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yeah? I woulda figured you'd be hopin' for a girl. Just... ya know... you 'n guys haven't always had the best history and all..."

"All the more reason to want a boy... so I can make sure at least _one_ more man on this planet turns out like you," she grinned.

"Tch... like the planet needs another womanizing bastard who handles all of Shinra Company's shady shit for a living." He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his plate. The world didn't need another guy like him. Someone who, when told to murder innocents, didn't hesitate... no matter how great the death toll was.

"You're absolutely right," Lira quickly agreed, "But the world _does_ need more men who are sweet and kind and generous, and who would do anything for the woman they love." She smirked. "Even _give up_ bein' a womanizing bastard."

Reno wanted so badly to tell her he didn't deserve her admiration. He cringed just thinking about how wrong she was about him. Lira had always had a blind spot when it came to overlooking all the shit he got into as a Turk. She'd made it a point to know as little about that side of him as she possibly could... even when she was helping him with something on a professional level. She almost never asked... and he tried not to burden her with it.

It would have been impossible to argue without telling her what he'd done, however. Even if it weren't classified, he wasn't sure he was capable of owning up to it. Not to Lira, at any rate. He was afraid that even _her_ blind spot would never extend far enough to look past something like that.

Still... it bothered him. He could honestly say that he'd never lied to Lira. Well... not about anything important, anyway. But then... it wasn't _really_ a lie, was it? Not if he just didn't say anything to her about Sector 7...

A voice in the back of his head – one that sounded irritatingly like Tseng, come to think of it – informed him that a lie of omission was still a lie.

"Reno?" Lira prodded him. He looked up sharply, suddenly realizing that he'd gotten stuck in his own thoughts again. That was something he desperately needed to break himself of before it became a habit.

"Yeah?" he replied, as offhandedly as he could manage.

"You got a little quiet there for a second... Somethin' wrong?"

He quickly forced a grin. "Nah... just thinkin' about what a great mom you're gonna be."

* * *

Elena stood near the gate of the chocobo corral, watching the massive avians as they wandered around the pen in the fading sunlight. Every once in awhile, one of them would take off running, and several more would follow... almost like a game of tag. When one of them wandered over towards her, she stepped up onto the lower rail of the fence, leaning over to tickle it under the chin. The lithe, white bird warked happily at the attention.

There had been no sign of Sephiroth at the chocobo farm, save the old owner mentioning having seen a figure far in the distance heading towards the marshes when he'd been out feeding the chocobos that morning. Certainly no one matching his description had stopped in. Nor were any of their animals mysteriously missing. The rogue Soldier had passed this place by... which was probably lucky for the old man and his two grandchildren.

Her PHS chirped at her, alerting her to a new text message, and she hopped down from the fence to fish it out of her pocket. She smiled, seeing it was from Reno, and hurriedly thumbed it open.

 _'Check it out... no more crutches!'_ it read, and was accompanied by a photo of the redhead standing in their apartment. Snuffy was perched on his shoulder, eating what looked like half a slice of pizza. She snickered as she spotted the box it had obviously come from... sitting on the living room coffee table. She hadn't even been gone a full day, and he was already breaking the rules.

 _'You'd better not be eating in the living room, or you're going to need them again just as soon as I get home,'_ she teasingly texted back. The phone chimed again with his reply.

 _'Lira made me!'_ popped up on her screen, along with a new photo... this one of Lira looking like she was in the middle of denying his claim. It made her laugh.

"Interesting conversation?" Tseng's voice interrupted, and Elena looked up from her phone.

"I guess Dr. Ward has Reno back on his feet," she replied, showing him the photo. The Turk leader nodded.

"Good. I'll speak to her in the morning and find out when she's going to clear him for field duty. In the mean time... our next destination is Mythril Mine."

Elena glanced upward, at the horizon. The sun was dangerously close to setting... and she knew firsthand what crossing the marshes was like. It wasn't something she wanted to attempt in the dark.

"First thing in the morning," Tseng quickly added. "We'll stay here tonight. I'm eager to catch up to our quarry... but not so much that I'd want to risk ending up a zolom's dinner. The owner has agreed to put us up in the barn for the night." He chuckled slightly. "Not the most elegant of accommodations, but I think we can manage."

"Yes, sir," she snickered. "If nothing else it would have to be better than camping out in the mine..."

"I suspect you're right." He turned and started back towards the aforementioned barn. "Say goodnight to Reno for me," he called back over his shoulder. Elena grinned and turned back to the corral, snapping a photo of her new friend, sending it to the redhead.

 _'Guess where we're staying tonight...'_

 _'A living hell filled with feathered evil?'_ came the snarky reply. She rolled her eyes, and giggled. One of these days, she was going to have to start working on getting that man over his dislike of chocobos.

 _'You're hopeless. Tseng says goodnight.'_

 _'Tell him I'm way past ready to get back to work. Fuck whatever Ward says. Unless she says I'm all good. Then he should totally listen to her.'_

 _'I'll give him the message,'_ she responded, not entirely sure whether he was just joking around or Ward really _wasn't_ ready to greenlight him yet. _'Sweet dreams, Reno.'_

He didn't answer her right away... and for a few minutes, she wondered if he'd gotten distracted by something else. At last, her PHS chirped again.

 _'I'll try. I love you.'_

* * *

Reno woke the next morning feeling ragged. It had been a long night... Even so, it still felt much too early to be awake. He couldn't tell with the curtains closed as tightly as they were, but he had a feeling the sun wasn't even up yet. He yawned widely and rolled over... promptly landing hard on the floor beside the couch.

"Ow..."

Someone loudly snickered above him. "Mornin'," Lira said, brightly in spite of the early hour.

Reno sat up somewhat stiffly and finally opened his eyes. "Mornin'..." he mumbled back. He couldn't even remember falling asleep... though he certainly remembered _being_ asleep.

"So... are you gonna tell me what's goin' on? Or do you want me to make you breakfast first?"

He shook himself from his daze and clambered to his feet, switching on the lamp on the table. "What're you talkin' about?"

Lira sighed and folded the the blanket she'd draped over them both, laying it gently over the back of the couch where she'd found it, and straightened the throw pillows. She groped along the floor for her crutches, and started to get up. "Don't you give me that 'I don't know what you mean' look... You know perfectly well what I'm talkin' about. You were restless all night, and I know you well enough to recognize when you're havin' not so nice dreams... I woke you up _twice_ , in case you don't remember. Plus, it's barely dawn and you're wide awake. So spill."

"... It's nothin'. Sit your pregnant ass back down on that couch. _I'll_ make breakfast," he replied, with another yawn, and made his way into the kitchen. "Ya coulda just taken the spare bedroom, ya know... Woulda been a hell of a lot more comfortable," he called back as he rummaged through the fridge. There was plenty of food... but his culinary skills limited the menu at bit. He grabbed the bacon and a carton of eggs. As he turned to move to the counter, he very nearly dropped them.

"Bullshit, it's nothin'..." Lira stated. She'd somehow managed to appear directly behind him without him noticing. Quite a feat even under the best of circumstances, let alone with her hobbling along on crutches. "You were havin' nightmares the last time I stopped by, too. It's not like you. Reno... _What_ is goin' on?"

Reno shook his head and slipped by her, setting the food down on the counter and hunting for a pan to cook it in. It was his own damn fault for letting himself fall asleep while she was still there. He'd just been so relieved not to be alone... and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

"Well?" she prodded.

"I... can't. Lira, I really can't." He finally found the pan and set it on the stove, turning the gas on under it. Bacon first... eggs never tasted good cold. He tore open the package and dropped in several slices, letting them sizzle. Lira's arms snaked around his waist.

"Sure ya can."

He turned in her grip, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "No... I can't. It's classified, and... I can't talk about it, okay?" He managed a half-hearted smile. "Go sit down, will ya? I'm bad enough in the kitchen without havin' someone wrapped around me. 'Lena'll kill me if I burn the place down while she's gone."

Lira frowned, but obliged, taking a seat at the little table in the corner. The apartment came equipped with a separate dining room, but he and Elena never seemed to use it when it was just the two of them. Most of the time, the table in there was half-buried under work-related items anyway; boxes of ammunition, whichever gun Elena was presently disassembling and cleaning, half-written reports that had yet to make it back to the office for filing... The last was usually his, exclusively.

Present crisis averted – for the moment, at least – the redhead set his attention back on breakfast, poking at the bacon with a fork until it obediently flipped over. When it was done, he set it on a plate and drained off the grease from the pan into the sink.

"You're not s'posed to do that, ya know..." Lira pointed out.

"Tch... once won't hurt anything." As long as Elena didn't find out, that is... He smiled slightly to himself at the thought. _She'd_ have completely freaked out if she'd seen him do that. And as much as he hated to admit it... he sort of liked it when she did. Living with her had taken some adjustment – still _was_ taking some, in fact – but he wouldn't have given it up for anything. Even if it did mean that he was no longer allowed to set the washing machine to cold and shove everything he owned into the same load of laundry regardless of care instructions, or leave pizza sitting out on the coffee table overnight for breakfast the next morning, or answer the door naked...

Of course, he'd made his share of demands as well. They'd decided that they would find room for his liquor collection... eventually. Most of it was still at his old apartment under Lira's care. Elena had also agreed not to nag him about his late night gaming sessions, as long as he kept it down after she went to bed. On the whole, it seemed to be working fairly well.

He cracked several eggs into the pan, scrambling them as they cooked. It was really the only thing he could do with eggs and not completely fuck it up. Everything else was more trouble than it was worth, anyway, in his opinion. Elena liked hers poached... but honestly. Boiling an entire fucking pot of water just so you could cook one... maybe two... eggs at a time, _and_ make a complete fucking mess if you accidentally broke the yolk open? No thanks. An egg was an egg, and scrambled was greater quantity with less effort.

Reno scooped the eggs onto a pair of plates, added the bacon, and carried it over to the table, sitting down across from Lira. She snickered softly.

"Aren't you _ever_ going to learn to make something else?" she teased.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything! I bet Elena would appreciate it..."

Reno shook his head and smirked. "I think 'Lena'd rather I stayed the fuck outta the kitchen entirely. Kinda made the mistake of mentioning to her that I accidentally set Rude's on fire once. I don't think she quite trusts me around the stove now."

"... Ya know what? I'm not even gonna ask." She speared a bite of egg and started in on her plate. "So... if you can't _talk_ about whatever's botherin' you... is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Just keepin' me company actually helps a lot. Thanks for stayin' last night."

She grinned and nibbled on a slice of bacon. "You know somethin'? Elena's gotta be the most understanding girlfriend in the world..."

"Tch... For puttin' up with my _my_ sorry ass, ya mean?"

"No... for lettin' you spend the night with a former brothel girl... who's _also_ a former lover... and not even _kinda_ worryin' about anything happenin'..."

"Who says I told her you were stayin'?" he quipped. Lira rolled her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure she figured it out when you sent her my picture last night and tried to get _me_ in trouble for the whole pizza in the living room thing..." she replied with a laugh. The redhead chuckled and finished off his eggs.

"Yeah... well... I promised 'Lena when we first got together that I'm hers from now on. Just hers. And she knows I'm not breakin' that promise for anything... 'cause it'd kill me to lose her."

"Which begs _another_ question..." Lira declared, her grin widening. "When the fuck are you gonna bite the bullet and ask that girl to marry you?"

The redhead groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fuck, Lira... you 'n Rude. Neither one of you is gonna be satisfied 'til 'Lena's got a ring on her finger, are ya?"

Lira's eyebrows rose. "Rude's tryin' to get you to propose, too?" she asked, far too interested in the fact for Reno's taste.

"Oh, no. Don't you even think about it. Last thing I need is you two tag teamin' me on this..."

"I'm just sayin'... You're in love with her. You know you want to spend the rest of your life with her. You know she feels _exactly_ the same way. So what's the hold-up? Just _do_ it already!"

Reno sighed and polished off what was left on his plate. "I'm never gonna win, am I?"

Lira only laughed in reply.

* * *

"Elena?"

The youngest of the Turks mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, cuddling a large bag of greens that lay slumped nearby. Rude chuckled softly and gave her a gentle shake.

"Mmm... not right now, Reno... I'm still tired," she murmured, clutching the bag like a pillow. Or possibly the absent redhead. Rude couldn't help it. He laughed... which subsequently startled the woman from her half-asleep state. She sat up, blinking in confusion, cheeks reddening as she suddenly realized that she wasn't where she'd thought she was. Her fellow-Turk shook his head.

"Guess I don't have to ask what _you've_ been dreaming about..." he deadpanned.

"I-I... just..." she stammered, her entire face growing warm, "Oh, just shut up!"

The door behind him swung inward, flooding the space with pale, early morning light. The sun was barely up yet... but apparently the same couldn't be said of her compatriots. Tseng strode inside, tucking his phone back into his jacket.

"Sleep well?" he asked, causing Rude to start sniggering unabashedly again. He raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

"Elena thought I was trying to do a little more than just wake her up..." the bald Turk replied, looking entirely too amused. She glared at him as she got to her feet.

"I know I'm going to regret it if I ask..." said Tseng, "... so I think I'll just inform you both that breakfast is ready."

Rude cast her one final grin before slipping out of the barn and making his way towards the little farm house. Elena followed, Tseng falling into step beside her.

"If it's any consolation, you're probably the only woman he'd willingly tease like that," he commented. "There aren't many people Rude is truly comfortable around."

Elena blushed again. "Er... Y-you overheard?"

He smirked and plucked a piece of errant straw from her hair. "I didn't have to. There are few things that turn you that particular shade of red these days... particularly since you've become involved with Reno. Speaking of whom, I've just had a conversation with Justinia. Reno is officially cleared for duty as of this morning. I'm going to have him bring Rufus to Junon tomorrow instead of the military pilot who was supposed to do it."

"He's coming with us after that... isn't he, sir?" she asked. Tseng nodded.

"Yes... He'll be joining us. You only have to make it another twenty four hours or so without him..." he replied, smiling slightly at her barely restrained enthusiasm. Now... Go and get something to eat. I still have to wake _Reno_ up and tell him he's back on the job."

* * *

"So... I'm thinkin' red and white."

The redhead looked up from washing their breakfast dishes. "Red 'n white what, exactly?"

"Flowers, you idiot. Maybe a little pink, too. Does Elena like roses?"

"She likes carnations better... Flowers for _what_?" he asked, growing more and more confused by the conversation.

"Ugh..." Lira groaned, "For the _wedding_ , of course. So, carnations, huh? I can work with that..."

"Lira... stop plannin' my wedding. 'Lena won't have anything to plan herself if ya do it all _for_ her," he sighed, shaking his head in defeat. He laughed softly. "'Sides... I haven't even proposed yet..."

"Yet? You said yet!" she suddenly cried, "I knew it... I just _knew_ it. You _have_ been thinking about it, haven't you? What are you doin' today... No, nevermind. Whatever you're doin', just forget it. We're goin' to look at rings. End of discussion."

Reno mentally facepalmed. He already _had_ a ring. He was just waiting for the right time to ask. But if Lira found out, the 'right time' would likely be about thirty seconds after he told her that.

"Lira..." he began, only to be interrupted by a familiar ringtone from the other room. He sighed in relief. Saved by the PHS. "Hold that thought..." he said, hurrying to answer it. As he was reaching for the device, he couldn't help but wonder why Tseng would be calling him _now_. The sun was only just coming up. Plus, he was still sidelined until Ward said otherwise... unless... it was an emergency. Or bad news.

All the joking around with Lira had _almost_ made him forget about the disturbing images that had haunted his sleep. Almost. Now, they returned, unbidden, as he accepted the call. He swallowed sharply before answering.

"What's wrong?" he asked, bracing himself for the worst. He suddenly couldn't help it... the idea that something terrible had happened had lodged itself firmly in his mind.

"Nothing," Tseng's voice replied, and the redhead slowly released the breath he'd been holding. "I'm sorry if so early a call worried you."

"Nah... I'm good." It was a less than truthful reply... and he suspected the Turk leader could see right through it. "What's goin' on? You got somethin' for me, or just checkin' in?"

"A bit of both, actually. You're officially cleared for duty, per my phone call with Ward five minutes ago. That being the case, I have a couple of assignments for you."

Reno grinned and shifted the phone to his other hand as he took a seat on the couch. Finally... something to do that didn't involve him being alone with his own thoughts, or watching Lira embark on a new career as a wedding planner. "Whatever ya need, boss."

"For starters... We happened upon Avalanche in Kalm yesterday. It seems that they, too, are pursuing Sephiroth... though we haven't yet established why. They may, however, prove useful to us later.. Provided they have the right... incentive... to work with us."

"You're seriously considering workin' with those asshats?" he asked incredulously. Though... to be fair, he could see Tseng's point. Why risk their own necks, if Avalanche was coming along for the ride anyway and might be persuaded to do some of the dirty work for them?

"Should an appropriate opportunity present itself, I'm not above it. But we'll need some leverage. That's why I need you to go down to Sector 5 and retrieve the girl Elena left with Aerith's mother."

"... And do what with her, exactly?" Reno was hesitant on that. He may have been, among other things, a paid killer, but hurting children was where he drew the line... though it was very hard not to think of the ones that had been unfortunate enough to live in Sector 7.

"Remove her. Nothing more. Take her to a safehouse... preferably somewhere out of the city. Somewhere they'll never think to look. Should Avalanche prove uncooperative in the future, her safe return will be our bargaining chip."

The redhead relaxed. "Not a problem, boss. I got just the place. Anything else?"

"Rufus is scheduled to arrive in Junon at eleven tomorrow morning. You're his escort. And then you'll join the rest of us in tracking Sephiroth."

"Heh... 'bout damn time. I'll get right on it," he said. "Hey... How's 'Lena?"

"She misses you and is ecstatically looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"You guys just fuckin' left..." he said, jokingly, "She can't miss me _that_ much already..."

He heard Tseng scoff over the line. "I think you're rather drastically underestimating her attachment to you."

"Tell her I'll see her soon," he replied before ending the call. He stood and turned just in time to see Lira making her way into the living room, her curiosity having gotten the better of her.

"Sorry, Lira... No shoppin' today. I gotta work."

"Hmph... Try not to look so happy about that," she teased.

* * *

The white chocobo warked happily as they crossed the wide plains towards the southern marsh. Elena

couldn't help but feel exhilarated with the wind in her hair, and the warm sun shining down on her. The barn had been more comfortable than she would have expected. She'd slept like a rock... and hoped that Reno'd had an easy night as well. She hadn't gotten the chance to ask, as Tseng had insisted on setting out again as soon as they'd eaten.

Tseng urged his own mount forward, coming even with her.

"The swamp will be coming up shortly. We'll stop at the edge and take stock of conditions before we cross."

"Yes, sir," she replied. The mountains loomed ahead of them, and the sky to the west was darkening. A storm seemed to be brewing. As they swept closer to the marshlands, Elena felt the first drops of rain hit her. She frowned and reigned in her bird as they reached the edge. The wide expanse of murky, shallow water was still, save for the gentle ripples set off by the occasional rain drops, but the gray sky gave the whole area a foreboding atmosphere. She shuddered slightly as she thought about what was lurking in that water.

Her last encounter with a zolom had left a lasting impression on her. It wasn't an experience she really wanted to repeat. Tseng came to a halt to one side of her, and Rude fell in line on the other.

"Seems quiet."

"It seemed quiet the _last_ time I had to do this, too..." Elena commented. Tseng chuckled.

"Yes... I remember you mentioning the crossing in your mission report. It's really quite amazing what such shallow water can hide..."

"Don't remind me..."

Tseng glanced upwards. The clouds were rapidly growing more threatening by the minute. If they didn't hurry, they were going to get caught in a downpour.

"We going?" Rude asked.

"The rain would give us cover..." the Turk leader responded, eyes still on the sky. "Zoloms track the vibrations of their prey. If we wait, we'll almost certainly be more than a little damp by the time we reach the other side, but far less likely to encounter one."

Thunder suddenly clapped, and Elena's chocobo reared back in fear. It took her a minute to get it back under control. When she finally did, she noticed that the other two birds didn't look any less upset.

"... On the other hand... perhaps we should get ourselves across before the weather deteriorates any further..." Tseng said, grimly. "Being thrown mid-crossing is a prospect I don't find very appealing."

"Me neither," Elena agreed. Rude, too, was nodding. They circled back a short ways, so the animals could get a running start before hitting the marshy ground, but then they were off.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though they'd make it to the other side without incident. The opposite shore was in sight... it would take them _maybe_ another thirty seconds. Unfortunately, just as the thought entered her mind, several things happened at once.

First, came a loud splashing from behind them, and Elena tensed as she recognized the sound of a zolom in pursuit of a meal. She dared a look back and saw the tell-tale wake forming in the water, an ominous shadow out in front of it. Just as she did, there was another crash of thunder, much louder than the first. To her right, a chocobo squawked, frightened, and she heard Rude's sudden shout as it stumbled, sending him into the water.

Tseng wheeled around on his own mount just as the zolom was rising out of the swamp to strike.

"Rude!" Elena called out, turning her chocobo back as well. The zolom attacked, it's mouth closing around loose bird and lifting it from the ground. The animal shrieked, terrified as the massive serpent swallowed it whole.

"Elena! Help Rude... I'll keep it busy!" The Wutaiian Turk took off, away from the pair of them, giving the zolom a new target. Elena spurred her chocobo forward, quickly closing the distance between herself and her downed teammate. She lost sight of Tseng as she skidded to a halt beside Rude. He wasted no time in swinging himself up behind her.

"Go!" he ordered, and she didn't hesitate, urging her mount to its top speed in a straight line to the far bank. She didn't stop until they were safely on solid ground. Rude slid from the bird's back, and she, somewhat shakily, followed.

"Where's Tseng?" she asked worriedly, scanning the swamp. The zolom had disappeared... but so, too, had the other Turk.

"..." Rude joined her in her search, looking concerned as he saw no movement, either.

" _That_ was thoroughly unpleasant." A moment after the words were spoken, lightning lit up the sky and thunder echoed through the mountains, causing both Turks to jump, frightened.

"Sir!" Elena gasped, half-terrified, and half-relieved as she spotted their missing member making his way towards them on foot.

"Hmph... always knew you must have some sort of materia that transports you directly behind us," Rude commented, relief evident in his voice.

"Hardly..." he replied, with a faint smile, "Though I'm certain my chocobo wishes I did. Unfortunately I had to abandon it to the zolom and make a run for it farther down the bank. I was just lucky I was close to dry land when it caught up to me. Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine," said Rude, reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and withdrawing a pair of sunglasses. It was only then that Elena realized the ones he'd been wearing when they'd set out had disappeared. He slipped the new ones on.

"Rude... Just how many pairs of those do you own?"

"You've seen Reno's liquor collection, right?" he asked with a smirk. Elena blinked and finally just shook her head.

"Forget I asked..." She couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.

The rain, which up until then had been little more than the occasional sprinkle, started falling in earnest, and Tseng motioned them toward the trail to the mine.

"Let's continue this somewhere a little drier, shall we?"

Elena grasped her chocobo's reins and lend him along as they started the climb. As they rounded a bend, all three of them stopped short, staring at the sight before them.

"Sir..."

It was a zolom. A very _dead_ zolom. It's massive body was impaled on an old, dry tree, eyes staring lifelessly toward the marshes.

"... Sephiroth?" Rude queried, eying it with trepidation.

"His strength _is_ rather legendary... even among other members of Soldier," Tseng replied. "I can think of few others who could even come close to being capable of something like this... assuming it was, in fact, a human being and not some larger creature."

"What's 'larger' than a zolom?" Elena breathed, awed by the sight.

"Very little."

They left the zolom behind and continued upwards along the trail, finally coming to the mine entrance. By the time they were safely inside, all three of them were drenched. Elena stripped out of her wet jacket, ringing some of the water from it, and shivered. The storm had dropped the temperature noticeably... and the mine entrance was fairly cool to begin with.

"I had planned on making our way through the mine as quickly as possible," Tseng noted, "But it may be more prudent to warm up and dry out a little first."

"Was hoping you'd say that." Rude was already kneeling next to the remains of a campfire, working on coaxing a flame from the charred wood. It took Elena a moment to realize that it was the one _she'd_ built the last time she was here... the same one she'd sat beside, waiting for help as Reno lay injured and comatose next to her. She shook the memory aside, and scanned the rest of the tunnel, quickly spotting something else familiar. It had been blown or carried a little deeper in, but when she picked up the sleeping bag, it seemed to be in decent shape still. It's twin had been wrapped around the redhead for their return flight to Midgar, but this one had been abandoned in her haste to leave. The pack they had left behind, however, was nowhere to be found... probably scavenged by animals or treasure hunters for the food it contained. She shrugged and carried the bag back over to the campfire.

"I'm aware that you're one for planning ahead, Elena... but that level of foresight is rather impressive" the Turk leader said, lightly poking fun at her as he realized where her prize must have come from. The younger Turk grinned as she wrapped herself in the insulated material.

"Thank you, sir."

The meager flame Rude had been tending smothered, and he shook his head. "Never was very good at this."

"Oh! Here, let me... I've been practicing..." Elena said, suddenly remembering that she really _had_ planned ahead in this particular instance. She pushed her sleeve back revealing the armlet Reno had gifted her not long ago, checking that the materia was slotted correctly before focusing on one of the spheres. It's green glow intensified briefly and a split-second later, the little pile of wood flared brightly, flames dancing along the logs.

"Hmph... Cheater," Rude said, with a quiet laugh as he stood and clapped her lightly on the back.

"You only say that because _you_ didn't think of it first," Tseng stated. "I thought you weren't overly fond of fire materia, Elena..."

The woman shrugged and settled herself in front of the fire. "Well... no. I don't really like it much for fighting. But then I realized that it has other uses that might be just as important."

"Hmph... You realize she's just completely shown us both up..." Rude said to Tseng. "She gets a fire and a warm blanket. We get to freeze until we dry out."

* * *

Sector 5 seemed far more subdued than usual. It didn't take him long to figure out why. Makeshift shelters and cooking fires had popped up sporadically all over the sector... refugees from Sector 7. Probably the ones who'd initially fled to Wall Market and then run out of gil. The red light district wasn't known for its generosity... plus, with Corneo having taken off to Ifrit-only-knew-where, there was probably quite of bit of turmoil over there at the moment.

Reno drifted past the small groups, who largely ignored him, more focused on their own misfortune. He saw several families huddled together. He also saw a number of individuals who looked beaten down and lost. One woman, not much older than himself, stared blankly as he passed by, a small, pink blanket clutched protectively to her chest. He didn't want to think too hard about who it might have belonged to...

It was much the same as he made his way towards the church, where a haphazard line had formed. The displaced denizens of the slums seemed endless standing there, waiting. As he drew closer, he realized that someone had put together a soup kitchen of sorts, operating out of the church. His pace quickened.

This was all his fault. He did this. It had been bad, thinking about it from the safety of his comfortable home on the Plate. Seeing the aftermath in person was crushingly painful. It made him feel physically ill. Everywhere he looked, was more evidence of the damage he'd done.

He stopped short at the sight of a little boy looking up at him pleadingly. Before he could do much more than stare right back, however, a woman rushed out from one of the shelters, and wordlessly snatched him away, carting him off to safety. Reno shook his head... They didn't even know who he was, but he looked out of place enough down here to make them afraid. If they _had_ known... if they had even a suspicion that he'd been the one who ruined their lives... he probably wouldn't make it out of the slums alive. Reno hurried past the church, and down familiar streets, reaching Aerith's home before anything tipped them off to the truth.

The cottage where Aerith lived had always struck him as an aberration. It was an oasis in the desolation of the slums... though to be fair, Sector 5 was far nicer than just about anyplace else under the Plate. But the weathered little house had always seemed bizarrely peaceful. He knocked sharply on the door.

It opened a crack, and the redhead was met with a glare from inside.

"What do _you_ want?" Elmyra Gainsborough asked, opening the door fully. She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down.

"I'm here for the kid," he stated. Elmyra had _never_ liked him... Probably because the first time they'd met had been his first week on the job. He'd been an ass... the power of his new position and authority had briefly gone to straight to his head, and he'd forgotten his place, treating the woman with undeserved contempt until Tseng had physically shoved him out the door and told him in no uncertain terms to shut up and wait for him.

Aerith, on the other hand, was a bit more forgiving. In fact, at some point, she'd slipped away from the two adults and come to find him as he was kicking himself for his own stupidity in the garden behind the house. She was several years younger than him... and he'd been only sixteen at the time to begin with... but far more mature. She'd told him that she thought he was a lot nicer than he acted and that he shouldn't behave like such a big jerk. He'd made it a point to be more himself on the rare occasions he was sent down to keep tabs on her after that, but her adoptive mother had never really warmed to him.

He couldn't honestly say he and Aerith were ever _friends_... but they'd come to a mutual understanding of sorts that he didn't mean her any harm and was only there to watch unless Tseng said otherwise.

"Why?" Elmyra demanded, and Reno sighed softly. He'd come expecting her to fight him on this, and that was exactly what it looked like she was going to do.

"I'm not gonna hurt her. But I gotta take her with me. Boss' orders."

"Hmph... just like you didn't hurt my Aerith?"

"Never laid a finger on her. She came on her own in exchange for us makin' sure the kid was safe. And for the record... Aerith is fine. Last I heard, she was in Kalm with those new friends of hers."

"S-she is?" the older woman asked, clearly caught off-guard by the new information.

"Yep. Look... If it makes any difference to ya, we're not after her. We got bigger problems to deal with. I'm just here for the kid."

"No," she said, stubbornly. Reno spotted movement behind the woman. A little figure darted behind a chair.

"Come on... I don't like scarin' little kids. We've never tried to hurt Aerith, and we're not gonna hurt the girl, either. Don't make this harder than it has to be. It's not a fight you're gonna win, and I don't much wanna hurt you, either."

She glowered at him, angrily, and Reno could see the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Shinra bastards... You think you have the right to just take whatever you want..." she swore, but stepped aside and let him into the house. The girl peered out from behind the chair, eyes wide as she watched him.

"Marlene... come on out," Elmyra called to her. She didn't move immediately, instead just watched the Turk for a few moments. Finally, she stepped into the open.

"I don't want to go with him!"

"I know, sweetheart..." Aerith's mother said softly. "But we don't have any choice." She crossed the room and took the girl by the hand, leading her over the the redhead. Reno knelt down closer to her level... though even kneeling, he towered over her. She was kind of a shrimpy little thing. He grinned at her.

"Hey... I'm not so bad. 'Sides... ya won't have to stay with me for long. I got a friend who's gonna take good care of you. She's got a little girl for you to play with, too."

Marlene hesitated, but after a glance up at Elmyra, she released the woman's hand and took a tentative step toward the Turk.

"Where are you going to take her?" Elmyra demanded. Reno looked up at her.

"Can't tell ya that," he replied, getting to his feet, and taking hold of the girl's hand himself. "Somewhere a lot safer than the slums, though."

* * *

She hadn't said a word to him the entire trip to the Plate. She'd been virtually silent when he'd taken her for something to eat. And then she'd all but hidden behind him when they'd entered the Shinra Building and taken the elevator to the roof. In fact, it wasn't until they were in the air looking down on the city that he heard a soft "Wow..." over his headset.

Reno glanced over at his passenger. Marlene was gazing out of the plexiglass windshield, watching the buildings zip by in awe. He grinned slightly. He'd had pretty much the same reaction the first time Tseng had taken _him_ up in a helicopter.

"Pretty cool, huh?" he asked, and the little girl jumped, startled by the sudden voice in her own ill-fitting headset. It slipped down, and she caught it before it could fall. She didn't answer him

He sighed. Kids really weren't his thing... not that he'd ever had the opportunity to learn a whole hell of a lot about them. Really, Kel was the only one of his close friends who even had one, and apart from babysitting her a handful of times – all of which had ended in one minor disaster or another – he hadn't spent much time around mini-people. Hell, he was still sort of trying to wrap his head around the idea of _Lira_ having one soon.

The helicopter swung east. Thankfully, there was at least one person he knew who _did_ know a thing or two about the pint-sized terrors. And she kind of owed the Turks a favor. Heading to Kalm was a little bit of a risk, given that the very people he was meant to be hiding Marlene from had been spotted there just yesterday... but he was banking on them being as eager to follow Sephiroth's trail as Tseng was. If that was the case, they'd have left by this morning, if not sooner. It was now well into the afternoon.

"Heh... You don't talk much, do ya?" he teased. The girl narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're from Shinra. And my papa says Shinra is a bunch of 'goddamn plant-killin' bastards'," she replied, folding her arms over her chest defiantly. He coughed trying to cover a laugh. The kid had a mouth on her. Though, he reasoned, she was probably just parroting something she'd overheard. Still... he didn't think even _he_ used that kind of language at her age.

"We are, huh?" he snickered. "All of us?"

She seemed to think on that for a second or two, before shaking her head. "Maybe not the nice lady who took me to the flower girl's house..." Marlene conceded.

Reno smiled. He hadn't realized that Elena had made such an impression. Kalm was in sight now, and the he set about looking for a place to land where he wouldn't draw too much attention.

"She said not everyone at Shinra is bad... but Shinra makes them do bad things sometimes," the little girl added, catching the redhead by surprise. He didn't quite know what to say to that. Apparently she wasn't expecting him to comment, however, because she quickly moved on to her next question. "Have _you_ ever done bad things?"

He finally spotted a decent landing place and angled towards it.

"Yeah... I've done bad things," he said, not looking over at her. That was a hell of a way to put it. The skids touched the ground, and he shut down the engine. It whined to a stop a few seconds later, and he plucked the headset from his passenger's ears. He set his own aside as well.

"Did you want to?" Marlene asked.

He blinked in surprise, not expecting a question like that.

"... No. I didn't want to. I had to." He pulled the release on his harness, freeing himself from the safety restraint, and did the same for Marlene. "Come on, kid... Let's go meet my friend."

He'd spoken to Talia already, and she'd readily agreed to take the girl in for awhile... had even seemed eager to do him the favor. He just hoped she wouldn't try to make him hold _her_ kid again when they got there. He'd had quite enough of that sort of thing the last time he and Elena had paid her a visit.

Reno pushed the sliding door open and hopped out, lifting Marlene from inside and setting her down on the ground beside him.

"I don't think _you're_ one of the bad Shinra people," she said as he led her off.

~fin~


	51. Onward to Junon

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 51: Onward to Junon**

 **by Desha**

Rude prodded the fabric that hung over the fire. His jacket was still damp, but the shirt was dry. He pulled it off the make-shift clothesline and shrugged it on, leaving it unbuttoned for the moment.

"Yours is dry, too," he said, "Want it yet?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah."

The other Turk pulled it down and offered it to her. She smiled, pulling it under the the sleeping bag with her, and somehow managed to put it on without flashing him. Rude chuckled quietly.

"Thought you were over the whole modesty thing."

"Just because it doesn't bother me as much anymore doesn't mean I'm going to go around exposing myself to everyone I meet."

"Leaving that job to Reno instead?" he teased, and it was Elena's turn to laugh.

"I'll have you know that I've got him _very_ well trained at this point. He hasn't answered the door naked in almost a week."

Rude snorted and began to button his shirt. "Hmph... Think so, huh? Odin only knows what he does when you're not around. How's he handling things, anyway? Haven't had much of a chance to really talk to him since Sector 7 went down... Been worried."

"He's... okay. I think. Or at least, he's better than he was right after." She giggled softly. "He told me that if we ran into Avalanche to tell them that he's planning on paying them back for wrecking his knee. With interest." Her smile faded just as quickly as it came, however, and she added, "He's still having nightmares, though."

"About the collapse?"

"Sort of..." Elena replied with a slight shake of her head. "When he'll actually _tell_ me about them, they all seem to be about me... not getting out in time."

Rude nodded... That didn't surprise him. He had enough experience with the redhead to know how his mind worked. When he was feeling guilty about something, his dreams tended to punish him. And what worse punishment was there than losing the one thing you loved most in the world?

He remembered when Reno had been just starting out as a Turk. He'd fucked up royally on a mission – and caused Tseng considerable embarrassment in front of Veld and the President – and for the next week had dreamt repeatedly that his mentor had personally removed him from the Turks roster and dumped him back in Sector 2.

Reno had never been timid by nature, but life in the slums had taught him that second chances were a rarity and that occasionally it was to one's benefit to shut up and keep one's head down. For most of that week, he'd walked on eggshells around both senior Turks, until Rude had finally asked him point blank what was wrong and taken the time to convince him he was making too much of the incident.

"He'll get through this," he said at last, "Reno's been through rough patches before." Though, he silently noted, nothing of quite the same scale as obliterating an entire Sector full of people. Still... Reno was nothing if not resilient.

"I know... It's just so hard seeing him like that... and being next to useless."

"You're far from useless," Tseng's voice chimed in behind her. He was walking through the mine entrance with an armload of fresh, albeit slightly wet, wood for the fire and a coil of rope he'd salvaged from somewhere looped over one shoulder. "Were it not for recent events, I never would have taken you from him right now. He would recover much faster in your company than on his own. But I'm afraid that's a discussion for later. Unfortunately, it appears that those recent events have caught up with us..."

"Meaning?" Rude asked. Tseng set the wood down.

"Meaning that I collected all this wood for nothing. We have to move. Now. I spotted Avalanche on their way across the marsh. Assuming they don't become a snack for the zolom that very nearly ate _us_ earlier, they'll be here in about fifteen minutes. I'd prefer not to get sidetracked by a confrontation right now if we can avoid one. We're already behind schedule and it's a long way to Junon."

"..." Rude snatched his still damp jacket from the line and pulled it on. Elena followed suit, shedding her make-shift blanket and kicking some loose dirt over the flames, smothering them.

"Should I turn the chocobo loose, or are we taking him with us?" Elena asked. Their one surviving mount was currently tethered just inside the mine entrance.

"Turn him lose and let him find his way home. A much as I wouldn't mind having him on the other side of the mountains, chocobos aren't known for their love of caves. I suspect he'll only slow us down in here."

* * *

Reno tugged the girl along beside him, a child-sized bag slung over his shoulder. Elmyra had insisted on packing her a few things before she'd let them leave. He led her down several side streets until they found themselves standing in front of a bakery. The aroma from the little shop was heavenly... and he wished he had time to sample, but he needed to drop the kid off and get his ass back to Midgar. He had some packing of his own to do.

That thought in mind, he pushed open the door, it's tiny bell tinkling merrily as he did so, alerting the young woman behind the counter to his arrival. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Reno!" Talia exclaimed, hurrying out to greet him. "It's so good to see you again! I was so surprised when you called... Is this her?"

"Heh... Yeah, this is her. Talia... meet Marlene. Marlene, this is my friend Talia. She's gonna take care of you for awhile."

Talia beamed and knelt down so she was level with the little girl, who by then was shyly hiding behind the Turk, clutching his pant leg for protection. "Hey there... Don't worry. I'm not gonna bite."

Marlene hesitantly peered around the redhead at this new person for a few moments before stepping into view.

"This is my aunt's shop, but I work here, too, when my little girl is sleeping. I'll take you to meet her when she's up from her nap. Do you like to bake?" the woman asked, and Marlene nodded slightly. "I _love_ to bake... You can help me if you want."

Marlene smiled at that, and finally released her grip on Reno. He shook his head. Kids had no loyalty. An hour ago, she was terrified of him. Thirty seconds ago, he couldn't have pried her off of him. Now she was gleefully ignoring him and staring at the cakes and cookies in the display case. He handed her bag over to Talia.

"Just remember... no one's s'posed to know she's here. Keep her outta sight and don't let her go runnin' around on her own. Hopefully, it won't be for too long."

"I'll take real good care of her," she replied, "Don't worry."

"Thanks, Talia. I owe ya."

She shook her head. "After what you did for me and my little Fawn, it's the least I could do. You and Elena saved our lives, and I will be forever grateful for that."

"Yeah, well... Thanks, all the same," he replied before turning to the girl. "Well, kid, this is where we say goodbye."

"... Bye," Marlene said, quietly. He blinked in surprise at the hint of disappointment in her voice. Granted, she'd warmed to him slightly during the trip here, but he'd have expected her to be a little more relieved to be rid of him. He mentally shrugged and headed for the door. He still had tomorrow's mission to prep for.

* * *

"This is nothing like the lower levels..." Elena commented as they made their way down a winding passage. The lower levels were dark and damp, with rough-hewn, but relatively straight corridors branching out into the depths of the mountain.

"Top of the mine's a natural cave system," Rude replied.

"Quite a large one, too, as I understand it," Tseng added, ducking through a low opening, "So I suggest we avoid exploring too much and stay on the main path."

Elena and Rude followed him through and stopped short at the edge of a cliff.

"... You jinxed us, Tseng," Rude said, shaking his head. The Turk leader cast him a withering look, but his attention was quickly redirected back to the wide expanse in front of them. The rotted remains of a bridge clung to their side of the cliff wall... but beyond that, there was no evidence that the path was ever anything more than a dead end.

"Wonderful..." he sighed, gazing downward. "There's an opening off of that ledge down there... If we can find a route to that lower path, we should be able to climb up to it."

"Sir? We might be able to get down this way..." Elena pointed to a narrow lip of rock the circled out towards the opposite side. It didn't _quite_ reach all the way... but it would put them directly above that lower ledge, and from where she stood, it looked like there were sufficient hand and footholds to climb down to it. Reaching that point, however, would be a bit harrowing.

Tseng studied the rockface. "Can you manage it?" he asked, glancing over at Rude. He mentally groaned. He didn't like climbing and he _hated_ heights.

"... If I have to," he said, hesitantly. Tseng nodded, and slipped the rope he'd brought with him from the mine entrance over his head, passing it to the other Turk.

"Then I suggest we split up. Rude... you'll work your way to the lower path. I will backtrack and see if there's another way down there. Elena... I want you to wait here until Rude is across in case he runs into trouble, and then head back the way we came and contact Reno. Have him come and pick you up."

"Sir?" Elena queried, surprised.

"Regardless of how we get across, this is going to slow us down even more. Rufus is due in Junon tomorrow morning, and I don't want to leave Reno without any backup if we're late... Not with Sephiroth potentially heading in that direction. Rude and I will continue to follow him in case he's decided to go elsewhere. We'll let you know if we find he's veered off toward another target. Otherwise, we'll catch up to you in Junon."

"Yes, sir."

Tseng nodded and hurried back the way they'd come, in search of an alternate route. Rude sighed. He understood why Tseng had opted to make two attempts at crossing. If one of them got stuck or delayed, the other could continue on if necessary. Tracking Sephiroth was the priority, after all. It didn't mean he had to like it, though.

"... Guess I might as well get this over with. Reno ever show you how to do this?"

"Only on the training wall..."

"Hell of a lot easier on the wall," he muttered, tying the familiar knots in the rope until he'd fashioned himself a harness of sorts. "Don't worry. You've got the easy job. Just hold on tight and don't let me fall."

Elena nodded and leaned against the post the once held up the bridge. When it didn't give way, she looped the rope around it and braced herself against an outcropping of rock. Rude spared one last glance downward. It would be a hell of a drop if he slipped, and Elena couldn't hold him, it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. Finally, he stepped out onto the narrow ledge, hugging the wall as he began to slowly shimmy his way along it.

* * *

Reno returned to a not-so-empty apartment. Lira smiled as he entered, handing him a magazine that she'd opened to a page on flower arrangements.

"So I was thinkin'..."

"Lira..." he groaned, not quite able to hide the laugh that snuck out as well, "I told ya... I haven't even proposed. And I'm not gonna for awhile yet. You're gettin' _way_ ahead of yourself here."

She crossed her arms and glared at him stubbornly. "You're such a pain in the ass sometimes. Can't you just let me have my fun?" Lira tossed the magazine aside. "Well... if you won't look at flowers, then what about that ring? We've still got a few hours before the jewelry stores close..."

He sighed. He was going to have to tell her, or the next then he knew she'd be dragging him all over town for the rest of the day.

"I... kinda already bought a ring," he said, and cringed as her eyes lit up, a wide smile spreading over her face.

"You did?!" she half-gasped, half-squealed. The woman's excitement was almost palpable. "Let me see!"

"Can't. Rude's keepin' it for me so 'Lena doesn't accidentally find it before I ask," the redhead replied, "Now... will ya _please_ chill the fuck out. You're kinda startin' to freak me out here, Lira. 'Sides... I don't have time to start plannin' a wedding today. I'm leavin' town in the morning to catch up with the rest of my team. I gotta pack 'n shit."

Lira snickered and visibly calmed down. "Oh, alright... maybe I _am_ pushin' just a little too much. I wanna see you happy, that's all. 'Specially with whatever it is that's been botherin' you so much lately." Her expression shifted, and she looked suddenly serious. "Reno... You're one of my best friends. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

He shook his head. "I already told ya, Lira. Not this."

* * *

As Rude's feet finally touched down firmly on the lower ledge, Elena released the breath she was almost certain she'd been holding for the last ten minutes. She waited until he was loose from his tether and then hauled it back up.

"Do you think Tseng found another way down?" she called down to him.

"... Leave the rope behind for him. Just in case. I'll – "

Whatever he'd been about to say was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Tifa Lockheart as she made her way through a small opening. She was followed in quick succession by Cloud, Aerith, the cat-like creature, and finally Barret Wallace who was swearing vehemently at his difficulty in forcing his way through the narrow passage.

"You again?" Strife asked, eyes narrowing. "What's one of the Turks doing _here_?"

Elena dropped behind a large rock and drew her gun. She hadn't been spotted yet. That gave her an advantage.

"Who _are_ you assholes, anyway?" Barret asked. "More'n just the regular Shinra lackeys, that's for sure..."

"It's difficult to explain what the Turks do..." Rude replied with a smirk.

"Not really..." Cloud replied, coldly, drawing his sword, "Kidnapping. Spying. Mass murder." The rest of the party, too, looked ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"If you want to be negative about it. Want to enlighten them, Elena?" he asked, shifting his gaze subtly toward her position. For a moment, she was blindsided by his sudden revelation that she was there... until she realized what he was doing. He wanted to avoid a fight by showing them that he wasn't alone. Even with her superior position backing him up, fighting on a ledge that small against so many opponents might not end so well. He was clearly counting on them being somewhat leery of the Turks having the high ground... and having more backup than just her, for all _they_ knew.

She calmly stood, letting herself be seen... Her aim never wavered from Cloud Strife's head.

"We do the jobs no one else _will_ do," she stated. "The jobs that most people never even realize need doing. The jobs that haunt you at night." For a moment, she didn't know where that admittedly over-dramatic – though accurate – description had come from. And then she remembered... that had been one of Reno's first lessons for her.

It had been her very first day... and she had been over-excited about her promotion. In retrospect, she had to have been coming across like something akin to a teenager who'd just gotten their driver's license; sure of herself to the point of overconfidence, boastful, and eager to show off. The redhead had been quick to... not _quash_ her enthusiasm, precisely, but temper it... reminding her that being a Turk wasn't all fun and games.

"... Elena. You talk too much."

It took everything in her not to jump, startled, at the sudden declaration. That, too, had been what Reno had said to her that day... right before he'd launched into that particular speech. Apparently, someone _else_ had been listening to him as well. Tseng was looking up at her with a mildly amused expression on his face... which he quickly schooled as he stepped out into view of Avalanche, emerging from the opening on the ledge just above Rude's position.

"I believe I gave you other orders. Now go. Don't forget to file your report."

"Yes, sir!"

She quickly recognized that last phrase. It was a coded order to stand by, out of sight, just in case she was needed. As Rude backed off from the other party and hoisted himself up onto the next ledge, joining the Turk leader, Elena ducked back into the tunnel she'd come from, listening to the ongoing conversation.

"We'll be going now. We have a murderer to track down in Junon. I suggest you stay out of our way," Tseng stated, and Elena couldn't help but wonder why he was _telling_ them where they suspected Sephiroth of going... unless, of course, he _wanted_ them to follow. "Aerith..."

Elena peered slightly around the corner and saw the younger woman step forward a bit and glance up at him.

"It seems that, with the reappearance of Sephiroth, you've been granted a reprieve. You're no longer a priority to us."

"What are you saying? That I should be _grateful_ to Sephiroth?" she asked, defiantly. Tseng gave her a small smile and shook his head.

"No. Just that I'm afraid I won't be seeing much of you from now on... Please take care of yourself."

"... Strange hearing that from _you_ ," she said in a cold tone, crossing her arms and turning her back on him.

"Maybe so," the Wutaiian Turk answered, and Elena couldn't help but think he sounded a little sad. "In any case... you would be wise to stay out of Shinra's way and not press your luck."

He turned with a subtle nod to Elena, dismissing her, and walked back through the opening he'd come from. Rude started to follow, but briefly turned back.

"Reno's looking forward to seeing you again... for a little payback for the injuries you gave him in Sector 7."

With that, he hurried off after Tseng, leaving Avalanche to decide on their own path. No longer needed, Elena ducked back through the tunnel and began retracing her steps through the mine, back to the entrance.

* * *

Reno stuffed some clean clothes, into a bag. They were followed by his spare EMR, some extra ammunition for his backup weapon, and his PHS charger. As he was trying to find room for El – and failing miserably at getting the little bunny to fit with everything else – he heard soft laughter from behind him. Lira. Even after he'd told her that he had to leave again in the morning, she'd decided to stick around for awhile.

For some reason, though, he couldn't help but think that it wasn't just for _his_ sake.

"Who the fuck taught you how to pack, Reno...?" Lira chuckled.

"Tch... it's just gonna end up a jumbled mess eventually anyway. Why waste time bein' neat?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders. He sighed and silently conceded that something had to go. He wasn't leaving El behind. Lira rolled her eyes and sat down on the end of the bed, propping her crutches up against it.

"Here... Let me." Without waiting for a response, she dumped the bag's contents out and started over, neatly tucking everything into place. "How long are you going to be gone?"

"No idea..." he replied with a shake of his head. "Long as it takes, I guess."

"You know... I heard some rumors while you were gone earlier..."

"... What _sort_ of rumors?" he asked cautiously. That people were talking wasn't at all surprising. But Wall Market, among other things, was probably Midgar's biggest gossip hub... and he was sure she had kept in touch with her friends who still worked down there. She could have heard just about anything.

"That President Shinra didn't just die. That he was murdered..." she replied, "... That maybe it was a certain dead war hero who did the murderin'..."

Shit. They'd hoped to keep that quiet. The executive board didn't want it getting out that Sephiroth wasn't as dead as they'd told everyone he was... or that he was, apparently, pretty ticked off at Shinra.

"Is it true?" Lira prodded, "Did Sephiroth really kill the head of Shinra Company? Some people are sayin' he's out for revenge. No one in Midgar's safe. Some of my friends are startin' to get... concerned."

Normally, he'd have run intelligence dissemination of this magnitude by Tseng first... but things were chaotic enough down in the slums right now. The last thing they needed was a bigger panic than they already had.

"Yeah... it's true. Sephiroth... or someone who looks a hell of a lot like him, at least... killed the President. But he's not interested in Midgar... so do me a favor and see if you can put a lid on that rumor."

Lira looked somewhat uncertain. "How do you know he's not interested in Midgar? What about the reactor bombings? What about Sector 7?!"

"Avalanche bombed the reactors. Not Sephiroth. He's not even _in_ Midgar anymore. Tseng and the others... they're trackin' him right now. He's headin' south. Probably leavin' the continent all together. He got what he came here for and now he's movin' on to whatever the next step is in his plan."

"You're _sure_? Those Avalanche guys... Lotta people are sayin' they're just a bunch of loudmouths. That they didn't have the resources or the balls to pull off anything like the bombings or the pillar collapse."

"Lira... I'm sure. Avalanche was _definitely_ responsible for the Sector 1 bombing. And the Sector 5 bombing... but we found out about that one and got there in time to minimize the damage."

She picked up El, gently fingering the soft material of the stuffed bunny's ears, before slipping her into the bag with everything else.

"You didn't say anything about the pillar..." she said, sounding frightened for the first time since the collapse. The redhead was surprised... whatever she'd heard from her contacts in Wall Market must have really rattled her.

"Lira... I really don't wanna talk about the pillar or Sector 7."

She zipped the bag closed and looked up at him. "Rissa... she used to live across the hall from me. Her parents lived in Sector 7. Thank Shiva they both made it into Wall Market before the Plate fell, but... they told her somethin'."

"What'd they tell her?" Reno asked, warily.

"That Avalanche didn't bomb that pillar. Avalanche was tryin' to _stop_ it from happenin'. That _they_ were the ones that warned the rest of the sector and told people to get out. Avalanche said _Shinra_ was droppin' the Plate."

The redhead felt his blood run cold, and he must have hesitated a moment too long with his answer, because Lira suddenly looked at him pleadingly.

"It's not true... is it?"

He took a slow, inaudible breath, clearing his mind. It was a technique Tseng had taught him years ago... to lie more effectively. It had served him well in the past. Lira suddenly glared at him.

"Don't you fuckin' lie to me," she said, angrily, before the word 'No' had even fully formed on his lips. He swallowed his intended response and dropped his gaze. "You were _going_ to, weren't you? You were going to lie right to my face."

He silently hung his head. Lira was one of his oldest and closest friends, and he'd always been honest with her. Getting caught in a lie by _her_ made him feel... ashamed.

"Yeah. I was," he whispered.

"So... It was Shinra, then."

It was a statement, not a question. He found that he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. And he couldn't simply refuse to say something.

"The President... ordered us to activate the emergency plate release system. To take out Avalanche before they could plant another bomb. Tseng tried to talk him out of it, but... he wouldn't listen to reason."

"Us? You mean the Turks?" she said with a soft gasp, "You mean... you?"

Reno could only nod. His throat suddenly felt too thick to voice a response. Lira was silent for several moments. Then, without warning, she snatched her crutches and headed for the door without another word. He looked up in surprise, frozen for a second or two, and then rushed after her, slipping around in front of her, blocking her path.

"Lira, I –"

She slapped him, hard, across the face. Not like she'd occasionally done in the past to make a point when he was being an ass... There was real anger behind it this time. His cheek stung painfully as he looked at her. She shook her head, eyes locked on his.

"Don't you dare try 'n make excuses. I stuck up for you! Bullshit, Shinra would do somethin' like that! I told 'em they were full of it! I... This... You..." She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. When she looked up at him again, besides the obvious fury, her eyes seemed... sad. "What have they turned you into?" she demanded, her tone disgusted.

She didn't wait for an answer. She brushed past him, and out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"Know what the worst part is?" he asked the empty room. A tear made its way slowly down one cheek. "It didn't even fucking work."

His PHS rang.

* * *

Elena waited impatiently at the mine's entrance, pacing. It shouldn't be taking Reno long to reach her, and she was worried. He'd sounded... off... on the phone. He'd shrugged it off, though, insisting that it wasn't important and he'd tell her about it later... something she fully intended to make him do, even if she had to _drag_ the details out of him.

It had been nearly an hour since they'd spoken. It _couldn't_ take him much longer... He'd been at home, she was sure. She'd heard Snuffy in the background. Fifteen minutes to the rooftop helipad, and another twenty or so to reach the mine. He really should have been there by now. Much to her relief, at just that moment she caught the faint sound of rotor blades in the air. A few minutes later, a familiar silhouette broke through the clouds. She stepped out from the shelter of the mine entrance, waving at the craft. It wasn't long before he spotted her and started to descend.

She kept her head down and ran for the helicopter, hurriedly climbing aboard. It lifted off as soon as she was safely inside, and Elena reached for a headset. She pulled it on and settled into the co-pilot's seat, strapping herself in before turning to Reno.

"Long time no see," she said, grinning, and she heard him laugh quietly over the radio. Elena's smile slowly faded at the somewhat forced response. "What's wrong?"

Reno shook his head. "... Lira's pissed at me. Like... _really_ pissed at me. If it were anyone but her, I'd actually say she hates me and even then I'm still not entirely convinced she doesn't."

"What happened?" she asked, blinking in shock. Lira absolutely loved Reno. He was like a little brother to her.

"Wall Market rumor mill... She found out. Saw right through my attempt to lie about it... which really only pissed her off even more."

"Found out what?" Elena asked, confused for a moment. Reno glanced over at her, and she finally could see in his eyes just how hard he was taking this. It suddenly clicked. "Oh, no..."

"Yeah," he replied, turning his attention back to the controls. "That's why I'm runnin' a little late. Took me a little while to calm down enough to trust myself at the controls. Sorry, 'Lena..."

"Oh, Reno..." she whispered. "... Are you alright?"

"Not really," he breathed. "Do me a favor and take over, will ya? I have absolutely no business flyin' right now."

Elena reached for the copilot's controls and Reno sagged in relief as he gave up control of the aircraft to her.

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think. I know she must be furious, but... she's Lira. You two are practically family."

"That's the only reason I'm not even more of a mess," he replied. "I'm holdin' out hope that she'll eventually be willin' to forgive me... but I honestly don't know. This might be too big even for Lira to get past..."

She frowned, and angled them toward Midgar, the huge city looming in the distance. She wanted to cry... Reno had been recovering. Slowly, but definitely recovering. And now this. She wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"... Do you want me to call Tseng? Tell him your not ready to be back in the field yet?" she asked, hesitantly. Elena couldn't with any certainty say what would be best for the redhead. Chasing down Sephiroth while his mind wasn't on the job was inherently dangerous, but so was abandoning him in Midgar to let him spiral back into the depression she suspected they'd already narrowly avoided once.

Reno shook his head. "No. Don't do that. I'll be okay. It's just that it _just_ happened. You called me, literally, about five seconds after she stormed out."

Elena reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.

* * *

"... Finally. Who's bright idea was it to walk into a mine without a map?" Rude asked as they emerged from tunnels at last. It had taken them hours... Hopefully, Avalanche had gotten just as lost.

"I believe that would be mine," Tseng replied, "Which in retrospect... was stupid of me."

Rude smirked and started down the trail into the foothills. "Nice to know that you're occasionally not as infallible as you let everyone think."

Tseng laughed. "Just don't let it get out." He gazed off into the distance. "There's not much between here and Junon. We're going to be limited in potential leads."

"Fort Condor's about the only place that has a decent vantage point. Not sure Shinra employees'll be very welcome, though."

"I wasn't planning on informing them we're with Shinra."

Rude snorted. "We certainly don't _look_ like we are at this point."

Tseng grimaced and glanced down at his attire. His suit was, by now, wrinkled and filthy from crawling around in a cave for the past three hours... and still a bit damp in a few spots.

"No... at the moment, we look as though we've been taking fashion advice from Reno." He tugged loose his tie... which, he noted, was spattered with mud from their marsh crossing... and tucked it into his pocket. Rude raise an eyebrow. "Well... If we're pretending not to be with Shinra, I may as well complete the look," he shrugged, popping open the top two buttons of his shirt, before pulling the bottom loose from his waistband. Rude smirked and reached for his PHS, aiming it at the Turk leader.

"Don't even think about it," Tseng cautioned him.

"Thought it might give Reno a laugh..."

He sighed. The things he subjected himself to for his family. "...Alright. One photo. But if I see it being passed around the secretarial pool, I'll assign you as Heidegger's personal office assistant for a _month_."

"It would _almost_ be worth it..." Rude said as he snapped the picture.

"I suggest you think very hard on that 'almost' before sending it to anyone but your partner. Let's get going. If we hurry, we'll make Fort Condor by sunset. Assuming we don't find that our target has ventured elsewhere, can finish the last leg to Junon at first light."

* * *

"You should call her. Talk to her."

"That's the _last_ thing I should do, 'Lena," Reno replied, plopping down on the couch. "I try talkin' to her while she's still fumin' over somethin' and it'll just make her madder. Trust me... Takes a lot to really piss her off, but once she's there, Lira's got a temper. And she'll _stay_ mad, too."

Elena paced slowly behind him, arms hugged to her chest as she fingered the soft material of her borrowed t-shirt. It was one of Reno's Petrified Zolom concert shirts that hung to mid-thigh on her. She'd pulled it out of the laundry basket, and at the moment, it was _all_ she was wearing. Her uniform had been damp and grimy, and she hadn't wanted to change into something clean before she'd had a chance to shower. But before _that_ , she had a very upset boyfriend to care for.

She suddenly paused. "What if _I_ talk to her?"

"Guess you could try... but I'm not sure she'd even let ya get a word in. Far as she's concerned, we're all equally guilty of detroyin' the sector."

"... Well... what about Kel? He knows her, too, right?"

Reno laughed somewhat mirthlessly. "Thought the goal was to try and make her _less_ pissed off..." He shook his head. "Nice idea, but she and Kel don't really get along so great. Kel's little side business deals in more than just hard to find merchandise. He sells some... uh... less than legal shit, too. She doesn't approve of some of it... 'specially since a regular client of hers almost OD'd on somethin' he sold the guy once."

"... Kel?" Elena asked, surprised.

"He doesn't use. Just deals. Think that almost makes it _worse_ in Lira's eyes, though. He doesn't sell to support a habit he can't kick. He just does it for profit."

"Okay... so Kel's out." She went back to pacing.

"Leave it alone. She's _not_ gonna want anything to do with me for awhile. I'll try talkin' to her in a couple weeks... or whenever the hell we get back. Maybe see if Ward'll sneak in a good word for me while we're gone. If I try 'n push her right now, it's just gonna make things worse." He sighed and dropped his gaze to his lap. "She knew people over in Seven. Not all of 'em got out. She's kinda got a right to be pissed."

Elena leaned over the back of the couch and gently kneaded his shoulders. "It's going to be okay," she reassured him... and hoped she wasn't being overly optimistic. The reality was that Reno... all of them, really... had done something that most people would consider unforgivable. Maybe even inhuman. She truthfully didn't know if Lira was even capable of forgiving something as admittedly horrifying as murdering over six thousand innocent people on the whim of a cold-hearted billionaire.

One hand crept up and covered hers. "With Lira... it might not be. I knew from the moment we got the order that if she ever found out, she might never speak to me again. Wasn't as quite as prepared for it actually happening as I thought I was... but I _was_ prepared for it."

Reno's PHS suddenly chimed softly in his pocket, and he automatically fished it out. Elena leaned over and nuzzled the junction of his neck and shoulder, leaving a trail of tender kisses across the exposed skin and causing him to shiver slightly. She didn't know why she did it. It was hardly the time for that sort of thing... though he didn't seem to be asking her to stop...

"What's it say?" she asked, not looking up as he thumbed the new message open. The redhead suddenly laughed – a pleasantly surprised, genuine laugh, this time – startling her.

"It says, 'Show this to no one but Elena on pain of death.'"

At that, she _did_ finally look up, eyes falling on the screen of his phone, and broke out into giggles at the image it displayed.

"You know... he actually doesn't look half bad like that," she commented. Tseng and 'casual' were two words that were virtually never used together. She'd once heard Reno and Rude jokingly claim that the man even _slept_ in a suit and tie.

"The boss makin' a comeback as my competition...?"

Elena blushed and stood up. That silly little crush she'd had on the older Turk when she'd first been promoted seemed so ridiculous now. Tseng had just seemed so... exotic and inscrutable. And... okay, attractive, too. She wasn't ashamed to admit it. She'd found him incredibly sexy when they'd first met... and to some extent, still did. She'd even tried to subtly tempt him once or twice, even though she would probably never have had the courage to actually go through with anything with him back then. Reno turned around, looking up at her from the couch, a smile crossing his face.

"I would never give you up," Elena said, with a soft laugh, "Not even for Tseng dressed like _that_."

"Yeah?" he shot back, the smile slowly widening into a faint grin. "Make me believe that..."

His tone was teasing, but his expression was almost pleading with her to show him how much she meant those words. Elena wordlessly leaned in and captured his lips. He returned her kiss with a desperation that took her by surprise. When they finally parted, his eyes were closed, and she could see the telltale shimmer of moisture on his lashes.

"I want to get lost in you, 'Lena. Make me forget for awhile..."

He opened his eyes again and Elena smiled. She slipped the t-shirt over her head as she rounded the couch. Reno's eyes roved over her bare skin and he swallowed sharply.

"You really _are_ the most beautiful woman on the planet..." he breathed. The redhead stood, reaching for her and pulling her towards him. Elena's arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her off her feet, carrying her towards the bedroom.

* * *

Tseng laid back on the bed... though it was really more of a cot, and his back didn't seem to appreciate him mentally making the claim otherwise. They hadn't made it to Fort Condor by sundown. It had been decidedly dark by the time they'd hauled themselves up the thick rope that took them to the entrance. Tseng vaguely remembered there being a lift and pulley system in place the last time he was here. Either it had broken and never been repaired, or the current unwelcome inhabitants of the fort had scrapped it in the hope of discouraging visitors from Shinra. He strongly suspected the latter.

They'd been met with suspicion, of course... though that had quickly been mitigated by a donation to the rebels' "defense fund". It had cost him the three thousand gil he'd had on him at the time – most of it requisitioned from the department budget for that very purpose – but the residents had seemed appeased and more trusting once they had the cash in hand. Hopefully, no additional bribes would be required before they reached Junon... because he was officially tapped out.

Though, should the need arise, he suspected that Rude had some cash on him as well.

That, however, was a worry for tomorrow. Right now, he was tired and just wanted to sleep... no matter how uncomfortable the damned bed was. Sleep didn't seem to want anything to do with _him_ , however.

Something the lookout had said to him was still bothering him. Sephiroth had _indeed_ been sighted by the residents of the fort. He was _indeed_ heading towards Junon. What he _wasn't_ doing, was making any great secret of the fact. Junon had been alerted to the potential threat well in advance. They would be prepared... and their orders were shoot to kill. How in Leviathan's name did the man intend to enter without being immediately gunned down?

Did he intend to access the base at all? If he wanted to travel by air, he would have to. Hell, even if he wanted to travel by ocean, he'd need to pass through the base. The only ships that still docked in the old bay built by the town were fishing boats. They didn't have the range to take him much farther than some of the southern islands. If that was his goal, it seemed an odd one... which was why Tseng didn't believe that was where he was going for a moment.

That meant entering the base, then... and being faced with a full contingent of heavily armed military personnel who's only standing order was to kill him. And it wasn't as if he could easily hide. Sephiroth was perhaps the most recognizable individual on the planet. Shinra had seen to that, using his image in hundreds of PR campaigns before – and after – his disappearance. It just didn't make sense. What was the man planning?

Then again... they _still_ didn't know how he'd gotten into company headquarters undetected. Or how he'd managed to access the secure floors. Or, for that matter, how he'd gotten _out_ again, carrying a lab specimen the size of an adult human female... minus the head, of course. Things weren't adding up... and Tseng hated it when he didn't know exactly what was going on.

"... You're still awake, aren't you..." a voice in the next cot over stated.

"As are you, it seems."

"This whole thing bugging you as much as it's bugging me?"

"Yes."

Rude grunted in acknowledgment, and Tseng heard him roll over. "A least I'm not the only one not getting any sleep tonight..."

* * *

Elena lay with her head pillowed on her lover's chest. Reno's arm loosely hugged her body as he slept, his breathing deep and even, his brow unfurrowed and relaxed. It was the first time since Sector 7 that she'd seen him sleeping peacefully.

Though, to be fair... it may have just been exhaustion. They'd made love again and again until he quite literally couldn't have continued if he'd tried. She wasn't sure if he was attempting to trade reality for pleasure, or just wear himself out to the point that he was too tired to even dream. Whatever his intent, she hadn't raised a complaint... not that there had been much for _her_ to complain about. In spite of a certain amount of frantic selfishness on Reno's part, he'd been unable to ignore her needs completely. And if he could take some comfort from being with her, she was more than willing to let him do whatever he wanted in bed right now.

He stirred slightly, and she felt his grip on her tighten a bit. Elena turned towards his face, worried that perhaps he hadn't managed to banish the nightmares after all, but found blue eyes gazing back at her.

"Hey."

"Feeling better?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Feelin' kinda like Tseng's had me in non-stop training for the past forty-eight hours," the redhead replied, smirking. "But... yeah. A lot better."

Elena laughed softly and shifted position until she was straddling him. She leaned down and kissed his throat, before letting her lips trail down along his collar bone.

"If you're wantin' more... you're gonna have to wait," he chuckled, "Think I'm done for awhile." He sighed softly in content as she refused to let up. "But feel free to keep doin' _that_... Feels nice." His hand slid along her hip, gently caressing her thigh, and Elena lifted her head to look at him.

"Are you sure you're okay to head out later today? Not that last night wasn't kind ofamazing, but..."

"But you're worried about me," he finished for her.

"It's just that you and Lira are so close. And we're going away for who knows how long... it could be days, or it could be months. You won't be able to do anything to fix things until we get back."

"'Lena... I might not be _able_ to fix this," he said, sadly, "Truth is... I'm not the same person Lira grew up with. Bein' a Turk changes you. She knew it, and I knew it, and we both did our best to ignore it... but I don't know if she _can_ anymore. Or if she'll even want to try. I think in her mind, me pushin' that button was kinda the ultimate betrayal of who I used to be."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Reno wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down against his chest, hugging her tight. "Hope our friendship means enough to her to give me another chance... and be incredibly grateful I have _you_. You have no idea how much of a difference you've made though all this shit, 'Lena."

She was almost tempted to deny it. Half of what she'd done had only seemed to make things worse... The only thing that stopped her was the promise she'd made to never mention her ill-conceived and disastrous attempt at sedating him ever again. Instead, she let herself relax against his body, enjoying the warm softness of his skin, and the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat.

"What time are we picking up Rufus?"

"Around ten if we want to be in Junon enough before the parade to meet up with Tseng and Rude and go over the final itinerary for the day. Why?"

"Just wondering how much longer we can stay like this..." she sighed, letting her eyes drift closed.

* * *

"Breakfast. If you can label it as such."

Rude turned and found that Tseng had returned to their little rented room. He was holding out a small vacuum-sealed bag. The bald Turk groaned. Not the damn ration packets...

"Yes... That was my reaction as well. It seems the people who took over the fort have been living off a rather substantial cache of them for the past few months."

"... These things are an abomination. They shouldn't even be considered food," he replied, grudgingly accepting the pre-packaged 'meal' from the Turk leader. The last time he'd had to eat one, he'd very nearly been unable to keep it down... much to Reno's amusement. The redhead had goaded him further by making a show of devouring _his_ packet.

He sighed and tore it open, grimacing at the contents. Cheese and mushroom omelette... though by 'omelette', whoever made these things apparently meant 'gelatinous food-like substance that was vaguely the color of scrambled eggs'. He had his doubts about the 'cheese' part, as well.

"This is all they've got?" he asked, pleadingly. Years of self-taught cooking had sharpened and refined his palette. Unfortunately, that _did_ come with a distinct downside. Eating mass-produced, preservative-laden, nearly inedible crap was an even more unpleasant experience for him than it was for most people.

"They did have a rather large stack of the packets with the chicken, if you prefer..." Tseng replied, somewhat teasingly. Rude paled. The omelettes were bad, but the chicken was downright poisonous in his opinion. Even Reno balked at eating it... though he could, at least, choke it down if he had to. Rude wasn't so sure _he_ could manage such a feat.

"Nevermind," he sighed, drawing out the brick-shaped block of egg and cheese, and taking a seat at the small table in the corner. Tseng joined him with his own breakfast.

"We'll need to leave soon if we're going to have any hope of reaching Junon before Rufus does. I've already contacted them and confirmed that a full security sweep was ordered. It's underway now and should be completed in plenty of time for the President's arrival."

"What about _after_ the parade?"

"... That I'm not certain," Tseng replied, hesitating. "I'm afraid Rufus may be taking this a bit personally. He didn't seem especially... eager... to return to Midgar after the parade."

"He wants to stay in Junon?" Rude asked, surprised. Rufus had hated his stay at the military base... now he was free and he wanted to go back?

"That's what I'm not certain about. He was intentionally vague about his plans when I spoke to him about this. But I didn't have time to pry further, due to the time sensitivity of our pursuit of Sephiroth."

Rude took a bite of the omelette and immediately made a face. The thing was cold and rubbery, and coated in a thick layer of... goo, for lack of a better word. Worse, the texture was _nothing_ like that of an actual omelette. It was grainy and paste-like. It didn't _taste_ much like an omelette, either. He shuddered and forced himself to swallow. Tseng didn't seem to be faring much better with his.

"What concerns me, though," the Turk leader continued, doing his best to ignore the less than appealing food, "is that no one in Junon had spotted anyone matching Sephiroth's description when I spoke to security this morning. He would have easily reached the base by now."

"Maybe it was ruse. Not a lot of villages out here. Could have headed somewhere else last night and no one would've been around to notice."

"Perhaps... But we're fairly certain that his ultimate destination is the promised land. And we're also fairly certain that it's _not_ located anywhere on this continent. He needs to travel, and outside of Midgar, Junon is really the only way to do so at any great distance."

"Hmph... Maybe the bastard learned how to shapeshift," Rude joked. "For all I know, _you_ could be Sephiroth and the real Tseng is still wandering around that damn mine."

Tseng shook his head and chuckled. "I think that highly unlikely."

"That's just what Sephiroth would say..."

The Wutaiian Turk sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "Reno will be pleased to hear that you've been taking over the role of comic relief for him when he's not around. It seems we will just have to wait and see what we find in Junon." He hesitantly shoved another forkful of his breakfast into his mouth, wincing at the taste. "I don't suppose there's anything you could do with this..." he asked, looking up at Rude hopefully.

"... Sorry. This is beyond even _my_ ability to salvage."

* * *

Reno led Elena around to the Shinra residence's back entrance, ringing the bell and and stifling a yawn as they waited. He was definitely going to be feeling the effects of a mostly sleepless – and very active – night for the rest of the day.

In spite of his reputation... last night really wasn't like him. But he had wanted her desperately, and nothing short of exhaustion had seemed capable of satiating him. There had been a deep-seated need to be as close as physically possible to the woman he loved from the moment they'd arrived home... and he hadn't put much effort into ignoring it. It was, he assumed, the culmination off all of the stress and guilt that had been building up since the Sector 7 collapse. Lira's rejection of him upon learning the truth had finally broken him. He'd sought refuge in Elena's arms and let himself simply forget how fucked up things were for a little while.

It had been different than it usually was between them. Things were occasionally frenzied in bed, depending on what sort of mood they were in... but never so frantic and rushed and demanding on his part. He'd largely ignored the things he knew his lover enjoyed and focused on himself... though Elena didn't seem to be holding it against him. He still planned to make _that_ up to her eventually, though.

The door opened, and Reno was surprised to be greeted by Rufus himself, rather than one of the servants.

"About time. I've been ready to leave for an hour."

"We're fifteen minutes early, sir," the redhead pointed out, smirking.

"If you can be fifteen minutes early, surely you can be an hour early," he shot back, reaching for a suitcase. "And why do you both look exhausted?"

Reno snickered softly, and opened his mouth to reply, but by then, Rufus was looking directly at Elena and rolling his eyes dramatically. The redhead glanced over his shoulder and saw that her cheeks had gone an interesting shade of pink.

"Nevermind... I'm sorry I even asked. I certainly didn't need _that_ mental image," the executive groaned, shoving his luggage into Reno's hands and strolling past the pair of them towards the waiting car.

"I did..." Reno said under his breath, grinning at Elena. She quickly mirrored Rufus' reaction before elbowing him sharply in the ribs.

"Don't even start, you pervert," she said with laugh.

"Heh... just for that... I'm doin' the drivin' _and_ the flyin'. You can ride in back with Rufus."

"Wait... What?" she asked, blinking in surprise. Reno opened the trunk and set the suitcase inside.

"He's not the VP anymore, 'Lena," he explained. "Rufus is President now... that means one of us sticks with him any time we're travelin' for extra security, remember? Just like we always did with his father." He shut the trunk and walked around to the passenger side, opening her door for her with a flourish.

"You're having way too much fun with this..." she sighed, climbing into the backseat, where Rufus had already made himself comfortable. The redhead just chuckled and closed the door behind her.

"Did you lose the coin toss?" Rufus sniped at her, "... Or were you perhaps looking _forward_ to spending some time with me? Am I to be your payment for last nights... activities?"

"I heard that, sir..." Reno said before she could answer, hopping into the driver's seat. "Watch what ya say to my girlfriend."

"Is that a _threat_?" the blonde man asked in his usual snobbish tone.

"Nah... Just a little friendly advice. She hits _hard_ , sir. Don't piss her off."

Rufus actually laughed... though he was quick to cover it up, scoffing at the Turk, and turning his attention to the view outside of the window instead.

* * *

"Next time I suggest that we travel to Junon on foot... remind me of this trip," Tseng said as the two men finally made their way into the little village of Lower Junon.

"Done," Rude replied, nodding. They'd gotten caught in another downpour, which, though brief, had thoroughly saturated them for the second time in as many days. He glanced at his watch. "... At least we're finally back on schedule..."

"Slightly ahead, in fact..." Tseng agreed. The pair made their way along the main road towards the large elevator platform that would carry them up to the base. "Hopefully we have enough time to clean up a bit and find something to eat that doesn't immediately make me want to retch."

One of the two guards at the elevator suddenly raised his weapon, menacingly.

"Shinra personnel only!" he proclaimed. The other man simply stood by at his post, looking decidedly bored. Tseng heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "Damn newbies..."

"We _are_ Shinra personnel," Tseng replied, reaching into his jacket for his ID card. "Very _tired_ Shinra personnel, who would very much like to report in before the President arrives."

The overzealous guard frowned, studying the ID. "Uh... Hey, Sarge? What's the 'Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department'?"

The man's comrade immediately snapped to attention, eyes fearfully flickering back and forth from Tseng to Rude in quick succession. "Just open the gate!" he sputtered.

The guard looked away from Tseng, confusion evident in his eyes as he was drawn back to his superior. "Sir?"

"Open. The Damn. Gate." he repeated, through clenched teeth, glancing at him sideways as he remained at attention. The other guard, still obviously clueless as to what was going on, finally reached over to the control panel and swiped an access card. The huge metal door slid open, granting the two Turks access. "Sorry for the delay, sir," the commanding offer said, saluting as they stepped aboard. Tseng simply nodded and pressed the button to send them climbing upwards. Over the loud whine of the motor he distinctly heard a loud slap, followed by "They're _Turks_ ,you moron!"

Tseng chuckled softly.

"We should've scared him a little..." said Rude.

"Next time, perhaps. If you'll recall, we're in a hurry."

* * *

Rufus settled back in the plush seat of the executive helicopter, and calmly poured himself a glass of wine.

"I have to admit... The slum rat crashing the _old_ one turned out to be a godsend. The newer model is much more luxurious." He crossed his leg over his knee and took a sip, frowning slightly, "Though they might have stocked the refreshments with a better vintage than _this_ swill..."

He pointedly set the glass back into the small notch that would hold it in place during their flight. Elena had to agree... with his assessment of the aircraft, that is. She hadn't sampled the wine. The new executive helicopter was vastly more plush than its previous incarnation. They didn't even need headsets to hear one another in the cabin, thanks to the improved soundproofing... Reno could even hear and talk to them over the intercom from the cockpit.

"Wasn't my fault, sir..." his voice suddenly replied over the speaker. "I didn't plant the bomb."

"You didn't _find_ it before we took off, either... Now did you?"

Reno snickered. "Touché. Try the moscato instead, sir."

"Hmph... I've seen the way _you_ drink. As much and as quickly as possible. You'll have to excuse me if I don't take your advice on something a bit more delicate than cheap hard liquor..." he replied... as he reached for the suggested bottle.

"... He's tryin' it, isn't he, 'Lena?"

Rufus calmly pressed the button on the intercom that muted the cockpit's monitoring of their conversation and looked directly at her.

"Confirm that, I'll have you cleaning up after the chocobos they'll be riding in this ridiculous parade they insist on having for me," he cautioned, and hit the button a second time to restore communication.

"... No. He's completely ignoring you, Reno," Elena answered... though her tone wasn't very convincing. The redhead laughed, knowingly.

"Heh... Thought so."

" _That_ was borderline insubordination," Rufus declared, taking a sip of the fresh glass of wine. "I'm beginning to wonder where your loyalties lie, Elena..."

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again." She couldn't quite suppress the little smile that was pushing the corners of her mouth upwards. A few months ago, she never would have believed it... but Reno was right. Rufus really _wasn't_ so terrible. That is... _if_ you could look past his somewhat obnoxious little mind games and figure out when he was being facetious and when he was being dead serious, which, admittedly, wasn't always the easiest thing to determine.

"Hmm... See that it doesn't. How much longer until we reach Junon?"

"About fifteen minutes, sir," Reno answered.

"Try to avoid slamming us into a mountain this time."

"I'll give it my best shot, sir... 'Course, ya know... crashin' _would_ get us outta this parade. Just sayin'..."

"... Tempting a prospect as that is, I don't intend to fund construction of a _third_ aircraft for you to wreck."

"Yeah? So then... how many cars does Tseng get to blow up before ya cut _him_ off?"

Elena had to quickly smother a giggle. Listening to the two of them bicker could be intensely amusing... and she was glad to hear Reno sounding more like his old self again.

"Just for that little comment... I think I'll cut _you_ off. From this conversation," Rufus said, snidely, and stabbed at the mute button again. Elena silently laughed. She knew that Reno could turn it back on – so that he could speak to them, at any rate... it was an emergency feature – if he really wanted to... though she had a feeling that he was going to let Rufus 'win' this one. The aforementioned executive smirked and resumed drinking his wine in triumph.

"Well, then... It seems it's just you and I for now," he stated after a minute or two of silence. "Tell me, how's life as that manwhore's latest trophy?"

Elena frowned. "Sir... I know you're just trying to get a reaction out of me, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't call him that. He's not like that anymore."

Rufus snorted softly in contempt. "Really? I call you his trophy, and your first instinct is to defend _him_ instead of yourself?" He raised the glass to his lips, taking another sip of the moscato. "The bastard must be better in bed than even the _rumors_ claim..."

"Are you jealous of me, sir?" she shot back, before she could censor herself, and Rufus choked. It took him a moment to recover, but once he did, he eyed her strangely before allowing a mischievous smile to steal across his face.

"Hmph... I knew there was something about you that I liked."

~fin~


	52. Everyone Loves a Parade

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 52: Everyone Loves a Parade**

 **by Desha**

Tseng straightened his tie in the mirror, and tucked a stray bit of hair back behind one ear. He was extraordinarily glad to be back to normal after the lengthy slog from Fort Condor. It was remarkable what a shower and a change of clothes could do for a person. He glanced at his watch... Rufus would be arriving shortly... probably in the next few minutes, in fact.

He picked up the report the head of base security had left for him. The Turk leader hadn't yet had time to read it in depth, but she had given him the highlights before returning to duty, and they were... interesting, to say the least. And worrying.

Three bodies had been discovered earlier that morning during the security sweep. Their injuries had very obviously been caused by a large blade swung with a great deal of force. Like the casualties at company headquarters, one of them had been bisected and all of them had expressions of varying degrees of surprise or terror frozen on their faces.

Tseng vaguely wondered where Sephiroth had obtained a replacement for his weapon so quickly. The original... or what he had assumed to be the original... Masamune was still in Midgar, locked away in the Turks' evidence room after having been left behind, embedded in the President's back. It was an oddity... though if Sephiroth had really been planning this ever since his disappearance five years ago, who knew what sort of supply caches he had stashed along his chosen route. And in the time he'd been 'dead', he could have had half a dozen swords created for him if he'd wanted to.

Aside from the deaths, however, there was no evidence he had ever entered Junon. None of the watches had seen him. Nor had the shop owners, or the off-duty personnel, nor anyone in the village. The base's chief security officer had been _very_ thorough in her investigation once the bodies had been discovered. But then, he thought with a slight smile, Viridia always _was_.

Viridia Nacelle had been head of security in Junon for nearly as long as he had been head of the Turks. And she was very good at her job... So good, in fact, that prior to her promotion, Veld had, on multiple occasions, tried to tempt her away from the military installation and into joining _them_. He had never been successful, however, and Tseng had refrained from continuing the entreaties after his death... since by then, Viridia had been promoted and it was clear she wasn't interested in leaving what she had always considered her home. She was born and raised in Lower Junon, and no amount of begging or bribery from the Turks was likely to change her mind and entice her to Midgar. She was career military.

She also had the softest touch of anyone he'd ever met.

Tall and lean, Viridia wasn't what one might consider classically beautiful... but she was still a very handsome woman, in his opinion. She was trim and tone with short, dark brown hair that she usually gelled into a somewhat intimidating spiked look. Her eyes were a piercing steel-gray, and they could silence a subordinate with little more than a passing glance... They could silence _him_ as well, on occasion.

Though he suspected it wouldn't be the case, a part of him was hoping that Rufus would wish to remain in Junon overnight. It had been some time – months, in fact – since he'd been able to interact with Viridia in anything more than a professional capacity. During his most recent visits, when he was _off_ duty, she was liable to be _on_. It had been frustrating, but there was nothing to be done about it. They both had their own responsibilities that needed tending to before they could think about personal pursuits.

Their relationship was only perhaps a step or two above being purely physical. Though he certainly had a great deal of respect for Viridia, and found her to be an excellent conversationalist, he had no plans of taking things much farther than the bedroom or the occasional quiet dinner in town. For her part, Tseng suspected her interest had far more to do with him _not_ being assigned to Junon. The head of base security – a position only a few rungs down from the base commander himself – could hardly be seen fraternizing with those under her command. She had worked much too hard to jeopardize her career for the sake of keeping a lover.

Perhaps... he _would_ suggest remaining in Junon tonight. Leviathan knew _Rude_ could certainly use a good night's sleep after lastnight. And if Viridia just happened to be free this evening... well... it _had_ been awhile.

Assuming, of course, they didn't find a fresh trail to follow. And assuming that Rufus didn't have other plans. He wasn't sure what the young executive was up to, but the brief conversation he'd had with him before leaving for Kalm had been an interesting one. Rufus had implied that he wouldn't be returning to Midgar after the parade this afternoon. But he hadn't explicitly said he'd be remaining in Junon, either.

Tseng had a feeling that, depending on the destination, he intended to accompany them. What was more, he doubted he'd be able to dissuade the man. Despite Rufus' cool demeanor, Tseng had seen the rage in his eyes anytime Sephiroth's name came up. He wanted revenge for the murder of his father, plain and simple, and Tseng was less than confident that he'd be satisfied by simply having his Turks deliver it. He also seemed to be placing a bit more stock in the existence of the 'Promised Land' of late... and had, as Tseng had been leaving, been on his way to speak with Hojo about it further.

A knock at the door to his temporary quarters dragged him from his thoughts, and he quickly turned to answer it, opening it to find Rude waiting for him.

"Rufus is here. They're landing right now."

"Let's go and meet him, then, shall we?"

* * *

Elena looked out the window, gazing down at the personnel below scurrying back and forth across the landing strip. Everyone in Junon seemed to be doing _something_ at the moment. She'd never seen the place so busy... but then, she'd never been to a welcoming parade for the president of the company before, either.

"Please, dear Rumah, don't let there be any of that damned confetti they used at my father's birthday parade..." Rufus sighed. "The last time, I was still finding bits of it everywhere I went three days later." He smirked slightly as he, too, stared downward from one of the side windows. "Unless I am very much mistaken, I believe that's Tseng."

Elena moved to the other side of the cabin to see for herself. Before she could spot him, however, the helicopter suddenly tilted a bit more than it should have to one side, pressing both their faces into the glass for a moment. Rufus scowled and mashed the button on the intercom, finally unmuting it.

"What in Ifit's name is going on?" he shouted.

"Just makin' sure you two are still alive back there..." Reno's voice replied. The aircraft began to descend towards one of the helipads. "Haven't heard from ya in awhile. I was startin' to worry you mighta finally pushed 'Lena too far and she tossed ya out the door without tellin' me."

"Remind me to have Tseng discipline him severely for that," Rufus muttered, folding his arms over his chest petulantly, and leaning back in his seat.

"Yes, sir," Elena replied. Seconds later, they touched down, and the door was hauled open, revealing both Tseng _and_ Rude waiting to greet them... along with an entire squadron of soldiers.

"Ah... my escort, I take it. Feeling a bit paranoid, are we, Tseng?"

"Sephiroth killed three soldiers on the base early this morning, and we haven't been able to confirm whether or not he's still here," the Turk leader said, grimly, "While I don't believe he has targeted you, I prefer not to take any chances."

Rufus' face darkened. "He's here? And _you're_ not looking for him?"

"He _was_ here. And half the base is looking for him in case he still is. But there have been no further attacks, and no sightings. It's likely he's moved on. Lieutenant Commander Nacelle is working to confirm that, and to determine whether or not he left any clues as to where he's gone. I'll be joining her once you're secure, sir."

"Heh... Guess that means Tseng's gonna be workin' late tonight..." Reno cut in as he climbed out of the cockpit. He stepped towards Rude, elbowing him.

Rude didn't say anything... but a faint smirk crossed his face. Elena's brow furrowed slightly, wondering what in the world they were talking about now.

"If the two of you are quite finished...?" Tseng replied, gesturing towards the administration building before turning his attention back to Rufus. "We have the day's itinerary to go over, and findings to discuss. I'd prefer not to do so standing on the tarmac."

Rufus nodded and fell into step beside the Wutaiian Turk. Reno and Rude let the President's escort follow before bringing up the rear, and Elena hung back to speak to them.

"... Um... Who's Lieutenant Commander Nacelle?" she asked.

"Base security chief," Rude replied. "Anyone breaks the rules around here, they answer to her."

"Also a former candidate for Turk recruitment," Reno added, "Veld wanted her _bad_... Never managed to talk her into joinin' though. Too fuckin' dedicated to her job here."

"So... She and Tseng are friends, then?"

The two men paused mid-stride, looked at her and then at one another before breaking into quiet laughter, trying not to draw attention to the conversation or themselves.

"Guess that's one way to put it," Rude replied.

"Heh... Yeah, 'Lena. They're 'friends'. In the same way I used to be _'_ friends' with half the secretarial pool."

"O-oh!" she gasped, face reddening slightly. "You mean they're... um... _friends_."

Reno slipped an arm around her shoulders, still snickering softly. "Oh, dear Shiva, I love it when you don't pick up on innuendo right away..." he grinned, and pressed a kiss against the top of her head as they hurried to catch up to the rest of the group.

"I-I just... Tseng seems so... _you_ know..." Elena replied, awkwardly. For some reason, she'd just assumed that Tseng wasn't _involved_ with anyone. He'd certainly never mentioned a girlfriend or even just a casual lover... not that she'd ever pried quite _that_ deeply into his personal life.

"Tch... What? Ya thought the poor guy was celibate all this time or somethin'?" Reno asked, teasingly, "I mean... Tseng's not exactly the type of guy who'll hook up with someone he picked up at the bar, but he does _occasionally_ get laid."

"But... then why doesn't he talk about her?"

Reno shrugged. "It's not really that kinda relationship. Him and Viridia'd be damn good together if they weren't both already married to their jobs... but it's just an arrangement they have. They're human. Humans like to fuck every once in awhile. They like each other, they've got a lot of shit in common... but the job comes first and always will for both of 'em."

"Actually kinda makes them perfect for each other," Rude observed, and his partner was quick to nod his agreement.

"Okay..." Elena replied, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Tseng in a relationship... of _any_ kind. Though, when she thought about it, she really couldn't quite put a finger on why it seemed so strange. Like Reno had said... Tseng was only human. "So... How long have they been... er... together?"

Reno glanced at Rude. "You'd know better than me..."

"Not really. I was only promoted what... four months before you were recruited?" The bald Turk shrugged. "It was already going on before that..."

"Huh... Well, guess we'll just say better part of eleven years, then."

Elena blinked in surprise and came to a sudden stop. "E-eleven _years_?!" she very nearly shouted.

"Fuck, 'Lena... keep it down a little, will ya?" the redhead snickered. "I don't think Tseng'd be too thrilled if half the base overheard you gossipin' about his sex life..."

She glared at him, but her heart really wasn't in it. The response only caused her boyfriend to smirk.

"You're telling me..." she said, dropping her voice obligingly, "That Tseng has been seeing someone for at least eleven years... and I'm somehow only hearing about it _now_?" She groaned softly and shook her head. "Why didn't you two assholes ever _tell_ me that back when I was a stupid little rookie practically throwing myself at him every chance I got?!"

"Well, for one thing, it was fuckin' hilarious watchin' you trip all over yourself tryin' to impress him," Reno said, grinning, which earned him a much harsher glare from the woman.

"For another... they're not really together," Rude added. "It's more of a preference for each other than a commitment. Figured you had as much a chance as anyone else..."

"Well... _woulda_ had a chance, if you were even remotely his type," the redhead commented.

She placed her hands on her hips as the entourage paused and began to file into the administration building. "And just what's _that_ supposed to mean?" she asked, vaguely insulted.

"Just that you're a romantic and Tseng's all business."

"So what's that make you?" Rude pointedly asked the redhead, and Elena couldn't help but giggle when Reno looked affronted.

"I'm plenty romantic."

His partner smirked and turned to Elena. "What's the last romantic thing he did for you? And sex doesn't count."

"Umm..." To be honest, things had been a little too busy lately... even before president's death and the bombings and the pillar. As much as she hated to admit it, it really had been quite some time since they'd been able to do something big and romantic just for themselves. There were lots of little things he did, though... nearly every day. Probably more than she even realized, she suddenly thought, as she caught sight of the slightly wounded expression he now wore. She smiled warmly. "Oh, leave him alone, Rude. Like he said... He's plenty romantic."

Further conversation on the subject had to wait, however, as they walked through the doors. The military escort broke off, leaving the Turks to continue on with Rufus upstairs.

"Well?" the President asked, as they reached his office, "Just how much of a waste of time is this welcoming parade going to be?"

"I've requested that it be kept as short as possible due to the potential security threat," Tseng replied.

Rufus snorted softly. "That bastard Sephiroth finally does something useful. I assume it will be televised?"

"Yes, sir," Rude replied. Rufus took a seat at his desk and leaned back in the leather chair, steepling his fingers in front of him.

"Good. The sooner everyone is aware that I'm in charge of Shinra now, the better. If that's all settled, let's move on to more important matters, shall we? Where is Sephiroth, and where is he going next?"

"As I mentioned, base security is looking into that as we speak, and I will be joining them as soon as we're finished. Thus far, we haven't turned up anything, unfortunately."

"Unacceptable. I want him found. I don't care what you have to do or who you have to eliminate. I want that murdering bastard found and dealt with."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

"It may also interest you to know that Professor Hojo is no longer in the employ of Shinra Company," Rufus continued, a deep frown darkening his features.

"Sir?" Tseng queried, obviously caught off-guard. It took Elena by surprise as well, and judging by the looks on the other two men's faces, neither of them had heard anything about this either.

"You'll recall I had a meeting scheduled with him shortly after you left," the executive continued, and Tseng nodded. "He had some... interesting... theories about Sephiroth. At the end of the meeting, he tendered his resignation."

"Why would he do something like that?" Elena asked.

"I got the distinct impression that he wanted to pursue his own research rather than continue focusing on current Shinra projects."

"Just what sort of theories did he mention, sir?" Tseng asked, suspiciously.

"I'd be tempted to say it was utter nonsense... but Hojo has done far stranger things in his time with the company..." Rufus replied, and folded his arms across his chest. "The lunatic claims that the man who murdered my father wasn't Sephiroth at all... but some sort of 'clone' from a years-old experiment that had inexplicably awakened."

"A clone? Tch... knew the guy was nuts, but... you're not seriously tellin' us you think there might be more than one Sephiroth out there, are ya?" Elena couldn't help but share some of Reno's skepticism. The very idea bordered on unbelievable.

Rufus shook his head. "They're not clones in that sense, apparently."

"They?" the Wutaiian Turk asked, cringing slightly.

The President produced a thick folder from his briefcase and handed it to Tseng. It was labeled 'Project Jenova'.

"Some light reading for you," he said, smirking, "The short of it is that Hojo took mako-enhanced cells from Sephiroth, along with cells from the Jenova specimen, and implanted them in other test subjects in the hopes of creating more soldiers like him. The experiment seemed to be a failure, and after Sephiroth's apparent death, it was drastically scaled back and later discontinued entirely... but recently, some of those test subjects have been exhibiting unusual behavior."

"Oh... terrific. Lemme guess. They're goin' around stabbin' people?" Reno quipped.

"No. It began with symptoms much like those associated with mako poisoning. So much so that Hojo apparently dismissed the initial reports as fallout from the reactor bombings. Apparently some of his former subjects were living in Sector 1. They're the ones he heard from first. Later, it became more of a compulsion than an illness. They want to go somewhere... but they don't seem to know where, and so they are rendered largely incapacitated. Some of them have spoken of a 'Reunion'."

Tseng flipped through the folder, scanning the information. There was quite a bit of it... it would take him awhile to get through it properly.

"A reunion of what?" Elena asked, curious.

"He claimed not to know," Rufus replied. "I doubt very much that he's completely clueless, however. Our priority is still stopping Sephiroth and making him answer for what he's done, but should you come across Hojo during the search... and I have plenty of reason to believe you will as I'm inclined to believe that he, too, is trying to locate our quarry... I want to know what he's _really_ up to."

"Yes, sir," Tseng replied, grimly.

"I've ordered Heidegger to have the Highwind airship prepped and ready for us. We'll leave as soon as the parade is over." Tseng began to object, but the young executive quickly silenced him. "I _will_ be coming with you."

"Sir... we don't even have a destination yet..." he said, tucking the folder under one arm.

"Oh... but we do," Rufus replied, a faint grin crossing his face. "Really, I don't know why you Turks make what you do out to be so difficult... I seem to be doing a far superior job of it today. Hojo believes that Sephiroth... or his clone... or whoever it might be... is heading for a place called the Temple of the Ancients. An old Cetra settlement we discovered not long ago on an island just west of Mideel. Unfortunately we were unable to explore it too deeply. The entrance is sealed by some unknown force, and the archaeological team's efforts to force their way in... didn't end well, I'm afraid. We lost three of them, and the ones who survived refused to return. We ultimately had to falsify documentation of the site's location, because Mideelian authorities tried to get involved. They wanted to inspect the temple... We sent them to some ruins in eastern Mideel and paid off the remaining workers to keep them quiet."

Elena felt a chill run down her spine. Surely he couldn't be talking about...

"S-sir?" she asked, hesitantly, "How long ago was this?"

Rufus glanced over at her, somewhat annoyed at being interrupted. "Several months... Not long before last Christmas, I believe. Just before the weather turned."

She felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, but somehow managed to school her expression into something vaguely neutral, nodding her understanding. The President's eyed her, oddly, but seemed to dismiss her strange reaction, and continued.

"I don't know what he wants at that temple, but Hojo believes he's heading there."

"And that's where you propose we go as well, I take it?" Tseng asked.

"No. First, we're going to the Gold Saucer."

All four Turks seemed to pause, not certain how to respond. It was Reno who finally broke the silence.

"Not that I'd mind a little vacation, but... uh... seriously?"

"We're _going_ there to speak to Dio, you single-minded idiot. The archaeological team said the carvings at the site spoke of a 'Keystone' that would open the gates. If anyone would have information on such an artifact..."

"It would be Dio..." Tseng finished for him. Rufus nodded and glanced down at his watch.

"If we're agreed, then, let's get these formalities over and done with. I don't want to remain in Junon a moment longer than necessary."

"Yes, sir... I'll escort you to the parade vehicle. The rest of you, take a look around the market area and see what you can find out. Lieutenant Commander Nacelle's personnel are stretched thin covering the parade route. She could use some extra help with the investigation."

"We're on it, Boss," Reno said with a nod. Tseng and Rufus hurried out of the office, leaving them to themselves. The redhead frowned and turned to Elena. "Okay, 'Lena... the fuck was that all about? Ya looked like you'd seen a ghost there for a minute."

"I just... I never bothered to ask about the details," she said faintly. "I knew there was an accident, but..."

"What's she talking about?" Rude asked. Reno shook his head.

"No idea... Sorry, 'Lena, but you're gonna have to give us a little more to work with here..."

"Bel," she replied, her throat suddenly dry, "It was Bel's team... It had to be."

"Ah, fuck... Forgot. Happened in Mideel, didn't it?"

Elena nodded. That's what she'd been told, at any rate. And she hadn't thought to question it until now. But it fit a little too perfectly. The timing was right. And she knew that two other people, besides her brother, had died... Rufus has specifically said the team had lost three members. And if Shinra had covered up the site's real location, there was really no reason for _her_ to have been told so at the time.

"Uh... Give us a few minutes, will ya, partner? We'll catch up to ya at the bar off the main drag..."

"... Sure."

Rude noiselessly slipped out of the office, leaving the pair on their own. Elena felt the redhead's arms wind around her, pulling her gently against his chest.

A part of her wanted to cry. It was a wound that had taken months to heal and still hurt from time to time... and this had opened it back up again. In a way, suddenly learning that there was more to Bel's death than she'd been told felt like losing him all over again.

The rest of her stubbornly refused to give into tears. Not now. She couldn't let her own problems overwhelm her, even for an instant. Not when Reno was still so precariously balanced between coming to terms with what he'd had to do in Sector 7 and drowning in the guilt of it. There was nothing she could do for Bel... and there was no sense in crying over something she couldn't change. Reno needed her to be stronger than that.

"I'm alright," she said, reigning herself in and forcing a strength into her voice that she didn't entirely feel at the moment.

"You sure? Rude can start talkin' to people without us, if ya need to just –"

"Really. I'm okay. It was just a little bit of a shock, that's all," she assured him... and attempted to assure herself. She eased herself out of his grasp and nudged him toward the door. "Come on... Rude can't do everything himself."

* * *

"There are sharpshooters here," she said, pointing to the map on the table with a gloved finger, "Here... here, here, and here. I've also ordered the barricades moved back an extra six feet on both sides. There will be two squadrons in front, and an additional two behind the presidential vehicle, and extra security personnel throughout the crowd."

Rufus sighed. "Commander, your paranoia _may_ actually rival that of my Turks."

"Sir, I was only –"

"Yes, yes... Frankly I don't care that much about the details. If the pair of you feel the need to surround me with armed guards, so be it. I prefer to simply get this admittedly necessary, but no less tedious, display over with. I'm returning to my private quarters for some lunch before the spectacle. I'm sure Tseng will be more than willing to sign off on whatever arrangements still need to be made."

"Sir..." the Turk leader began, only to be silenced by a gesture from Rufus.

"I'm well aware that my father tended to be something of a control freak about this sort of idiocy. I, however, prefer to delegate to people whom I can trust to see to things without my constant input. And besides which, I'm hungry. Come and find me when we're ready to start."

"Yes, sir," Tseng replied. The President said nothing further... simply turned on his heel and headed back to the elevator that would take him upstairs.

"Arrogant little shit, isn't he?" Lieutenant Commander Nacelle said once he was gone. The Turk chuckled softly.

" _That_ he most certainly is. But I _am_ still rather fond of him. Let's try and keep him alive, shall we?"

"What do you think the odds are that Sephiroth... or this person you _claim_ to be Sephiroth... will try to attack him?" Viridia asked.

"Fairly slim... but given the abilities that made him famous, I think it better to err on the side of caution. I take it you're not entirely convinced he is who we think he is?"

The woman rolled up the map, tucking it back into it's case. "I knew Sephiroth. I fought under his command for a short time towards the end of the Meaningless War and I'm not ashamed to admit that he was a hero of mine. He was _nothing_ if not loyal and honorable. It's just very hard for me to imagine that he could change so drastically."

"There's a great deal about this situation that we still don't know," he admitted, "And there are, in fact, a handful of other possibilities. But it seemed the wisest course of action to assume the worst. And Sephiroth being alive, turning traitor, and attacking his former allies certainly qualifies."

"And President Rufus called _me_ paranoid," she said with a smirk, which Tseng quickly mirrored.

"I'm quite certain he called us _both_ paranoid."

Viridia laughed, and for a moment, Tseng found himself wanting nothing more than to be sitting somewhere comfortable, talking to her about just about anything else. She was a rarity in his world. A woman who took her duties just as seriously as he did and who understood the sacrifices his job required because hers required much the same. On top of that, she was intelligent and quick-witted and not afraid to get her hands dirty and... staring at him with an amused smile on her lips.

He quickly realized that he'd zoned out a bit.

"I think we've covered all our bases at this point," she said, "We have some time yet before the parade. What do you say we follow the President's lead and get something to eat?"

"I... Yes. If... you'd like," Tseng replied, stammering slightly, which only seemed to broaden her smile. Disarming. He'd forgotten disarming in his mental list of her attributes. Viridia gestured down the hall and he silently followed her lead.

"You know, Tseng... I almost get the impression that you've missed me," she teased.

"It _has_ been quite some time..." The pair slowly made their way to the base's mess hall. Crowded and noisy, a number of the off-duty troops were lining up for lunch already. She picked up a tray from the stack and got in line, Tseng behind her.

"Will you be staying in Junon long?" she asked, casually... though he didn't miss the somewhat hopeful glance at accompanied the question.

"It seems not. Rufus plans to depart immediately after the parade."

He caught a brief flash of disappointment in her eyes, but she didn't voice it. Instead, she set her tray on the counter, letting the kitchen staff fill it for her. He did the same, and trailed her as she found an empty table in a corner of the open space. Tseng set his tray in front of him, and picked up his silverware. Though rather industrial-looking, the fare certainly didn't _smell_ half bad.

"You lucked out," Viridia proclaimed, "Mondays are by far the best meals of the week around here. You get to enjoy the mashed potatoes before they've had a chance to congeal. They're _almost_ not glue quite yet."

"How fortunate for me," Tseng laughed softly and dug in. He had a feeling Rude would not have been quite as complimentary... but he'd certainly had worse at the Shinra Building's cafeteria.

"It's a shame you're going to miss dinner, though. I'd very much like to hear your opinion on our chef's interpretation of Wutaiian spicy beef. Frankly, I'm not entirely convinced it's either Wutaiian _or_ beef... it's so spicy, you really can't make out much in the way of flavor. Or texture. Actually, it's largely just an exercise in self-inflicted pain."

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm less than disappointed at missing out..." he said, dryly. "Though it _is_ a pity I won't be staying a bit longer. You were teasing me earlier, but I _have_ in fact missed your company."

"Well... I suppose on the bright side, I _won't_ have to worry about that redhead of yours continuing to work his way through the female barracks tonight. I've already had to assign six privates to cleaning details for running a betting pool this morning. They were taking bets on who would be waking up next to him tomorrow. Apparently the odds favor Lieutenant Mason from Squad Eight."

Tseng laughed, reaching for the bread roll on his tray. "I'm afraid the odds are going to disappoint."

"Oh? Not that I'd ever encourage gambling on base, but if you have some inside information..."

"Mmm... I know precisely who Reno will be waking up next to. And I'm afraid your troops will have to find something new to bet on. My lieutenant is spoken for... indefinitely."

Viridia gave a soft snort of disbelief. "Sephiroth magically coming back to life I can believe. _Reno Donovan_ finding someone to keep him honest is a bit much to swallow."

"But nonetheless true. Believe me, no one was more shocked than I was when I first found out... He's very much in love."

She cocked her head, studying him for a moment. "You're really serious, aren't you? Shinra's resident pervert _actually_ found someone capable of taming him?" Her expression turned suspicious. "Just how _long_ had he been 'spoken for'? A few days? A week? You'll have to forgive me if I have my doubts about something _this_ miraculous..."

Tseng smiled and shook his head. "I believe they're somewhere in month three at this point..."

"Well, I'll be damned... Let me guess. Some pretty little blonde secretary with more breasts than brains."

"Viridia..."

"Alright, alright... I'm sorry. I know he's not really _that_ shallow. She _is_ a blonde, though, I'll bet."

The Turk leader took a bite of the roast beef on his plate to mask a chuckle. "Yes... she _is_ a blonde. I thought you were _against_ betting."

"Only for the lower ranks."

"Ah... Of course."

The security chief eyed him patiently for a few more moments, but he held his tongue, waiting for her to ask. He didn't have to wait long.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" he replied, innocently.

"You're lucky you're not under my command, Tseng. I'd have you scrubbing toilets for such a blatantly insubordinate answer."

"Elena," he finally responded, smiling.

"The rookie?" she asked, frowning, "You allow fraternization like that?"

"She's no longer a rookie... She was promoted a short while ago. And in any case, the Turks are not the military, Viridia... We have different rules."

"Fair enough." She leaned forward, propping her chin on one hand, and smirked. "There are going to be some very disappointed soldiers when they find out. Hmph... and some very _relieved_ COs."

* * *

Reno glanced up, his gaze locking onto the door. He could have sworn...

"What's wrong?" Elena asked. The redhead watched a moment longer before turning back to his beer. Normally, drinking on duty was frowned upon... but the two of them were supposed to be blending in and collecting information. Sitting at the bar, _not_ drinking, would have looked a little out of place.

"Nothin'... Seein' things, I guess. Coulda sworn I just caught sight of that asshat, Cloud, standin' in the doorway a second ago."

"Should we check? We ran into them in the mines. They know Sephiroth was headed here."

He shook his head. Sephiroth was the priority... not those Avalanche bastards. Besides which, Tseng seemed to think they might come in handy later. No sense tipping them off that they'd been noticed.

"They're not our problem unless they _make_ themselves our problem." He nodded toward the bottle in front of her. "Finish that... Parade's gonna be startin' soon. We'll go see if Rude's turned up anything, and then report back to the boss."

Their own brief investigation had been less than fruitful. Everyone seemed to be talking about either the President's parade or the murders that morning. It was the latter that interested them more, but they hadn't heard anything they didn't already know. Well... that and quite a bit of wild speculation. Some of the rumors were downright laughable.

One very, _very_ drunk sailor had even claimed that he _had_ seen Sephiroth, and that he'd transformed himself into his ship's first mate right before his eyes, uniform and all just materializing around him. He claimed that he'd played dead himself rather than be silenced by the legendary Soldier and then run straight to the bar to 'calm his nerves'.

Reno tilted his head back, draining what was left in the bottle and waited for Elena to do the same... albeit much more slowly than he'd done.

"Ready to go?" he asked, and she nodded. He lead her out into the alleyway in search of his partner. They'd met up at the bar, but parted ways again shortly after, deciding that they'd have more success if they covered as much ground as possible. If he knew Rude, he'd be paying a little visit to his 'club' by now. He strode towards the door of an unassuming little weapon's shop.

"Why are we going in here?" Elena asked, and the redhead grinned.

"'Cause this is Rude's favorite hangout in Junon. If he wants information, this is where he'd go."

"... A weapons shop?" The confusion was evident in her voice.

"Not exactly..." He slipped past the door to the shop and continued on, down a dark staircase. The air smelled faintly of cigarettes. A moment later, he and Elena emerged in a dimly lit bar. Unsurprisingly, he soon spotted Rude at a table off to one side.

The Ragged Chocobo was a little different from Junon's other establishments. It catered to a very select crowd... People like Rude, who could handle the hardest liquor and the most shots. He, himself, had a bit of a reputation here, as well... but it was more Rude's scene than his. The Chocobo didn't see a whole lot of female patrons. He'd always preferred the the base's more mainstream bar or the little pub down in Lower Junon.

"Who's winnin'?" he asked, casually strolling up to the table.

"Who do you think?" his partner replied, downing one of the shots from the pool at the center of the table and turning the glass upside down in front of him with the rest of his collection.

"Hate ta drag you away from a good time, but the boss is gonna be pissed if we're late."

There was a collective groan from the other five men around the table, along with various requests for him to stick around anyway. Rude shrugged, and downed one more shot, earning a cheer from his drinking buddies, before turning and following the pair back upstairs.

"Find out anything interesting?" Reno asked once they were topside again.

"One of the men Sephiroth killed was a regular. He was at the Chocobo until three this morning. They found the bodies at six."

"Which narrows down Sephiroth's window of opportunity, but doesn't really tell us much else..." It was something at least. Better than his drunken sailor's shape-shifting Sephiroth theory.

"Also found out we've got some company. Spotted Cloud Strife... wearing a Shinra military uniform."

"Fuck... I _thought_ I saw his spiky ass a little while ago."

"Where do you think the rest of them are?" Elena asked. That was a good question. Reno doubted that the former Solider was here on his own. And if he was hiding in plain sight, disguised as a member of the Shinra troops, odds were good the rest of Avalanche was as well.

"Don't know... but that's somethin' we better tell Tseng sooner rather than later. We're only s'posed to leave 'em be if they're not in the way. Kinda sounds like they might be thinkin' of _gettin'_ in the way." He glanced over at Rude. "How ya doin' after all those shots?"

"... Probably shouldn't be the one driving Rufus' car in the parade. Otherwise, I'm good."

* * *

"Five minutes!" a young captain called out. Rufus sighed and shook his head, before climbing into the back of the gray open-top car. It had been a favorite of his father's for functions like this, and the base commander had all but insisted on using it. In Rufus' opinion, it was disgustingly old-fashioned.

"We'll proceed down the main strip to the tram. All you have to do is wave to the crowd, and thank the escort platoons at the end of the route."

The President snorted softly. "That's it?"

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Commander Nacelle replied. "Tseng and I agreed that things should be kept brief. Assuming no interruptions, the entire procession shouldn't take more than ten minutes."

He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved. When he was younger, he loved the parades. His father had arranged one when he'd been named vice president... and one every year after on his birthday. As he got older, he had complained endlessly about them... but on some level, he still enjoyed the attention. In fact, he was all but certain that was why his father kept insisting on them. Not merely for the publicity, as the man often claimed.

This would be the first one he'd be riding in without him. He quickly decided he was more relieved than disappointed.

"Very well," he replied. "Let's get this over with."

Rufus had had his differences with his father... particularly since that she-witch, Juliet, had gotten her hooks into him a few years back... but he had never thought that he suddenly wouldn't have the chance to sort things out with him. He regretted much of what had landed him in such a position. He'd been a stubborn, entitled brat, plain and simple. If he'd had just a little more humility, things might have ended differently. But it was much too late now.

"Sir." Rufus glanced up and found Tseng tucking his shotgun into the car beside him. "If you're going to insist upon taking a more active role in our pursuit of Sephiroth, _I'm_ going to insist that you get into the habit of being armed at all times."

"And just how is _that_ meant to protect me from the greatest Soldier Shinra ever produced?"

"It's not... Sephiroth isn't the only danger we're liable to run into," Tseng cautioned, "Just the biggest." He slipped into the driver's seat in front of the executive. A few moments Elena joined him.

"I'm beginning to think you may have more interest in _me_ than the slum rat... You certainly do seem to be going out of your way to be around me lately."

"Only because I never seem to win the coin toss, sir," she responded, unperturbed, garnering a slightly surprised look from the Turk leader. Rufus rolled his eyes, but smirked when she turned around. He had to admit, he rather liked her. She was much like the slum rat, but less obnoxiously smug... and a bit more easily flustered. A challenge to goad, but not an impossible one like her precious little redhead.

"Sir, Reno wanted me to tell you that we spotted Avalanche on base," Elena said, turning to her superior. "Well... Strife, at least. But the rest of them must be here, too. He and Rude are keeping an eye out for them on the street."

"Noted. I don't think they'll bother us, however."

The car started forward out of the garage, following slowly behind the first two platoons escorting them. As they turned down the main strip, the crowd lining the street cheered.

* * *

Neither he nor Rude had been able to spot any members of Avalanche in the crowd... and not for lack of trying. He'd started moving through the throngs of onlookers fifteen minutes ago and covered his side of the street twice now. They were nowhere to be found. Neither, for that matter, was their primary target... which, frankly, was a pretty big relief. Taking on Sephiroth wasn't exactly at the top of his things-I'm looking-forward-to-doing list. He rather enjoyed being alive.

His attention was drawn to the street as the music picked up, and the first group of soldiers filed past in perfect formation. A near-identical group came next, and then the car carrying Rufus turned the corner and joined them. Reno snickered softly watching the young President waving to the spectators. Judging by the look on his face, he was enjoying himself. The redhead had always known his supposed hatred of these sorts of events was complete bullshit.

He had to hand it to the guy, though... Sephiroth was very possibly still here – could even be targeting him, for all they really knew – and _he_ looked like he didn't have a care in the world. For a spoiled, rich little pain in the ass, the man had balls.

The car passed by, followed by a small regiment of chocobo-mounted infantry, and then another group on foot. At that point, Reno suddenly found his attention drawn to an alleyway to his left, where a captain in full dress uniform was nervously hissing hushed orders to three soldiers who had accompanied him.

"Oh, man... The base commander is gonna have my head if he finds out we were late... Hurry up! Just slip in at the back of the next formation before anyone notices!"

Reno snickered quietly as two of the soldiers managed to fall in line at the back with relative ease. The third, however, came dangerously close to tripping over his own two feet, and then couldn't seem to get in step with the rest of the men. He distinctly heard the captain, still back in the alley, groan before hurrying out himself and finding a spot in the parade.

By then, Rufus' car was more than halfway along the route. The redhead casually pushed his way past the people lining the barricades, making his way toward the tram, where he and Rude would meet up with the rest of them. It took a little longer than he'd expected it to.

By the time he _did_ arrive, Rufus looked extraordinarily pissed off...

"What happened to my airship?" he asked, flatly, eyes narrowed at Heidegger. Reno blinked in surprise... he hadn't known his department head had decided to come to the parade. Though he probably should have just assumed he would. Heidegger seldom missed an opportunity to suck up to the boss.

"It's still being prepared, sir. It should be ready in... er... about three more days?" he replied, and laughed nervously. Rufus, on the other hand, didn't look at all amused.

"What about the Gelnika?"

"It... crashed on a test flight yesterday. It's at the bottom of the ocean." More nervous laughter was heard from the man, and Rufus took a rather threatening step towards him.

"Stop that stupid horse laugh," he hissed. "Things are going to be different than when Father was in charge..."

For the first time Reno had ever witnessed in his entire career as a Turk, Heidegger actually looked cowed.

"The ship, then," Rufus continued, "Or has _that_ managed to sink itself as well?"

"Uh... Yes, sir. I... uh... I mean no, sir. I'll have the dock personnel prepare it to disembark as soon as possible."

"How long?"

"Tomorrow morning, sir."

Rufus scowled and turned sharply towards the waiting tram car, boarding it without further discussion. Reno caught sight of Elena just beyond the doorway, and she hurriedly waved for him to get on board... but Heidegger attempted to follow the President first, and the angry executive slammed the door shut behind him, effectively locking the man out. Moments later, the tram car started upward, back to the administration building.

"Guess we're walking," a familiar voice to his right said, startling him slightly, and leaving him wondering where the hell he'd come from.

"You been takin' lessons from Tseng or somethin', partner?"

Rude just smirked.

"Tch... Whatever. Better be quick about it. Mood Rufus is in, he'll probably be ticked at _us_ next for missin' the fuckin' tram."

* * *

"Of all the idiotic, incompetent, useless..."

"Sir... Calm down," Tseng chided. He was seated calmly at the back of the tram car. "It's only a minor delay, and it gives us some extra time to plan our next move."

"I gave that bumbling moron _one_ simple task to complete! Have the Rumah-forsaken airship ready! That was _all_ he had to do!"

"Yes, sir."

"Sir? Why can't we just take the helicopter?" Elena asked. Tseng shook his head in the negative.

"Because the executive helicopter doesn't have the range... It simply wasn't built for long, trans-ocean flights."

"And Ifrit forbid any of the _base's_ helicopters be available," Rufus spat, angrily. "They're all out on 'supply runs' to other installations. The closest one is in Costa del Sol right now. We'll have to go and pick it up. Or wait for it to be brought back here. Either way, we won't be leaving today."

"Eventually we'll need something a bit more robust anyway. From the reports I've read, the area around the temple is so densely forested, one of our military helicopters wouldn't be able to land, and they don't carry enough fuel to continuously hover while we explore the ruins. They would have to find port in Mideel and wait for us to call them back. I don't like the idea of being stranded in such a place. The Highwind, on the other hand, can stay aloft for weeks at a time. Or the Gelnika Rufus mentioned could have landed on the water at the island's shore," the Turk leader added.

The tram shuddered to a halt at the top of the track, and Elena opened the door.

"Ya coulda fuckin' waited for us," Reno greeted her, grinning widely, and she jumped in surprise.

"I-I... When... How did you _beat_ us here? You were down on the platform! I saw you you!"

Rufus rolled his eyes as he pushed past the pair and made his way into the building. The redhead, meanwhile, chuckled quietly. The Turk leader disembarked a moment later.

"Reno... I'm quite certain you have been told repeatedly not to –"

"You!" a new voice interrupted, and Tseng turned his attention on the very angry base security chief that was storming towards them. "Exactly how many times do I have to tell you to keep off the transit supports!?"

"Uh oh... Thought she rode up with _you_ guys..." Reno muttered. Viridia openly glared at him, and pointed to the tramway.

"Those supports are _not_ your personal jungle gym. Use the tram or stairs like a normal human being, or I'm revoking your access to the base indefinitely."

Elena followed the woman's finger, eying the supports she was referring to. "You _climbed_ that?" she demanded, smacking him soundly in the ribs. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Ow! Geez, 'Lena... That actually hurt. It's just a little fun... Come on... I do it all the time," he replied, dismissively, hands held up placatingly.

"Which you know damn well you're not supposed to," Viridia cut in, snapping a pair of handcuffs on him.

"H-hey! What dya think you're doin'?"

"Placing you under arrest for violating base safety protocols. You can think about all the 'fun' you had in one of my detention cells."

"Boss?" he called back over her shoulder as the lieutenant commander began to drag him off. "Little help?"

"And interfere with Lieutenant Commander Nacelle's duties? I think not," the Wutaiian Turk replied with a hint of a smirk. Reno groaned.

"Sir? Can she do that?" Elena asked, concerned.

"As a matter of fact... yes," Tseng said, smiling openly now. "Viridia has authority even over us in matters of base security."

She frowned, staring after the redhead.

"Don't worry. She never keeps him locked up for long. We'll go and retrieve him for dinner later. It serves him right, anyway... He's been repeatedly warned not to do that. It's dangerous."

Right about then, Rude appeared, exiting the staircase that led upwards from the lower levels of the base, looking slightly winded after his own climb. He took in scene in front of him and listening as the redhead continued to protest even after Viridia shoved him through a nearby doorway. His complaints were finally silenced as the door closed behind them.

"What'd I miss?"

* * *

"Ow... ow... ow! Take it easy, will ya?" Reno protested as the woman forced him into the security office and finally released her grip on his arm. She unlocked the cuffs, and pointed to the desk.

"You know the drill by now, I'm sure."

The redhead sighed. "We really doin' this?"

Viridia folded her arms across her chest and glowered at him.

"Tch... Fine," he muttered and started emptying his pockets into the tray. His EMR and side-arm were the first to go, followed by his wallet and lighter, and a few other things. "There. Happy?"

The woman said nothing... simply escorted him to a cell and locked him in. She took a seat at the desk and pulled the tray towards her.

"Ah, come on... You're seriously gonna log it? You're letting me outta here in an hour or two anyway... All you're doin' is makin' more work for yourself."

"And ensuring that this latest infraction is added to your already lengthy record of misconduct on base," she replied with a smile, picking up a small tablet. "Let's see what we've got today..."

Reno rolled his eyes and took a seat on the cot at the back of the cell. If he'd known she was watching he wouldn't have made that climb. He'd been in trouble for doing it more times than he could count. Really, the only reason he'd done it _this_ time was to try and get a laugh out of Elena went he beat her to the top. He had a feeling that finding out that new information about Bel's death earlier had hit her a little harder than she'd let on. He'd only been trying to cheer her up a little.

"One Shinra-issue electro-mag rod..." Viridia stated, extending it with a sharp flick of her wrist.

"You break it, you bought it..."

She snorted a soft laugh, entering the item into her inventory.

"One nine millimeter semi-automatic handgun... with spare clip."

He laid back, crossing his legs at the ankle, and folded his hands behind his head, watching her through the bars. "Careful with that. Don't wanna shoot your eye out or somethin'."

"I think I can handle it," Viridia shot back. "One beat-up, extremely tacky, silver-plated cigarette lighter."

"Hey... Fuck you. That was gift." Lira had given it to him years ago... It had been a present in honor of his being recruited into the Turks. She hadn't been working for Corneo very long, and didn't have a lot of cash at the time, so yeah... even being the best she could afford, it was kind of cheap. But it was surprisingly reliable, and it meant a lot to him. Especially now, given that she very well might never speak to him again.

"One PHS. One... ugh... What in Shiva's name _is_ this?"

Reno raised his head slightly, and laughed. "Heh... yeah. That. Kinda forgot about that."

"What _is_ it?" she repeated, looking disgusted, as she held up the small plastic bag.

"Ah, relax. They're just those chocolate covered mini donuts. I brought 'em along for a snack. Looks like they got a little squished. And melty."

"One bag of... donut remains," she noted, logging it. Viridia picked up his wallet and opened it. "One brown leather wallet containing one Shinra employee ID card, one credit card... one loyalty card for Pietro's Pizza, one hundred fifty-seven gil in cash, and... oh, how pretty. One photo of you and a _very_ attractive fellow redhead. Maybe I should show this to your alleged girlfriend."

Reno snickered loudly. "Look a little closer, Commander. That _is_ my 'alleged girlfriend'. And I'd appreciate havin' _that_ back if you're serious about keepin' me in here 'til Tseng decides to come spring me."

She stood and walked over to the cell, photo in hand, and held it out to him... only to snatch it back the moment he reached for it. "Sorry... no contraband in the cells."

"Fuck, Vir... Why ya so pissed at me today? You're not usually _this_ vindictive when I break your precious rules..."

"Hmph... Maybe you've finally pushed your luck too far, Turk," she replied, eying him with annoyance. Her expression softened slightly at the pleading look she received in return. "Oh, alright. You can keep the picture."

She offered it to him again. Reno took it back and settled back on the cot, looking at the image with a faint smile on his face, before tucking it carefully into his breast pocket.

"So... You and the new girl, huh? How'd _that_ happen?" she asked, moving back to her desk and taking a seat at the computer to finish her arrest report.

"Heh... You get off on hearin' about other people's sex lives or somethin'? Or just lookin' for somethin' new to try with the boss?"

Viridia's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to voice her opinion on that question.

"Yeah, yeah... don't start screamin'," Reno hurriedly cut her off, "That was over the line. Sorry."

"That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days," she warned him.

"One of these days?" he repeated, laughing somewhat incredulously, "Commander, my mouth gets me in trouble _constantly_. Just ask Tseng. Or Rude. Or 'Lena. Or... ya know, pretty much anyone who's known me for more than five minutes..."

"... You're lucky I don't _entirely_ hate you," Viridia replied, with a quiet chuckle she tried to conceal behind a cough.

The redhead sat up again, grinning widely. "You comin' onto me, Vir? 'Cause I hate ta break it to ya, but 'Lena 'n me are the real deal. I'm not lookin' anymore."

"Forgive me if I'm less than convinced," the security chief said, dryly. "Remind me... just _how_ many times have I caught you in the women's barracks over the years?"

"Not anywhere near as many times as I've actually _been_ inthe women's barracks..." Reno replied with a lewd smile. "But I'm serious. I'm 'Lena's now. Hate to disappoint, but ya missed your chance."

"Trust me when I say I didn't 'miss' anything. She can _have_ you."

"Ouch. You really _are_ more pissed at me than usual."

Viridia sighed and shook her head, finally smiling a little herself. "No... I'm not. I'm just wound up and frustrated. I have three unsolved murders, possibly committed by someone I used to admire, plus a visiting executive and all of the associated security safeguards... _plus_ an obnoxious redhead who is a dear friend of a dear friend, and who insists on pulling idiotic and potentially fatal stunts like free-climbing the tram supports."

"Aw... You _do_ care."

"Or maybe I just don't want to be the one stuck telling Tseng that you managed to turn yourself into a street pancake."

The redhead had the decency to look chastised at that. "Point taken. I won't do it again," he replied, then added with a smirk, "This visit. Can I go now?"

"Absolutely... Just as soon as your commanding officer arrives to sign the release papers. Though given President Rufus' current mood... that might be awhile."

"... You _sure_ you don't hate me?"

* * *

"Dwelling on it won't change the fact that we're not going anywhere until morning," Tseng said, setting a cup of tea in front of the President. The younger man sneered at it.

"And that swamp water you call tea won't improve my mood... no matter how much you swear by it. I really don't know why you bother."

The Turk leader chuckled quietly and took a seat in front of the Rufus' desk. "I still hold out hope that one day you'll actually try it instead of simply glaring at it every time I offer it to you. A futile hope, perhaps, but stranger things have happened."

"Don't you have better things to do? Or have you located my father's murderer?"

"We're reasonably certain that Sephiroth is no longer in Junon. And as you seem convinced that his next destination is this Cetra temple, all we can do is wait for transportation to be arranged. It's frustrating, I realize, but that _is_ the reality of the situation."

Rufus pushed himself away from his desk and spun his chair slightly to stare out the tall windows of his office. It _had_ once been his father's office, of course... for those times when his presence was required here for more than a day or two. As soon as he'd been exiled to the military base, Rufus had claimed it as his own domain and had most of his father's possessions relocated... to a much smaller office down the hall. It had been a bit of petty revenge. If his father had ever noticed the changes, he'd never said anything.

"You miss him."

The executive didn't bother turning to look at his bodyguard.

"I hardly knew him. What is there to miss?"

"Remember who you're talking to, sir. I'm not so easily convinced by that ice-like facade you like to hide behind."

Rufus' eyes narrowed, irritated. "And remember who _you're_ talking to, Tseng. _I'm_ the one who signs your paycheck now."

"I've never done this for the money, and you know it," the Turk replied in a maddeningly calm voice.

"You don't frighten me, Rufus. You never have. There's very little you could take away from me that I would genuinely miss."

He hated it when Tseng said things like that. Not only because, as much as he hated to admit it, the man was being entirely honest, but also because it made him feel like little more than a petulant child. Tseng could easily walk away from Shinra entirely... and if necessary, probably disappear to so great an effect that even his own Turks could never find him again. The only thing really holding him here was sheer loyalty.

But just because he was right didn't mean Rufus had to acknowledge it.

"... I can think of at least _three_ things I could take from you that you might find extremely difficult to replace," he said, coldly. Not that he would ever be foolish enough to try and eliminate the people most dedicated to the company... not to mention his personal safety. But it was high time Tseng learned his place.

The Turk leader leaned forward slightly, his fingers noticeably clenching the armrests of his chair, and the younger man suddenly realized that he'd made a grave mistake.

"Sir... All games aside, I suggest you never _legitimately_ make that particular threat to me. You won't like my response."

* * *

Elena watched in silence as Rude paged through the folder Tseng had left in his care. Whatever this 'Jenova Project' was, it must have been fascinating... He'd been at it for well over an hour now, and in all that time, he hadn't looked up once.

She, meanwhile, had been unable to focus on much of anything besides the idea of Reno locked away in a cell. Her first impression of Lieutenant Commander Nacelle was shaping up to be an unpleasant one. Granted, the redhead had violated base regulations... and according to Tseng, it apparently wasn't the first time he'd been caught at it... but he wasn't really hurting anyone. Surely she could have just let him off with a warning. Or left his punishment up to Tseng. The more she thought about it, the more unfair it had begun to seem. Worse, Tseng had refused to go and ask for him back until after his meeting with Rufus. Unfortunately, that meeting was taking a lot longer than she'd expected it to.

She was really starting to wonder what Tseng saw in that woman... The Turk leader may have been very by-the-book himself, but he wasn't _unyielding_. He knew when the rules should be bent... and occasionally even ignored. This security chief, though... one minor infraction and Reno was locked up. She'd just hauled him off like a common criminal.

Right about the time her indignation had reached critical levels, their absent leader finally made his reappearance, and Rude glanced up from his reading.

"Have you learned anything interesting?"

The bald Turk smirked. " _Several_ things. I'll tell you about them later. Still have a few more pages to get through."

Tseng nodded and turned to Elena, only to stop short, eying her somewhat warily. "Something on your mind... ?" he asked.

"She's worse than Reno when it comes to waiting for something. Been pacing for the last hour and a half," Rude stated. He turned his gaze back on the classified documents, but Elena could still feel him watching her out of the corner of her eye. She glowered at him, but the man ignored it.

"Sir, Reno's been stuck in the the base's detention center for almost two _hours_ now!" she lamented, and caught the soft sound of snickering from Rude's corner of the room. "You know, he never even got to eat lunch... He's probably starving by now."

"Elena, I'm quite certain that Viridia feeds her prisoners," Tseng replied, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "And I was, in fact planning on heading over to petition for his release right now. I thought you might like to accompany me."

"Yes, sir." She sighed in relief as she followed him into the hallway and towards the elevators. She knew how she must sound, but Reno had been through so much lately. And with Lira not speaking to him now... She just didn't want any more setbacks.

"You don't need to try and shield him from everything, you know."

"Yes, sir... I know, but..."

"You can't help but worry about him."

"... Yes, sir," she replied. Sometimes she swore the man really _did_ have the psychic powers the others occasionally joked about. They stepped off of the elevator on the ground floor and Tseng paused for a moment, looking her over somewhat appraisingly.

"He's very lucky to have found you, Elena. And luckier still to have won you."

She blushed slightly, and followed him in the direction of the detention center.

* * *

"Got any threes?"

"Tch... At this point ya might as well just fuckin' take 'em all," the redhead muttered, tossing his remaining hand in her general direction.

Viridia chuckled and gathered up cards. "You're a terrible loser, you know that?"

"Only when the game's total shit to begin with. Why the fuck are we playin' Go Fish anyway? What's wrong with a little five card draw?"

She shuffled the deck once, and set it aside. "Gambling is prohibited on base. Besides... I've already got all your stuff. What are you planning on betting with?"

"What? Never heard of strip poker?" he asked, teasingly.

"I just _knew_ you were going to say that..." Viridia rolled her eyes, and leaned back in her chair. The door behind her opened, and turned to greet the new arrivals. "Well... It certainly took you long enough. I was starting to think you didn't want him back this time."

Tseng shook his head as he stepped into the room. "Tempting a prospect as that might be, I don't think Elena would allow me to abandon him to you and your cell block indefinitely. I'm not _entirely_ certain she'd have allowed for even another hour..."

"Reno!" Elena said with a relieved sigh upon seeing the redhead.

"'Bout damn time... I wasn't exactly lookin' forward to livin' on bread 'n water for the rest of my life... And Vir fuckin' cheats at her shitty little card games." He grinned and reached through the bars capturing her hand and pulling her closer. "Guess that's what I get for tryin' to make you laugh..." Reno lifted her fingers to his lips and lightly kissed each one.

"Next time, just tell me one of your awful jokes," she said, smiling.

Viridia gently nudged Tseng with her elbow. "You really _weren't_ kidding about those two, were you?" she said quietly.

"Hmph... Have you ever known _me_ to joke about anything?" he deadpanned, before flashing her a brief smile. "Now... What do I have to do to get my lieutenant back _this_ time?"

"Dinner. In town, at a restaurant of my choosing. You're paying. And I'm ordering both wine _and_ dessert, so don't think you're getting him back on the cheap."

"A rather steep price, don't you think? Perhaps I _should_ just let you keep him..."

"Hey!" the redhead shouted from the cell. Tseng chuckled and feigned a defeated sigh.

"Very well... If that's your price, I suppose I have little choice."

"Wise decision..." Viridia replied, and pulled a ring of keys from the drawer of her desk before walking across the room and unlocking the cell door. Reno slipped out, and grinning, swept Elena into his arms, lifting her off the ground.

"So... You _do_ know what the first thing a guy wants as soon as he gets outta prison is, don't you?" he teased, with a suggestive leer.

"I can guess... but in case you've forgotten, we're all sharing a room tonight," she retorted, laughing. Reno thought about it for a moment.

"I don't have a problem with that," he replied a moment later.

"The rest of us do," Tseng cut in, "Keep joking, and you can spend the night _here_ instead."

* * *

Elena woke to an empty bed... but not a cold one. Wherever Reno had disappeared to, he hadn't been gone long. She yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. It was still early... much earlier than he'd normally be up, and she hoped that it hadn't been his dreams that had awakened him.

Rude was still sound asleep across the room... though Tseng was nowhere to be seen, either. She'd fallen asleep long before he'd returned from his dinner date. Assuming he _had_ returned, she thought to herself, a small grin turning up the corners of her mouth. She quickly shook her head. Dammit, she was getting to be as bad as Reno...

She pushed aside the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, crossing the room silently on bare feet and slipping through the door that led out onto the balcony.

"Mornin'," a voice greeted her just as she slid the glass door shut behind her, making her jump in surprise.

" _There_ you are! What are you doing out here? Is everything alright?"

The redhead smiled. "Relax... I'm not freakin' out or anything. Actually slept pretty good, for a change."

"Then... why are you up so early?"

"Heh... I was just waitin' to see –" His gaze suddenly shifted to the ground below and he leaned forward over the railing for a better look. His smile widened into a deeply amused grin. "That." He pointed toward the lone figure making its way across the tarmac in the pre-dawn shadows. "Tries it every damn time..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Tseng," Reno snickered. "Every time he goes out to 'dinner' with Vir, he tries to sneak back in without us realizin' it the next mornin'. Can't let him get away with _that_ ,now can I?"

Elena giggled, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. " _That_ you'll get up early for, but if I want you to come running with me, I practically have to zap you with your own mag rod to get you out of bed?"

"Yeah... See the difference there is that I _enjoy_ teasin' the boss. Running... not so much."

She laughed and crept behind him, arms encircling his waist as she stood on her toes to let her chin rest on his shoulder. "So you _really_ slept alright?"

"Decent. Still had some dreams about Sector 7, but they didn't involve you gettin' squashed by the fuckin' plate at least. Anything else, I can handle..." He twisted in her grip so that he was facing her. "So... enough about my issues and how completely fucked up I am. You lookin' forward to a nice, _long_ boat ride?"

She couldn't help but groan. The last time she'd been on one of those huge cargo ships was their mission to Costa del Sol. It had been stormy, and they'd been tossed around relentlessly... She'd felt so sick by the end of it, she kind of never wanted to do it again.

"That a yes?" the redhead teased.

"... I think I'm going to skip breakfast. Just in case."

~fin~


	53. I'm On a Boat!

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 53: I'm On a Boat!**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Two updates in a week? What's going on? Well... I'll be out of the country for work part of next week and won't have time to write. So, I put a little extra time in last night and finished this chapter up ahead of schedule, since the next one will probably be delayed. Enjoy the early update!_

* * *

Tseng pressed the button to call the elevator, and stood, unusually impatient, waiting for it to arrive. He'd left Viridia's quarters much sooner than he would have liked, but later than he'd intended. Fortunately for him, Reno wasn't an early riser himself. If he was very, _very_ quiet, he could slip into bed before anyone realized that he'd been gone all night.

Not that his relationship with the security chief had ever been even remotely secret... but they had a six to eight hour boat ride ahead of them, and he really _didn't_ want to spend the entire time listening to Reno's less-than-subtle commentary on the subject. And there would be plenty of it, he was sure. For some reason, the redhead had always been intensely amused by the fact that his mentor was neither a virgin nor a monk. The elevator chimed and he sagged in relief as the doors opened.

It was a short-lived relief.

"Mornin' boss! You're up early..." Reno commented from inside the elevator car. He wasn't alone. Elena was with him. Tseng sighed in defeat.

"If this is going to be a _team_ effort, can I at least have breakfast before you start?"

"Start what?" the redhead asked, his face the mask of perfect innocence. He didn't dignify that with an answer, instead opting to simply brush past his protege and into the elevator, hitting the button for the floor for their assigned quarters.

"So... how was _dinner_?"

Tseng pinched the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his lieutenant was still watching him with that obnoxiously innocent expression.

"Don't you _ever_ grow bored of this?"

Reno's only reply was a wide grin. Tseng cast a pleading glance at Elena, who obligingly elbowed her boyfriend sharply in the ribs. "What?" he responded.

"You promised."

"Aw, come on, 'Lena..."

" _Reno_..." she said in a warning tone.

His shoulder's sank, and he leaned back against the wall. "Fine..." he muttered, and Tseng's eyebrows rose in surprise. It wasn't like the redhead to give in so easily, and he wondered what sort of concession she'd had to agree to in order to get him to make such a promise. Whatever it had been, he was grateful. It was much too early to put up with Reno's sense of humor. Though before he could really relax, he noticed that his youngest Turk was biting down firmly on her lower lip in an attempt to keep a straight face.

"So... how was _dinner_?" Elena asked, perfectly echoing Reno's earlier inflection, and doing her best to mirror the expression that belied the innuendo... before failing spectacularly and breaking down into a fit of nervous giggles. His lieutenant, meanwhile, simply looked on with pride.

Tseng groaned. It was going to be a _long_ boat ride.

* * *

Rude yawned and rolled over in bed. He'd never much liked the administrative guest quarters... though that was more because it usually meant sharing space with Reno, than anything else. The redhead was a night owl. And not exactly a sound sleeper when he did finally go to bed. He knew his friend didn't mean to do it, but it wasn't unusual for him to be jarred awake by Reno's nighttime restlessness.

Though this time, he mused, he'd slept like a log. Reno had abandoned his own bed and curled up with Elena... and it seemed to calm him rather drastically.

He yawned again and glanced at the clock, noting the time... It was still pretty early. His gaze drifted towards Tseng's bed, and he wasn't exactly surprised to see it empty. He really hadn't thought the Wutaiian Turk would be back from his 'dinner' with Lieutenant Commander Nacelle until closer to sunrise anyway. Reno's bed was likewise empty... not that he'd actually believed the redhead would have left his girlfriend's embrace last night for much of anything that wasn't a matter of life or death.

When his eyes drifted toward Elena's bed, however, he suddenly found himself confused, and sat up, staring. It, too was empty... though obviously slept in. Where the hell had those two taken off to now?

His first thought was that Reno had managed to talk Elena into a brief rendezvous somewhere with a little more privacy.

His second, and slightly more upsetting, thought was that Reno's nightmares had gotten the better of him and he'd made himself scarce to avoid disturbing everyone else. It wouldn't have been the first time. If Elena had woken up and found him missing, she almost certainly would have gone off in search of him.

Rude sighed and clambered out of bed, stretching stiff muscles as he did so. He wasn't getting back to sleep now... no matter how blissfully quiet and peaceful the room was without his temporary roommates.

The truth was that he'd been worried sick about the redhead ever since Elena had told him how badly he was handling things. Reno was his best friend and his brother. Seeing him in any kind of pain hurt... but in the past, that had been tempered by the simple fact that when Reno _really_ needed someone to talk to, he'd always come to him first. It eased some of Rude's worry, hearing what was on the man's mind from him directly. Now, though, Reno turned to Elena... and as much as he hated to admit it, Rude couldn't help feeling just a little jealous.

And _that_ just made him feel like a giant hypocrite, because Elena made Reno so very happy. Rude had _wanted_ that for him from the moment he'd first started to notice what was growing between the two of them. He still did. It was just a lot harder than he'd expected to let go of that part of his relationship with his friend and allow someone else to take over.

Logically, he knew Elena wasn't trying to shoulder him out of the redhead's life. And he knew that Reno wasn't _intentionally_ spending less and less time with him lately in favor of her. But he was also well aware... from personal experience... that new relationships tended to put blinders on a person. On top of that, Reno was currently dealing with some things that left him feeling very raw and vulnerable at times. Now wasn't exactly the best time for a heart to heart with his friend about his _own_ insecurities. Besides which, they were in the middle of a mission...

Though if he didn't say something soon, he worried that those minor pangs of jealousy that had been gnawing at him might grow into something harder to ignore. And he didn't want that to happen.

Rude crossed the room, with a brief glance out onto the balcony just in case they were closer than he thought, and peered out into the hallway. All was quiet... though the narrow slot of light at the bottom of the door to Rufus' quarters told him that the President was likely awake as well. Apparently _everyone_ had decided to get up before him today.

He dithered for a moment, trying to decide on a course of action. If Reno were really that upset, he'd likely seek out somewhere quiet and secluded for a little while... though, unfortunately, the same was true if he'd lured Elena off for a little tryst before the entire base was up and running. His dilemma was solved for him, however, by the unexpected chime of the elevator at the far end of the hall.

"Come on, boss, we just wanna hear how your evening went... Not like we don't _know_ what you've been up to." His eyebrows rose suggestively, and placed an arm around the Wutaiian's shoulders.

"Reno... It's far too early for this," Tseng replied, pointedly removing the other Turk from his personal space and increasing his pace. "And why do you even _care_ how Viridia and I choose to spend our time together? It's hardly a new concept for you. I don't question youand Elena about _your_ off-duty activities."

The redhead grinned, and circled him, walking backwards in front of the other man. "Only 'cause you know I'd tell ya more than you'd ever wanna hear..."

Rude rolled his eyes. He should have known... Reno seldom passed up an opportunity to call the Turk leader out on the rare occasion he actually managed to catch him doing the walk of shame the next morning. Rude stepped out of the shadows as they approached, and captured his miscreant of a partner before he could turn back around, lifting him off the ground and slinging him over his shoulder.

"H-hey!" he cried, squirming in his fellow-Turks' iron-clad grasp. Elena snickered loudly, and Tseng gave him a grateful smile.

"Good morning, Rude. I hope our return didn't wake you."

"No. I've been up for a few minutes. Was just starting to wonder where everyone disappeared to."

"Ah. Good. Well, since we're all awake, perhaps now is as good a time as any to go over the details for today... as opposed to the details of last night."

"Tch... _Before_ breakfast?" the redhead muttered from his suspended position. Rude turned and strode back into their quarters, giving his prisoner a better view of the rest of the team for a few moments.

"You weren't willing to afford _me_ the luxury of eating first..." Tseng replied, with a faint smirk, drawing a loud groan from his lieutenant. He and Elena followed, closing the door behind them. "But perhaps you're right. I certainly wouldn't mind at least some tea before delving into things... Though if I recall correctly, the mess hall won't be staffed for another hour or so."

"Not like we couldn't just pick the lock and raid the fridge..." Reno pointed out, "And will you fuckin' put me down already!? I'm not a goddamn fashion accessory."

Rude laughed quietly. "Think I'll keep you out of trouble a little longer," he replied, before glancing over at Tseng with a faint smirk. "He does have a point, though. We're not exactly talking about breaking into Viridia's quarters here..."

"Don't encourage him," Tseng said, before looking back briefly at Elena and amending, "... _Them_. Yes. I had sex last night. Are we all satisfied now?"

"Sounds like at least _one_ of us is..." Reno shot back, his lewd grin mostly hidden from view by Rude's shoulders. Rude snickered, but at the sight of Tseng's unamused glare, quickly sobered.

"So... Who wants pancakes?" he asked, before the redhead could take things too far.

* * *

"Would you prefer to have your syrup served to you in a bowl? Perhaps with a straw? Why even bother pouring it over anything?" Rufus asked, haughtily, as the redhead was pointedly drowning a stack of pancakes in the sticky liquid. He'd caught the four of them on their way downstairs... and insisted on joining them. Reno looked up, grinning.

"Texture."

The young president snorted softly. "What texture? They'll disintegrate in that much liquid."

"Not if you eat 'em fast enough..." he replied, spearing one with a fork, folding it over and shoving it into his mouth whole. Rufus turned away in disgust.

"If I'm _very_ lucky, maybe he'll choke to death..." the executive muttered, setting his sights on Tseng instead. "Is everything arranged for our departure?"

"Yes, sir," the Turk leader answered, reaching for what little remained of the syrup. "The ship will be leaving the dock at seven. The crossing will take six hours at a minimum. Longer if we hit rough weather... which is a distinct possibility. They were predicting storms when I checked in with the weather station last night. I'll request an update before we leave, but it's unlikely much has changed."

Elena groaned and pushed her plate away from her. "Maybe I really _should_ skip breakfast. After the last time, just _thinking_ about all that rocking back and forth for hours on end makes me queasy..."

"I wasn't aware you had such a weak stomach..." Rufus commented, with an amused smirk. "Seems odd for a Turk..."

"Aw, she'll be fine," said Reno. "Made it through last time, no problem..." He grinned and stabbed one of the abandoned pancakes on her plate, transferring it to the puddle of syrup on his own. "'Course she _was_ lookin' a little green by the end of it..."

"And you weren't?" she shot back. The redhead just shrugged and downed his appropriated second helping.

"Hmph... _Must've_ been bad if it was starting to get to Reno... Nothing makes _him_ sick," said Rude, who was finally sitting down to enjoy his own breakfast. He'd spent half the conversation finishing up in the kitchen and serving the rest of them.

"We should arrive in Costa del Sol early this afternoon," Tseng continued, ignoring the commentary, "I've requested that the helicopter be fueled and waiting for us. From there we'll go straight on to the Gold Saucer. You've arranged to meet with Dio already, I take it?"

"Yes. He'll be expecting me this evening. Once we've heard what he has to say, we'll determine our next steps."

"You got it worked out how we're gettin' to the temple, too?" Reno asked, and the President nodded.

"Shinra owns a small sea plane in Rocket Town... it's in the care of one of Palmer's old lackeys. Not ideal, but it will get us there and back... though hopefully by the time we're ready to _leave_ the temple, the airship will be ready to meet us. It does have rather... _limited_ capacity, however. Two of you will have to stay behind... Or one, if one of you is qualified to fly the damned thing."

"Heh... Don't look at me," said Reno. "I'm only trained on helicopters. So's 'Lena... unless she's been keepin' secrets from me."

Elena snickered and shook her head. "Sorry, but no."

"Rude?" Tseng queried. "I believe I recall _you_ having some experience in that department..."

The bald Turk shrugged. "Been awhile since I flew anything besides a copter... but yeah. I'd have to see what we're dealing with first, but I think I could probably manage."

Elena blinked in surprise. "I didn't know you knew how to fly a plane..."

"Sure," Reno cut in, swiping a second pancake from Elena's plate, "Rude's from Rocket Town originally... Half the damn population's a pilot of one kind or another. Grew up flyin' all kinds of shit."

Rude rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I flew deliveries with my dad for a year or two until I was seventeen. This idiot'd have you believe I was one of Shinra's test pilots before I joined the Turks..."

"So long as you can get us there, I really don't care if you were trained on a hot air balloon," Rufus replied.

"Alright... so assumin' we get what we need from Dio and then assumin' we make it to this temple in one piece... What the fuck do we do there? Sit around waitin' for Sephiroth to show? I mean... let's face facts here. Even four on one, the goddamned Legendary Soldier's gonna serve us our asses on a silver platter... and probably make us eat 'em while he watches."

"I've considered that," Rufus replied, "Though I did so in significantly less uncouth terms..." He calmly wiped his mouth with his napkin. " _If_ we manage to procure this... 'Keystone'... we will enter the temple and attempt to obtain whatever it is Sephiroth is interested in. In all likelihood, it's some artifact that he believes will grant him access to the Promised Land. Once it's in our possession, we can use it to lure him into a trap that evens the odds a bit. I've already placed Soldier on alert. He may be legendary, but he's hardly invincible. I'd like to see him take on the combined forces of Soldier _and_ the Shinra army..."

"And then, sir?" Tseng asked, "Assuming that we're successful... Do you intend to continue searching for the Promised Land?"

"I... suppose that depends largely on what we actually _find_ at the temple," Rufus conceded. "I'm still not _entirely_ convinced it exists... And I'm not willing to commit resources to a wild goose chase. However... should we uncover evidence to the contrary, I may yet entertain the possibility."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Elena?" Tseng responded.

"Just what does Sephiroth _want_ with the Promised Land, anyway?"

"Tch... Who knows?" Reno replied for him, "Guy wasn't exactly what ya might call 'sane' the last time anyone saw him... Probably nothin' good."

"Which raises another point," said Tseng, "Sephiroth does have a rather... bloody... history. Secondary to killing him, I strongly recommend doing whatever we can to prevent him from reaching his goal. As Reno said... it's unlikely anything good can come of it."

Rufus frowned. "You're saying we should sacrifice... _destroy_... the Promised Land, if it looks like Sephiroth might beat us to it."

"If it comes to that. It's something to consider, at least."

* * *

" _Ohhh_..."

Rude placed a hand gently between the shoulder blades of the figure hunched over the bucket. The moaning didn't seem the least bit exaggerated... and he felt decidedly sorry for his poor teammate. Tseng had been right about the weather. Things had quickly deteriorated once they'd hit the open ocean. The sky had darkened and the formerly-calm seas had become a roiling mass of waves in the blink of an eye. By now, the wind and rain were pelting the deck above them and the ship itself was rolling from side to side relentlessly.

"What an utter disgrace..." the President muttered. "I can _not_ listen to that for the next five hours..." Another pained moan cut him off at the mention of the remaining time left on their journey, and Rufus scowled. "If you need me, I'll be on the bridge. With Heidegger and Scarlet. At the moment, even _their_ company seems preferable."

"I'll accompany you, sir. I'd rather you not be unattended..." Tseng replied from his position on one of the small cots. Rufus nodded, and strode towards the door. The Turk leader turned to Rude. "Is there anything you need before I leave?"

Rude shook his head, and tried to soothe the distressed Turk who was, by now, nearly curled into a ball beside him, retching again. "I don't think there's much we can do to help. Just have to wait for things to stop moving so much."

" _Now_ , Tseng... Before this starts to make _me_ ill as well..." Rufus demanded. He pushed open the door and very nearly walked directly into Elena.

"E-excuse me, sir..." she stammered in surprise, as she hurried to steady the glass of water she was holding. He strode past her, wordlessly, Tseng in tow.

"We'll be on the bridge. Try and make him comfortable..." he said, as he followed the executive.

Elena nodded and stepped back into their room, latching the door behind her. "Is it any better?"

Reno groaned again and dared to look up at her briefly. "Does it _look_ any better?!"

"... Told you that you should've stopped after the fourth stack..." Rude commented, lightly rubbing his back. Elena made her way over, and swapped places with him.

"I brought you some water... You're going to dehydrate yourself if this keeps up."

"'Lena... I think I may have just puked up everything I ever ate and I've been dry heaving for the last ten minutes because this Ifrit-forsaken boat keeps tryin' to flip itself over. What in Ifrit's name makes you think _water's_ gonna stay down right now?" he asked, panting softly for a moment, before a fresh string of violent contractions squeezed his stomach and he lurched over the bucket again. "Oh, god," he gasped when it finally ended, "Please just make it stop..."

Elena looked over at Rude, pleadingly. "There _has_ to be _something_ we can do..."

"... I've never seen him get motion sick before... but I guess that's what happens when you eat half your body weight in pancakes and then get on a boat. I think he's just going to have to ride it out."

"I'm never eatin' again as long as I live..." Reno ground out. Rude frowned and gently pried the bucket out of his grip, replacing it with an empty one and disappearing to dispose of the other.

"Oh, Reno... It's going to be okay. It can't last forever."

He whimpered softly, and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Here... try just a little sip and see what happens." She held out the glass, and the redhead somewhat hesitantly uncurled himself, allowing her to tip a small amount of the cool liquid into his mouth. He swallowed roughly and waited for the inevitable. Much to his surprise, his body didn't immediately reject it.

"I'm s-sorry I made fun of you for worryin' about endin' up like this earlier... This is fuckin' horrible. I've never felt _this_ sick in my life..." He felt his gut clench again but somehow forced the tiny bit of water to stay put, teeth gritted so hard they were beginning to ache.

"Shh... It's alright."

He was breathing heavily by now, very nearly hyperventilating. He suddenly shook his head. "Nope... Not stayin' down..." he managed before retching violently again. Rude returned just as it was ending.

"Still not getting any better, I take it..."

"He's just too far gone right now. Even water makes him sick." Elena shook her head in dismay, and Rude sighed.

"One of the crew gave me some Dramamine... but somehow I don't think pills will fare any better than the water. Won't do him much good if it just comes right back up."

"I'll fuckin' try it..." Reno panted, "I'll fuckin' try _anything_ that might make this stop."

"Let's give it a few minutes. Guy that gave 'em to me said there's a short break in the storm coming. Might have better luck when things get a little calmer."

The next several minutes were spent futily trying to comfort the unfortunate redhead. Elena and Rude could do little more than watch. Finally, though, the rocking settled some, and so did Reno's stomach. He gave a soft sob of relief at the temporary reprieve and let himself sink down against the cool pillow on his cot.

"Now or never," Rude said with a shrug, and pulled the medicine pack from his pocket, popping two of the little pills out of their blister pack. Reno sat up shakily and swallowed them, before letting Elena lower him back onto the cot. He lay on his back, motionless, his energy spent. Elena rubbed his stomach, hoping it might encourage it to stay calm while the medication took effect.

She hated seeing him like this. She'd seen Reno in much worse shape before... injured, in pain... nearly dying. Even then, he'd pushed himself to keep going until he couldn't go another inch. This, though... this had floored him completely. It was like when he'd had the chocobo pox and could barely stand without help... but much worse.

"How is it?" Rude asked, and the redhead weakly opened his eyes.

"Stayin' down. For now. Don't know what's gonna happen when that storm picks up again, though."

The bald Turk reached out and brushed the sweat-damp hair off of his forehead, and smiled slightly. "Want me to call Ward?"

"Tch... What's _she_ gonna do? Jump in a helicopter and fly out here to watch me puke my guts out some more?"

"Thought she might be able to threaten you into feeling better. _Stop that right now, yeh little troublemaker, or no treat for yeh!_ " he replied, adopting a terrible imitation of the good doctor's accent.

Reno laughed, and then immediately groaned. "I know they say laughter's the best medicine, but... not so sure that's helpin' right now, pal. 'Sides... last thing I want is more food. She can keep her damn treats."

* * *

"Wait a moment."

Tseng dutifully paused just before the stairwell that would lead them up to the ship's bridge, turning to look back at Rufus.

"Sir?"

Rufus lowered his gaze, looking off to the side for a moment, and Tseng's eyebrow rose in curiosity. The younger man looked almost... contrite... as he cleared his throat nervously.

"I... believe owe you an apology."

The Turk leader blinked in surprise. In all the years he'd worked for Shinra... in all the years he'd known Rufus... he'd never actually heard those words from him.

"For what?"

Rufus slowly exhaled and looked up at him, though he didn't seem able to quite meet his eyes. "For my... rather disgusting behavior yesterday. I threatened you. I shouldn't have. And... I'm sorry for it. I know what they mean to you. You had every right to be angry."

Tseng was silent for a moment. In all honesty, that was the last thing he'd expected from the young executive. Though he certainly wouldn't deny that he _had_ been furious with him at the time. He was not a man who took threats against his family lightly. Had it been anyone but Rufus...

"You're fortunate that I know you as well as I do. Few others would have walked away after saying that to me."

"Yes... I know." He swallowed somewhat nervously. "... Am I forgiven?"

Tseng allowed a faint smile. "You were forgiven well before you apologized. But I do appreciate the effort."

"You... may return to the slum rat if you would prefer. I doubt I can get myself into any trouble in the twenty or so feet between here and the bridge."

Tseng shook his head, and ushered his charge up the staircase. In truth, he very much _would_ have liked to have been looking after Reno. It was rare to see him in such a state, and after everything else he'd been through recently, it was killing him to have to leave him. But the redhead was in good hands... and he was needed elsewhere.

"Elena and Rude will care for him. I don't intend to leave you on your own."

Rufus snorted softly. "I'm quite certain I can handle Heidegger and that cow, Scarlet, on my own."

Tseng continued prodding him up the stairs. "You seem to be forgetting, sir... it's not only my Turks I care about."

* * *

"H-how much longer?" Reno asked, weakly. The boat was starting to roll again, but the Dramamine seemed to have had enough time to take effect. He was no longer violently ill... but he was still decidedly queasy. Elena placed a cool, wet cloth over his eyes.

"At least three more hours..." she replied, frowning. The redhead groaned. Three more hours of this. He was never going to make it. He hadn't been exaggerating earlier... he really _couldn't_ remember ever having felt so sick in his entire life. Not even the time he'd had a particularly nasty flu for nearly a week... at least _that_ had given him a break every once in awhile. Once his stomach was empty – and so long as it stayed empty – the nausea had been more or less kept at bay. But this... this was endless torment. He may not have still been projectile vomiting, but his stomach was far from settled and it tortured him with every rock of the ship, threatening to resume his earlier misery. It was like the worst hangover he'd ever had... only without the pleasure of having been drinking heavily beforehand.

What was worse... he'd done this to himself. He couldn't even blame it on someone or some _thing_ else. Stupidity and gluttony had collided in a spectacular display of near-instant karma. He didn't have much time to dwell on his own self-pity, however...

An alarm sounded, wrenching him from the slightly dazed stupor he'd fallen into, and he yanked the cloth away from his eyes, instinctively scanning the room. Rude and Elena looked as surprised as he was. Moments later, an announcement came over the PA system.

 _"Emergency alert! Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat. Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"_

"Suspicious character?" Elena repeated.

"Avalanche maybe..." Rude offered, though he didn't sound convinced. Reno wasn't either.

"Or worse... maybe Sephiroth managed to slip past everyone lookin' for him in Junon..." he said, sitting up... and immediately regretting it. He had to all but fling himself over the edge of the bed, groping for the bucket.

"Reno!" Elena grabbed him before he could hit the floor as he retched.

"Go... check it out... I'll be... fine.." he managed between heaves. "Be careful..."

He felt a hand tenderly caress his back before the pair of them hurried into the corridor, leaving him to fend for himself.

* * *

"Do _not_ leave the bridge, sir," Tseng said, sternly. His gun was already drawn, and he was headed for the door, Rufus on his heels. The President halted at the command, and glared angrily, but finally nodded. Tseng couldn't entirely blame him... he knew how much he wanted justice for his father. But putting himself in harm's way wouldn't help him get it. And if, as the ensign who'd reported the stowaway claimed, it was Sephiroth who'd been spotted below deck, Rufus would _definitely_ be in harm's way if he followed.

The Turk leader hurried down the metal staircase. The storm had picked up again and he quickly found himself growing damp before he reached the entrance the the lower deck. He flung it open and slipped inside, taking the next set of stairs two at a time.

"Sir!" a voice called out to him as he reached the bottom, and he turned, spotting Elena and Rude racing toward him.

"Have you seen anyone?" he asked. Rude shook his head in the negative.

"Just some crew members. But we haven't covered much ground yet. Someone mentioned the engine room."

"Then let's –" He was suddenly slammed hard from behind, sending him to the floor. Tseng instinctively lashed out, the butt of his gun colliding with his attacker's body. A hooded figure, dressed all in black. It yelped and landed on its back several feet away.

"Re-un-ion..." came a voice from behind them, and Tseng discovered that his assailant wasn't alone. Several of his friends had decided to join him, each of them murmuring the same thing... almost trance-like. One of them went for Elena.

The younger Turk turned and fired, dropping her attacker to the ground... It seemed to send them into a frenzy, and before he knew it, Tseng found himself surrounded.

"Who are these guys?" Rude asked, aiming a punch at one of the figures' throats and sending him flying into a bulkhead. He crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

"Worry about that later!" Tseng replied. He flung one man into the hostile behind him, and they landed at his feet in a tangle of robes and limbs. A sharp kick to the throat finished off one, and a bullet to the head took care of the other. And still they kept coming.

Elena cried out as one of them swung at her, leaving a row of ugly claw marks down one side of her neck. She retaliated in kind, forcing back his hood and breaking the man's nose. A rush of blood coated her hand from the injury and he went down. Two more fell to her gun.

Rude, meanwhile, had pounded three more into submission, and had his hands on a fourth, holding him by the collar at arms-length as the man furiously tried to overpower him. Though he doubted he'd have much luck using such tactics against Rude, Tseng fired off a shot, taking him out. The body dropped with a loud thud.

"Is that all of them?" Elena asked, eyes scanning the possible points of attack, just in case there was another wave.

"I believe so..." The Wutaiian Turk knelt down beside one of them, dragging back the hood of the robe. Pale green eyes stared up at him, lifelessly... but the tell-tale glow of mako still lingered. He seized the man's arm, roughly pushing up his sleeve. Tattooed on his wrist was the number 34.

"Sir..."

"I think we've just encountered a few of Hojo's Sephiroth clones..." he said, grimly. He looked up at her, and slowly stood. "You're injured."

Elena shook her head. "It's just a scratch. I'm fine."

He nodded. "Good. Let's make sure we've dealt with _all_ them."

The three Turks moved silently deeper into the ship, towards the engine room. What they found didn't exactly put them at ease.

Several bodies... members of the ships crew... were scattered around the room. They spread out, checking for survivors.

"Sir!" Elena called out, "This one's still alive!"

Tseng and Rude rushed over. The man was badly injured, and barely conscious.

"No... there's no way... that... Not human... That thing's not human..." he mumbled, quickly slipping into incoherency before passing out entirely. The engine room doors stood open.

"Be careful..." Tseng said, cautiously approaching the door. Without warning a figure appeared in the doorway, and the Turk leader had to physically stop Elena from firing, pulling her back with him out of sight. Rude instinctively followed suit, ducking into the shadows of some machinery.

"We need to hide. Shinra will be all over this place soon."

Cloud Strife. So, Tseng mused, Sephiroth's clones weren't the only stowaways on board. The ex-Solider waved his friends forward, toward the stairs. Elena glanced back at her superior questioningly, but he shook his head. Besides being outnumbered at the moment, he was still of the opinion that Avalanche would come in handy later.

"What about Sephiroth?" asked Tifa, pausing at the bottom of the stairway.

"He's gone... I'm not sure how I know. I can just feel it. He's left the ship."

Tseng's eyes narrowed. So the _real_ Sephiroth really _had_ been here... How was that possible? For that matter, how had all of those clones gotten on board? The ship had supposedly been thoroughly swept before they'd left.

"Worry about that asshole later!" Barret thundered, "We gotta hide before those Turk bastards show up again."

With that, the group hurried back to the upper decks... Midway, Aerith paused and turned back, looking towards him, and for a moment, Tseng was certain he'd been spotted. If she _had_ seen him, however, she chose to ignore his presence, and hurried after her new friends. When they were gone, the Turks emerged from hiding.

"Search the engine room," said Tseng, walking towards the room their former targets had so recently vacated. Rude and Elena followed... though they didn't get far. It didn't take a Turk to realize that a fight had recently taken place here. And in the middle of it all, was a writhing lump of flesh.

"What... is _that_...?" Elena asked, obvious disgust in her voice. Rude moved toward it, eying it warily.

"... It's an arm."

* * *

"I suppose we'll have to have the biologics department confirm... but I certainly don't know what else it could be..." Rufus eyed the the Turks' prize. It sat in the center of the table in the captain's quarters... which the president had commandeered for his own use. Every once in awhile, the severed limb would twitch. "And you're certain Sephiroth has vanished again?"

"Tseng and Rude are still searching the ship... but Strife seemed pretty convinced."

"That worthless bastard of a Turk," Heidegger muttered angrily, "When we reach Costa del Sol, I'm going to have some choice words for _Tseng_. This is all _his_ fault! Sephiroth... Avalanche... those fanatics Hojo calls clones... How does a security breach of that magnitude even _happen_?"

Elena's eyes narrowed, but she bit her tongue. Rufus, on the other hand, had no such compulsion.

" _When_ we reach Costa del Sol, _you_ will do nothing more than _wait for my airship_!" the President said in no uncertain terms. "From this point forward and until I say otherwise, the Turks are under _my_ direct command. If you have need of their services, you will make that request to me. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, sir..." the large executive stammered in surprise.

"Good. Now get out."

Heidegger backed slowly towards the door, before turning with an annoyed glare at the youngest of the Turks and removing himself from the room. Elena moved to follow.

"Not you."

"Sir?"

Rufus shook his head, and took a seat a the small table, staring at the gory mess. "Why would Sephiroth have left behind a piece of the Jenova specimen when he went to such lengths to obtain it in the first place?"

Elena slipped into the chair opposite him, brow furrowed in thought.

"A calling card? Or a warning? Maybe it's his way of telling us to back off. Avalanche might have just interrupted him as he was leaving it." The limb twitched again, the fingers of the hand opening and closing in a grasping motion, and she shuddered. It was almost as if it were trying to grab her.

"Perhaps... But something about this isn't adding up." He scowled at the thing, and looked away from it. "No matter... Whether he knows we're following him or not, it doesn't change our plans. We'll leave the arm with your fool of a department head. When the airship arrives, the science personnel on board can take a look and see if they can determine anything farther."

"Yes, sir. Er... Is that all?" she asked, somewhat hesitantly. Rufus snorted in contempt.

"Let me guess... the slum rat is still emptying the contents of his stomach below deck and you would like to go and coddle him some more..."

"Tseng ordered me to check in on him one I gave you an update," she replied "... If you don't have any other assignments for me... then yes, sir. I'd like to go coddle him some more."

When she'd gotten so comfortable around Rufus, she wasn't quite sure... but she seemed to be picking up Reno's habit of being far more familiar with him than protocol generally dictated. The young executive merely rolled his eyes at her response and leaned back in the chair.

"Fine. Go," he replied, waving her off.

She nodded turned, heading towards the door.

"Wait," Rufus called after her, and Elena glanced back. A small object sailed through the air towards her, and she reflexively caught it. She opened her hand to find a small key, and looked up, confused.

"It's the key to the my family villa in Costa del Sol. It's in the process of being sold, so you'll probably have to eject a realtor or two. Your little _boyfriend_ is utterly useless to me as he is right now. Take him there and let him sleep off the consequences of his gluttony. You can join Heidegger on the airship when it _finally_ arrives. Perhaps between the two of you, you can prevent that idiot from doing anything stupid in my absence."

"Yes, sir," she said, smiling. "Thank you..."

As she stepped out into the corridor, a voice came over the intercom. _"Dock workers – We will be docking in Costa del Sol in five minutes. Prepare for docking."_

Elena hurried back to where she'd left Reno.

* * *

Tseng helped one of the crewmen carry another body into the empty cargo bay that had unexpectedly become a makeshift morgue. Nine crew members dead, and two more gravely injured... along with the twelve 'clones' he and the other Turks had dispatched. That was a lot of bodies for so short a boat ride.

No further trace of the real Sephiroth had been found. He'd disappeared as easily as he'd come on board... and they _still_ didn't know how he managed _that_. All that marked his presence on the ship was the pile of dead, and the severed arm of the Jenova specimen. Avalanche had, likewise, made themselves relatively scarce... though Rude was subtly keeping an eye on them in case they had any interesting information to offer.

He left the cargo bay, and headed back upstairs, somewhat lost in his own thoughts. None of this should have happened. Junon security had swept the ship before it had departed... and he knew Viridia well enough to be absolutely certain that her people had been just as thorough as he would have been himself. The woman took great pride in her security being the best... She wasn't going to be happy when word got back to her about the breach.

Beyond that, though... he had to wonder just what Sephiroth was up to. It was becoming clear that he knew they were following him, but he wasn't going out of his way to do anything about it. And frankly, that concerned him... Were they being lured? And if so, to what purpose? Avalanche seemed to be in a similar situation. If they had really faced off against Sephiroth down in that engine room, every last one of them ought to have been lying amongst the bodies in the cargo bay. Why had he let them live?

He didn't like the implications of any of it. It felt like he and all the rest of them were being used as pawns in whatever Sephiroth's grand scheme was.

Though, until they knew what he proposed to use them _for_ ,there was little they could do about it.

It might, he thought, be helpful to know exactly what information Avalanche was in possession of. Rude could continue spying on them... but that wasn't the most reliable method. What they really needed was someone who could infiltrate the group. But they'd tried that before... Several of Rude's informants, in fact, had tried to ingratiate themselves with the group's leaders over the past year or so, but none of them had ever gained their trust to such an extent that they could provide any useful intelligence. The group's paranoia was what had made them so irritatingly difficult to keep tabs on.

He sighed and pushed his way out onto the deck. It might well be impossible... but he should at least mention the idea to Rufus.

* * *

"I can walk, ya know..."

"Stagger, is more like it," Rude replied, as he carried the redhead out into the bright afternoon sunshine of the resort town. Reno was exhausted. And dehydrated. And probably more than a little hungry, even if his appetite likely wouldn't return for awhile.

"This is stupid... I don't need to be carried around like a fuckin' baby..."

Rude chuckled softly at the petulant reply. "Just relax."

Elena hurried to catch up to them. "Shouldn't you be getting on the helicopter with Tseng? Rufus is pretty impatient to leave."

He shook his head. "I'm not going with them. Boss wants me to tail Avalanche for awhile and see where they're headed."

"But... if you're following them, who's flying the plane to the Temple?"

"Rocket Town's full of pilots. Won't be hard to find someone else to do it. Tseng's worried Sephiroth is stringing us... and Avalanche... along intentionally. Wants to know why."

They climbed a tall flight of stone steps and Rude nodded to the door. Elena fished the key Rufus had given her out of her pocket and unlocked it.

"Wow..." Elena breathed, as they stepped inside. Warm wood paneling lined the walls, and bright sunshine shone though a large window. The room was richly decorated in an elegant, but still faintly tropical motif. "Rufus is _selling_ this place?"

"Heh... Whatdya got in savings, 'Lena? I'm thinkin' the Turks need to go in together on their own vacation home..." Reno teased, some semblance of his normal sense of humor returning.

Rude shouldered open another door on the other side of the room, and carried his friend into the bedroom.

"You make one fuckin' joke about carryin' me into the bridal suite, I'll kill ya..." Reno said, his fatigue apparently not great enough to dull his instincts _too_ much. Rude had just opened his mouth to make that very comment. Instead, he smirked, and set him down on the bed.

"Get some rest," he said, simply, turning to go. As much as he would have liked to have stayed with his friend awhile longer, he had his orders. And Reno had Elena.

"Be careful following those guys," said Elena as he slid past her. Rude nodded.

"See you when I see you."

With that, he left. Elena sat down on the edge of the bed, and lightly petted the redhead's hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I spent the last six hours in an industrial washing machine on spin cycle," he replied, smirking. "Ya think you could grab me somethin' to drink? I'm dyin' of thirst here... and I think it'll finally stay down."

She laughed softly and stood up. "Sure. Be right back." Elena hurried off in search of the kitchen. Reno, meanwhile, reached for his PHS, pulling up his contacts and dialing. He frowned, listing to it ring... and ring. Finally it went through to voice mail. He sighed, defeated, and ended the call without leaving a message.

"Lira?" a gentle voice queried. Elena returned to him, a glass of water in hand. He sat up a little, and took it gratefully, downing about a quarter of it before forcing himself to slow down before his stomach decided to rebel again.

"Yeah. She... uh... didn't pick up." He hadn't really expected her to. It had only been a couple of days... but he'd had to at least try. Elena leaned over and kissed him, her hand caressing his cheek as she pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "Not _your_ fault she hates me."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you," she replied. She smiled, a little teasingly. "How could she? You're impossible to hate."

"'Lena..."

"She's angry. And sometimes it takes time to get past anger like that... even when you love someone."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I am. So for now, let's not think about that, okay? _You_ should finish drinking that, and then try and get a little bit of sleep before dinner."

Reno groaned. "Fuck, 'Lena... after what I just went through, I'm givin' serious consideration to permanent fasting..."

Elena snickered, and shifted position so she could unlace his boots and tug them off his feet. "I give you six hours max before you're begging for a pizza... Come on. Let's get you comfortable."

The redhead scoffed, but didn't resist as she stripped him and tucked him in. She was right, anyway. As soon as he was feeling more himself, he'd be starving... even if, at this particular moment, just the thought of solid food was enough to turn his stomach. Besides... this whole being waited on hand and foot thing was something he'd really never experienced before she'd come along... and he sort of liked it. Sure, he'd had other people look after him when he was sick or injured – Tseng usually, when he was much younger, and then later, Rude – but Elena didn't just check in on him, and make sure he had what he needed. She seemed to devote her entire being to the task of making him better.

In fact, now that he thought about it... him being sick was one of the things that had really started the process of bringing them together. He laughed quietly to himself.

"What so funny?" Elena asked, eying him. Reno grinned and shook his head dismissively.

"Nothin' really... I was just thinkin' about the _first_ time you took care of me, for some reason."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh... you mean when you spent half the day faking almost being on your deathbed and ran me ragged until _I_ got sick?"

"Heh... yeah. That." He laughed again and laid back, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. "I can still picture the look on your face when Tseng called me on it. I think if you hadn't been feelin' like crap you probably woulda legit kicked my ass. And I'da deserved it, too." The redhead thought a moment, silent. "Ya know... I don't think I ever actually apologized for pullin' that shit on you."

"I think I more than paid you back for it, though."

"Yeah... well... I'm sorry anyway."

He heard her giggle, and turned to see her rummaging through his travel bag. A moment later, she was tucking a familiar toy into bed with him.

"I _knew_ you must have brought her..." she said, grinning as he hugged the little bunny. Of course he had... Mr. Foo-foo had almost always gone with him on missions. El was no different.

"Quit makin' fun of me..."

She played with his hair for a moment, before placing a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm not. I think it's sweet. Now get some sleep and feel better."

* * *

It took Rude a little time to track down the members of Avalanche after dropping off Reno and Elena... but by the time he did, what he found was rather surprising. Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith had run into a familiar face on the beach.

Hojo.

Rufus had mentioned that the scientist had quit his job and disappeared right before they'd left for Junon and that they should be on the lookout for him... but Rude certainly hadn't expected locating the man to be _this_ easy. He pulled his PHS from his pocket and dialed Tseng.

"Problems already?" the Turk leader answered, a little hard to hear over the sound of rotor blades.

"Just that there's only one of me. Guess who I found while I was following Avalanche."

"I'm a little preoccupied with keeping us airborne at the moment, Rude. Perhaps you could just tell me."

He chuckled softly at the response. "Hojo's here working on his tan. Which target should I make a priority?"

"Does he appear to be in a hurry to leave?"

Rude smirked as he took in the sight of several scantily dressed women who seemed to have taken an interest in the man... and who quickly surrounded him again as the other group took their leave. "I'd say... no."

"... Follow Avalanche, then. I'll alert Reno and Elena to Hojo's presence. Reno should be recovered enough to travel in a few hours. They can deal with finding out what Hojo is up to."

"Understood," Rude replied, and ended the call. He tucked his phone back into his jacket and left the scientist to his harem, heading off in the direction Avalanche had gone.

* * *

"As _soon_ as we arrive, _you_ are going to..."

"Oh, will you just stop talking for once in you Rumah-forsaken life," Rufus cut in, interrupting the decidedly one-sided conversation that had been going on over the helicopter's headsets between Tseng and Scarlet. She'd elbowed her way onto the aircraft at the last minute... In retrospect, he should have ordered Tseng to physically remove her, but he was anxious to find out what Dio knew about the Keystone... so he'd let her stay. That was proving to be a mistake. The woman had not shut up the entire hour they'd been in the air.

Thankfully, his command seemed to do the trick.

"Now... Let's get one thing straight. _You_ do not command my Turks. In fact, as of this afternoon, Heidegger does not command my Turks, either, so don't bother running to him. _My_ Turks answer to _me_ and no one else. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, sir," the woman replied, clearly not having expected to be shut down so thoroughly.

"That being said, Tseng _will_ escort you to the reactor in Gongaga. _When I tell him to._ This evening, however, he will be accompanying me to my meeting with Dio."

Scarlet didn't look overly pleased, but she nodded and settled back in her seat. If her idea hadn't actually had some merit, he'd have told her exactly where she could shove her demands... but in point of fact, he really couldn't argue against the idea of creating a weapon powerful enough to defeat Sephiroth. Scarlet's research labs were looking into using a highly condensed, exceptionally powerful form of materia only recently discovered deep in the cores of a handful of reactors. She had christened the discovery with the – rather uninspired and boring, in his opinion – name, 'Huge Materia'.

Gongaga's reactor was... roughly... on their way to Rocket Town. She wanted to check the ruins and see if any had survived.

The reactor in Gongaga was the site of one of Shinra Company's more spectacular failures. It was a very early reactor. Only the second one they'd ever built, in fact. And as such, the technology hadn't been perfected quite yet... which was unfortunate for the people who'd lived nearby. The reactor had exploded... and taken a rather hefty chunk of the village – and the villagers – with it.

It was somewhat morbidly lucky for the company that Gongaga was such an unknown, backwater little hole, really. Most people had never even heard of it... which meant that mostpeople really didn't care that half of it had been wiped out. If it had been one of their more prominent reactors, such a disaster would have collapsed any number of negotiations with other towns where Shinra had wanted to build back then. Shinra had paid the town off, but the handful of residents that remained were still openly hostile toward any Shinra personnel that paid them a visit... which was probably why Scarlet wasn't willing to go on her own.

Rufus gazed out at the sight of the amusement park that loomed over the massive desert and frowned. When he'd been a child... eleven or twelve years old... he had begged his father to take him to the Gold Saucer. The man hadn't even _tried_ to find the time to do it himself. He'd sent him off with Tseng instead. It hadn't quite been the outing he'd envisioned, though the Turk had very kindly done his best to show him a good time. Truthfully... the disappointment had ruined the trip for him entirely before they'd even left Midgar. He'd never asked again.

The helicopter began to descend toward a small landing pad and in a matter of minutes, they were standing in front of the entrance to the Gold Saucer. Scarlet stormed off, leaving the pair of them behind. He didn't bother asking where she was going... as long as she stayed out of his hair, he couldn't care less.

Tseng shook his head, and glanced up at the speakers that blared an obnoxiously cheerful tune across the park, a long-suffering expression on his face.

"Not a fan of the ambiance?" Rufus asked as they made their way inside.

"No, sir," he replied, "Not especially, I'm afraid."

"Nor am I. Let's hope, then, that this meeting goes quickly."

"Sir... have you given any further consideration to my concerns about Avalanche?" Tseng asked. They entered the terminal and chose the tunnel to the hotel. At the very least, they'd be spending the night. They might as well get themselves checked in.

"Ah... yes. You think we should try to place an informant in that little terrorist group." Tseng nodded, and pushed open the door to the hotel lobby, holding it for him. "I'm not opposed. In fact... I may have a suggestion in that regard."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Once we're settled, contact Reeve Tuesti back at headquarters. He's been working on something of a... pet project, you could say. It might be just what you need."

~fin~


	54. Place Your Bets

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 54: Place Your Bets**

 **by Desha**

Tseng stood silently just behind the President's right shoulder, hands clasped behind his back, watching the man across the table intently.

"Is he always so friendly?" Dio asked, his tone jovial, but the Turk easily caught the hint of nervousness underlying the words. Rufus settled back in the plush chair and swiveled it slightly, glancing back at him, unconcerned.

"No, he's not. You've actually caught in an unusually good mood," the President replied before turning back to the master of the theme park, and resting his elbows on the edge of the table, fingers steepled before him. Tseng said nothing... though it did take some effort not to chuckle when Dio blanched slightly at the comment. "But I'm not here to discuss my security detail. I'm interested in an artifact... and everyone knows that you're the expert in such matters."

"Yes... my secretary told me. A Cetra artifact, I believe she said."

Rufus nodded. "Something called the Keystone, to be specific. I don't suppose such an item has made its way into your collection?"

"I'm afraid not... I have very little of the Cetra, to be honest. Difficult to obtain... Every time I've managed to locate something for sale, a mysterious buyer always seems to outbid me," he replied, with a pointed look. Tseng wasn't surprised that he knew... or at least suspected. Shinra did its best to keep it's acquisitions under the radar, but someone as deeply invested in the antiquities market as Dio was bound to have heard rumors.

"How... unfortunate," Rufus said, with a hint of a smug smile. "Information, perhaps, then? Have you heard anything about it?"

Dio chuckled to himself. "Oh... I may have heard a rumbling or two." Tseng's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. The man had heard more than a 'rumbling', he was certain. "But why would I just _give_ away trade secrets?"

"How much?"

"Well, now... I suppose that depends," he replied, leaning forward, "How badly do you want it?"

Rufus smirked and folded his arms. "Dio... I can assure you that you are _not_ my only option here. If your intent is to squeeze me for a few thousand extra gil, you're going to find yourself coming up entirely empty-handed." He stood and turned to Tseng. "I believe we're done here."

"Now, wait... Wait just a minute. Tell ya what... I'll give you a sample of what I'm offering and you can decide for yourself if you'd like to... uh... give my price a little more consideration."

The President calmly sat back down. "I'm listening."

"I don't have the Keystone. But you're not the first person who's come asking about it recently. Difference is... I don't think the other interested party was looking to _buy_."

"Who?"

Dio grinned and sat back. "That's the bit that's going to cost ya."

"Five thousand for his name."

The man looked affronted. "Five thousand? That's all Shinra Company can offer me?"

"Five thousand," Rufus repeated, glancing over at Tseng. "... And my friend here will strive to _maintain_ his good mood for the duration of our meeting."

Dio frowned, and eyed the younger man appraisingly, and for a moment, Tseng was certain he'd accept the offer. At last, he smiled. "Tell ya what... Let's bet on it. The chocobo races... The finals start tomorrow afternoon. You pick the winner in the first race of the day, I'll give you his name. No charge. You pick a loser, I'll _sell_ you his name... for five hundred thousand gil."

Not a bet Tseng would have taken... but then, _he_ didn't have a spare five hundred thousand gil just lying around. Rufus tended to be rather more conservative with company funds than his father had been... but he knew the man had walked in here willing to pay just about any price Dio asked... even if his demeanor said otherwise.

"Very well... I accept," Rufus replied.

"Wonderful!" Dio exclaimed, rising to his feet. "I'm looking forward to it!"

* * *

Rude steadied himself against a large boulder as he yanked his shoe off and – perhaps a bit more aggressively than necessary – shook the pea-size pebble out of it. The damn thing had been stabbing him in the ball of his foot for the last fifteen minutes. Avalanche had been in a hurry, apparently. This was the first time they'd stopped to rest in almost four hours.

It wasn't easy staying out of sight... the mountains provided surprisingly little cover. In the end, he'd had to take the high road, or risk being seen. Hopefully, they would keep to the main road to New Corel. If they ventured off in another direction, it would be a lot harder to tail them unobserved.

From what he'd gathered back in Costa del Sol, Hojo had told them to 'head west'... no further explanation. Rude had no idea why the scientist would be helping them in the first place. The party had dutifully followed his advice, though... which was why he presently found himself on the upper ledge of the road that led to the Mount Corel reactor and the little settlement the remnants of the original town's populace had built and christened New Corel.

He pulled his shoe back on and peered down at his quarry. They looked like they were getting ready to move again.

* * *

"A rather pricy purchase, don't you think sir?" Tseng asked as they departed Dio's meeting room. Rufus shrugged.

"Only if I lose the bet. Frankly, even if I _do_ I'm getting off far cheaper than I expected. I _am_ rather annoyed about the delay, though. I had wanted to be in Rocket Town tomorrow. But I suppose it can't be helped. Did you have the opportunity to speak with Tuesti?"

Tseng nodded. He had, in fact, taken Rufus' advice and contacted the head of Urban Development just as soon as they'd gotten themselves checked into the hotel. It had been a very... _interesting_... conversation, to say the least. He wasn't entirely convinced of its chances of success, but it was better than nothing.

Reeve Tuesti, it seemed, had quite the skill set... though given that he'd been one of the driving forces behind the design of the company's mako reactors, perhaps it shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did.

The man had built himself an automaton. Originally, it had been meant for demolitions work and disaster recovery... going into places too structurally unsound or too contaminated for a living person to venture. When funding to the department had been cut some time ago, he'd continued to work on it, off the books and on his own time... and apparently at his own expense. The result, as he'd described it, was an interesting hybrid of manual control and artificial intelligence.

If nothing else, at least they wouldn't have to worry about a rescue operation if it failed to gain access to Avalanche or was revealed as a spy. The robot was on its way to them now. All he needed was an opportunity to introduce it to its targets.

But that would have to wait for the time being.

"Do you want me to take Scarlet to Gongaga now, sir?"

Rufus snorted in contempt. "Let the the cow wait. I'm not particularly inclined to do that woman any favors. Her 'huge materia' will keep, I'm sure. She and Heidegger _both_ need to be reacquainted with their place in this company. I will not have them trying to undermine me at every opportunity as they apparently _believe_ they can. Especially Heidegger." He smirked slightly. "Hmph. That's why I took his toys away."

"I'm not quite sure how I feel about being referred to as one of Heidegger's toys, sir," Tseng chuckled, "But I certainly won't complain about having to obey _your_ orders instead of his."

"That fat bastard would happily command you to leap off a cliff if he thought it would gain him something. He considers the four of you expendable. _I_ do not."

"Even Reno, sir?" Tseng teased, to which Rufus merely rolled his eyes.

"Obnoxious as he is, I'll admit... even the slum rat has a _few_ redeeming qualities," he replied, shaking his head. "Though how that idiot ever managed to seduce someone like Elena, I will never understand."

Tseng's eyebrow rose in concern. "Please don't tell me you've taken a more... personal... interest in one of my Turks..."

"Hardly," the younger man, scoffed, condescendingly. "I merely find her company agreeable. Nothing more. And even if that _weren't_ that case, the woman is entirely too obsessed with fawning over her _precious_ little redhead. It's really quite disgustingly obsequious at times."

The Turk leader gave a heavy sigh. "You have a crush on her, don't you, sir..."

"I most certainly do _not_!" Rufus indignantly replied.

* * *

The dust cleared and he was alone. The silence of the ruined sector was deafening, and when some debris fell to the ground, the resulting crash threatened to shatter his eardrums.

"What have they turned you into?"

He spun to face the source of the voice, throat constricting as his eyes fell on Lira and the infant cradled in her arms. Her face was tear-streaked, and she gazed down sadly at the little bundle, wrapped in a ragged and stained light blue blanket.

"He never even had a chance..." she whispered, a quiet sob in her voice, and Reno felt his blood run cold.

Reno shook his head in denial, and squeezed his eyes shut, sinking to his knees in the rubble.

"No... _You_ weren't there. The _baby_ wasn't there. This is just a goddamn dream..."

"Wake up and face the truth! You're a monster, Reno... Look what you did!"

"No..." he whispered in replied, refusing to do as she asked.

"Wake up!"

"Leave me the fuck alone!" he shouted, eyes snapping open... only to find himself looking into Elena's very, _very_ shocked face. He swallowed sharply, looking around at his surroundings in confusion for a moment. The villa. "'Lena?"

She breathed a soft sigh of relief, and settled next to him on the edge of the bed. "It's okay... It was only a dream."

He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes as he sat up in bed. That was _one_ dream he could have done without. "Well, that sucked."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked. "Was it... was it about me again?"

Reno shook his head and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. He still felt cold, and she was warm.

"No... You weren't in this one, thank Ifrit..." he said softly, as he buried his face against her shoulder. He inhaled slowly, the faint scent of her perfume oddly calming. "Lira was, though. And... the baby, too. She called me a monster."

Her arms held him tight, and he slowly began to relax. It was just a dream. He'd known it even while it was happening. Still... it was going to take awhile to get that image out of his head. The baby had been so tiny... so delicate... and so still. And Lira had looked utterly devastated.

None of it was real, of course. Lira was safe and sound in Midgar, with Ward checking in on her on a regular basis. Her baby was months away from even being born. It wasn't real... but for a few agonizing seconds, it had felt like it was.

For a moment, he felt queasy all over again.

Something soft was pressed into his chest, and he slowly lifted his head, lips quirking upwards when he saw what it was. Elena had retrieved El from the tangled bedding.

"I'm alright," he said, as his fingers closed around the toy. He managed a quiet laugh. "That fuckin' shrink back in Midgar would have a field day watchin' me right now."

Elena pulled away from him, and gripped him firmly by the shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "You're _not_ a monster, you know. No monster would be in so much pain."

The redhead smiled faintly at that, and wondered if she had _any_ idea what it meant to him to hear those words from her right now... if she was really aware just how important she'd been to keeping his head above water through all of this. She was seeing him at his absolute weakest, and she wasn't giving up on him. He didn't think he could even put into words how thankful he was for that... because he wasn't sure he could have handled this on his own.

"Do you want something to eat yet?"

He really didn't. His stomach had settled, but after that nightmare, any appetite that might have returned had quickly retreated. Still... an empty stomach wasn't a good thing for him. He should get at least a few calories into him before he burned through whatever was left of his reserves.

"Somethin' light, maybe."

Elena smiled and stood up. "Get dressed. I'll make you something... and then I'll tell you about our new assignment."

* * *

"Tseng here," the familiar voice responded over the tiny speaker of Rude's PHS.

"You're never going to guess where Avalanche is headed." He watched from the shadows of the tram station as they boarded. Their visit to New Corel had been a brief one. Apparently Mr. Wallace wasn't very popular in his hometown these days.

"... Rude, these guessing games are becoming a rather distressing habit with you of late."

The bald Turk chucked. "They're boarding the tram to the Gold Saucer."

"They're _here_?"

"Just arrived. And apparently they're not the only ones. Sephiroth was spotted in the area as well. He may have headed up to the Saucer. Can't confirm." He moved the phone slightly away from his ear as the speaker issued a long string of Wutaiian curses. "Hmph... _Thought_ you might not be too happy to hear that."

"Get up here as soon as you can."

A familiar sound caught his attention and Rude glanced upward, spotting the helicopter heading toward the amusement part, the Shinra logo emblazoned on its side.

"On my way. You expecting a delivery?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Tseng replied. "And if Avalanche is about arrive, I had better go and see to it before I miss my opportunity."

The call ended and Rude tucked the phone back into his pocket. The tram was just getting ready to leave... he could easily catch it. Unfortunately that would mean revealing himself to his targets. He sighed and shook his head.

"Damn heights," he muttered, as the tram car began to leave the station. He slipped unseen past the station attendant, and hoisted himself onto the back of the car instead, hoping that the railing he was clinging to wasn't just decorative. It was a hell of a long drop from the ropeway to the desert below.

* * *

The helicopter lifted off again almost as quickly as it had landed, leaving Tseng on his own with a very queer-looking companion.

"Not exactly subtle, is it, Mr. Tuesti...?" he commented.

"Reeve, please. And he was never intended ta be used as a spy, yeh know..." the head of Urban Development responded, his camouflaged voice issuing forth from the robotic cat seated atop a massive moogle, and Tseng cringed. The computer-generated faux-Mideelian accent just made it _so_ much worse...

His doubts about this were rapidly increasing. Had the the potential intelligence gained from infiltrating Avalanche not been so important, he'd have given serious consideration to the possibility that Rufus had decided to play a truly Reno-caliber joke on him.

He prodded the cat, and it responded by swatting at him.

"Cait Sith dunna like ta be poked."

"It's doing that on its own?" he asked, surprised.

"He's programed ta respond ta external stimuli without user intervention, like a human reflex. It's intended ta prevent him from takin' damage in the field. And it makes him seem more realistic."

The Wutaiian Turk snorted softly. "As realistic as a talking cat riding a moogle can get, at any rate. Alright... I had hoped to have more time to prepare, but Avalanche is already on their way here. Let's see what this little creation of yours can do."

The cat and its moogle counterpart saluted in unison. "Yeh can count on Cait Sith!" it replied, before bounding off into the Saucer. Tseng shook his head, watching it go. He didn't know Reeve Tuesti well... he was relatively new to the executive board; only in his third year. But his current impression was that the man was a bit... odd. Still, if he could actually pull this off, the information he would provide would likely prove useful.

It was at the moment, that he heard the tram pulling into the station, and he hurried out of sight. The car rumbled to a stop and the doors opened, its passengers disembarking.

"Hey, Barret, cheer up!" Aerith said, smiling as she strolled out onto the platform.

"I ain't in no cheery mood... So jes' leave me alone," Barret muttered, stomping away a short distance from the group.

"Really? That's too bad..." she replied, before seizing the ex-Solider's arm and pulling him toward the park's hub. "Let's go, Cloud!"

Tifa and the feline creature joined her, and though he strained to listen in on the conversation, Tseng couldn't make it out over the grating background music. Whatever they were discussing, it didn't take long. Aerith covered the short distance to her sulking friend.

"We're going to go play," she stated, decisively. Barret glowered at her.

"So _play_! … Fuckin' messin' round 'n shit. Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" He stormed off and disappeared through one of the hub's tunnels. Tifa rested a hand on Aerith's shoulder.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine. Let's take a look around."

The group set off into the park and Tseng finally emerged from the shadows. It wouldn't take them long to run into his freshly recruited spy. For now, however, he needed to get back to Rufus. Before he could, though, he heard a quiet grunt behind him as something dropped to the ground, and he turned back to the tram car.

"Hmph... Thought they'd never leave..." Rude said, flexing his aching fingers as he rounded the vehicle. Tseng laughed.

"When I said 'as soon as you can', that wasn't quite what I had in mind."

The other Turk shrugged. "It got me here, didn't it?"

* * *

"Great... another damn boat," Reno muttered, "The fuck's he want in Gongaga, anyway?"

Hojo was already boarding the small ship. It would be leaving shortly, to carry him down the coast and around the southern-most tip of the continent to the little town. Why, however, was a mystery. There was next to nothing there. Just a ruined reactor and a handful of small-town hicks... who didn't much care for Shinra, from what he knew of the place.

"Maybe he's planning on going on to Cosmo Canyon from there?" Elena offered, peering at their target through the gap in the fence beside him.

That at least made _some_ sense. The mountain village was a tourist destination... and Hojo still seemed to be in vacation mode. Reno couldn't shake the feeling that the man had other purposes, though. He didn't _act_ like he was intentionally following Sephiroth... but he certainly seemed to be heading in roughly the same direction.

"Only one way to find out, I s'pose. You get the tickets?"

She held them up. "Are... you sure you're going to be alright getting on a boat again so soon?"

"Only one way to find _that_ out, too," he replied, smirking. "Tch... I'll be fine. Pretty sure the only reason the last trip made me so sick was Rude's fuckin' all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. I shoulda quit while I was ahead."

Elena giggled quietly as they stepped out of their hiding place and started towards the boat. "Did you _really_ just admit that it's possible for you to eat too much?"

"Heh... even _I_ have my limits, 'Lena." He leaned in and kissed her. "Ya know... one of these days, I'm gonna bring ya here for a _real_ vacation."

"We already tried that, remember? On the way home from Veraheim. You ended up with third degree sunburns thanks to me."

"I'm not countin' that... and it wasn't your fault," he replied, grinning. "But I _am_ gonna bring ya here and we're _both_ gonna have a good time without havin' to worry about chasin' murderers or AWOL scientists or bein' stressed out from bein' buried alive by a couple of Wutaiian asshats. Just a nice romantic vacation for the two of us. Promise."

She smiled and took his hand, pulling him towards their waiting transport. "That sounds amazing, but..."

"... But right now we gotta go to work," he finished for her with a sigh, and shouldered his travel pack. The pair hurried up the ramp and found their compartment. It was a lot more comfortable than the utilitarian quarters they'd had on the cargo ship from Junon. It would take them the better part of a day to reach Gongaga, and the ship would be making some brief stops along the way, dropping off passengers near the Gold Saucer as well.

Elena sank down onto the bed and toed her shoes off with a contented sigh. "I feel like I've been running around all day..."

"You have," Reno snickered. "First on the fuckin' boat from Junon, then takin' care of me, then followin' Hojo around all afternoon. Lucky us, the bastard's not goin' anywhere for awhile..." He grinned as he knelt down next to her, taking one foot in his hands and pressing his thumbs deep into the sole. Elena groaned and laid back, letting her eyes close.

"You don't have to do that..."

"I'm gonna do it anyway," he replied. "'Sides'... you've been waitin' on me hand and foot for over a week now. 'Bout time I paid you back."

"Reno... you don't _owe_ me for being there for you. I take care of you because I love you."

He grinned and redoubled his efforts, drawing a very pleased moan from his lover. "I know that. Goes both ways, though. So just let me take care of _you_ for awhile, instead."

"Mmm... That feels _so_ good..."

"I live to please," he chuckled, switching to the other foot. Elena propped herself up, watching him work, and the redhead smiled faintly to himself under the scrutiny, wondering what was on her mind now.

"Reno... can I ask you something?"

He glanced up with an amused expression. "You know you can ask me anything..."

She giggled. "How is that not a single one of the women you've dated managed to snap you up before we met?"

"Easy. None of 'em were _you_ ," he replied. She used her free foot to playfully kick him in the shoulder.

"I mean it!" Elena laughed, "You're what every woman dreams of finding. Someone who's warm and funny and kind..." She grinned teasingly. "... and not too bad looking..."

"And obnoxious and a slob and more than a little fucked up..." he added, shaking his head, smiling slightly in return. "... and let's not forget... _total_ pervert." Elena laughed again and gently pulled her foot from his grasp, sitting up.

"That's not necessarily a _bad_ thing..."

"Heh... Maybe. Guess there's been one or two that mighta gone somewhere if I'd been willing to let it happen. But the truth is, no one's ever made me feel the way you do, 'Lena. You're a first for me. And a last... 'cause I know if I ever lost you, I could never find anyone who could replace you. And I wouldn't waste my time lookin', either."

"Reno..." she whispered, and the redhead sighed as he spotted the familiar glimmer of tears in her eyes. He smirked and climbed up onto the bed next to her.

"And now I'm back to soundin' like your fuckin' romance novels again," he said with a feigned groan. Elena pulled him in and pressed her lips to his, claiming them as her own. He didn't need any encouragement to respond in kind. When they finally parted, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes locked on his.

"I like it when you sound like a romance novel..." She placed a hand in the center of his chest, pushing him down onto the mattress. Reno grinned and pulled her down with him.

* * *

The sound of gunfire was what had summoned him... The sight of the gunman firing at anything and everything that moved sent him scurrying for cover before he was spotted. Rude's eyes narrowed as the man calmly shot one more victim in the back as he fled... one of Dio's security personnel, judging by the uniform. His body joined several others on the floor. The gunman laughed to himself and strode up the stairs toward the battle arena. Rude, meanwhile, was already reaching for his PHS.

"We've got a problem," Rude said, as soon as Tseng picked up. "There's been an attack outside the Battle Square." He knelt down beside one of the dead men and rolled him over onto his back.

"Sephiroth?" Tseng asked.

"No... Didn't recognize him. Had a weapon similar to the one Barret Wallace uses, though. Should I go after –" Footsteps echoed in one of the tunnels and Rude glanced up, swearing under his breath. He abandoned his investigation and ducked into a small side passage just as Cloud Strife emerged into the Square.

"Did Sephiroth do this?" the ex-Solider asked, seemingly to himself as his friends began to arrive one by one. He shook his head, answering his own question. "No... They've been shot. Not Sephiroth's style..." Cloud's attention, and Rude's as well, was drawn to a slight movement in the corner. One of the gunman's victims wasn't quite as dead as the rest.

"Hey! What happened?" Strife shouted, kneeling over the man.

"A... man. A man... with a gun... on his arm..."

"Cloud... it can't be..." Aerith whispered, a horrified look on her face.

"Hold it right there!" a voice suddenly boomed from one of the tunnels, and seconds later, Dio emerged, his security forces in tow. "Are you a part of this, too?"

Rude blinked in surprise as a large robotic moogle with a cat on its back bumbled out of one of the tunnels. "Run fer it! This is goin'ta get ugly!"

Avalanche didn't hesitate... Cloud sprinted up the stairs toward the arena, the rest of his party not far behind. The Turk shook his head. The idiots had just cornered themselves. Dio and his men wasted no time in pursuing them.

"Looks like Avalanche is gonna take the fall for this," he said, resuming his conversation with his superior.

"Not our problem. Rufus is with me, but Scarlet hasn't returned from wherever she wandered off to. See if you can find her... and when you do, bring her back to the hotel. I want all of our assets secured until we're certain the situation has been dealt with."

"On it."

* * *

"Well?" Rufus demanded, looking at him expectantly as the Turk leader pocketed his phone.

"Calm down, sir. We're perfectly safe here."

Rufus scowled, and stormed toward him. "To hell with our safety! Is he here?"

Tseng shook his head. "No. It's not him. Rude didn't recognize the attacker." He ushered his charge over to the little sitting area of the room, and urged him down onto the couch. "Whoever he is, however, he's still loose somewhere in the Gold Saucer... which is why we will be remaining here until things calm down."

The young executive looked a bit deflated as the words registered, but said nothing more. Grudgingly, he turned his attention back to the roster for the chocobo races. He did, after all, have a bet he rather preferred to win... and to do that, he had to pick the winner of tomorrow's finals. Rufus sighed.

"I may perhaps have been just a bit overzealous about this bet."

The Wutaiian Turk chuckled and took the racing form from him, studying it. "Personally, I would go with Sevensarta. His stats make him exceptionally well-rounded, and if I recall correctly he's won the last two Gold Saucer cups... Though his usual rider had a bad fall in his last race. I believe an alternate will be riding in the finals. That may affect Sevensarta's performance tomorrow."

Rufus eyed his bodyguard curiously. "Since when are you an expert in chocobo racing?"

"I... follow the professional leagues. It's something of a hobby."

"I'm fairly familiar with most of your hobbies. This is the first I've heard of this one..."

"It's a fairly... _recent_... hobby."

Rufus' eyebrows rose. "This wouldn't happen to have something to do with a certain Lieutenant Commander's interest in the World Chocobo Racing Circuit, would it?" Viridia Nacelle's obsession with the WCRC was well known in Junon. He'd never seen the appeal himself.

Tseng sighed. "I... decided to indulge her some time ago and joined her at a race. As it turns out, I rather enjoy it as well..."

"You know... I really don't see why you don't just marry her," the President said, offhandedly, and he poured himself a glass of wine. "You've certainly been together long enough."

"We're both quite happy with things the way they are, sir. And I will thank you to leave it at that."

"And why should I?" he responded, haughtily.

"Because if you don't, I might accidentally let it slip to Reno just how 'agreeable' you find Elena's company, sir."

Rufus froze and looked up from the racing roster, studying Tseng carefully as if to determine whether or not that was an idle threat.

"So... Sevensarta, you think?" the younger man replied after a few moments.

Tseng smirked. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"I know it sounds cliché... but I feel like I should we should be sharin' a cigarette after that..."

Elena snuggled against his side and snickered. "You're right... That's _horrifyingly_ cliché. And completely gross, besides. I'm glad Rude made you quit."

Reno glanced down at her, curiously. "I never knew it bothered ya so much..."

"I've just never liked the smell. And it gets into _everything_ , so even when someone's not smoking, it kind of lingers around them." She smiled and let her fingers drift along his arm. "I'd rather you just smelled like you."

The redhead laughed quietly, and rolled to one side, landing gently on top of her. He captured her wrists and pulled them above her head, loosely pinning them with one hand, while the other traced a winding path down the side of her neck and along her shoulder.

"Yeah? So what exactly do I smell like?" he asked, grinning as she squirmed a little at his touch.

"Like soap and autumn leaves, with just a hint of rain," Elena giggled, "It's nice."

"... Okay, seriously? No more romance novels for you." That only seemed to make her laugh harder, and she pulled her arms out of his grasp and wrapped them around his neck instead.

"Well, _you_ asked..."

Reno smirked and turned his attention to the soft, sensitive flesh at the base of her throat, teasing it first with his lips, before nipping at it gently with his teeth.

"Hungry? Or just seeing what I taste like?" she asked, coyly, and the redhead lifted his head to look up at her.

"Actually, now that you mention it... yeah. After all that exercise, I'm kinda starvin'," he said with a laugh. And it didn't exactly surprise him. Breakfast had been a complete wash, thanks to his unprecedented bout of seasickness... and lunch had been decidedly lighter than usual, as he hadn't felt much like eating when he'd woken up. By now, it was going on eight o'clock at night, and he really hadn't had a full meal – at least not one that had stayed down long enough to be digested – all day. Elena pushed him off of her and swapped positions, straddling him to pin him in place.

"Then let's go see what they have to eat around here... before 'all that exercise' catches up to you and you starve to death," she said with a giggle. Reno gave her a lewd smile.

"I can think of worse ways to go..."

"Pervert." She rolled her eyes and climbed off of him, reaching for her clothes. "Come on... I'm a little hungry, too."

A few short minutes later, they were making their way towards the ferry's little cafe on the topmost deck. It wasn't much... just an open area with a canvas roof and tables scattered at intervals throughout. The menuboard at the counter offered a handful of dishes, along with drinks and small side items, and a 'daily special' handwritten in the top right corner.

Elena studied the options for a moment, debating the merits of the chopped salad with kale versus the grilled chicken wrap. Reno, meanwhile, was already ordering the special... fish and chips with a side of cole slaw.

"For fuck's sake, 'Lena... quit tryin' to figure out which one's healthier, and just get what ya _want_..." he chuckled, picking up his plate. She joined him a minute later, having gone with the salad.

"Not all of us can eat anything they want and still weight a hundred pounds soaking wet, you know..." she teased.

"One forty-six, for your information," he replied with feigned indignation, "And just for the record, I have to work to hang onto every ounce of that."

Elena blinked in surprise. " _That's_ all you weigh?"

He shrugged. "Why so shocked? I've told ya... I burn through calories like a goddamn chocobo on speed. Hell, Ward had me labeled as dangerously underweight for almost a year before she finally figured out that this is normal for me."

He happily downed one of the deep-fried fish filets before upending a bottle of ketchup over the fries and going on.

"Been that way since I hit puberty. Which, incidentally, kinda sucked back when I didn't know where my next meal was comin' from. That's why I'll eat just about anything. Couldn't afford to be real picky as a kid." He paused long enough to take another bite. "Also why I hate seein' food wasted... though I didn't mind that so much back in the slums," he added, with a grin, "When people threw stuff out, it usually meant a little somethin' extra for me."

"W-what? Wait... so you..."

"Dug through the trash to eat? Hell yeah. Lots of kids like me did _that_. It was easier than huntin' for cripshays or stealin' it. Not that I didn't do that, too. Didn't have to do it quite so _much_ after I started workin'... but what I made at the bar only went so far..."

Elena looked down at her plate, and took a tentative bite. "How did we ever let things get so bad in the slums?" she asked, quietly.

"Most people topside just don't give a shit. They don't see what it's like, and I think if they were really honest about it, a lot of 'em don't want to. They're just glad they're not stuck down there."

"Okay... but why does _Shinra_ let it go on like that? If the company got involved..."

Reno shook his head. "What? And hurt their bottom line?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... Shinra Company benefits from the slums bein' the shithole they are. Think about it. Tons of labor, and they'll work for next to nothin' compared to people from the Plate. Just gotta bring 'em up on the trains every morning and chuck 'em back down there at night. They're isolated, so... sporadic terrorist activity aside, we really don't have to put a whole hell of a lot into policing the place to keep ourselves safe. Plus it's the center of the local black market, and trust me... Shinra doesn't wanna shut _that_ down. We buy all sorts of things off the books that most people don't know about," he explained, "Hell, we even profit off Wall Market. Or we did 'til Corneo fucked himself over and hit the road. Shinra got a cut of his business in exchange for us not shuttin' him down outright. Heh... and between you, me 'n the kale, the former president occasionally took advantage of a... discount on services, too."

"President Shinra... visited _Wall Market_?" she said in disbelief.

"Pretty regularly, accordin' to Lira. Had some interesting tastes, apparently. None of the girls really liked seein' him walk in," he said between bites, "Tseng was the one stuck with the not-particularly-enviable job of escortin' him whenever he was in the mood, ya know... 'cause the Pres actually _classified_ the trips above even _my_ clearance level just so no one else would find out. So... I'm technically not s'posed to know anything about it... and technically neither are you, but the son of a bitch is dead, so who the fuck cares? I'm pretty sure the boss knows I know, anyway." He paused in devouring his dinner and glanced up, a serious expression on his face. "Whatever you do, do _not_ mention any of that to Rufus, though."

"Why not?"

"... 'Cause his dad was an asshole. But he was still his dad. Why fuck up his memory of him even more than it already has been? The guy's dead. Let it die with him."

Elena smiled faintly. "That awfully compassionate towards a guy who calls you an incompetent slum rat every time he sees you..."

"Hmph... Come on, 'Lena. You know by now that Rufus only means about half of what he says," the redhead snickered. "'Sides... I like the guy."

"Masochist..." she teased, spearing a bite of her salad. "... but I guess I sort of like him, too. When he's not being a total jerk."

The redhead grinned and finished off his plate. "Guess that means I never have to worry about Rufus stealin' you away from me, then. He's a jerk about ninty percent of the time." He got up from the table and started towards the counter again.

"Where are you going now?" Elena queried. As if she really had to ask.

"To get you some dessert. Shit you'd feed a chocobo is not a meal, 'Lena."

She rolled her eyes and went back to eating. Reno returned a few minutes later with two generous slices of cherry pie, with two equally generous scoops of vanilla ice cream on top, and she laughed seeing them.

"You have _got_ to be kidding," she said, snickering. "Reno... that's got to be half a pie between the two of us."

"What? A little junk food's good for ya once in awhile."

She snorted a soft laugh, but dug in to the sweet dessert. "Fine... but when I'm a four hundred pound behemoth, you'll only have yourself to blame," she teased.

"Heh... Pretty sure you'll have to opportunity to work it off soon as we get to Gongaga." He smirked, and added "But even if you _were_ a behemoth, I'd still think you were beautiful."

"Right up until I crushed you in bed, you mean..." Elena joked.

"At least I'd die happy," he said with a wink.

* * *

"I hope, for your sake, you're right about this... If not, I plan on taking the entire amount out of your paycheck. At your salary, it should only take you around five years or so to pay it off."

"And I hope, for your sake, that that was a joke, sir..."

"Was that a threat?" Rufus asked, eyebrows rising.

"Of course not, sir. I'm simply pointing out that I will not be nearly as effective as a Turk should I be forced to take a second job in order to pay my rent..." the Turk leader responded with a slight smirk. He turned towards the race course... They'd been ushered into Dio's private box, though he had not yet joined them. The chocobos had yet to line up at the starting line. Suddenly, the door slammed opened with a loud bang, and Tseng reflexively leveled his gun in the direction of the disturbance.

" _Wonderful_ day for a... race?" Dio began to proclaim before realizing he was presently facing a deadly weapon. Tseng made a soft sound of annoyance and holstered the weapon. A quick glance at his charge told him that Rufus, at least, had been highly amused.

"It's seldom wise to sneak up on one of my Turks, Dio," he said, somewhat flippantly. "This one, in particular. He's a bit over-protective."

Dio edged his way around Tseng, joining the President at the balcony's rail.

"You know... I wouldn't mind seeing how that bodyguard of yours fares in the Battle Square sometime..." he commented. Rufus glanced back at the Turk.

"Perhaps I'll consider it on another visit," he said, and Tseng flashed him an irritated glare. "Today, however, I believe I'm more interested in the races."

"Ha! Of course you are! So tell me... Which racer is it going to be?"

"Sevensarta."

"Oh? Well, I have to say, I like your grit. That's a risk right there! Sevensarta's a good mount, but he's being ridden by an alternate for this race."

"So I've heard. Still, I stick by my choice."

"Well, have it your way, then. As for myself, my money is on Peppermill today. Feisty little thing. Not terribly impressive in terms of stamina, but speed for days. She'll be so far out in front, she'll be able to walk the last quarter of the race and still win."

A loud trumpet summoned the racers to the starting line, and as Tseng peered out at the lineup, a unexpectedly familiar face caught his eye. Seated on a chocobo so pale yellow it was nearly white, was none other than Cloud Strife. It took him a moment longer to realized that the bird he was riding was the same one Rufus had just bet on. And when his mount ducked its head in an attempt to throw the unfamiliar rider, he couldn't help but cringe.

Dio, on the other hand, seemed more than pleased. "I don't think your bird likes his new rider..." he cackled. Rufus pulled Tseng aside for a moment.

"Is _that_ who I think it is?" he hissed.

"Yes, sir. The ex-Solider. Strife."

"What in Rumah's name is _he_ doing down there?"

"I have absolutely no idea. Rude reported that he and the rest of Avalanche had been jailed for the attack on the Battle Square last night."

"Those half-assed terrorists are beginning to annoy me..." Rufus said through clenched teeth, before resuming his position next to Dio. Moments later, the gun sounded and the chocobos were off and running.

* * *

"Hey."

"Mmmph..." Elena rolled over, taking the pillow with her and burying her head underneath it. Something prodded her in the side, and she swatted blindly at it.

"Tch... Though _I_ was s'posed to be the one of us who hated mornings..."

The covers were suddenly yanked away from her, along with the pillow, and Elena groaned as bright sunlight assaulted her eyes.

"Sorry, 'Lena... but we're gettin' ready to dock. Time to get up."

She yawned and sat up, pausing only a moment to orient herself before dragging her half-asleep self out of bed and groping for her clothes.

"It's _your_ fault, you know..." she said, tiredly. "You're the one who kept me up half the night."

Reno smiled lewdly. "Well... if you weren't so fuckin' gorgeous, maybe I could keep my hands off of ya... So it's kinda more _your_ fault than mine," he reasoned, handing her the stack of clothing she was searching for. "'Sides... last night's probably gonna end up bein' our last chance at that sorta thing for awhile. Got a feeling we're gonna be puttin' in a lot of extra hours on the clock from here on out. I wanted to make it count."

He was right, she realized. The brief rest in Costa del Sol... the long ferry ride down the coast... It had been a nice respite, but there was a very serious situation that had to be taken care of. And that meant putting their personal lives on hold until it was dealt with. Elena was suddenly glad that he'd insisted on taking advantage of the down time... even if she _could_ have used a couple more hours of sleep at the moment.

She couldn't help but feel just a little disappointed by that reality as she hurried to dress. To be perfectly honest... before Reno, the last time she'd slept with a man had been well over two years ago. And even in that admittedly brief relationship, her sex life hadn't been anywhere near as active as it was now. The redhead had only been teasing her a minute ago... but she actually _did_ find it hard to get enough of him sometimes. And it wasn't just that the sex was good... though Reno _certainly_ knew how to please a woman... It was more that, when they were intimate, Reno's entire world seemed to revolve around her and only her. She didn't have that much experience to draw from – particularly compared to her lover – but that kind of devotion felt as though it must be rare, and she found herself clinging to it. And returning it in kind.

It almost made her want to laugh. She'd _thought_ she'd been in love once before... Her first real boyfriend. She'd been nineteen when they'd met... twenty when things got serious between them. She'd even briefly considered not applying to the Turks' recruitment program for him.

But that little fling was nothing like what she had with Reno. With him, there was so much intensity and desire it had actually been intimidating at first... until she'd realized that she felt the same way. And once she had, it had been so easy to fall in love with him. Nothing between them ever felt forced or feigned, the way it had with other relationships she'd had.

Before she could give the subject any farther consideration, however, her thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sensation of soft lips trailing along her shoulder, and warm breath against her ear.

"I know I'm irresistible, but you're gonna have to snap out of it. We got a target to follow."

Elena blushed as she realized that she'd managed to distract herself so much that she'd actually stopped what she was doing and had been staring at him unabashedly for a few seconds. Reno grinned and buttoned the last few buttons on her shirt for her.

"Was I really _that_ good last night?" he asked.

* * *

Tseng watched as the pack of chocobo racers rounded a sharp turn, and couldn't help but feel the familiar thrill Viridia had introduced him to at his first live race. Strife and Sevensarta were holding their own, and unless he was very much mistaken, the former Soldier had been carefully holding the bird back... saving its stamina for the last push for the finish line. He'd been alternating between second and third place for some time now, staying near the front, but not pushing too hard, too soon.

Viridia would have loved to have seen this race, he mused.

Going into the final turn, three of the mounts near the middle of the pack started to make their move, vying for better positioning for the last straightaway. Just as they were coming out of that turn, however, Sevensarta broke into a sprint. Dio's pick, Peppermill, had been in the lead from the beginning... but she was clearly tiring. Sevensarta, meanwhile, seemed to have energy to spare, and it took him only seconds to catch up, running even with the lead bird.

When Strife's mount began to take the lead, Tseng heard a decidedly excited cry from the normally reserved young executive, and he smiled. It was rare that he got to see Rufus actually enjoying himself at something that didn't involve toying with those under his command. Moments later, Sevensarta crossed the finish line, winning the first race of the Gold Saucer Cup finals. Peppermill was mere steps behind him, finishing second.

Rufus was grinning widely as he turned to Dio.

"I believe you own me a name," he said.

Dio sighed. "So I do. So I do. Well, I'm a man of my word. The man you're looking for is called Werent. Dale Werent. Runs a little store a ways south of here... Deals mostly in weapons, but every once in awhile he comes across something a little more interesting. Stopped by for a visit a week or so ago, and asked me what something like the Keystone might be worth to... uh... the right buyer."

"He didn't try to sell it to you then and there?" Rufus asked, surprised.

"I made him an offer, but he played it close to the vest. Said it was just a hypothetical question... but he wasn't very convincing. The guy's a terrible liar, but he's no fool. He's out for the best price, I'm sure of it. Probably talking to the Zenshou by now, if he's smart."

"I see... Thank you, Dio. This should prove most useful. And the price was certainly right..." Rufus said with a smirk. He turned with a slight nod and walked out the door, Tseng not far behind. Dio merely smiled as he left.

"You get what you pay for, you smug little shit," he muttered under his breath as soon as the pair were out of earshot.

* * *

Rufus rubbed his temples in a desperate attempt to stave off the headache that was rapidly forming between his eyes. That woman's voice was beyond grating, and she'd been going on about her precious materia all morning. It was more than obvious to Tseng that his charge had had enough.

"For Rumah's sake... _fine_. Tseng, take her to Gongaga."

Scarlet turned to the Turk leader with a triumphant expression, but before she could gloat over her apparent victory, the President added, "And you can _leave_ her there, for all I care." The comment earned him a less than amused look from the weapons head, but she said nothing.

Tseng resisted the urge to smile. "Yes, sir," he replied.

"And take Rude with you."

The Wutaiian Turk froze, midway to the door. "Sir... I am _not_ leaving you here unguarded."

Rufus waved him off dismissively. "You won't let me come with you because Gongaga is notoriously unfriendly toward anything having to do with the company. But a Shinra helicopter landing in their backyard is unlikely to go unnoticed. Just how do you plan to avoid having it turned into scrap metal while you and Scarlet are digging through the remains of the reactor?"

He had a point. Tseng knew the area. It was heavily forested. They couldn't land directly at the reactor site... which meant leaving their only transportation unattended in a notably hostile area. The idea of being stranded out in the middle of nowhere with Scarlet wasn't an especially appealing one.

"Sir..."

"I gave you an order, Tseng. I expect it to be obeyed."

"... Yes, sir," Tseng sighed. He distinctly heard Scarlet snicker as she slipped through the door an into the hallway already en route to the helicopter.

"I'll be fine. Last night's incident not withstanding, there are few places better secured than the Gold Saucer," Rufus added, as the Turk reached for his PHS to summon Rude. "You're entirely too over-protective at times. But... if it will assuage some of your concerns I'll remain here in the room. I have some of Hojo's files I need to go over, anyway. You may protect me to your heart's content when you return."

"I still don't like leaving you here on your own."

Rufus smirked. "Well... the sooner you give that woman what she wants and get her off our backs, the sooner I won't _be_ here alone."

* * *

"Set us down well outside of town. There's no sense in drawing attention with an air drop. I don't want any of the locals coming to investigate if we can avoid it. Scarlet and I will make this quick," Tseng's voice stated, breaking the faint sound of static in Rude's headset.

"I'll swing south, and land outside of the treeline. It's a longer hike to the reactor, but it's less likely anyone will spot us coming in from that directions."

Gongaga was little more than a tiny speck on the map these days. At one time it had been close to twice its current size... but that was before the reactor had gone critical and exploded, tearing both itself _and_ a good-sized chunk of the town apart. Much like Corel to the north, the survivors had never really succeeded in rebuilding what they'd lost. Rude suspected that it was largely due to how remote the place was. It sat deep in the forests of southernmost stretches of the western continent. Were it not that it was a moderately convenient stop-over for travelers on their way to Cosmo Canyon, in all likelihood, it would have remained in obscurity.

The little village had it's share of visitors... but it was only a waypoint. Those people never stayed... and so the population continued to slowly dwindle as older residents died off and the younger ones opted to look for a more fulfilling life elsewhere. Shinra had briefly considered rebuilding the reactor... but the bitterness following the explosion had quickly put a stop to that. Shinra would probably have had to eliminate the remainder of the town to make it work... and the reactor itself had never been as productive as they'd initially thought it would anyway, even before the mechanical failures had started. The executive board had eventually decided that it simply wasn't worth the hassle and written it off as a a total loss. They hadn't even bothered trying to recover what was left of the reactor for scrap.

Rude spotted the town and kept well to the east until he was in a position to approach from the south. The helicopter touched down in a wide clearing some distance from their destination, and he shut down the engines.

"Stay near the copter, but do us a favor and keep an eye on that southern road. Warn me if anyone is headed towards the reactor," said Tseng. "The last time I visited Gongaga, I was greeted at gunpoint. I'd prefer to avoid a repeat."

"Oh, will you just hurry up!" Scarlet snapped, wrenching open the door and climbing out. Tseng sighed.

"Remind me again why I'm _not_ going to leave her here..."

Rude shook his head. "... I got nothing," he replied, which earned a brief smile from the Turk leader before he followed the executive down the dirt road. Rude watched them go and then hopped out himself. If he was stuck guarding their escape, he could at least take the opportunity to stretch out a bit.

The road was quiet as he wandered a short distance from their landing spot. So was the thick forest that surrounded it, save for the occasional bird call. It was peaceful... and yet oddly unnerving. It was difficult to ignore the multitudes of hiding places afforded by trees and the brush. Even harder to ignore was the distinct sense of being watched that he felt... and he truly couldn't be certain whether it was his imagination or a legitimate threat. His senses were better attuned to urban landscapes these days. Even _before_ he'd been a Turk, terrain like this wasn't exactly commonplace. Rocket Town was surrounded mostly by plains, and bordered on one side by the Nibel Mountains. Forests had been few and far between growing up.

Something rustled in the bushes behind him, and he turned, eyes scanning the shadowy foliage. He watched for almost a minute straight, straining to hear even the slightest out-of-place sound, but there was nothing... and eventually, he relaxed, convinced it was his imagination getting the better of him. He turned and started to walk back towards the helicopter.

And that's when the attack came.

~fin~

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Mwa ha ha ha ha! *_ _ **evil grin***_


	55. Hunt for the Keystone

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 55: Hunt for the Keystone**

 **by Desha**

The weight hit Rude's back, nearly toppling him, as arms locked themselves around his neck. It was all he could do to stay on his feet, and he pinwheeled for a moment before regaining his balance. By then, a pair of legs had wrapped around his waist as well, securing his attacker to his back.

But whoever it was didn't seem to be much good at wrestling. The choke hold was loose, and the person who'd tried to take him down weighed next to nothing. It was a foolish way to attack someone of his stature... and he wasn't about to put up with it any longer than he had to.

Rude reached for his new acquaintance and seized an arm before forcefully throwing him forward, over his shoulder. The move was met, not with the shocked cry the Turk had expected, but with a sharp laugh, as his attacker tumbled head over heels to the ground in a blur of red and black, somersaulting to a halt several feet away in a controlled fall. Rude blinked in surprise... and then glared at the snickering figure on the ground in front of him.

"Reno!"

The redhead righted himself, still laughing. "Aw, come on...you gotta admit, I gotcha good. Never saw me comin'..."

A rustling behind him sent the already on-edge Turk spinning, ready for another assault. He relaxed when he saw it was only Elena.

"Just for the record, _I_ told him he was being an asshole and he'd be lucky if you didn't break him in half," she stated. Rude chuckled softly and shook his head.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Hojo's parked himself in Gongaga's one and only inn-slash-restaurant. We saw the copter headin' for the south edge of the forest. Figured he'd keep while we found out what was goin' on," Reno replied, as he stood, dusting himself off. "So? What's goin' on?"

"Escort detail. Scarlet's looking for her special materia up at the reactor with Tseng."

"Where's the brat?"

"The _President_ is back at the Gold Saucer. Tseng thought he'd be safer there than out here with all the crazy people running around, jumping out of the bushes..."

"Heh... He get what he wanted from Dio?" Reno asked.

Rude frowned slightly. "Not quite. Dio didn't have the Keystone. But he gave us someone to check out. Might wanna stick around. I think Tseng's planning on calling you two off Hojo patrol to go look into _that_ while we take Rufus on to Rocket Town."

"That'd be a nice change of pace. So far all that jackass has been doin' is sightseein'. Followin' him's boring as fuck... when it's not disturbing enough to give a guy nightmares. You see all the chicks surroundin' him on the beach back in Costa del Sol? Fucker's pickup lines all centered around invitin' 'em to be his new 'breeding specimen'. And some of 'em were eatin' it up," the redhead said, shuddering.

"Ugh... That never gets _less_ creepy," Elena agreed. She, too, shuddered. "I'm going to take another look around while we're out here," she added, and wandered a little ways down the road.

"... Speaking of nightmares..." Rude prodded, lowering his voice slightly.

"Tch... I'm fine."

"..."

"What?" the redhead asked, somewhat defensively, and Rude dropped his gaze. He'd only been curious as to how his friend was faring... and he was suddenly very aware that Elena really _had_ largely taken his place as Reno's sounding board. It wasn't an entirely good feeling.

"... Nothing."

Reno eyed him oddly for a moment.

"... Seriously, what?" he repeated, more concerned this time, and Rude looked away, his eyes following the path Elena had gone down. Reno folded his arms over his chest. "Okay... You're obviously worried about more than just _me_.What's up?"

"Nothing," Rude reaffirmed, and his partner narrowed his eyes.

"I thought we agreed after the whole Reno's gotta quit smokin' debacle that you were gonna treat me like the idiot I am when somethin's botherin' you and just fuckin' _tell_ me instead of waitin' for me to figure it out on my own..."

Rude sighed. He was right... he _had_ promised him that.

"I know. It's just that –"

"Guys!" Elena's voice broke in, as she came sprinting back down the trail. "We've got company!"

Both men looked up, their conversation forgotten, as Cloud and Barret rounded the curve in the road. They were soon followed by the rest of Avalanche, all of whom looked decidedly surprised to see the Turks blocking their path.

"Warn the Boss..." Reno said to Elena. She nodded and took off down the opposite fork, towards the reactor.

"Out of our way..." Barret growled at them.

"Heh... Been awhile. Kinda been lookin' forward to seein' you assholes again, though. I owe ya some payback. You got any idea how bad you fucked up me up back in Sector 7?" Reno asked, ignoring the man.

"You're still alive," Tifa responded coldly, "That's more than _you_ deserve after what you did."

Reno gave his EMR a casual twirl before readying himself for an attack. "I took no pleasure in that. But orders are orders. What's _your_ excuse?"

"Shut up, ya goddamn piece of Shinra trash!" Barret bellowed, raising the weapon on his arm. The redhead glanced over at his partner and smirked.

"Bet I can take out more of 'em than you can..."

* * *

"Worthless," Scarlet hissed, tossing aside a palm-sized chunk of raw materia. It dropped from where she was perched, and hit a metal panel, cracking in half. "Nothing but junk."

The weapons head scowled and moved on to the next exposed chamber. She'd been at it for several minutes by now, and was growing progressively more annoyed with each passing second. Apparently Gongaga's reactor hadn't produced any of the materia she was looking for. Either that, or it had already been scavenged... which given how long this pile of twisted metal had been sitting here, wouldn't have surprised Tseng in the least.

"Sir!" a familiar... though thoroughly unexpected... voice called out to him, drawing his attention from the executive.

"Elena?" he responded, surprised to see the woman heading toward him... in something of a hurry. She stopped a few feet away, breathing harshly.

"Reno and Rude are back dawn the trail. Avalanche just showed up."

That was the last thing he needed. While the group was likely more focused on Sephiroth than interfering with Shinra, they very clearly bore no affection for the company... and he certainly didn't need a fight with a former Soldier and a bunch of terrorists while an executive was with them.

"Absolute _junk_!" Scarlet suddenly screamed in frustration, and Tseng had to sidestep yet another chunk of materia crystal that was flung in his general direction. It landed at Elena's feet, and she picked it up, curious.

"Scarlet! We need to leave," he said, firmly, and the woman looked up from the task at hand, glaring at him.

"Don't you _dare_ presume to tell me what to do..."

"We have a security issue. It's being dealt with, for now, but we can't stay any longer," Tseng insisted. The sudden sound of gunfire from a short distance away, seemed to convince her.

* * *

The spray of bullets sent Rude diving for cover... and his dive, unfortunately sent him directly into the path of Tifa's fist. Given that the alternative had been that furry science experiment's teeth, though... he was pretty sure he'd made the right choice. The punch knocked the wind out of him and sent him to the ground, flat on his back.

Reno, meanwhile, was dealing with Strife... and didn't look especially happy about the fact. The redhead had managed to keep his distance – had even landed more than a few jolting blows with his electro-mag rod – but the former Soldier didn't look like he was going to go down easily. Especially with Aerith backing him up. Rude had never actually realized that the young woman was a magic user... she tended to avoid confrontation in general... but he'd spotted several materia spheres slotted into the band on her wrist, and she was doing an admirable job of shielding her friends from the worst of the Turks' attacks.

That, combined with the fact that it was currently five against two, didn't exactly give him a good feeling about the outcome of this fight. Rude scrambled to his feet just in time to dodge another of the bartender's punches, and retaliated by sweeping her legs out from under her. As she went down, he caught his partner's eye.

Right on cue, a loud noise broke through the din of combat. The sound of the helicopter's engines spinning up was a welcome relief... Reno nodded, and distanced himself from Cloud.

"Much as we'd like to stick around and play some more..."

"It's time for us to go," Rude finished for him. The two of them took off, ignoring the slightly bewildered expressions on their opponents' faces. Reno darted through a narrow gap in the brush, and his partner followed, scowling as a particularly thorny branch tore the sleeve of his jacket. They ran for the helicopter. Elena was positioned in the doorway, waving for them to hurry. As they scrambled inside, she hauled it shut, and the aircraft lifted off.

"Are you two alright?" she asked, having to shout to be heard due to their lack of headsets. Reno nodded, brushing the dirt from his clothes. Rude smirked and plucked several leaves from his partner's hair before taking a seat.

"We're fine," Reno clarified, pulling on a headset. "Maybe a little bruised, but I think we'll live."

"Good to hear," Tseng's voice greeted him, "Because I have a new task for you and Elena. We'll drop you off on the way back."

* * *

Rufus leaned forward gazing out across the wide expanse of the Corel desert. The gondola had never been one of his favorite rides... but it was quiet and relaxing, and that was just what he needed right now. Tseng wouldn't be pleased if he learned that he'd left the hotel, but at the moment he just didn't care. The room had been stifling. He'd felt trapped and alone, and he couldn't stand another minute there looking through classified files from Hojo's archives.

Hojo.

He'd found out some interesting information about _that_ son of a bitch. Much to his surprise, a good portion of the Jenova Project file had been missing. In fact, all he had in his possession currently had been denoted as Phase 2. Nearly everything regarding Phase 1 was simply not there... and that concerned him greatly, because what little he _had_ found was distressing.

From what he'd pieced together, Phase 1 had begun nearly thirty years ago, and somehow, Sephiroth was directly involved in it. If that were true, he would have been just a child... one recruited for experiments that eventually produced the greatest Soldier the world had ever seen. Rufus wanted details. He'd already sent word to Midgar to located the missing portions of the file, but thus far the science staff had been unable to do so. They had suggested sending someone to the Shinra manor at Nibelheim to look through the archives there.

Rufus shook his head and sighed. He'd known for some time that some of the 'projects' his father had commissioned were perhaps not entirely ethical... but he was only now beginning to understand just how for he'd gone. Manipulating the genetic makeup of live animal specimens was one thing... Even Hojo's human experiments didn't bother him over much in general – though he was beginning to wonder if the test subjects had really signed up as 'voluntarily' as the man claimed they did – but using children? What _had_ his father been thinking, allowing something like that?

He had never been close to the man... not since his mother had died, at any rate... but now he was starting to wonder if he'd really known his father at all. For most of his life – _all_ of his adult life – he'd been groomed to take over the company one day. His father had ensure that he learned the finer points of negotiation and leadership and finances... but had spent next to no time being a parent. Eventually, Rufus had given up on his own efforts, as well, and strove to be the perfect little CEO-in-training rather than the perfect son. As sad as it was to admit... he probably knew Tseng better than his own father. Hell, he was probably _closer_ to Tseng than he was his own father.

Rufus frowned and turned away from the view as the cable car rocked gently in the evening breeze. He couldn't help but feel torn... On one hand, his father had made it very clear how he wanted the company to be run, and had spent years grooming him to do just that one day. On the other... the more deeply he delved into company secrets, the more he wondered if he _could_ ,in good conscience, continue in the same vein as his father.

It was a decision he'd have to make one day. But not today. Today, he had to commit himself to destroying Sephiroth... not just for his own sense of personal revenge, but also for the good of Shinra. Whatever he was up to, it didn't bode well for the company, and Rufus was not about to lose _that_ , too.

The gondola at last came to a stop at the station, and Rufus stood, strolling out onto the platform... only to be greeted by a very unamused-looking Turk.

"I thought you were going to stay in the room, sir," Tseng said pointedly, arms folded over his chest as he fixed his charge with a disapproving look.

"I did. Until I grew bored of it," he responded, "Is Scarlet finally placated?"

The Turk leader sighed, but didn't comment further on the young executive's little excursion. "Unfortunately, we were unable to find what she was looking for," he said, ushering Rufus back towards the transport tunnels. "But much to my unending relief, she'll be returning to Midgar to oversee construction of her weapon. Her staff will handle materia hunting from here on out."

"Ah... A silver lining at last. And the Keystone?"

"We left Reno and Elena at Mr. Werent's shop. He wasn't there when we arrived. They'll report in as soon as they speak with him."

Rufus snorted softly. "Where did you find those two? I thought they were following Hojo to hell and back..."

"Yes, sir," Tseng replied, finally cracking a faint smile, "They trailed him to Gongaga. He appears to be playing tourist for the time being... to what end, we're not certain, but shadowing him seems to be yielding very little of any use to us. I believe my Turks would be better employed elsewhere. We haven't let him go completely, however. Reno planted a tracer in his luggage at Costa del Sol. If we need to find him again, we can."

The President nodded. "In that case... I've found something else that could use investigating once they've finished there..."

* * *

Reno leaned back against the door of the shop. They'd been waiting over an hour... The proprietor still wasn't back.

"Tch... Fuck this. I say we just break in and search the place."

"And just what happens if he comes _back_ while where in the middle of ransacking his store?" Elena pointed out. "I don't think he's going to be very willing to talk to us if he catches us..."

"Won't _have_ to talk to the guy if we find the Keystone first," Reno said with a grin. He pulled a lockpick from his pocket and opened the door, slipping inside. Elena hesitated just long enough to scan the area and make sure the owner wasn't on his way before following.

"... So. I hate to ask ya this, but... what do you think a keystone looks like?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied. All Tseng had told them was that Rufus had said the slot the stone fit into was spherical. Essentially, they were looking for something round and roughly the size of a grapefruit.

Reno sighed and headed for the upper level of the shop. "I'll take the top, you take the bottom," he said, but paused in his bid for the staircase and turned back with a grin, "Ya know... unless _you're_ more in the mood to be on top this time... I'm good either way..."

"Don't even start, you pervert," she said, snickering quietly. Elena turned her attention on the large display cabinet nearby and began scanning the shelves, a smile still painted on her lips. She didn't mind Reno's jokes... not really. To be honest, she'd actually grown to enjoy them, no matter how terrible and inappropriate they got. It was a little funny to think about how they used to bother her endlessly.

Reno was up on the second level, rummaging through a drawer. "Hey... 'Lena?"

"Yeah?"

"Has Rude seemed... I dunno... _off_ to you lately?" he asked.

Elena looked up from the boxes she was searching. "No... Not that I've noticed, anyway. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Not sure. I just get the feeling somethin's on his mind. Tried askin' him about it back in Gongaga, but we kinda got interrupted."

"Well... I _do_ know that he's been really worried about _you_..." she replied. Nothing... at least nothing that looked like their elusive Keystone. She'd found plenty of interesting odds and ends, though. In fact, she wouldn't have minded at all coming back here to do a little shopping some time.

"Nah... I don't think that's it. I mean... maybe it's _part_ of it, but I think there's more to it than that."

"You don't think he's angry about something, do you?" she asked, and started up the stairs. The ground floor was a bust. Reno glanced up from the trunk he was presently elbow deep in and shook his head.

"Didn't seem like it. Kinda hard to read on most things, but it's usually pretty easy to tell when he's ticked off. _Somethin's_ buggin' him, though. I'm sure of it. And I think it's gotta be somethin' _I_ did." He frowned and slammed the lid of the trunk shut. "I just don't know what it is exactly that I've done lately. Can't think of anything..." His shoulders sagged slightly. "I mean... aside from the obvious. But he wouldn't be gettin' all weird with me about Sector 7, would he?"

"Of course he wouldn't," Elena replied, "Reno, none of us blame you for following orders. We all would have done the same thing if we'd been in your place."

"Yeah... I know," he sighed. "I just can't think of _anything_ else that might be weighin' on him."

"I'm sure it's nothing too serious. Why don't you call him when we're done here?

Reno smirked. "'Cause he won't say shit over the phone. If it's really somethin' important, he'll insist on doin' this in person."

"Well... we'll be meeting them in Rocket Town in a day or so. You can talk to him then. Just... try not to get worked up over it, okay?"

"Who? Me?" he joked, and Elena snorted a laugh.

"Yes. You," she replied, "You get an idea in your head, and then you obsess over it until you're completely freaked out over something that usually turns out to be nothing at all."

"Tch... When have I ever done somethin' like that?"

Elena put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Oh, I don't know... How about when you were driving yourself crazy because you were convinced you'd never get your memory back?"

"Okay, _once_."

"And when you tried to give me to Rude, because you could hardly stand to be in the same room with me after I told you things wouldn't work between us?"

"In my defense, I wasn't in the best frame of mind at the time to begin with, thanks to that Ifrit-forsaken experiment I got roped into..."

"And let's not forget just how _long_ it took me to convince you that I wasn't going to get fed up with you and dump you..."

The redhead chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. "... Alright. Okay... so maybeI _do_ have a habit of assumin' the worst sometimes."

Elena smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Rude's your best friend. Whatever it is, I'm sure you two will work it out. Anyway... I didn't find anything. Did you?"

Reno shook his head. "Not a damn thing. Guess it's back to waitin' for the guy to show. Let's get outta here before we get caught."

* * *

"I see... Alright. Keep me updated."

Tseng ended the call and pocketed his PHS. Reno and Elena hadn't had any luck. The shop owner was out and had yet to return. They'd opted to stake the place out until morning.

"Nothing?" Rude queried, and Tseng shook his head.

"They're going to wait. Hope he comes back."

"Still sending them on to Nibelheim? Or do you want to drop me off on the way to Rocket Town?"

Rufus had ordered them to investigate the old Shinra mansion... or more specifically, the archives in the basement. He'd initially planned to dispatch the pair since they were already about halfway there anyway... he hadn't anticipated them being held up waiting for Werent.

"Frankly, I'd prefer you stay with Rufus and I. Otherwise I may find myself heading to the temple with only the President for company. He's... less than patient about this."

"I've noticed."

Tseng frowned and took a seat on one of the beds. "I have to admit... I'm becoming concerned. I understand perfectly well _why_ he feels the need to accompany us. I just wish he wouldn't. There's no need for him to put himself at such risk. I would feel much better if he were safely back in Midgar instead."

"Another day or so and the Highwind should be ready. That thing's arguably even safer than headquarters. We could stall until it arrives..." Rude suggested.

"Mmm... I've considered that. It _would_ be preferable to having him so exposed and vulnerable. The question is how to go about it without rousing his suspicion. He won't like it... even if it _is_ for his own good," Tseng replied, "... Perhaps I'll have you make a few... _repairs_... to the plane while Rufus is discussing the matter with its caretaker."

"I'm not much of a mechanic..." Rude said, smirking slightly.

"Good. That's exactly what I'm counting on. Just try not to render it unsalvageable..."

* * *

Rude was standing at the edge of the Plate as Reno approached, gazing down at the destruction below. Clouds of dust still hung in the air, and the redhead could smell the fires burning. He swallowed sharply and joined him, peering hesitantly over the edge.

"... It's bad."

"... Yeah," Reno replied. He'd known it would be. There wasn't anything he could do about it now, though.

"Could've said no."

"Tch... and then what? Pass it off to one of you guys? Youwant this shit hangin' over _your_ head? Or Tseng's? Or... 'Lena's?" He could still remember the terror he'd felt, watching her reach into that pouch to draw her stone. If _she'd_ drawn black, he'd have locked her in the archives room and done it himself... tradition be damned.

"If you'd said no... maybe the rest of us would have, too."

"And be branded traitors for your trouble. You got a death wish or somethin'? You think the President wouldn't send Soldier after _all_ of us if we refused to follow orders?"

"Rufus is President now."

Reno narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, well... he wasn't _then_." And there was no way in hell he'd put any of them at that kind of risk, anyway.

"You should've said no," the other Turk stated, matter-of-factly.

"Rude..." the redhead replied, taken aback. Rude still hadn't even looked at him. He reached for him, placing a hand on his shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. Reno drew his hand back, staring at his friend. He'd never been treated so coldly by him before. The wind picked up, blowing the dust and smoke from Sector 7 away from the city, and as he watched, Rude vanished with it.

He woke with a start, still propped up against the wall of the little shop, his arms wrapped protectively around Elena as she slept. The first rays of the sun were just peeking over the horizon, but it was still too dark to see much of anything. Reno took a deep breath, trying to banish the memory of the dream. It hadn't been a nightmare, _per se_... just disturbing. Rude couldn't _really_ feel that way... could he?

He shook his head and reminded himself that it was a dream. He wasn't in Midgar. He hadn't really been talking to Rude. Right now, he was curled up in a very uncomfortable position, with Elena on his lap so that she could get some halfway decent rest while they waited for that asshole shop owner to show up. That dream had been nothing more than his own guilty conscience tormenting him in his sleep. He sighed and shifted position slightly, stretching his right leg out as much as he could manage without disturbing her... and suddenly realized that his foot had gone numb from the awkward position.

Reno groaned softly and wiggled his toes, trying to restore blood flow to the appendage. Elena murmured something in her sleep and then yawned, lifting her head.

"Reno?"

"Heh... Sorry, 'Lena. Foot's asleep... didn't mean to wake ya."

Elena sat up, and untangled herself from his grip, kissing him lightly before removing herself from his lap. "I told you something like that would happen..." she giggled, "But you just had to be the gentleman..." He flashed her a smiled... but inside, the dream still nagged at him. She yawned again, stretching a bit before settling against the wall next to him. "Want me to help?"

He shook his head as he was unlacing his boot. He kicked it off, and dug his fingertips into his foot, ignoring the unpleasant pins and needles sensation. "Nah... I got this."

Elena leaned back, glancing up at the sky. The though the sky was slowly lightening, the stars were still out.

"You know... this was the _one_ thing that I always liked better about Nana's house than home..."

"Tch... What? Sleepin' on the ground?" the redhead teased.

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him playfully. "No, you idiot... Being able to see the stars like this. There's too much light pollution in Midgar. It's never dark enough to see them really well, even on clear nights."

Reno glanced upwards. "Never really thought about it, but I s'pose you're right. Don't think I've ever paid that much attention to 'em to be honest."

"Nana used to take us all out stargazing sometimes when we visited her. It was beautiful. I was never very good at finding the constellations... no matter how many times she tried to teach them to me. Del and Bel knew them all, though."

Some of the feeling was finally returning to his toes. He flexed them a few times before stretching his leg out straight again with a relieved sigh. "Heh... Won't be much help to ya there. I didn't even know there _was_ such a thing as a constellation 'til I was probably seventeen or so and Tseng pointed a few of 'em out to me on a mission to Cosmo Canyon. Couldn't really see what he was talkin' about, to be honest... 'cept for one."

Elena cuddled up next to him, still looking up. "Which one?" she asked, curious. Reno smiled slightly and glanced over at her before turning his gaze back to the stars.

"That one," he said pointing to a small grouping of stars that seemed to be all on their own in the vast night sky. "He said most people call it the Lone Nibelwolf... 'cept in Wutai. _They_ call it the Orphaned Nibelwolf. Story goes that its mother killed herself as a sacrifice to the gods so they wouldn't take her pup. He lived, but he was left all alone to fend for himself. Guess that one kinda just struck a chord with me... I don't remember any of the others."

He sighed contentedly as he felt Elena's arms encircle him. "You're not alone anymore," she whispered, nuzzling him, and Reno smiled and pulled her in closer.

"I know." His fingers gently stroked her side, until they reached the pocket of her jacket. There was something hard there. "You packin' an extra backup piece or you just happy to see me?" he joked.

She frowned in confusion, reaching into her pocket and drawing out the piece of materia she'd picked up at the reactor. She laughed as she realized what it was "Oh, that... Scarlet almost hit Tseng with it and I was curious what kind it was. I must have pocketed it when we heard the gunshots without realizing it."

"So what kind is it?"

Elena shook her head. "That's just it. I couldn't tell..." she replied, handing it to him. The redhead hefted it in his palm, studying the raw crystal with a furrowed brow.

"Huh... That's weird," he said at last.

"What?"

"I can't tell what it is, either. I mean... I suck at _usin'_ the stuff, but I can usually at least _identify_ it. Definitely a magic type of some sort, but it feels... weird. Not elemental, that's for sure. Don't think I've seen this kind before."

Elena plucked it from his hand, holding it up to get a better look. "Do you think Tseng would know?"

"Maybe. If not, Viridia _definitely_ would. She's a goddamn master when it comes to materia. One of the reasons Veld wanted her so bad. The Turks don't get many hardcore magic users... usually they get tapped for Solider first when they're that good. Hold onto it. Even if Tseng's as clueless as I am, we're bound to end up back in Junon eventually... might end up bein' a nice addition to your collection."

Elena nodded and tucked it back into her pocket.

* * *

By mid-morning, Tseng and Rude, along with their remaining executive, were on their way to their next destination. Scarlet had found alternative transportation back to Midgar... much to the Turk leader's relief. He was grateful not to have to deal with her any longer. They would be landing shortly.

"I've asked Palmer to meet us in Rocket Town," Rufus said, conversationally. "And to speak to his man about borrowing the plane... That fat oaf might as well _earn_ his paycheck for a change. It should be fueled and waiting for us when we arrive... assuming he hasn't managed to screw up such a relatively simple task."

"Sir... perhaps we should simply wait for the Highwind. We don't yet have the Keystone anyway. Traveling to the temple without it will likely prove fruitless without it."

"We're _going_ to that temple," Rufus said, firmly. "If we can't get in, neither can Sephiroth. And it certainly can't hurt to take a look around before he arrives."

Tseng sighed, but nodded in agreement and glanced sidelong at Rude. He didn't like going behind the President's back... but in this case, it seemed like the only responsible solution. They would have to sabotage the plane. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he reflexively retrieved it, thumbing open the message.

It was from Reeve... It seemed that Avalanche had made their way through Cosmo Canyon and then on towards Nibelheim... and that their next destination was _also_ Rocket Town. The Turk leader's frown deepened. They hadn't hesitated in attacking Reno and Rude back in Gongaga. It was unlikely they'd refrain from doing the same in Rocket Town if their paths crossed. He'd have to keep a much closer eye on Rufus while they were there. The prospect of sending Rude off to render the plane unflyable was suddenly looking less appealing. He might need the help.

His phone vibrated again. The group had also apparently encountered Sephiroth at Nibelheim. He had spoken of a 'reunion'... just as Hojo's clones had done... as well as Jenova, before telling them that he was heading north. It seemed that Sephiroth _wanted_ the group to follow him, and Tseng wondered why.

"Hmph... Welcome home," Rude commented suddenly, and Tseng returned his attention to the view in front of him. Rocket Town was finally visible. They'd be landing in just a few more minutes.

"It's been quite some time for you, hasn't it?" Tseng asked.

"... Hadn't been back in almost six years until Dad died. Didn't stick around long after the funeral, either. Keep meaning to go do something with his house... but it's never a good time."

Tseng had the feeling that timing wasn't the real issue. It had been almost two years, now... and Rude still didn't talk about it much. At least not to him. Reno had had more luck broaching the subject, but ultimately had dropped it and let it be. It wasn't something Rude liked to think about, let alone discuss. Tseng suspected _that_ was the real reason he hadn't gone back to clear out the house. He wasn't quite ready yet to face the finality it would bring.

The helicopter descended, touching down near the hulking rocket that had given the town its name, and the Turk leader spotted Palmer waiting for them, bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet.

* * *

A small flicker of movement in the distance caught Reno's eye, and he scrambled to his feet.

"It's about goddamn time..." he muttered as Elena joined him. "Thought this fucker was never comin' back."

He was stiff... he was sore... and worse, he was hungry. If he'd had to spend half the day waiting on the shopkeeper to finally return to his shop, he would _not_ have been a happy camper. The pair of Turks waited in silence for Mr. Werent to reach them.

"... Er... can I... help you?" he asked, clearly surprised to see such eager customers.

 _'Fuck, I hope so...'_ Reno thought to himself. If this turned out to be a wasted effort, he was going to be pissed.

"We heard from Dio that you might have somethin' we're interested in purchasing..."

The man brightened at that, sensing the possibility of a large sale looming. He fumbled for his keys and unlocked the door to his shop.

"Well, come in... come in... I'll see what I can do for you!" They followed him inside, and he gestured to some chairs in the corner. The three of them sat, and the man grinned widely. "Now... Just what sort of item was it you were looking for?"

"A Cetra relic... Something called the Keystone."

The smile quickly faded, and the man looked at them quizzically. "The... the Keystone?" he repeated, sounding thoroughly confused... and more than slightly suspicious. "I thought you said Dio sent you..."

"Well... he didn't _send_ us exactly," Elena piped up, "He just gave us your name and said you might be willing to sell."

Werent frowned. "I'm afraid I can't help you," he replied, "Er... If you'll excuse me, I have quite the to-do list before I open my shop for the day..."

He stood, and gestured toward the door. Reno sighed and drew his EMR.

"Guess we're doin' this the hard way," he said, menacingly. Werent's eyes widened and he backed away several steps.

"W-wait... Please. Don't hurt me."

"Look pal... I've had a rough couple of weeks. And on top of that, I haven't had breakfast yet. You don't wanna fuck with me right now... so how 'bout you save us both some trouble and just tell me everything you know about the Keystone. Startin' with where you're hidin' it."

"I-I don't have it!" he replied, voice edged in fear.

Reno's eyes narrowed. "Don't say I didn't warn ya..." he growled, threateningly, and triggered the electro-mag rod's current, sending a cloud of sparks crackling from its tip.

"I swear! I already sold it!"

The redhead seized him by the collar and backed him up against the wall. "Name," he demanded. Werent paled, eying the weapon in his hand.

"Dio! I-I sold it to Dio! That's why I was gone so long... I just delivered it to him!"

Reno released his hold on the man and swore.

"That son of bitch..." he growled. "Fucker sent us on a wild goose chase just so we wouldn't be there when this guy showed up with the merchandise..."

"I'll call Tseng," Elena replied, stepping out of the shop as she withdrew her PHS from her jacket.

* * *

"What the fuck do you _mean_ you're not startin' the space program back up? What the hell'd you even come here for, then?"

Rufus calmly folded his arms over his chest, regarding the decidedly unamused pilot with disdain. "We need the plane," he replied, nodding toward the house the man had emerged from just minutes ago. The sea plane's tail was just visible behind the little structure.

Cid Highwind threw his cigarette to the ground, grinding it angrily under his boot. "Goddammit! First the airship... then the rocket... now the Tiny Bronco. Takin' space away from me wasn't good enough for Shinra. Now you want to take the sky away from me, too?!"

Tseng subtly repositioned himself, just in case things got out of hand. He hadn't expected the man to be quite so defiant of a Shinra executive. Then again, the company's space program had been in a state of limbo for years now... and he knew that those involved had been unusually passionate about it. Besides which... given that Palmer had been in charge, it probably shouldn't have been especially surprising that there was a significant lack of discipline.

Highwind didn't look like he posed much of a threat... particularly with the small regiment of Shinra military personnel Palmer had brought with him standing just off to one side... but one could never be too careful. Speaking of Palmer... Tseng hadn't seen hide nor hair of the man since he'd gone inside to fetch the pilot for Rufus.

"Don't forget, Mr. Highwind... It's because of Shinra Company that you were able to fly in the first place. I think a little courtesy is owed us."

Rude suddenly nudged him. Tseng turned his gaze momentarily away from his charge, and the other Turk nodded sharply towards the periphery of the small crowd that had formed around the arguing men.

Strife. When had he gotten here? Tseng scowled, annoyed at the rotten timing. Before he could decide on a course of action, however, a woman emerged from the house and slipped through the crowd toward the former Soldier, speaking to him and gesturing subtly in the direction of the plane. Cloud nodded and disappeared behind the house... and moments later, the Turk leader caught the sound of large engines and spinning propellers.

Rufus looked up in surprise, as the little sea plane emerged fully into view, Palmer waddling after it as fast as his fat little legs could carry him.

"What in Leviathan's name is that idiot doing?" Tseng asked aloud, the somewhat surreal scene temporarily disabling his usual filter. Cloud and Tifa weren't far behind, shoving Palmer aside and chasing after the plane. Strife boosted the woman onto the wing.

Palmer, meanwhile, seemed to have found some residual stamina, and made a valiant effort at catching up... only to step directly into the path of a small truck, as it rounded the corner and sent him flying several feet into a fence. The remaining members of Avalanche emerged from hiding, heading for the Tiny Bronco.

"It won't stop!" Tifa called out.

"Forget it! Get in!" Strife replied, waving the others ahead of him, and helping hoist them aboard as well.

"Where in the _hell_ do you think you're goin'?" Highwind shouted after them. His conversation with Rufus was utterly forgotten as he took off at a sprint, easily catching up to the aircraft and vaulting himself into the cockpit. He hit the throttle and the plane rumbled down the roadway before lifting off. All the while, Tseng could only stare... Bizarre a development as this was, it suited him just fine. If Avalanche got away with the plane, they'd have no choice but to wait for the airship to arrive.

The Tiny Bronco made a quick loop around the leaning rocket, and then came back towards them, buzzing the crowd and eliciting a cheer from the townspeople before winging its way out to sea. Over the din, however, the distinct sound of gunshots drove Tseng to pull Rufus towards cover. It took him a moment more to realize that the shots were coming from their own personnel.

"No! You Rumah-forsaken idiots, don't shoot it _down_. I _need_ that plane!" the now irate executive shouted at them. It was, however, much too late. Tseng could already see smoke trailing from the aircraft's tail, and it was dropping dangerously fast, towards the water. Moments later, it plunged out of sight.

Rufus shrugged Tseng's hands off of him and stalked towards the small group of soldiers. He snatched a rifle from one of them. "Get out of my sight," he hissed at them. The men scattered, hurrying to obey.

"I'll deal with Rufus. Go and see how badly Palmer is hurt," Tseng said, turning to Rude. The bald Turk nodded and rushed off toward the downed executive.

"Sir..." the Turk leader began.

"And _you_! What did you think you were doing just _standing_ there?"

Tseng bit back a frustrated sigh. "I was ensuring that _you_ were safe, sir. As is my priority."

... And it certainly didn't hurt that Avalanche had just solved the problem he'd been so concerned about _for_ him.

Rufus' hand clenched around the stock of the confiscated rifle and he glared. "Yes, well... your priorities have just cost us the only sea-going aircraft this backwater little hole has to offer. Just how do you plan on reaching the temple _now_?"

"The Highwind will have been prepared by now... So we wait. I doubt we'll lose more than a day."

The younger man looked like he had a response to that, but it was cut short as Rude approached, supporting Palmer.

"Assuming that fool isn't half-dead already, put him on the next flight back to Midgar... before I decide to put this weapon to better use than its previous owner," he snapped, and turned on his heel, striding away. At Rude's questioning glance, Tseng nodded in agreement with the president.

"... Dad's house is up the street. Key's under the flowerpot," he said simply. With that, he dragged the injured executive off. Tseng's PHS rang as he started off in the opposite direction, intent on reclaiming his charge. He glanced down, seeing Elena's number displayed on the screen and quickly accepted the call.

"Yes? Do you have it?"

"... Um... not exactly, sir," Elena's voice replied, and the Turk leader had to resist the urge to groan. _That_ wasn't going to go over well with the President... especially now. "We _do_ finally know where it is, though," the young woman added.

"And?" he prodded.

"Dio has it."

Tseng roughly pinched the bridge of his nose, aggravated. "He lied to us, then."

"Not _technically_ , sir... He really _didn't_ have it when we were there. But the man he sent us to see... he just got back from delivering the merchandise."

"Alright..." he sighed, "Stay where you are. I'll pick you up shortly, and we'll see if we can't persuade him to part with it."

"Understood, sir."

He ended the called, and continued on his path toward the fuming executive, pausing a few short strides behind him.

"Don't you give me that look, Tseng..." he grumbled at the Wutaiian Turk, and the corners of Tseng's lips quirked upwards in a faint smile. Rufus had never been prone to tantrums, even as a small child. In fact, the display a moment ago was about the closest thing Tseng had ever personally witnessed that might qualify... though he _had_ heard a rather interesting account of the younger man's falling out with his father from the former President's private secretary.

"Come along, sir," the Turk leader prodded. "We've some time to kill and Rude has volunteered his father's house for our stay. I suspect it will be a bit more comfortable than the local inn."

Rufus' shoulders slumped, defeated. "We're going to lose him... That bastard will make it to the temple well ahead of us at this rate."

"Perhaps... but he still lacks the Keystone. And I'm going to retrieve that personally just as soon as you are safely stowed away."

The young President turned sharply. "Reno and Elena have it, then?"

Tseng shook his head. "No. But they found out where it was taken. It seems our friend Dio wasn't entirely forthcoming about his interest in it. Apparently, he had already purchased the item from the shopkeeper and was merely waiting on delivery."

Rufus' eyes narrowed angrily. "He will _regret_ double-crossing me like that..."

"Later, sir. Let's focus on one revenge plot at a time, shall we?"

Rufus grudgingly nodded and Tseng gestured down the narrow road. He escorted him to a small two story house just at the edge of town, and trailed the younger man down the path to the front door. The place had seen better days, certainly. The yard was overgrown, and viney-looking weeds seemed to be rapidly encroaching upon the flowerbeds. Tseng shifted a small flowerpot filled with what may have once been chrysanthemums... by now, however, they were dry and wilted... and picked up the key hidden underneath.

Rufus snorted softly. "Rude's father doesn't seem to be much for grounds keeping..." he muttered.

"Rude's father is dead, sir," Tseng replied, unlocking the door. "As of two years ago. The house has sat empty since the funeral, I believe."

The President hesitated slightly, looking over at his bodyguard in surprise. "You never mentioned it to me."

"Rude... took his death rather hard, sir. Discussing it with you seemed as though I would be more than slightly overstepping my bounds." He escorted the younger man inside. Rufus looked around the living room. Some of the larger furniture had been covered with sheets to ward off the accumulation of dust, but other than that, it seemed largely untouched. Tseng's eye went to the mantle above the fireplace, where a collection of framed photos decorated the entire length. There were a number of pictures of a man who bore a striking resemblance to his friend.

Rudolfus Bartholomew Montgomery, Sr., Tseng assumed. And with a namesake like that, it was no wonder, his friend – being saddled with the unfortunate designation of 'junior' – preferred just 'Rude'.

But the shelf was undeniably dominated by images of a very lovely young woman, with long, flowing caramel-colored hair and a somewhat dreamlike, faraway look in her eyes. Curiously, the only image of his fellow Turk he managed to spot was one from when he was a very young boy of perhaps eight or nine, his mother hugging him tightly from behind. It had been relegated to the back of the collection, and Rude himself was largely obscured by other photos, leaving just his mother peering out from behind the other frames.

Rufus seemed to notice the oddity of it as well, and glanced back at him, questioningly.

"They were never on the best of terms after Rude's mother died. Even less so after he joined the Turks," Tseng said, simply.

"Hmph... I suppose we have more in common than I realized," Rufus commented. The executive whipped the sheet off of a plush armchair, and sat down with a faint smirk. "Are _all_ of your personal lives so utterly tragic?"

Tseng chuckled softly. "It's a job requirement, sir. Elena is probably the most well-adjusted of any of us, and even she has had her share."

Before Rufus could reply, the door swung inward, admitting the very topic of their conversation. Rude slipped inside, frowning faintly at the sight of his one-time home, but saying nothing that might further betray his feelings.

"Palmer's alright. Just little bruised."

"Is it really any surprise?" Rufus asked, haughtily, "The man has a six inch thick layer of blubber protecting him. I trust you got rid of him?"

Rude nodded. "Asked an old friend to fly him. He's on his way back to Midgar via Costa del Sol."

"Good," Tseng replied, "In that case... stay here with Rufus. Elena notified me that she and Reno have located the Keystone. I'm going to pick them up and go get it."

Rufus narrowed his eyes. "I don't see why _I_ can't go. I'd very much like a word with Dio over this."

"And that is _precisely_ why you're not going, sir," the Turk leader answered with a small smile. "Besides which... I intend to retrieve the item and be well on our way back to Rocket Town before Dio even realizes we were there."

* * *

Reno was staring up at the clouds, his bare feet dangling in the water, buffeted by the swift current of the river. The shopkeeper had grown less and less thrilled with their company the longer they'd stuck around, so they'd made their way back north a short distance and parked themselves on the south bank to wait for their ride...

"Tch... We probably coulda _walked_ to the fuckin' Saucer by now."

"I didn't know you could walk on water..." Elena replied, playfully nudging him in the side. He turned his head and smirked.

"Can't... but we coulda swum it."

His lover shook her head vehemently. "Not a chance."

The redhead sat up and snickered. "Aw, come on 'Lena... after all those swimming lessons I gave ya? You've gotten a lot better. Hell, you jumped into zolom-infested water just to save _my_ sorry ass from drowning... remember?"

"I don't care. Look at that thing! I'd be three miles downstream by the time I made it halfway across..." she shot back, with a laugh, "Either find me a bridge, or forget it."

"Too bad... I wouldn't mind watchin' ya strip down and jump in the water right about now..."

"Don't you think about _anything_ else?" Elena teased.

Reno grinned and tucked his hands behind his head, returning his gaze to the sky. It had been a beautiful morning, but it was beginning to look like it might rain. Hopefully, Tseng wouldn't leave them waiting for long. He doubted the shopkeeper would welcome them back, and Gongaga was at least an hour's walk... not exactly convenient if they needed some quick shelter from the elements.

He heard Elena shift position, moving to settle next to his head, and a moment later, her fingers were gently carding his hair. Reno closed his eyes and sighed.

"Ya know... I don't think I'll ever get tired of you doin' that..."

"Good," Elena giggled, "Because I'm not very likely to ever get tired of petting you." She continued in silence for a few more minutes before she spoke again. "So... I never asked you this morning. How did you sleep?" She snickered. "Aside from me cutting off the circulation to your foot, I mean..."

The redhead chuckled and managed a shrug, "Alright, I guess. No nightmares... just a not entirely reassuring dream about Rude."

"I thought you were going to try not to worry about that..." she replied, frowning.

Reno looked up, faintly amused. "I don't really have a lot of control over what my brain decides to freak out about when I'm sleepin', 'Lena..." He sighed softly and shook his head. "I just wish I knew what was botherin' him. That's all. Usually, I can at least _guess_ what's on his mind... but I s'pose I've kinda been more focused on myself lately. I'm not even sure how _long_ he's been upset with me."

"Why automatically assume he's upset with _you_? Or upset at all, for that matter. Maybe he's worried about something completely unrelated to you, and you're driving yourself crazy for no reason..."

"Tch... I'm _not_ drivin' myself crazy," he scoffed. He smirked and glanced up at her, adding, "Yet. And I'm pretty sure it's got _somethin'_ to do with me."

"What did he even say to you that made you think there's a problem?"

Reno sat up, stretching for a moment before settling back, bracing himself with both arms. "It wasn't really what he said. He just asked me about my nightmares... and I kinda blew him off. Then he got all quiet on me."

"... That's sort of how Rude _always_ is, isn't it?"

He shook his head and leaned forward, hugging his knees to his chest. "Not with me. I mean, sometimes it takes a little effort to get it outta him... 'specially when it's somethin' big... but he talks to _me_ about shit."

"Well... you _did_ say that he was about to say something before you were interrupted, right? So obviously he _wants_ to talk to you. He just didn't have the chance."

Reno smiled and reached for her, pulling her tightly against his side in a one-armed hug.

"Thanks. Nice to know Rude's not the only one capable of talkin' me down from my own paranoia..."

"Any time," Elena replied with a quiet laugh. The familiar sound of a helicopter pulled his attention back to the sky. A moment later, the redhead spotted the tiny silhouette in the distance.

"Heh... Looks like our ride's here."

* * *

"You're certain you can get it?" Tseng asked.

"Absolutely. I've already disabled the tram. They're stuck here until tomorrow. As soon as everyone is asleep, I'll take it and bring it out to you."

The Turk leader allowed himself a small smile. Infiltrating Avalanche was paying off much sooner than he'd anticipated. Reeve had contacted him shortly after he'd taken off to pick up his two wayward Turks near Gongaga. Apparently, the Tiny Bronco... though grounded for the foreseeable future... still made for a decent boat. The group had made their way along the southern shore and then north, up the east coast. It seemed that Reno and Elena had missed them at the weapons shop by a matter of barely two hours.

From there, Avalanche had acted on the same information his Turks had been given and continued on to speak with Dio. They now had the Keystone in their possession.

But not for long.

"Notify me as soon as you have it. We'll meet you near the arcade tonight."

Tseng ended the call and glanced back at his fellow Turks. Reno had broken into the sealed box of emergency rations stored under one of the seats and was gnawing on what looked like a piece of gray rubber.

"What in Leviathan's name are you eating?" he asked, walking back towards the copter. They'd set down just east of the Corel Desert to wait. The redhead finally managed to tear a chunk off and set about chewing it.

"Package says it's s'posed to be steak," he replied, mouth still full. Elena grimaced and shook her head.

"It _looks_ like dehydrated roadkill," she said in disgust.

Reno harshly swallowed the bite of alleged meat. "Kinda tastes like it, too..." he joked, as he passed a packet of mixed nuts to Elena... before returning to his efforts at devouring the thing.

"Hmm... Well, I _was_ going to offer an actual meal in Costa del Sol, as it seems we have several hours to kill before Mr. Tuesti will have the opportunity to retrieve our item. But if you prefer your shoe leather..."

"You know me better than _that_ , boss," the redhead replied, grinning widely. Tseng smirked and joined the pair of them in the helicopter as his lieutenant hurried to climb into the pilot's seat.

"In a rush?" he asked, amused.

"I'm always in a rush when I'm half-starved... Me 'n 'Lena didn't get any breakfast this morning. Asshole shopkeeper didn't even offer us coffee..."

By then, he was powering up the engines, and the Turk leader had to hurry to strap himself into the co-pilot's chair. Elena, meanwhile had already secured herself in the aft section, snickering silently to herself.

* * *

Rufus sat on the wooden bench under the front window, arms crossed over his chest, his entire being radiating annoyance. He watched as a handful of townspeople made their ways up and down the street. The door behind him opened, and he glanced back, over his shoulder.

"Lunch, sir," Rude stated, simply, setting a tray down on the coffee table.

"Hmph... Well, at least Tseng opted to abandon me in the company of someone who won't let me starve."

"Yes, sir," he replied, a faint smirk on his lips. Rufus shook his head and left his perch by the window to relocate himself to the couch. It had always been next to impossible to get more than two words at a time out of the man, unless it was directly related to the job. Which, he mused, was probably why he knew so relatively little _about_ the stoic Turk.

Rude was extremely capable in a fight. His efforts at maintaining Shinra's intelligence network were incomparable... even to his predecessors. His professionalism rivaled that of Tseng.

But on a personal level, Rufus' knowledge of the man was largely anecdotal. He was aware of Rude's interest in cooking... and had sampled it on more than one occasion. And he knew he was originally from Rocket Town. He'd once or twice overheard the redhead teasing him about an apparent fondness for a popular TV show... the name of which presently escaped him. But in ten plus years, that was virtually the extent of how well he knew him outside of the image he projected of himself within the bounds of the company.

It was, in part, his own fault, really. Until very recently – and with the exception of Tseng – he had considered the Turks nothing more than valuable employees and occasional entertainment. That had begun to change a bit after he'd met their newest edition.

Elena interested him, though he couldn't really say why. She was beautiful, certainly... but he'd met many beautiful women over the years, many of whom easily outshone her. She was almost certainly above average intelligence... but then, much as he was loath to admit to anything complimentary of the redhead, so were her cohorts. Her physique was impressive, as were her skills as a fighter... but that was more a professional plus than a personal one. She shared at least a handful of his interests, though he wasn't sure it extended much beyond literature.

And even though her taste in men was... questionable... that hardly disqualified her as a potential... something. What _did_ , apparently, disqualify her was her devotion to her red-haired lover.

He still didn't quite understand what it was she saw in that slum rat, anyway. He was uncouth, uneducated, uncommonly perverted, and thoroughly obnoxious. By all rights, his personality _ought_ to have sent most women running for the hills. Yet Rufus was well aware of Reno's reputation around company headquarters. Still... Elena didn't seem the type to be easily seduced by a suggestive leer and a quick wit.

Rufus picked up his fork and speared strip of thinly sliced beef, decidedly more annoyed now than he had been by the window.

"Something wrong?" Rude asked.

"I don't suppose _you_ can explain to me what your new recruit sees in that idiot she's dating..."

The bald Turk's eyebrow rose in curiosity, and perhaps more than a little shock, and for a moment, Rufus silently berated himself for voicing his private thoughts.

"She sees what most people don't bother looking for in Reno, sir."

The President looked up, surprised by the answer... not just for its content, but also for its length. He was fairly sure that that was the most Rude had said to him directly since they'd left Midgar.

"And just what is that rather cryptic answer supposed to mean?"

Rude chuckled faintly and shook his head. "Most people never look much past the surface. They see Reno as a sex-obsessed, slightly vulgar, obnoxious pain in the butt who happens to be very good at his job. And... he's all of that, _too_..." he replied, smirking at the minor insult, "But there's a lot more to him. Elena knows him well enough to see that."

Rufus snorted softly in obvious disbelief. "Do enlighten me..." he said, sarcastically.

"He's loyal. He's kind. He's surprisingly in tune with other people's feelings. And when it comes to Elena, he loves her more than his own life, and isn't afraid to tell her so and mean it."

"Hmm..." Rufus took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. He'd very nearly finished the dish by now... and was vaguely wondering if Rude might be _better_ employed as his personal chef. He certainly outclassed Paolo and his supposed gourmet cuisine. The family only employed him because Juliet actually _liked_ his cooking. "You know... frankly, I'm not quite sure which I find more annoying. _Their_ constant overly-affectionate displays whether someone happens to be looking or not, or Tseng traipsing around in the shadows with that woman in Junon for the better part of a decade and a half as if no one knows what he's up to when he's off duty... or _you_ and your inordinately-private private life."

"There's no contest, sir. Reno and Elena win, hands down," Rude replied. He picked up Rufus' now-empty plate, carrying it back to the kitchen... but not before calling back over his shoulder, "But only because I've never managed to walk in on _Tseng_ having sex before."

Rufus scowled at the man's back. "Thank you _so_ very much for putting _that_ image in my head..."

* * *

"They're never going to let us come back here," Elena commented to Tseng as she watched the redhead finishing off his fifth plate. The Turk leader nodded in agreement.

"Mmm... Whomever came up with the idea for the all-you-can-eat buffet obviously never met anyone like Reno."

"I can hear you two talkin' about me, ya know..." the aforementioned Turk informed them between bites, and Elena snickered quietly into her napkin.

"One would think that by now you'd be used to it," Tseng shot back, smirking. He pushed his own empty plate away from him, thoroughly content with a mere _two_ trips through the buffet line. Elena didn't seem to be in much of a hurry to continue stuffing herself, either. The redhead grinned at him as he swallowed the last bite and stood, wordlessly, heading for the line again. Tseng laughed. "Well... at least I'm getting my money's worth."

"To be fair, sir... he hasn't eaten much in awhile. We didn't have breakfast... and dinner was a little hurried, since we had to stake out the weapons shop last night."

The Wutaiian Turk nodded understandingly. "I take it he's told you _why_ he tends to eat like a behemoth emerging from hibernation, then..."

"Yes, sir." She paused for a moment, looking a little uncertain before continuing. "He also told me that it wasn't anything I had to worry about... but..."

"But you're concerned he simply doesn't _want_ you to worry," Tseng finished for her, and she nodded. "You can relax. It's a largely harmless condition. He can actually go several days without eating before things get noticeably bad for him... but beyond the obvious hazards involved with dizziness and disorientation, it's not especially dangerous. He's perfectly healthy. He would never have been approved by Ward if he weren't."

"Oh," she replied, sighing in relief, "Good... I-I mean, I didn't really think he'd _lie_ to me, but..."

Tseng chuckled at her concern. "I'm quite certain he'd try to spare your feelings whenever possible, Elena... but never about something important."

"Hey, 'Lena..." the topic of their conversation interrupted, setting a fully loaded plate down in front of himself as he resumed his seat. "Just remembered... You get around to askin' him about that materia yet?"

"Oh!" She responded reaching into her pocket and removing the large crystal. "Thanks for reminding me..."

The Turk leader eyed it as she handed it to him, curious.

"I found it at the Gongaga reactor. It's the one Scarlet threw at you. Neither of us could figure out what kind it is..."

Tseng frowned, concentrating on the materia. His frown only deepened as he realized that... neither could _he_. That was odd. For a moment, he wondered if it had been rendered inert by the reactor... but the longer he focused on it, the more obvious it became that that wasn't the case. The crystal _definitely_ contained some type of magic... it just wasn't anything he was familiar with.

"I'm afraid I don't know _what_ it is," he replied at last, new-found interest making him unable to tear his gaze away from it for a moment. His brow furrow slightly. He wasn't an expert, by any means, but he _did_ consider himself well-rounded when it came to materia. And thanks to Viridia, he'd had at least some experience with a number of uncommon types over the years. This one, though, was completely foreign to him. Which almost certainly meant it was not merely uncommon...

He handed it back to Elena.

"Don't lose that," he said, seriously. "I don't know what it is... and that's reason enough to suspect that it may be a very rare type indeed. The next time we're in Junon, we'll show it to Viridia. She knows more about materia than anyone I've ever met. If she can't identify it, I'm not sure anyone can."

Elena nodded and carefully tucked it back into her pocket. Tseng was sure that he'd just piqued her curiosity.

~fin~


	56. Betrayal

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 56: Betrayal**

 **by Desha**

"What's taking them so long?" Rufus muttered to himself. Tseng had been gone for hours and afternoon was quickly fading into evening. He'd spent most of his time exploring the house... and trying not to look as though he were overly interested in its contents whenever Rude turned up to check on him. If he hadn't actually been _told_ that the Turk had once lived here, he doubted he ever would have guessed. Aside from that single photo on the mantle, there was nothing to suggest that Rude had any connection whatsoever to this place.

It was actually slightly disturbing. His own father wasn't exactly the most outwardly affectionate man, but Rufus had never had cause to think he was truly unwanted... not even when he'd been banished to Junon for all those months. Upon his return, he'd found everything in the family manor just as he'd left it, waiting for him to come back. This, though... It was as if Rude's father had gone to great lengths to pretend he'd never existed.

He couldn't help but wonder if the Turk had fallen into a situation similar to Tseng's... and if so, what he'd done to deserve it. Tseng's father, at least, had a valid reason for hating his son. This didn't feel like disownment, though. This seemed somehow... sadder. If that was even possible. He still very clearly remembered how distraught the Wutaiian Turk had been following his sister's death... and how frighteningly unlike himself he'd been after his return from his homeland a couple of weeks later.

Rufus had been only a teenager at the time... but he'd seen the change in his guardian. And it had scared him. It had, he recalled, scared Reno, as well, which in turn had worried Rufus even more. The slum rat spent far more time in Tseng's company than _he_ did. And if _he_ was concerned...

He shook his head, banishing that particular memory. It wasn't a time he cared to dwell on. For a short while, he'd been thoroughly convinced that Tseng would leave and he'd never see him again. He'd even gone so far as to beg his father to raise his pay... give him more vacation time... whatever it took to bribe him into staying.

He'd been a stupid little boy back then. _Now_ he knew that none of that would have convinced Veld's second-in-command to remain with the company if he'd really been intent on resigning... but back then, money had been the answer to everything. It had come as quite a shock when he'd finally learned that there were, in fact, some things money _couldn't_ buy him. Come to thing of it, Tseng had been the one to teach him that lesson.

Rufus climbed the stairs to the second floor, fingers leaving faint trails in the dust on the banister. There were only three doors at the top. One led to a cramped bathroom... another to a somewhat less cramped, but still rather tiny by his standards, bedroom. The third, he expected to be a second bedroom... but when he peered inside, it was obvious it had been used for storage.

"Hmph... Used to be my room."

The President jumped violently and spun around, biting back several low-brow invectives that only years of lessons in manners and poise prevented him from uttering. "Don't _do_ that!" he hissed. "It's bad enough I have to worry about _Tseng_ sneaking up on me constantly..."

"Sorry, sir," Rude replied. Rufus was almost certain the man was suppressing a decidedly smug grin. He scowled and shut the door, a little more forcefully than was strictly necessary.

"Tseng asked me to tell you he's been delayed. They won't be able to retrieve the Keystone until later tonight. Should be back sometime tomorrow morning."

That figured. This entire endeavor had been little more than one big delay.

"And the airship? Have you heard anything about it?"

"It should be here in the morning, too," Rude replied. The executive growled in irritation and brushed passed him, heading for the stairs. Maybe he could find something less depressing to entertain himself with downstairs. He'd noticed a bookcase earlier. That, at least, had potential. He was vaguely aware of the Turk following him.

Rufus found the little collection of literature again without much trouble. Much of it seemed to be devoted to airplanes and mechanics in general. There were a number of service manuals, flight manuals, and books containing wiring and hydrolics diagrams. Not exactly his usual fare... and he wasn't quite _that_ desperate just yet.

"Your father had rather... single-minded... taste in reading," he commented.

"He didn't read. Those were my mother's. She... liked to fix things. Try the top shelf, sir," Rude suggested on his way to the kitchen. Rufus hummed in acknowledgment and turned his attention upwards slightly.

"Ah... That's more like it," he sighed in relief, at the small group of titles that were more literary in nature. They weren't exactly Loveless or any of the classical Wutaiian tragedies he enjoyed... but they were significantly less mind-numbing than technical manuals. He settled on what appeared to be a mystery novel that looked like it had seen far more handling than the others, and made himself comfortable in the armchair he'd laid claim to earlier in the day.

* * *

Elena yawned and wondered why she'd volunteered to take the first watch once they're returned to the desert. It was beyond boring... Aside from the massive structure that held the Gold Saucer aloft, there was nothing for miles and few creatures dared venture so far into the barren landscape. She didn't even have anyone to talk to, as Tseng and Reno were napping in preparation for the late night rendezvous with their spy. Another few minutes, and she'd wake the Turk leader to take her place.

She took a sip from one of the bottles of water they'd confiscated from the restaurant in Costa del Sol and hopped out of the helicopter to stretch her legs a little. The sun was still high, and it beat down on the parched earth beneath her feet as she circled the aircraft. She understood why Tseng had wanted to stay close to the saucer in the hours leading up to the planned heist, but she was starting to wish the place wasn't surrounded by an unforgiving desert. At least it was a dry heat...

There wasn't much shade to be found out in the open, so she settled herself on the lip of the helicopter's open door. Thankfully, there was a breeze... though it didn't do much to cool her. Elena reached into her pocket and withdrew the mysterious materia, holding it in her palm so that the sunlight shone through the crystal. It was hard to describe how it felt. Fire materia made her fingertips burn... Ice materia numbed her skin with cold... Lightning sent little jolts of electricity dancing across her palm. Those had all been so easy to identify, with no magic experience whatsoever. Even with the non-elemental types, she'd at least been able to venture a guess. Barrier materia felt like ribbons wrapping themselves around her hand when she held it, for instance. And her brief experience with Haste materia... one she'd very quickly decided she really didn't like... left her feeling like she'd had far too much coffee until she'd set it down again. Cure hadn't really had a _physical_ sensation... but she had almost immediately picked up on the sharp odor of antiseptic she had always associated with hospitals, and which dissipated as soon as she'd slotted the sphere into her armlet.

This one, though... It wasn't that she got nothing from it. It was just very, _very_ subtle. She was almost tempted to describe it as a warmth... but not in the sense of it being warm to the touch. It made her feel warm inside. Not as though she were protected or shielded... more like... well, she actually couldn't quite come up with something to compare it to. And maybe that was the problem... the feeling was familiar, but she couldn't place it.

She briefly considered just trying to cast something with it... but during their training sessions, Tseng had told her that could be dangerous. If you didn't know what sort of magic you were using, the results could be _very_ unpredictable. Besides which, it was a raw crystal. Processed materia was spherical for a reason. It made focusing it's power into a spell and directing it towards the intended target _much_ easier for the user. Someone adept with magic wouldn't have too much difficultly with raw materia, but Elena was still learning. Shiva only knew what she might end up hitting with it...

She sighed and pocketed her find. She'd just have to wait until they had the chance to visit Junon again and hope that Lieutenant Commander Nacelle had better luck figuring it out that the rest of them had.

Elena glanced at her watch, and realized that her shift was over. She got up and climbed back into the aircraft, kneeling beside her superior and shaking him gently. Tseng lifted his head, peering up at her, somewhat sleepily.

"My turn, I suppose..." he said quietly, and Elena nodded.

"Yes, sir. Things have been quiet... Though I saw an awfully suspicious-looking lizard a little while ago."

The Wutaiian Turk chuckled softly as he got up and straightened his tie. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out. Get some sleep while you still can."

She nodded again, and made her way over to where Reno was passed out on his back, one arm draped over his eyes to block out the sunlight, and laid down next to him, curling against his side. She let her head rest gently on his chest, one arm creeping across his stomach to hold him closer.

"Someday you will have to explain to me how you managed to do that without waking him up..." the Turk leader's voice whispered softly from from the doorway. He shook his head, amused, and disappeared from view.

* * *

Rude went about slicing vegetables for his stir fry almost automatically. For once, his mind really wasn't on his cooking... but it was getting close to dinnertime, and the President would be getting hungry. Being here, though... It was a lot more distracting than he'd thought it would be.

He'd studiously avoided coming home for years. There had been no point, anyway. His father hadn't wanted to see him. He'd tried two or three times when he'd been younger, coming home for holidays and once even for his father's birthday, but all of his visits had been met with cold indifference. He'd finally given up.

And then his father had died. Rude hadn't even known he'd been sick... He hadn't bothered to tell him. He'd had to hear it from the man's friends at the funeral. _That_ had hurt... perhaps even more than the death itself. It hadn't even been a _sudden_ illness. His father had know for nearly two years that he was dying a slow and likely unpleasant death... and not a word.

Rude coaxed the carrots and broccoli into a bowl and started in on the onions and peppers.

It had all started the day his mother had died. He'd been sixteen at the time, and unlike his father's death, hers had come out of nowhere.

Beatrice Montgomery was perhaps one of the most talented engineers Shinra Company had ever employed. She was also warm, funny, outgoing... all of the things Rude tended not to be around all but those closest to him. In that, he took after his father more. She was a brilliant mechanic... and was even selected as part of the crew of the Shinra No. 24... one of several of the No. 26 rocket's failed predecessors. In fact, it had been _her_ engine design that had eventually been approved for the No. 26.

Sadly, she hadn't lived long enough to see her engine in action... The No. 24 failed at launch. The explosion hadn't looked like a bad one from the ground. It sent spectators running for cover, certainly, but there was very little damage outside of the rocket. Inside was another story. Somehow, the rocket's fuselage had contained most of the blast. No one inside survived.

His father changed after that. A bit of a recluse by nature, he became downright antisocial, keeping to himself more and more, and leaving his delivery business in his son's hands... quite a responsibility, given that Rude had only been flying solo for about three months at the time. Rude almost never saw him outside of meal times. Virtually never spoke to him. His father shut him out, and it took him years before he really began to understand why.

The plain and simple fact was that he simply reminded his father too much of what he'd lost. The man couldn't bear being around him... particularly after Rude had announced that he was going to Midgar as a recruit for the Turks. His father hadn't been angry... just resigned. The look in his eyes was one of conviction that he was doing the right thing by pushing his son out of his life... because now, Rude would almost certainly die, much too young, in support of a company that didn't care.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until his very last visit home that he finally realized that. And by then, any effort he made was ignored. His presence was barely even acknowledged.

It wasn't what his mother would have wanted for the two of them... he knew that. But he'd felt powerless to stop it, and eventually had simply accepted it. He didn't want to cause his father more pain.

Rude pushed the finished vegetables off of the cutting board and into the bowl to join their friends, and turned his attention to the sauce, mincing garlic and ginger and adding it to a second bowl... this one filled with brown sugar and soy sauce. Red pepper flakes went in next, and then the slices of chicken to marinate while the rice cooked.

His father had taught him to fly... his mother had taught him to cook. Her mechanical prowess had never really rubbed off on him, but he'd always loved helping her in the kitchen. It was a skill he'd taken great pains to hone over the years, teaching himself new skills and new recipes, in part for his own enjoyment... but also because it made him feel like he had a part of her to hold onto that no one could take away from him. Even after he'd found himself a new family, he still clung to that.

He new family appreciated it, as well. He smirked slightly... even Reno, who half the time barely had time to taste his food before asking for seconds.

Speaking of Reno... he really needed to talk to him. The unexpectedly long stay in his hometown was bring up more than just memories of his childhood for him. He missed his friend. Ever since the redhead had gotten together with Elena... _finally_ gotten together with her, he mused with a faint smile... he'd felt like the two of them had been growing apart. Being home had shone a rather unpleasantly bright light on that fact. It was much the same feeling he'd had when his father had begun to shut him out... and he couldn't let that happen again. Reno was too important to him.

With luck, all three of them would be back in the morning, and he could say what he needed to say before things reached a point that it became a real problem.

* * *

Elena swatted at whatever was tickling her nose. It stopped and she let herself relax... only for the irritating sensation to return just as she was drifting off again. She tried again, and this time her hand made brief contact with her harasser. She heard a familiar snicker.

"Reno... cut it out..." the younger Turk muttered, not bothering to open her eyes. _He_ thought waking her up with such tactics was hilarious. She mostly just found it annoying... though in a vaguely cute sort of way. It was one of the things she liked best about her lover. Such minor things made him so endlessly happy... and his happiness had a tendency to be contagious. Whatever he was tickling her with brushed teasingly against her upper lip, and she finally forced her eyes open, glaring at him halfheartedly. "... Seriously?"

The redhead grinned in the moonlight. "Sorry... Boss says ya gotta get up. We're movin' out in a few."

With a quiet groan she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She would have sworn she'd _just_ fallen asleep. Reno passed her a bottle of water and a pear, and she glanced up at him in curiosity wondering where he'd found that.

"Snagged a few snacks from the buffet before we left Costa del Sol. Saved one for ya."

"Note that he saved _nothing_ for me..." Tseng cut in with a faint laugh.

"Tch... You knew I grabbed 'em. It's your own fault you didn't help yourself before I got hungry again..."

The Turk leader shook his head. "You say that as if hunger is not a perpetual state for you..." he teased, which only caused Reno's grin to widen. "Eat quickly," he cautioned, "Reeve just messaged me that the rest of Avalanche has turned in for the night."

Elena bit into the fruit as she clambered to her feet, and moved to settle into one of the passenger seats, but Tseng stopped her.

"Take the co-pilot's seat, Elena. We won't be landing and I'd like to handle the transfer personally. He is _my_ double agent, after all..."

She nodded and headed for the cockpit instead, where Reno had already made himself comfortable and was thumbing through his own messages on his PHS.

"Wallace's kid's awake and on the radio like ya asked, boss."

"Good. We may not need the leverage of a hostage, but it never hurts to be prepared." His phone chimed. "Reeve has the Keystone. He's heading for the rendezvous point now. Take us up."

The copter lifted off, sending a cloud of dust and sand outwards from the blades' downdraft. They headed for the Saucer.

"There..." Tseng's voice said over their headsets. Elena spotted what was easily the oddest-looking creature she'd ever seen in her life emerging from one of the transport tunnels.

"S-sir?" she queried, somewhat disbelievingly, "Is that a..."

"Cat riding a giant moogle. Yes. I'm afraid it is. Don't ask..." he responded as he moved toward the side door and stepped out onto the skid.

"Remind me to get to know that Reeve Tuesti better. Seems like a fun guy..." the redhead commented, with a not-so-subtle snicker. He swung them in closer to their target, but before the automaton could hand off the Keystone, Cloud Strife suddenly made his own appearance, accompanied by Aerith. Tuesti's creation took off running.

"Ah, hell... Where the fuck's he goin'?" the redhead muttered banking away from the amusement park and scanning the various platforms in search of their spy.

"Secondary rendezvous is at the Chocobo Square," Tseng relayed.

"Got it..." Reno peeled off and circled around the structure, cutting frighteningly close to the raceway that wove its way around the central pillar.

"There he is!" Elena cried, pointing to the figure bounding down the stairs from the chocobo races. Cloud and Aerith weren't far behind. The robot paused at the railing.

"Here! The Keystone!" is shouted, tossing it high towards Tseng. The Turk leader easily caught it.

"Well done!" he replied, and then switched back to his headset. "Reno... get us out of here."

"On it, Boss," Reno confirmed, and turned the aircraft back towards the desert.

* * *

Rufus woke the following morning in the same place he'd fallen asleep... nestled in the armchair. Though things weren't _quite_ the way he recalled leaving them. For one, his selected book had been plucked from his grasp and left on a small sidetable next to him, a slip of paper marking the spot where he'd left off. For another, a light blanket had been placed over him. He pushed it aside and stood up, yawning.

"Tch... 'bout time..." a somewhat disgruntled voice from the direction of the kitchen stated. "Boss said I couldn't wake you up. Been waitin' close to an hour now."

The President rolled his eyes as he turned toward its source. "I'm so _very_ sorry to have inconvenienced you."

"Heh... You oughta be. Rude's got this pain in the ass rule that he doesn't serve breakfast 'til everyone's at the table. I'm starvin' to death thanks to you, sir."

Rufus responded with a sneer. "Of course you are. You know... I think perhaps when this is over, I'll institute dietary restrictions for all non-executive personnel... Just to irritate _you_."

"Careful, sir... I haven't even had my coffee yet. I'm liable to take a threat like that a little too seriously right now," the redhead replied with his usual obnoxious grin, before slipping back into the kitchen. "He's up... Can we eat now?"

The executive shook his head and grudgingly followed. His Turks, minus Rude, were already seated around the table, studying a pale gray stone sphere. The absent Turk was spotted moments later, scooping sausages from a pan.

"Is that it?" Rufus asked eagerly, eying their curious little prize.

"So it would seem," Tseng replied with a nod. "It appears to be made from materia. Nothing like I've ever personally seen before, but materia nonetheless."

The President took the empty seat to Elena's left and reached for the sphere. It was surprisingly light for its size and as he lifted it off the table he felt a faint buzz in his fingertips, as if it were humming in such a low tone none of them could hear it. When he looked at it a bit closer, he realized that it wasn't actually solid gray, as he'd first assumed. It was slightly translucent... like all materia tended to be... with a cloudy interior rather than the pale lights that one would normally expect to be shimmering inside.

"How soon can we leave?"

"The Highwind arrived fifteen minutes ago, shortly after we did. It's ready to depart at any time you'd like..." Tseng replied, and Rufus quickly opened his mouth to order that it do so immediately. The Wutaiian Turk had apparently expected just that, however. "I would request, sir, that we at least have breakfast first."

"I should refuse that request just to spite the slum rat..." said Rufus, turning his gaze pointedly on Reno, "I thought you claimed to have been waiting nearly an hour..."

The redhead shrugged, reaching for the sausages. "Guess my estimate was a little off... Hunger'll do that to ya..."

It was tempting... The thought of the look on the man's face if he was suddenly told they were leaving _almost_ made Rufus do it. But, truth be told... he was hungry, too, and those sausages _did_ smell good, as did the hash browns Rude was currently plating for them.

"You know, Tseng... I will never understand why you tolerate such blatant insubordination from that one. I _should_ demand that you punish him severely for lying to an executive. Might I suggest separating him from his beloved for a time? That seems more than fair."

Tseng chuckled and picked up his silverware, starting in on the plate in front of him. "As it happens, sir, we've already discussed just that. Elena and I will be accompanying you. Reno and Rude will be going to Nibelheim to look for Hojo's missing research records."

Rufus glanced up at him, faintly surprised. "Oh? I was under the impression that they were a package deal... You mean they're still capable of functioning without one another?"

"Yes, sir," Tseng replied, smiling, "Quite capable. Given the nature of the Keystone, I thought it best to bring Elena along to the Temple. She's shown herself to have a bit of a natural affinity for materia... moreso than the rest of us."

"That's putting it mildly in _Reno's_ case..." Elena giggled teasingly. The redhead responded by swiping a sausage from her plate, locking eyes with her and unabashedly shoving the entire thing into his mouth... an action which only caused her to laugh harder. Rufus paused mid-bite and smirked.

"Ah, yes... I seem to remember Tseng telling me in great detail about your training in its use. As I recall, he was growing rather frustrated with your complete inability to make it do... _anything_."

"Yeah, well... I fight just fine without it." He served himself some eggs, and dug into the pile on his plate. "And I'm pretty sure Irecall a little somethin' about _you're_ experience with materia, too..."

"I _suggest_ you stop talking and go back to stuffing your face before I decide to have you demoted to entry guard when we return to Midgar," the young executive responded, his face reddening. He _certainly_ didn't need anyone being reminded of _that_ little incident. The Turk popped a bit of sausage into his mouth and grinned.

"Don't dish it out if ya can't take it, sir..." he said in a playful tone.

* * *

The helicopter set down almost perfectly centered on the deck of the Highwind... no easy maneuver, given how tight a fit it actually was. Reno'd had to fly them neatly beneath the upper body of the craft to slot them into the open space on the deck below. Elena certainly wouldn't have wanted to attempt it...

"Fuck... and I thought landin' at sea was a bitch..." the redhead said once they were down, releasing a long breath in relief. "Why the fuck'd we decide we wanted to do this again?"

"Because it was faster than landing the Highwind itself," Tseng replied, releasing his harness and making his way out.

"Yeah, well... Next time, you're parkin' the damn thing."

Elena snickered and let herself out of her restraints as well. She crept up to between the pilot and co-pilot's seats and gently grasped his chin turning him to face her.

"Be careful in Nibelheim," she said, and softly kissed his lips. He frowned slightly as she pulled away.

" _You_ be careful in that Ifrit-forsaken _temple_... We'll be headin' back your way soon as we can. Watch yourself... 'kay?" the redhead replied, seriously.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry so much." She kissed him again and then turned to Rude, grinning. "Keep him out of trouble, will you?"

The bald Turk snorted softly and smirked. "I'll try. No promises. Better get going... Rufus looks impatient."

She glanced through the cockpit window, and noticed that the young executive was, indeed, looking in at her, arms crossed over his chest in annoyance and tapping his foot against the Highwind's deck. She sighed and withdrew, making her way quickly towards the door.

"Bye, guys!" she called out, and pulled it shut. She backed away from the craft, joining the others as the helicopter lifted off and moved clear of the airship before circling and heading east towards Mt. Nibel.

"Finally... For a moment, I thought I was going to have to demand the flight crew get a hose out in order to get the two of your apart..."

"Sorry, sir," Elena replied, resisting the urge to laugh at the President's single-minded focus, and followed him below deck.

"Good morning, sir," a familiar voice greeted them as they stepped into the small meeting room, and Elena blinked in surprise. More surprising than the unexpected company, however, was Tseng's response.

"Viridia?" he queried, clearly a little shocked to see the woman, and completely forgetting his usual decorum. Elena very clearly saw him start to move toward her, only to apparently remember that he was, in fact on duty and restrain himself, clearing his throat awkwardly as he settled back into his usual posture. She let a smile twitch the corners of her mouth upwards... It was kind of cute.

Rufus rolled his eyes and sighed. "Wonderful. I get rid of _one_ Turk's constant distractionand there's another waiting for me. And just what are _you_ doing here?"

If Lieutenant Commander Nacelle was offended by the remark, she certainly didn't show it. "After the security breach on the ship, I thought it best to see to things on the Highwind personally, sir."

"Ah... Does that mean I _won't_ be running into Sephiroth or his little cloaked minions below deck this time?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it, sir."

"How reassuring..." he remarked, with obvious sarcasm. "In that case, if I'm not in danger of being sliced in half, I'll be on the bridge. See what the three of you can come up with in terms of a plan for investigating the Cetra temple..." He turned on his heel and marched out, leaving them on their own without a further word.

"Well... _He's_ certainly in a fine mood this morning..." Viridia chuckled, and gestured to the seats surrounding the table in the center of the room. "So... let's see this 'keystone' he was so anxious to get his hands on..."

Tseng opened the small case he'd packed the orb away in earlier, and set it on the table. Viridia reached for it, fingers barely even grazing it before she looked up at them.

"It's materia..." she said, sounding shocked. Tseng nodded.

"Yes... Though what kind, I can't even begin to imagine. Perhaps you can provide some insight on that front. You're a resource I wasn't counting on having access to... though I'm certainly glad to find that I _do_."

Viridia lifted the sphere from its case, holding it lightly in her palm. "Well, it's not casting materia, that's for sure. In fact, it I had to venture a guess, I'd say it's not naturally occurring at all. It feels..." She paused a moment, as if trying to find the right word to describe the odd little crystal. "It feels almost mechanical. Engineered. I'm not sure I can explain it any better than that. I think... it's _literally_ a key that opens a lock and nothing more."

"I suppose that makes our job a little easier, then," Tseng replied, "If all we have to do is put a key into a keyhole."

"Then we just have to search an ancient temple, figure out what Sephiroth is after, find it before he shows up, and get out of there in one piece. Simple..." Elena cut in. The Turk leader laughed softly.

"I think your significant other's penchant for sarcasm is beginning to rub off on you, Elena..." he said, tucking the Keystone back into its case.

"Er... yes, sir... I'm pretty sure it is." She blushed faintly. She hadn't intended to be quite so flippant about their mission. Shiva only knew what might be waiting for them once they got inside.

"Not his complete lack of anything even remotely resembling shame, though, apparently..." Viridia snickered. "Anyway... I'm first and foremost here to make sure the Highwind stays secure, but if you need my help just ask."

"Thank you... We will," said Tseng.

Viridia nodded. "In that case, I should get back to work." She had just turned to leave when Elena suddenly remembered the other strange materia they're recently come into possession of.

"Oh... w-wait! There _is_ something else you might be able to help with..." she said, fishing it from her pocket and holding it out to the other woman.

"Oh, that's right... It had entirely slipped my mind," Tseng said upon seeing the raw crystal. "None of us have the faintest idea what it might be. Elena was hoping you might recognize it... and I have to admit, I'm a bit curious myself."

"Hmm..." She held her hand out and Elena placed it in her palm. Viridia frowned slightly in concentration for a moment, before looking up, wide-eyed. "Where in Kjata's name did you ever manage to find yourself a chunk of Full Cure materia?" she asked, disbelievingly.

* * *

"Fuck, man... This place is almost as creepy as it was the last time I was here."

"Hmph... the last time you were here, it had been burnt to the ground," Rude responded. But Reno was right. Nibelheim... the new Nibelheim, at any rate... had always a distinctly weird vibe to it. He'd had the opportunity to pay the little mountain town a visit a handful of times since its reconstruction, and it was always the same artificial feeling. They wandered past the well in the center of town, looking around in curiosity.

No one else seemed to be up and about yet... either that, or they'd spotted the helicopter as it landed and retreated to the safety of their homes. While most of the 'townspeople' were, in fact, Shinra employees and their families, they were never exactly thrilled to see Shinra military personnel or the Turks turn up unannounced.

"Maybe even _more_ creepy, now..." Reno amended. "Still can't believe they managed to make this shit look exactly the same as it did before the fire."

"We heading straight to the manor?" the bald Turk asked. He assumed they would be... They didn't really have any business with the townspeople, and the sooner they got what they came for, the happier Rufus would be.

"S'pose so... not much point hittin' up the local bar. Doubt they'll know anything about Hojo's research. And I'm not plannin' on stayin long enough to need a room for the night... are you?"

Rude smirked. "Could always spend the night in the manor if it starts getting late..."

The redhead stopped mid-stride and turned to look at him. "Not if I have choice. I'll sleep in the helicopter first. Place is even creepier than the fuckin' _town_."

"Come on... Let's go..." he replied, chuckling at his friend's reticence about the huge mansion. Reno had always insisted that he didn't believe in ghosts... but he definitely had an aversion to that place. Even before the fire.

They made their way through town and paused outside the wrought iron gate just long enough to push the heavy latch up. It gave way surprisingly easily... and Rude suspected that someone must have forced it open fairly recently as heavily rusted as it looked. The front door, too, had been jimmied, and he could see that it hung slightly open as they approached.

"Think we got company?" Reno asked, EMR already in hand.

"... Could just be kids from town breaking in." Though he had his doubts about that. It wasn't as if Shinra had left particularly impressive security in place... the lock on the door was about it, really... but the townspeople tended to avoid the manor, probably hoping the damn thing would just cave in on itself one of these days.

They ventured inside, eyes scanning the darkened foyer, ears straining to pick up the slightest sound. Reno signaled to him to take the left side of the house, while he went right. Rude stepped into a narrow hallway and silently followed it, cringing when the floorboards creaked underfoot. The door at the end led him into a large parlor, where a grand piano sat, covered in dust, in one corner. A few of the keys gleamed in the dim light that shone through grungy windows, wiped clean by someone's fingertips... not long ago, either.

He continued on, moving through the parlor and into a second hallway at the back of the house and then through to a small kitchen. There was no one there, either... though the large pantry off the kitchen looked like it had been raided recently. Satisfied the area was clear, he backtracked in search of his partner.

Rude hadn't gone far when he heard a crash from elsewhere in the house. He ran in the direction it had come from, weapon drawn. It hadn't been from the part of the house Reno had gone to investigate... which meant that they really _weren't_ alone.

"Oh, _goddammit_!" he suddenly heard his partner swear, his voice coming from upstairs... from the same direction as the crash, he noted. His pace quickened... though judging by the muffled grunts coming from the room ahead of him as he reached the second floor, it didn't exactly _sound_ like the redhead had been attacked. Whatever _had_ happened, though, he didn't seem happy about it.

He veered left down the hall, and then took another left into a large bedroom... which was, surprisingly, empty. Odd... He'd been sure this was where Reno's voice had come from.

"Rude? That you?!"

"..." He paused and scanned the room, but there was _still_ no one there. "... Where are you?"

There was a long, drawn out sigh, followed by his friend's voice saying, "Don't you _dare_ fuckin' laugh..."

Rude stepped more fully into the room, more confused than concerned by now.

"... Over here," Reno finally said, his tone resigned. The other Turk followed his voice, but still saw no one. That is, until he walked past the foot of the first of rooms' two beds and looked down.

He tried... He really did. Attempting not to laugh at the sight that greeted him, however, very quickly proved futile. Eventually he had to brace himself against the bedpost just to stay upright. After a minute or so, even that wasn't enough and he sat down on the mattress, still laughing.

"Yeah... Ha, ha ha... So funny. _GET ME THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!_ " Reno shouted at him, glaring, unamused, up at his partner. Rude removed his sunglasses and wiped away the tears, trying to get himself under control again. It didn't work very well.

It was obvious what had happened... but somehow it seemed like something that could only _possibly_ have happened to Reno. The redhead was, from his armpits down, embedded in the floor. Apparently a few of the boards had rotted through and even _his_ meager weight was too much for them to support. He was wedged in just tight enough that he couldn't fall through... nor could he find the leverage to lift himself out.

Rude finally managed to calm down enough to find his voice. "You hurt?"

"... No. Just stuck," Reno replied, disgusted at the situation. "Seriously, man... Quit laughin' and pull me up before something else breaks."

He carefully moved towards him, testing the flooring as he went. The last thing he needed was to fall through himself. When he was satisfied that a second collapse wasn't imminent, he slowly reached for his partner's arm, and pulled him out of the hole.

"Unbe-fuckin'-leivable..." Reno muttered once he was on solid ground again. He dusted himself off a bit and glanced up at Rude. "Don't even _think_ about tellin' 'Lena about that..."

He snorted a laugh, and wrapped an arm around the redhead's shoulders, coaxing him toward the door. "Come on. Let's get what we came here for before you break the _rest_ of the house..."

"Ah, shut up..."

Rude was still snickering quietly as they crossed the house to a small room and pushed against the stone wall that concealed a door to the basement. It swung open with a loud creak, revealing a long, spiraling staircase that vanished into the darkness below.

"After you..." he smirked, gesturing for Reno to go on ahead of him. The redhead clicked on the flashlight he'd brought with him and started down.

"Yeah... 'cause I'm havin' such good luck in this fuckin' nightmare of a house as it is. What could _possibly_ go wrong?"

* * *

" _Full_ Cure?" Elena queried. She'd certainly heard of Cure materia before... had even used it a few times in training. The name was a bit of a misnomer. It didn't really heal an injury. But it could slow or even stop bleeding, reduce pain, and provide a boost of energy so you could get yourself out of trouble and get help. Repeated spells could minutely increase the body's natural healing processes, but serious injuries still required medical care. It was more of a stopgap than a permanent fix.

She'd never heard of _Full_ Cure materia, though. Tseng looked just as perplexed as she felt.

"It's not just rare... It's _almost_ impossible to find. You've seen mako therapy in action?" Viridia asked, and Elena nodded. Of course she had. "Well... This is the materia it's based on. Shinra found a way to replicate the materia's magic using the much more common Cure materia, machinery, and mako energy from the reactors. But the equipment is bulky and expensive to build... and there's a danger of mako poisoning associated with it. The real thing doesn't have those problems, but until today, I've only ever seen one other piece. The one the Shinra labs used as a blueprint for mako therapy. I'm not sure there are even any others that have been found."

"If it's so rare... why didn't Shinra just make another one? Reno told me that materia grows a little with every use until eventually you end up with an exact copy."

Viridia smiled and handed the materia crystal back to her. "That's right. It's called mastering... and believe me they've tried. Headquarters had the best of the Junon Materia Corps on it for almost two years before they finally gave up due to lack of progress. Some types of materia take a lot of time and effort to master. And usually those types can only be used by people who have trained hard to develop their mana and stamina reserves. Even then, a person could spend years trying to bring a Full Cure to master level."

Elena held the crystal up to the light. It really didn't seem so different from any other materia she'd trained with. It was hard to believe it could really be that powerful.

"A word of advice... Don't go trying to _use_ that. Even _after_ you get it processed... assuming that's what you plan to do."

She looked up in surprise. "W-what? Why not?" she asked, confused. Lieutenant Commander Nacelle eyed Tseng for a moment, looking at him pointedly.

"Judging by the... rather accusatory... look Viridia is giving me, I suspect because the result would be much the same as happened to you early in your training when I pushed you too hard."

"Probably worse," the woman quickly confirmed. "Tseng told me you were wrecked for the rest of the afternoon after that. Something like this might well put you out of commission for several days. I know it knocked _me_ for a loop more than once when we were trying to master the one from Shinra's labs, and I've been doing this a lot longer than _you_ have."

Elena stared at her new materia, wondering if she should even keep it, if that was the case. She wasn't sure she'd _ever_ be _that_ adept with materia, and if it was really as rare as Viridia claimed, what good was it doing anyone if she put it away in a box and forgot about it? But then... she wasn't quite sure she was willing to give it up to the biologics department for research, either. She really didn't trust them... even _with_ Hojo out of the picture.

"Sir..." she began.

"Worry about it later, Elena. There's no need to decide what to do with it right this second. The important thing is that now we know what it is," Tseng replied, having little trouble guessing where her mind was at. "Right now, we have a mission to prepare for."

* * *

"Find anything yet?"

Reno flipped through a sheaf of old, mildew stained pages he'd pulled out of a filing cabinet. Most of them seemed to be invoices, not research data. He set them aside and reached for the next batch, biting back a groan. This was the second cabinet he'd gone through... and apparently it wasn't going to be the last.

"Tch... Not a damn thing. You?"

"Ever wonder what happened to all the bodies from the Nibelheim fire?" Rude asked. Judging by his tone, Reno was pretty sure he didn't _want_ to.

"No. And don't tell me, either. I got enough nightmares of my own," he replied, "Oh... nice."

Rude glanced over at him and the redhead held up a long-dead, and very petrified rat, dangling it by the tail between two fingers. The bald Turk smirked.

"Thought you once told me you ate those things as a kid..."

"Nah... I ate cripshays. Always heard rats'll make ya sick," he replied, tossing the desiccated rodent into a corner. He went back to the documents for a moment, before continuing. "So... Speakin' of my nightmares... think we left off on a kinda important conversation back in Gongaga. You finally gonna tell me what's goin' on?"

"..." Rude didn't answer, opting instead to leaf through his own stack of reading material.

"Come on, partner. Been driving myself nuts for a couple of days now tryin' to figure out what the hell I did... Spill."

The bald Turk sighed and set the papers down on the stack of rejected documents. "It's nothing you did," he replied at last. "... intentionally. Probably shouldn't even bother me."

Reno eyed him with concern. Rude wasn't usually so cryptic when he finally _did_ decide to open up. "But it obviously _is_ botherin' ya, so would you just fuckin' _tell_ me already so I can stop doin' whatever the hell it is?"

"... I'm jealous," he replied after another lengthy hesitation, "Of Elena."

The redhead stood for a moment in shocked silence trying to process that. He set his current stack of documents aside and crossed the room, walking up to his friend.

"'Kay... Gonna need you to elaborate here. What the fuck dya mean you're jealous of 'Lena?" he asked, brow furrowed in confusion. Rude looked away, unable, for a moment, to keep eye contact with him. He sighed again, and sat down in one of the tattered chairs in the reading room. Reno followed suit, waiting for an answer.

"I mean I'm jealous," he finally said. "You spend all your time with _her_. You talk to _her_. You practically eat, sleep, and breathe _her_."

He swallowed sharply. "I thought you were _happy_ we got together..."

"I was," Rude quickly replied, looking up at him again. "I _am_. It's just... We almost never hang out at the Phoenix Nest after work anymore. You don't randomly invite yourself over to my place expecting me to feed you. And when we _do_ spend time together, Elena's usually with us, too. I guess I've just been feeling a little... forgotten. Especially after Sector 7... which is probably even _more_ screwed up and selfish than it sounds. I was always the one you turned to first when you needed someone. Now it's Elena."

Reno was stunned. That was probably the _last_ thing he'd expected to hear his friend say to him... and for a very brief moment, he was angry. Angry that Rude felt so entitled to him... though the more he mulled it over, the more he realized that his friend wasn't exactly _wrong_ about him pulling a little bit of a disappearing act lately in favor of his girlfriend. It hadn't occurred to him that it was such a pronounced change in his usual routine, however, until it had been pointed out to him... or that it had so deeply affected his friend.

"Ya know if it was just about anyone else, I'd tell 'em to fuck off and let me be happy, right?"

"..." Rude dropped his gaze again, and the redhead rolled his eyes.

"Fuck, Rude, come on... I'm just kiddin' around. Mostly." He moved from his seat and perched himself on the arm of the other mans chair so he could sling an arm around his shoulders. "Hey... I'm sorry if I've kinda been ignorin' ya lately. I guess I'm... I dunno, man..."

"You're in love," Rude finished for him, finally cracking a faint smile, "You can't help it."

"Still kind of a shit thing to do to a friend, though, huh?"

"Especially one that knows all of your most embarrassing secrets. Like how you got stuck in a floor."

Reno laughed, and tightened his grip on Rude. "Yeah. Thought we agreed never to mention that again. Look... I'll try not to be so... uh... completely obsessed with spending every waking moment with 'Lena, 'kay? You're my best friend and the best brother a guy could ask for, and nothin's ever gonna change that. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know. Nice you hear you say it, though."

The redhead grinned and slid off the arm of the chair into Rude's lap. "Is this the part where we kiss and make up?" he purred, teasingly. Reno batted his eyes innocently, grinning up at him before cupping the other man's face in his hands and leaning in to make a joking attempt at doing just that. His partner rolled his eyes behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses and shoved him to the floor before he even got close.

"No... This is the part where we get back to work while I reevaluate my life choices and wonder what the hell I was so jealous of to begin with," he replied, failing to keep a completely straight face.

Reno snickered and scrambled to his feet. "Seriously, though. Are we all good now? 'Cause I really need us to be good."

"Yeah... We're good."

* * *

Tseng made his way carefully across the rope bridge. It was quite a span, and the bridge itself looked downright ancient. It creaked ominously underfoot... but it held. He didn't dare relax until his feet were solidly planted on the other side, however.

"Alright... It seems safe enough," he called back to Elena, and she hurried to make the same, somewhat harrowing, journey. The pair climbed the crumbling stone steps to the temple entrance, and paused inside of the little alcove at the top. There was tall pedestal near the back, and a ring outlined in the stones that made up the floor in front of it... but nothing resembling a doorway.

"Sir? What exactly are we supposed to do to get in?" Elena asked, and the Turk leader shook his head.

"I suppose we see if this alleged Keystone fits in the slot... and then see what happens," he replied, nodding to an indentation on top of the pedestal. He hesitated a moment. "Wait here. There no sense in both of us risking getting caught in some sort of trap."

"But..."

"Wait here," he repeated, more firmly this time, not giving her the opportunity to protest. Probably, he mused, it was a mere over-abundance of caution. Still, though... there was something odd about this place. Better to take things slow... because they weren't going to be calling for backup if something went wrong.

They'd found that out shortly after they'd been lowered to the ground from the Highwind. Their PHSs had very quickly lost their signal as they drew closer to the strange structure... and, he was relatively certain, would have none at all once they were inside. He vaguely wondered if it was limited to cellular signals, or if radio signals were impacted as well. Either way, they were going to be out of communication for the duration and would have to backtrack quite a ways through the dense jungle when they were ready to be picked up.

Tseng removed the Keystone from his pocket, and with one final glance back at Elena, placed it into the slot. For a moment, it flared brightly, then settled to a more subdued glow... but nothing else seemed to happen. He looked around, searching for any sort of change in the Temple, but saw nothing. At last, he turned back to his fellow Turk, ready to concede that he had no idea what the next step might be. Before he could, however, he felt himself begin to sink into the stone at his feet.

"Sir!" Elena cried as he vanished from view.

It was an odd sensation, passing through the thick slab of stone like a ghost... and though it was over in seconds, it seemed much longer. He found himself deposited gently in a huge, subterranean chamber, and took a few steps forward. The sight in front of him was just as strange as his arrival had been. Stairways led off in every direction, leading to other levels... some where doors sat, waiting to be opened, others that circled around to still more stairs or to narrow passages leading into darkness, or vine-covered ledges that seemed to serve no purpose beyond forcing you to turn back.

A maze, he quickly realized. This... might take just a bit longer than he'd initially intended.

The ceiling above him flared briefly, and Elena emerged from the stone, much as he just had. Her eyes were wide in surprise, though her expression turned to one of relief when she spotted him. Once she, too, was safely on the ground, she made her way over to him.

" _That_... was weird," she stated.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Tseng replied, "These Cetra seem to have had a far more advanced knowledge of magic than I think anyone suspected."

"Which way now?"

The Wutaiian Turk gazed out at the intertwining pathways and sighed. "Your guess is as good as mine... I suspect that this isn't meant to be _easy_."

* * *

Lira stared down at the screen of her PHS. Her phone's log still showed one missed call, and she hadn't been able to bring herself to clear it... or call the familiar number back. It had been sitting there, silently pleading with her, for days now. She just wasn't ready to talk to him.

She wasn't entirely sure she'd _ever_ be ready to talk to him.

Reno hadn't just crossed a line. He'd launched himself so far over it, she doubted he could even _see_ the line anymore. All those people... all those deaths. She hadn't thought _anyone_ was capable of something so needlessly cruel, least of all the sweet little redhead she'd grown up with. The one who'd risked his own life to protect her when she was in trouble, and looked after her any time she'd been sick, and who had been devastated when he'd realized that no matter what he did to keep her safe, it wouldn't be enough as long as she stayed in Sector 2, and had taken her to the one place he'd never wanted her to end up.

She didn't know if _that_ Reno still existed. And she blamed Shinra for it.

For awhile, she'd thought she had him convinced to come to Wall Market with her. There were always girls looking for someone they could trust to watch their backs. There were bars that would have hired him, too. And if he'd been willing to go that far... though she doubted he ever would have... any of the brothels would have snapped him up in a heartbeat.

Instead, that bastard, Tseng, had come along and offered to take him away from the slums. Even back then, Lira hadn't been certain that the price he was asking would be worth it. She was even less certain of it now, and she was angry with the man for what he'd turned her little Reno into over the years.

But even more than Tseng, she was furious with Reno for allowing it to happen. She had, she realized, been living in denial for a very long time. Reno had been so innocent when they'd first met... and he'd let that be stripped from him in exchange for the luxury of living topside. She'd seen it happening and had done her best to ignore it, wanting, more than anything, for him to find the happiness that truly good people deserved.

Lira shoved the phone back into her pocket. She was still too hurt and too angry to even consider hearing him out right now. Any excuse he might offer was liable to just piss her off even more, and the baby didn't seem to like it much when she was mad. He insisted on giving her the worst heartburn she'd ever had in her life, every single time. Reno would just have to deal with his guilty conscience on his own.

She frowned at that thought and reached into her pocket again, pulling up the call log on her phone a second time.

He _did_ have a guilty conscience. The nightmares were proof enough of that. He may have done something horrible... but he _was_ suffering for it. It wasn't just another kill that he could chalk up to being part of the job. It was eating at him... tormenting him in his sleep. And maybe that's what he deserved, really, but the thought still bothered her. She had never liked seeing Reno in pain. Even _now_ there was a part of her, in spite of how angry she was with him, that wanted to comfort him.

At the moment, however, it was a very _tiny_ part... and she resolutely crammed the phone back into her pocket.

She let her hand settle on her belly, a gesture that was quickly becoming instinctual. Reno wasn't her responsibility anymore. For a very long time, he _had_ been... in a way. He'd been the little brother she'd never had... and at the same time, he'd been the lover she'd always wanted. But she'd always known she couldn't keep him forever. And after Sector 7, she wasn't sure she wanted any more to do with him.

Lira blinked back unexpected tears at that thought. She was indescribably angry, and what he'd done she honestly didn't know if she could forgive... but the idea of letting him go completely felt like losing a part of herself, and she knew that if she _couldn't_ forgive him, that's exactly what she would have to do.

She had never felt so torn.

Her fingers lightly stoked her abdomen. He was wrong. He'd said no one could tell she was pregnant yet... but he was wrong. Her baby was there, and she could feel him... could see the barest hint of herself growing rounder. It thrilled and terrified her at the same time.

Reno would have to wait. Maybe one day she'd be able to look past what he'd done... but not right now. Right now, there was someone else who needed her full attention, her protection, and her comfort... because it was a scary and dangerous world she was going to be bringing him into, full of scary and dangerous people.

~fin~


	57. The Temple of the Ancients

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 57: The Temple of the Ancients**

 **by Desha**

"Hey... Rude... Think I mighta just found what we're lookin' for..." Reno's voice called out to him from the far end of the room. They'd abandoned the filing cabinets and turned instead to the bookshelves. In retrospect, they should have started there... but neither man had realized that many of the dusty tomes were not published books but rather handwritten research journals. They belonged to a number of Shinra Company scientists, including Dr. Faremis Gast... a name which wasn't _completely_ unfamiliar to Rude... as well as a Dr. Lucrecia Crescent.

The vast majority of Hojo's journals, however, had been conspicuously absent... Someone had pulled them from the shelves. Rude set one of Dr. Gast's notebooks down and went to see what Reno had discovered.

"Fuckin' things were sittin' right out in the open this whole goddamn time," the redhead muttered, from the shadows, clearly annoyed, and tossed him a book. Several more littered a table near the back of the darkened room where old candles had long since burned down to nubs.

"Grab 'em and bring 'em out where we've got some light," Rude suggested. The light fixture overhead had briefly sparked when they'd turned on the power back on, before going permanently dark. The redhead had been using a flashlight to dig through the back corners of the basement archives. Rude helped him gather up the collection and carry it into the lab area down the hall... They'd have plenty of light there.

Reno dropped his stack onto the lab bench in the center of the room, sending up a cloud of dust, and sneezed violently.

"Fuck, man... There's so much shit in the air down here, I think I'm growin' allergies..." he said, doing his best to wave the dust away from his face.

"Pretty sure you don't 'grow' allergies, Reno..." the other Turk chuckled.

"Well, whatever ya do to get allergies," he replied, pausing to sneeze again, "I'm pretty sure I'm doin' it."

Rude snickered and flipped open one of the books scanning the scrawled text. "Bingo."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Jenova project. This one's dated twenty years ago."

"Sweet. Then let's pack this shit up and haul ass back to the Highwind," Reno replied. Rude, however, was leafing through another journal. The redhead groaned... They'd be here for hours if the guy really got into it. His partner never _could_ resist the opportunity to acquire new information.

Before he could comment, however, the bald Turk frowned thoughtfully and glanced up at him. "What's the oldest one you've got?"

"Fuck, I dunno..." Reno said with a shrug, and shoved a few of the books aside to get to the bottom of the pile. "Twenty-eight years back, I guess? Oh... hang on. This one's thirty-one. Not seein' anything older than that..."

"Let me see it..."

"For fuck's sake, man... You can read on the way back, ya know. I'm doin' the flyin' after all," the redhead sighed, but obligingly handed over the notebook. Rude took it, and opened it to the beginning, scanning through the first few pages while his friend stood by, impatiently tapping his foot.

"Yeah, okay... You enjoy that. And while you're doing that, I'm just gonna start shovin' the rest of these into this bag right here," he said, rolling his eyes. "Tch... You 'n 'Lena oughta start a fuckin' book club or somethin'. You're such goddamn nerds sometimes..."

The other Turk snorted softly at the man's last comment, but didn't look up. Reno shook his head and started to gather the journals into the canvas bag he'd unearthed from beneath the table in the other room a short while ago.

"... You're not going to believe this."

Reno laughed. "Partner... We're chasing a guy who's been dead for five years, broke into one of the most secure buildings on the planet without anyone noticin', and apparently has a bunch of clones created by a lunatic scientist followin' him around doin' his bidding. At this point, I'll believe just about anything..."

"Hojo is Sephiroth's father."

"... except that Hojo actually managed to get someone to fuck him. There's just no way in hell," he quickly added.

"I'm serious," Rude replied, glancing down at one of the pages and reading aloud, "Subject One continues to develop at a better than average rate. It is fortuitous that Dr. Crescent is of the same mind as myself. Gast does not approve, but we have informed in him no uncertain terms that the decision to administer cells recovered from the Jenova specimen in utero is entirely ours, as the biological parents, to make... though he continued for some weeks to threaten to take the matter to board of directors on ethical grounds. I at last had to inform him that, should he force us to terminate the experiment, Lucrecia and I would simply leave and breed a new subject and continue our research elsewhere. On a side note, gestation has progressed to the point that gender can be determined. The subject is male. Lucrecia insists upon naming it Sephiroth. I believe I will continue to refer to it as Subject One for the foreseeable future."

Reno paused in his efforts to pack up the small library of documents, and simple stared at his fellow Turk, slightly horrified. "Okay... overlookin' the seriously disturbing mental image you've now given me of Hojo gettin' laid... that sick fuck used his own _kid_ as an experiment?"

"... Sounds like it."

"Fuck. That's messed up, man."

"Messed up enough drive someone to burn down an entire village..." Rude agreed, and shut the journal, tucking it into the bag with the others. "Let's get out of here."

"Don't have to ask _me_ twice..." the redhead replied, hoisting the bag's strap over one shoulder and heading for the stairs. He shook his head. "Goddammit..."

"What now?"

"I'm gonna be thinkin' about Hojo givin' it to some poor woman the whole Ifrit-foresaken ride back, now. Thanks a lot, Rude."

* * *

Tseng scowled as he and Elena hit yet another dead end. This was getting ridiculous. They'd been at it for over an hour now, and didn't seem to be any closer to the end of this Leviathan-be-damned maze than they had been when they'd first entered it. In fact, he was almost certain they'd been on this very ledge not twenty minutes ago. Somehow, they'd managed to go in a circle on their most recent attempt.

"Sir... Are we missing something?" Elena queried, joining him at the edge and looking out over the maze. They could easily see the entrance from their present position.

"The exit, apparently," he replied, with rather uncharacteristic sarcasm. He sighed and shook his head. Frustration always tended to make him a bit snarky. "Perhaps we should make our way back and start over. All we seem to be accomplishing at the moment is frustrating ourselves."

"... Maybe we should split up?"

The Turk leader glanced over at his youngest Turk. "I'm not sure that's wise..."

"But sir... we have a good view of most of the maze from here. If one of us stayed here, they could tell the other where to go next."

"We're still not even certain where the end of this maze _is_. It's difficult to direct someone when you have no idea where you're trying send them." The woman's shoulders sank slightly as she realized he was right, and Tseng smiled warmly. "The idea isn't without merit. But I think it may be a bit premature without a solid destination in mind."

"Yes, sir," she replied with a disappointed sigh, and leaned back against the vine covered wall... only to vanish with a surprised shriek.

"Elena!?"

"I... I'm alright," her voice replied, and a moment later, the woman pushed aside the foliage and stuck her head out of a narrow passage that had previously been hidden from view. "I... um... I think I might have found it, sir," she added awkwardly, looking a bit embarrassed. Tseng chuckled and pulled the vines away from the opening, revealing the new path.

"Excellent work, Elena. Though I have to say... your methods are a bit unorthodox," he said, teasing her slightly.

"Yes, sir," Elena agreed, with a self-depreciating laugh. Tseng ventured into the corridor and down the stairs he found inside. They'd hardly reached the bottom when a loud rumbling shook the temple, very nearly knocking them to the ground. "What's going on?!" she asked, waving the dust away from her face as it fell in tiny rivulets from the ceiling. Moments later, the movement stopped.

"We must have triggered something..." Tseng said grimly, turning to look back up the staircase. The opening they'd come through was no longer there. "It seems we won't be leaving the same way we came in..."

"I'm starting to think this temple doesn't want us here..."

"I certainly can't disagree with that assessment," he replied, "But we'll accomplish nothing just standing here. Let's keep going."

The corridor, as it turned out, really _was_ the maze's exit. Or at least it dumped them into a new part of it... When they emerged, it was into an entirely new chamber with row after row of openings, several levels high. On the top level, Tseng could see a much more ornate doorway than any they'd yet passed through.

"I would venture to guess that _that's_ our next goal..."

"Well... _one_ of these must lead up there," Elena replied, peering into one of the dark passages. A moment later, she walked through it.

"Elena... wait!" Tseng called after her, but she was already gone. A moment later, she emerged several doors down from him.

"Not that one, I guess..."

"If you could perhaps refrain from nearly giving me a heart attack, I would appreciate it. I get quite enough of _that_ from Reno."

"Sorry, sir..." she replied, not quite able to stop herself from grinning a little. "But you said yourself... we're not going to get anywhere just standing around."

Tseng sighed and shook his head. "I suppose I did, didn't I? Well... we've already eliminated one door." He stepped forward, and walked through the one in front of him... and stepped _out_ of the same one Elena had. The Wutaiian Turk blinked in confusion, and looked back the way he'd come. He was certain their hadn't been any other passages connecting to the one he'd just walked through. How had they ended up in the same place? "Well, that was interesting..."

"Maybe that one?" Elena postulated, walking back to where they'd begun and taking the far left doorway. A few seconds later, she found herself standing behind Tseng again.

"They can't all lead to the same place..." he said, frowning. The other Turk resolutely walked past him to the door on the far right instead... and came out on the far left. She turned around and walked back through and this time stepped out of one of the doors on the level above them.

"Sir... This shouldn't be possible..." she called down to him.

"Stay there." He quickly mirrored her movements, and found himself standing beside her once again. "Curious..."

" _Bizarre_ is more like it..."

He had to admit... bizarre was a very apt description. There had been no indication that he was moving upwards. Each of the passages had seemed as though they were roughly the same distance, even though they clearly were not.

"Hmm... It seems we'll have to do this by trial and error."

Elena looked up at their goal and shook her head. "You know... My brother always loved this sort of thing. It's too bad he never made it inside."

"I certainly wouldn't mind having his expertise to aid us at the moment, myself," he replied, and then paused for a moment, choosing his next words with care. "I... take it you came to the same conclusion that _I_ did when Rufus told us about this place, then. That it was your brother and part of his team who were lost trying to open the temple previously."

Elena sighed softly and nodded.

"I wasn't sure if I should pass along my suspicions to you or not. You haven't mentioned him since Christmas... at least not to me," Tseng added.

She still hadn't pulled her gaze away from the doorway above them. "I guess it's still kind of hard to talk about. I don't really bring him up around Reno, either. Sometimes, I want to, but it just seems so random... especially since he never even _met_ Bel. And other times I don't even want to think about him... and that feels horrible, because he was my brother and I miss him."

Tseng let his hand rest on Elena's shoulder, and she finally looked back at him. "I doubt Reno would care how random it seemed. Nor would I, for that matter... I may not often say so, but you're every bit as important to me as Reno and Rude are." He smiled slightly and chuckled. "And considerably less of a headache most of the time. You're always welcome to talk to me."

She said nothing... just looked at him a little tearfully for a moment. By the time he'd managed to gauge her intentions, it was much too late. She was already hugging him.

He mentally sighed... he'd walked right into that. Really, he ought to have been used to it by now... Reno made a fairly regular habit of shamelessly invading his personal space pretty much whenever he felt like it. But the rigidity of Tseng's upbringing had been deeply engrained in him by his one-time father. He'd never quite managed to let go of it entirely. Not that he didn't make an effort to try.

At the moment, however, this little interlude had gone on quite long enough... something Elena seemed to have realized, as well, as she finally released him, her face having taken on a noticeably red hue.

"Sorry, sir..." she said, awkwardly. "This really isn't the time for... er... that sort of thing, is it..."

He couldn't help but laugh softly. "No... It really isn't. But I think we can let it slide this once. Now... let's we see what we can do about getting ourselves up to that door, shall we?"

* * *

"There yeh are, my dear..." Ward said as she shut down the mako therapy machine. "That _should_ just about finish things up. Let's see yeh up on yer feet..."

Lira swung her legs over the side of the bed, and took a deep breath, bracing herself for the familiar ache as she slowly stood and let her injured leg take her weight. It never came. She looked up in surprise.

"That's it?" she asked, somewhat excitedly. The pain had been decreasing with every treatment, but this was the first time it had been entirely _gone_.

"I should certainly _hope_ so. We've been at it long enough..." the doctor said with a smile. Lira took a few tentative steps forward and laughed. It felt perfect... as good as new.

"No more sittin' around in hospitals for ages with nothin' to do?" she asked, grinning now.

"Not so long as yer easy on it for a bit. It's fresh-healed... so it's liable ta end up a bit tender if yeh go and overwork it right away. So... no standing for long periods and no running or jumping or whatever other asinine activities yeh might be partial ta trying out after being on crutches for so long. I want yeh ta start out with short walks ta build up strength in the joint again. And if yeh notice any swelling or if things start ta feel sore, yer ta keep off of it, get some ice on it immediately, and call me if it's not better by the morning."

Lira's grin widened. Sweet, sweet mobility at last! She was going to _burn_ those damn crutches when she got home. Dr. Ward snickered quietly.

"Well, I certainly recognize _that_ look. Yeh be sure and do as I said... I don't want yeh winding up in the emergency room later tonight like a certain _other_ patient of mine'd be liable ta..." She clucked her tongue softly and sighed. "Thank Shiva I don't have more like _that_ one. I'd've been driven ta madness by now."

The grin fell slightly, but Lira bit her tongue... much as she agreed with that sentiment. Though in _her_ case, she didn't mean it in nearly as teasing a fashion as the aging doctor. She wondered if Ward even knew the truth about Reno and Sector 7... Probably not, she mused. Shinra had gone out of its way to pin the blame on Avalanche. Even some of the people she'd spoken to before had begun to change their tune, doubting what they'd heard. She was sorely tempted to correct them... and might have even done so under normal circumstances. But Shinra was dangerous, and she had a baby on the way... The last thing she needed was to paint a target on her back... so she'd kept quiet and intended to continue to do so.

"Something on yer mind?" Ward suddenly asked, and Lira quickly shook her head.

"Oh... no. I'm fine."

The doctor smiled indulgently. "Yer worried about that redheaded pain in my backside, aren't yeh? I suppose that's something we've got in common." She sighed and finished jotting down a few notes. "Ta be honest I would've liked ta keep him on leave a bit longer. That boy pushes himself too hard sometimes, and I _know_ Dr. Quaid is none too happy about him missing appointments ta go off gallivanting after whatever foolishness Shinra's new president has them chasing."

She sighed again and set the clipboard down. "But Elena didn't have a choice in going or staying... and I just couldn't bring myself ta separate them right now." Ward frowned slightly and seemed to realize what she was saying. "And as for _me_... I should darn well know when ta button my lips at my age. Friend of his or not, I've no right ta be discussing any of this with yeh without his consent. I must be just a wee bit more concerned about my favorite little headache than I realized."

Lira forced a smile. "I'm sure Reno will be fine. He always is..." she said. She may have been angry with the Turk, but Dr. Ward had been nothing but kind to her. Maybe she _should_ tell the doctor everything she knew... but why upset her needlessly?

"Well... I can hardly pull him off duty _now_ , anyway. No sense in worrying over what's already done, I suppose." She gently escorted Lira into the hallway. "Now, then... Like I said, yeh take it easy for a bit and work up ta more activity gradually. I don't expect ta see yeh for at _least_ a few weeks this time... not until yer next checkup for the little one. But yeh be sure and give me a call if yeh have any concerns before then."

Lira smiled a much more genuine smile this time. "Thank you... I will," she replied, and gave the doctor a nod before turning and walking towards the elevators. The ride down was spent in silence. Something Ward had said bothered her a little. What appointments had Reno been missing, exactly? As the elevator chimed and doors opened on the first floor, she told herself that she didn't care.

Even so, for some inexplicable reason, she found herself stopping in front of the large staff directory in the main lobby and scanning it for the name of the other doctor Ward had mentioned. She finally located it about halfway through the massive directory. Dr. Felicia Quaid... She was listed under the psychology department.

She blinked in surprise. Reno was seeing... or _supposed_ to be seeing... a therapist? And what's more, Ward didn't seem to think he should be back on the job yet. Maybe she _did_ know what really happened after all. But more to the point, were things really _that_ bad with the redhead that the doctor was willing to let him put himself back to work when he shouldn't be in the field at all just so he could stay with Elena?

Lira walked out of the hospital feeling slightly dazed. She was angry – furious – with her friend... former friend... whatever the hell he was. She still hadn't decided. But now she couldn't help but admit that she was worried about him, too.

* * *

"This is utterly ridiculous..." Tseng muttered under his breath as Elena popped out of one of the doors on the bottom level again. He heard her practically growl in frustration, and he shared the sentiment. Their destination was always just out of reach. They'd been doing this idiotic little dance for half and hour, and didn't seem to be getting any closer at all.

Elena stormed back the way she came, and when she didn't reappear below him, the Turk leader glanced towards the doors to his right, expecting to see her there once again. When he didn't, he started to worry.

"Sir!" a voice above him suddenly shouted, the cry decidedly victorious, and he looked up, slightly shocked to see the younger Turk exactly where they wanted to be.

"Finally..." he breathed, "I was beginning to think this was nothing more than an exercise in futility..."

"... Er... I kind of hate to ask, sir, but... Were you paying attention to which doors I took?" the young woman asked, awkwardly. "I... I think I might have been getting a little irritated towards the end there... I'm not quite sure of the sequence."

Tseng smirked slightly and vanished though the second door from the left. Reno was right... Elena really _did_ need to work a bit on her focus. It was a subject that had come up a number of times in their meetings prior to her promotion. The redhead had asked his advice on several occasions. It was part of the reason Tseng had decided to start her on materia training when he had. Above all else, materia use required focus.

A dozen and a half doors later, he finally emerged from the one on the bottom level that had so frustrated the young woman, and reversed course, walking back the way he came. He stepped out onto the top level, next to his fellow Turk.

"Yes... I was, in fact, paying attention," he said, finally answering her query and chuckling softly at her expression. He turned to the wooden door in the center. "Let's hope this was worth the effort."

The pair of them had to push hard against it before it swung inward, and when it did, both Turks were momentarily rendered speechless as torches along the walls flared to life. They stepped inside cautiously, eyes turned to the detailed decorations.

"Sir... That's _this_ temple..." Elena said, gazing at the first panel of a mural that spanned the entire length of the chamber. She was right, Tseng realized as he stepped forward for a closer look. Along the top of the panel was what looked like some form of ancient writing, but though it bore a passing resemblance to Wutaiian glyphs, he couldn't read it. Interestingly, in the center of the temple was drawn a symbol that he _did_ recognize. It was the same one certain temples in Wutai used to represent a guardian summon materia that was housed there... though, to his knowledge, few, if any, of those materias still remained in their temples. Shinra had long since captured them as spoils of war. It was an elongated crystal standing on it's point. But where the depictions he was familiar with were always red in color, this one was a dark charcoal, leaving it black as night in the flickering torchlight.

"Perhaps a clue to what is kept here," he said moving on to the next panel. This one showed people... Cetra, he presumed... moving, as though in procession towards the next image. On the third panel, the temple appeared again, but smaller now, and the materia-like symbol hovered above it as the people looked on. In the next, the temple was gone, but the materia remained, commanded by one of the Cetra. In the sky above him, a massive object was descending... careening... towards the planet.

The final panel showed nothing less than the world in flames. He shuddered slightly. What in Leviathan's name did the Cetra lock away in this place?

Elena looked to be of much the same mind he was. "Sir... Whatever's in here, we can't let Sephiroth get ahold of it..." she said, eyes locked on that final image.

"That we most certainly cannot..." he agreed, and brushed past her toward a small altar at the far end of the chamber. Resting atop the altar was the temple in miniature, but little else. "There's nothing else here..." he said in confusion. Elena joined him, peering down at it, curiously.

"Maybe... it opens somehow?" She touched the little model, and indeed one of the tiny statues at its base turned easily in her grasp. A moment later, the _real_ temple shuddered in response. Elena jerked her hand back. "What did I do?!"

"I'm not certain," the Turk leader replied, scanning the room for any sign that anything had changed. The last time the temple had shaken like that, their exit had been sealed. That, at least, was not the case this time. The door at the other end of the room still stood open. He frowned and looked back at the altar. "Elena... I want you to backtrack. Leave the temple if you have to, but contact the Highwind and tell them _exactly_ what we've found. Have them get someone down here that knows something about the Cetra and their little puzzles. Rufus must have ordered _someone_ to come along."

"W-what about you, sir?"

"I'll stay here. Sephiroth must not be allowed to obtain whatever it is the Cetra left behind."

"But... you can't take on Sephiroth on you own..." Elena replied, slightly aghast by the very suggestion.

"No... but I can destroy whatever this mechanism is, and prevent him from taking it," he said, and smiled faintly, "I would, however, prefer to return home in one piece. So if you could hurry, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Y-yes, sir." She started towards the door, intent on making her way back to the temple entrance as quickly as she could. At the opening, she paused. "Tseng?" she called back to the Wutaiian Turk, and he looked up at the sound of his name, "Be careful."

Tseng nodded. "I will. Now go."

* * *

" _YOU'RE MISSIN' SOME PRETTY NICE SCENERY, PARTNER..._ " Reno's voice all but shouted in his ear, causing Rude to startle violently. He looked up from the research journal he'd been engrossed in, glaring at the impishly grinning redhead beside him, and turned down the master volume control for their headsets before responding.

"I've seen it before. This is more interesting."

"Tch... if you say so."

"Wanna hear some of it?" Rude asked. It actually _had_ been an interesting read. Disturbing... but interesting.

"... As long as you're not gonna tell me about any of Hojo's weird bedroom fetishes. My dreams are fucked up enough right now. I definitely don't need to add _that_ onto the pile."

Rude frowned and closed the book on his lap, setting it aside. They hadn't really talked about thatsubject while they'd been in Nibelhiem. In fact, they'd talked more about _his_ issues than the redhead's... and Reno hadn't seemed overly perturbed by the omission.

"How bad are they?" he finally asked. There was no sense beating around the bush. With his friend, the direct approached was almost always preferred. Reno really didn't do subtle.

He groaned and flipped the autopilot switch. "Figured you'd be askin' me that eventually..." He was silent for a few moments. "It varies," Reno said at last.

"Meaning?"

"Meanin' it varies," he replied with a shrug. "Sometimes they scare the ever-livin' crap outta me... and sometimes they just leave me feelin' kinda on edge. Never know what I'm gonna get when I fall asleep. Bein' around 'Lena helps, though. I think I can kinda tell she's there, even when I'm out cold."

Rude snorted a soft laugh and shook his head.

"What's so goddamn funny?" the redhead asked.

"You."

Reno narrowed his eyes at his friend, looking vaguely offended.

"Well, I'm just _so_ glad we had this little heart to heart," he quipped, and folded his arms over his chest... ignoring the controls just a bit more than he really should have been. Rude smirked. He wasn't really upset. Just waiting for him to offer more of an explanation...

"I just never thought I'd see you like this."

"Traumatized?" the redhead asked, with a faint smirk of his own.

"You know what I mean," Rude stated, and reached for him, deftly plucking the photo from the other man's breast pocket. He chuckled softly at the familiar image. Reno hadn't simply asked him for a copy of it. He'd practically bribed him, offering to pick up the entire tab that Friday at the Phoenix Nest. In fact, it had been that same night that Rude had become convinced that the two of them belonged together. "You were gonna be a life-long bachelor... You told me so the day we met. Now you're marrying your soulmate."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Bullshit. She hasn't said yes. I haven't even asked her."

"But you will. And _she_ will. Don't know why you're still putting it off."

"So... 'bout those nightmares..." the redhead muttered, quickly changing the subject, and Rude laughed.

"Wimp," he teased, and reached into his own pocket, pulling out a small box.

"Oh, for fuck's sake... What? You been carryin' that ring around with you this whole time, just in case I suddenly need to get engaged?"

"Something like that," Rude chuckled, and tucked it back into his jacket. Actually... that was _exactly_ what he was doing. If Reno finally decided to ask her, he wasn't going to risk giving him the opportunity to talk himself out of it. Reno shook his head and turned his eyes back to the view outside the cockpit. Rude, however, could see the hint of a smile on his face. "So what _are_ you dreaming about, anyway?"

Reno, leaned back in his seat, still gazing through the windshield. "It depends on what's on my mind. At first it was Sector 7... different shit, but always the same outcome. At the end of it, I always lost 'Lena and Tseng... and you. Those were the worst. Haven't been havin' 'em so much lately, though, thank Ifrit. _That_ shit was really messin' with me."

"How about now?" Rude asked.

"Like I said... depends what's on my mind. 'Lena tell ya what happened with Lira before we left for Junon?"

Rude shook his head.

"... She found out Shinra ordered the plate drop. Fuckin' Wall Market rumor mill doesn't miss much. Confronted me about it and... yeah. She's not speakin' to me anymore."

"... Sorry."

The redhead shrugged. "Can't say I blame her. And I wasn't stupid enough to think there was no chance she might find out eventually. Still hit me hard, though. Dreamed I found her wanderin' the ruins that night... with the baby in her arms. It wasn't movin'."

"..." Rude didn't have the faintest idea what to say to that. He knew how Reno felt about Lira... He'd known her nearly half his life. She was as much family to the redhead as he and Tseng and Elena were.

"Tch... and then there's you, you goddamn bastard," he suddenly went on, turning back towards the bald Turk, with a hint of laughter in his eyes. "You had to go and make me think you were ticked at me over somethin'. You're just lucky 'Lena's a lot more rational than I am sometimes... After Gongaga, I had myself half-convinced you thought I was wrong for followin' orders and activatin' the release system."

"I'd never be mad at you for following orders..." the bald Turk replied, in a surprised tone. His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought, however. It hadn't occurred to him that Reno might have interpreted their interrupted conversation on the outskirts of the little village like _that_.

"Yeah, I know," Reno sighed, "Look, I'll be honest. I know orders are orders... we were _both_ taught that from the second we were recruited. But _that_ one... I can't help thinkin' maybe it shoulda been the exception. I've done shit that I knew was wrong before... but never _that_ wrong. And when I started thinkin' that you might blamin' me for not havin' the balls to say no... fuck. I'm glad 'Lena was around to talk some sense into me. 'Cause that coulda got real bad, real fast, ya know?"

"... Didn't mean to scare you."

Reno flashed him a smile. "Not that hard to do right now, partner. Face it... I'm a mess." He reached for the controls and made a slight correction to their flight path before allowing the auto pilot to take over again. "Fuck, man... There are days when I start out feelin' great, and by the time I'm fallin' asleep, I'm seriously wonderin' if I should even _be_ in the field yet. I _wanna_ be. And I know you guys need me out here. But I also don't wanna put anyone at risk."

Rude reached over and placed the photo he'd stolen back in the redhead's pocket. "Stop worrying so much. You're not putting anyone at risk. If anything, I think this is making you _more_ careful." He gently ruffled the younger man's hair, earning himself an irritated glare from his friend. He hated when people did that... always said it made him feel like a little kid. Ward did it to him constantly.

"... Rude, if you ever manage to grow any goddamn hair, I swear I'm gonna pay you back for every Ifrit-forsaken time you've ever done that to me."

Rude simply chuckled and leaned back in his seat.

* * *

Tseng studied the massive wall mural, still convinced that it could tell him what the Cetra had secreted away in their temple.

"This... can't be the Promised Land," he said aloud, when he came again to the final panel. The people depicted were dying, their world burning. That was no paradise. But then... if whatever was here _didn't_ lead to the Promised Land, what was Sephiroth's interest in the temple? Tseng shook his head... He was hardly an archaeologist. Interpretation of ancient artwork was definitely not his forte.

Without warning, the fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he froze. He wasn't alone.

The Wutaiian Turk turned slowly, one hand drawing his gun... only to come face to face with the one person he'd hoped to avoid running into.

"Sephiroth," he greeted him, his outward calm masking the fear that was rapidly coursing through his veins.

And it _was_ Sephiroth... Tseng no longer had any doubt of that. Though the man looked as though he hadn't aged a day in five years. He still stood as tall and strong as ever, long silver hair free in a cascade down his back, the legendary Masamune in his hand. His eyes still glowed with the same green hue of mako, though they seemed brighter now than they had before.

"So... you opened the door. Well done," the legendary Soldier said, smiling cruelly, and Tseng shivered slightly at the familiar voice. He'd known Sephiroth... briefly. When the Meaningless War had begun, very few Wutaiian personnel had remained in Shinra's employ. Tseng had thus been the tapped to brief the man on several aspects of his homeland. They'd spent nearly four weeks together going over everything from Wutaiian customs and religious beliefs to fighting styles and local terrain. He couldn't honestly say he'd truly gotten to know the Soldier on a personal level... but he was certainly familiar enough with the professional side of Sephiroth.

Tseng took a step toward him, but quickly thought better of it and held his ground. "This place... What is it?"

Sephiroth turned to the mural, gesturing toward the artwork. "A lost treasure house of knowledge. The wisdom of the Ancients..." he replied, and then turned his gaze on the Turk again. "The wisdom that will allow me to become one with the Planet."

"One with the Planet... ?" Tseng repeated, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He didn't know what that meant exactly, but it didn't exactly sound... sane. Not that he had any illusions that Sephiroth was the least bit mentally stable after what he'd done in Nibelheim.

"You're all fools. You... your insignificant little company... _and_ its insignificant little president. It never even occurred to you, did it? All the spirit energy of this Planet. All of its wisdom... its knowledge... I will meld with it _all_. I will become one with it. It will become one with _me_."

"How?" the Turk asked. His finger was tense on the trigger of his weapon. He'd probably only have one chance... so he'd have to make it count. If he could keep the man talking... keep him distracted... he might at least have better odds at getting a fatal shot off before Sephiroth could stop him.

Sephiroth laughed and lifted his sword. "The way... lies here," he replied, pointing the weapon toward the altar at the far end of the room. "A pity you won't get to witness it firsthand. Only deaths awaits you."

He'd waited too long... or something had given his intent away. Whatever the case, it was now or never, because in another few seconds he was likely to be lying on the floor in several pieces. Tseng darted back, out of range of the massive sword, hoping to buy himself enough time to take the shot. He leveled the gun at the Soldier's head and fired.

At almost the same instant, he felt the unpleasant sensation of cold steel penetrating him and Sephiroth's face was suddenly mere inches from his own.

"But do not fear..." the man went on, as though the attack had never even happened. "For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again... as part of _me_."

Tseng grunted in pain as Sephiroth twisted the sword in his gut. A second later, he withdrew it, and the Turk dropped to his knees, hands clutching his abdomen. The pain didn't even register. He just felt... cold. He could feel the blood already beginning to saturate his clothing as he collapsed entirely. Sephiroth knelt over his body and let a hand rest on his shoulder in a mocking gesture of comfort.

"I knew you once. And for that reason, I will allow you the short time you have left, instead of stealing it from you now, if you wish it," he said, quietly to the Turk. Tseng grit his teeth and shoved a hand deep into the wound, hoping to staunch the flow of blood. Sephiroth smiled coldly. "I assumed as much," he said, rising to his feet and wiping the blood from his blade. "I would _like_ to stay and keep you company until then, but I'm afraid I have other guests arriving soon. Goodbye, Tseng."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the Turk leader to die.

* * *

Leaving the temple had – rather surprisingly – been a far simpler task than entering. Elena found herself rising through the slab of stone at the entryway much sooner than she'd thought she would. Once outside, she pulled her PHS from her jacket and glanced at the screen.

No signal. With a groan, she realized that she'd have to trek back into the jungle to get in contact with the Highwind. She glanced at the little pedestal and wondered if she should take the Keystone with her. Doing so would keep others out... but it would also trap Tseng inside. If there were an emergency, he had no other exit. In the end, she left it where it was and hurried to cross the bridge in search of a signal. The sooner she spoke to the President, the sooner she could get back to Tseng.

Once on the other side, she rushed into the dense foliage, picking her way though branches and vines, and making her way back toward their original drop-off location.

* * *

Tseng staggered and fell against the wall, leaving behind a bright red handprint on the stone. His vision swam for a moment, but he forced himself upright again. Sephiroth was in the temple... Shinra had to be warned.

He had tried to destroy the mechanism in the altar... but it had proven far more difficult than he'd expected, and his strength was fading. When he'd realized his efforts would prove futile, he'd opted for plan B... getting a message to someone... anyone... outside of the temple before he succumbed to his injuries.

He was under no illusions that he might actually survive this. Even if he somehow _did_ make it out of the temple and back on board the airship, the damage was done. He wasn't certain he could have been saved even if he'd been attacked outside Midgar General. Sephiroth had known _exactly_ what he was doing. He was dying, and he knew it... but he intended to do whatever he could to put a wrench in Sephiroth's plans before he did.

By the time he reached the entry, he was breathing harshly and coughing up blood. He very nearly had to crawl into the little circular pattern on the stone floor. Somehow, though, he made it. He groaned as he felt the odd sensation of being pulled through solid stone and clenched his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he found himself slumped against the base of the pedestal at the temple's entrance. With what little strength he had left, he reached over his head, and pulled the Keystone from its slot. Sephiroth might find 'becoming one with the Planet' rather difficult, trapped inside the Cetra temple.

He tucked the Keystone into his pocket and withdrew his PHS, laughing softly when he saw there was no signal. It just figured. Tseng sighed and let his head rest against the stone behind him, closing his eyes.

It was strangely peaceful here. A shame Sephiroth had to turn up and sully that natural tranquility. All in all, he supposed there were worse places to die. Veld's last breaths had been taken in a filthy alley in the Sector 4 slums... Given the choice, Tseng found this preferable.

He had been taught never to fear death. Death was merely the next phase of existence... not really an end, and not really a beginning. Death should bring feelings of sadness and loss for friends and family separated from you... but never fear.

He _was_ afraid, though... Not for himself, but for his Turks. Reno would probably take it the hardest of all of them, and he'd already suffered so much recently. When Veld had died, all of his Turks had keenly felt it, but Tseng had found himself utterly lost without his friend and mentor. Especially when, all of a sudden, he had realized that _he_ now had to fill that role. Reno was more than ready for such a task, just as Tseng had ultimately been... but if his own experience was anything to go by, the redhead probably wouldn't _feel_ very ready.

Elena and Rude would hardly be immune, either. Nor Rufus, who, over the years, had come to depend on him... perhaps more than Tseng should ever have allowed. They would have to rely on one another more than ever... particularly given the threat they faced in Sephiroth.

His words had been no mere rantings of a madman... though the Soldier was undoubtedly quite mad. Sephiroth had a plan. He'd brought an entire country to its knees with less, and Tseng wasn't about to write him off as too crazy to be dangerous now.

He hoped Elena hadn't had the misfortune to run into him. The man hadn't mentioned her... and Tseng suspected that he would have, if only to rub his face in it, if she had. With luck, she'd made it out well before he'd arrived. He rather hoped she would be the one to find him here... preferably while he still had a little time left. If would be nice to be able to say goodbye to at least one of his Turks. Veld hadn't had that opportunity. Few Turks ever did.

A sudden commotion on the bridge interrupted his thoughts, and Tseng raised his head, expecting to see Elena... perhaps with a few members of Shinra personnel, bound for the altar room in the temple... and he silently thanked Leviathan that he had the chance to warn them.

But it was another familiar face, instead, that he caught sight of. In the distance, he could hear the voices of her approaching companions as well. Aerith paused just inside the door to the alcove.

"T-tseng?" she asked, clearly shocked. The Turk leader forced himself slowly to his feet.

"Tseng... Of the Turks?" a voice echoed nearby, and a moment later, Cloud Strife reached the top of the stairs as well.

"Why am I... not surprised... ?" he asked, smiling weakly. He winced and leaned his weight against the pedestal. "Listen... It's not the Promised Land... Sephiroth is searching for."

"Sephiroth?! He's inside?!" Strife cried as more of his allies began to arrive. Tseng gestured to the altar.

"Yes... Trapped. For now. I doubt it will... contain him indefinitely," he said, before turning his gaze back on Aerith. "Letting you go free for so long... was the start... of my bad luck," he said, smiling at her. "I should have let you lead Shinra to the Promised Land... years ago."

The young woman glared at him. "You're wrong. The Promised Land isn't like what you imagined," she said, and turned her back on him. "And I wouldn't have helped _you_ , anyway." She took several steps away from him, refusing to look back.

Tseng managed a soft laugh. "That sounds... like something you'd say. You were always... rather harsh with me..." He saw the woman's shoulders slump, but she didn't turn around. Instead, Tseng turned his attention to Cloud, and reached into his pocket. "Here..." he said, offering the small orb to the former-Soldier. If anyone might have a chance to stopping Sephiroth, it was a fellow Soldier. Besides... it wasn't as if he could stop them from searching his corpse in a few more minutes. "The Keystone. Place it... on the altar."

That done, he slowly dragged himself off to one side of the alcove and sank to the ground, breathing in ragged gasps.

"Aerith?" he heard Tifa say quietly, and the sound of a quiet sniffle met his ears.

"I know he's our enemy... but I've known him since I was little. There's not many people I can say that about. In fact, there are probably only a handful of people in the world who really know me..." she responded, tearfully. The Turk leader smiled faintly, and lifted his head, catching her eye. She didn't look away this time.

"I'm sorry..." said Tifa, "But I don't think there's anything we can do for him."

"Just go," Tseng said. By now, whatever remained of his strength was virtually gone. It was hard to even keep his eyes open. "It's much too late for me. Stop Sephiroth."

He briefly considered giving them a message to pass along to his Turks. Aerith would do it for him, even if her companions refused. Ultimately, though, he decided against it. It would have been too personal to entrust to a third party. Even to the Cait Sith automaton that had finally bumbled its way into the small space that was rapidly growing over-crowded. As the other members of Avalanche walked past him to gather around the temple's entrance, he locked eyes with the robotic cat. It nodded back at him before it joined its companions, and Tseng let his eyes close again.

At least Reeve could tell Shinra where to pick up his body. Cloud placed the Keystone on the pedestal, and moments later, Tseng found himself alone again.

* * *

"Yes, sir... I understand."

Her phone barely had a signal, even this far from the temple. The responses she was getting from the Highwind were garbled and hard to understand, and she was fairly sure her own transmissions weren't any better. But she was reasonably confident that Rufus had the general idea at this point. She'd told him about the altar room and the strange mechanism inside. He, in turn, had assured her that he would be sending down an antiquities expert to take a look. She was to wait there, and escort him into the temple.

She sighed and swatted at a bug that kept buzzing around her face. She would have preferred to have gone straight back to Tseng. Leaving him behind like that wasn't sitting right with her. But he'd ordered her to go... and she understood the necessity of him staying to keep an eye on things inside. She just hoped this 'expert' would hurry and get down here.

She jumped slightly as her PHS rang unexpectedly and hurried to answer it. Rufus's number glowed on the screen.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get back to the temple... Now!" the President's voice demanded in a tone that, in spite of the poor connection, very clearly bordered on panic. She didn't ask questions... just turned back towards the looming structure and intent on rushing back.

"On my way..." she said, already sweating in the thick, humid jungle air. "What's going on?"

"Tseng's spy... notified... Tseng was attacked... Sephiroth..." Rufus relayed to her, his voice already breaking up as she drew closer to the temple. Elena shoved the phone into her pocket and broke into dead run through the underbrush. She didn't stop until she crossed the bridge.

"Tseng?!" the young Turk gasped, and for a short, horrifying moment, she thought she was already too late. At the sound of her voice, though, the Turk leader stirred slightly. Elena covered the distance between them in a few short strides, dropping to her knees next to his crumpled form. "No..." she whispered.

There was so much blood... it had pooled around him and already was soaking into the knees of her pant legs as she was pulling his hands away from the wound.

"Elena... Don't bother."

She looked up from the grisly sight, and saw that he was awake, watching her.

"We need to get you out of here."

"I'm lucky... to have lasted... this long. There's nothing..." he said, suddenly squeezing his eyes shut in pain before he could finish. She watched as he forced them open again. "I'm grateful... I have the chance... to say goodbye."

"No... Tseng... Don't talk like that. I'm going to get you –" she began, only go silent as the man went limp in her grasp. "NO!"

Elena fought back tears as her fingers sought out the artery in his neck, searching desperately for a pulse. It was still there... but it was fading. Fast. He was dying right in front of her.

No. She wasn't going to let that happen. Tseng would have done anything in his power to save her life, and she wasn't about to do anything less. With that thought in mind, she reached for the Full Cure materia in her pocket, holding it in her palm, and focusing on it with everything she had.

Viridia had warned her against using it, saying that it might take a heavy toll on her _own_ body. And for that matter, she didn't even know if she _could_ cast any kind of spell with it... It was entirely possible that it was completely beyond her current skill level. But damned if she wasn't going to try. The alternative was to sit there and do nothing while Tseng's life drained away.

At first, nothing happened, and Elena could feel her desperation growing. She tried, again and again, to make the crystal respond to her will, but it remained stubbornly dark. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tseng's chest rise and fall with the shallow breaths he was still drawing. And then it fell one final time and didn't rise again.

" _NO!_ " she screamed, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Without warning the crystal in her hand flared to life... and everything else went dark.

* * *

The helicopter had barely even touched down in Junon before Reno was fighting his way out of his restraint harness and hauling open the door. Rude actually had to sprint to catch up to him, having paused just long enough to seize the strap of the bag containing Hojo's research and pull it over his shoulder. The redhead didn't care at the moment... if Rude couldn't keep up, that was _his_ problem.

The call had come in just as they were passing over Gongaga... They'd been perhaps another twenty minutes or so from the coordinates Rufus had given them for the Cetra temple. It had been a brief conversation. The President had ordered them to Junon instead. Tseng had been injured... and judging by the faint waver in the young executive's voice, it was serious. How serious, the man hadn't elaborated on. They'd spent the last hour in utter silence, neither Turk wanting to speculate on what had happened.

But now they were here, and Reno was anxious... so was Rude, but where _he_ had a habit of barging in and demanding answers, Rude preferred to keep a level head. That didn't make his trip across the tarmac any slower, however, as Reno noted that he'd very quickly matched his pace, catching up to him.

Seconds after that fact had registered, however, he stopped short, spotting Lieutenant Commander Nacelle standing outside of the base's medical facility, smoking a cigarette and looking more than slightly shaken. Reno felt a distinct chill settle over him. Viridia only smoked when she was extremely upset... and never where her subordinates might catch her at it.

As they approached, she caught sight of them as well, and dropped the cigarette, crushing it beneath her boot.

"Thank Kjata..." Viridia breathed. "I've been driving myself crazy, out here on my own."

"Vir... What the fuck happened?" Reno asked.

"We don't really know exactly. Tseng and Elena went into the temple... a couple hours later, Elena came out and called up to the Highwind that they'd found something and didn't know quite what to make of it. The President was going to send some people from the antiquities department down, but then we got a message from Reeve Tuesti back in Midgar saying that Tseng had been attacked... I didn't quite pick up on how the hell he knew _that_ but Rufus certainly didn't question it. He sent Elena back in, and that was the last we heard from them until the rescue team brought them both back to the airship."

"How bad?" Rude asked, though judging by the look on the woman's face, Reno was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Bad," Viridia replied, motioning for the pair to follow her inside, "They're still working on him. He's holding on, but... they just don't know yet. They won't even give me odds of him making it off the table."

The three of them made their way down the main corridor, though not, Reno noted, to the facility's small waiting room. They passed it by, heading farther back, which didn't exactly do much to alleviate his growing anxiety. Why had _Viridia_ been the one to meet them? Why not Elena? Or even Rufus?

"What about 'Lena?" he asked, "Where's she at? Does she know we're back yet?"

Instead of answering, Viridia glanced over at the redhead somewhat hesitantly, and pushed open the door to one of the rooms.

"Not... _exactly_..." she said at last.

Reno eyed the woman strangely but stepped inside... and came to a dead stop moments later. Rude very nearly walked into him as he tried to follow. The reason for his sudden halt must have become apparent to his partner almost immediately, because the redhead felt a hand come to rest against the back of his neck, squeezing supportively.

Rufus was standing next to the bed, apparently reading through the patient's chart. He glanced up at the unexpected arrival of visitors. Elena lay motionless beneath crisp, white sheets, monitors beeping softly.

Reno was almost certain _someone_ in the room was saying _something_ to him. Who and what, however, were lost to the suddenly rushing sound in his ears that seemed to utterly deafen him. Knowing Tseng was grievously injured was one thing... he'd had the entire flight to prepare for bad news. But this... No one had told him to expect _this_.

He felt has though someone had just pulled the rug out from under him, and he must have staggered back a step or two, because Rude's hands were suddenly holding his arms firmly from behind, keeping him upright.

Dear Ifrit... not her.

His chest suddenly felt as though he'd been kicked by an angry chocobo, and he couldn't catch his breath. His heart was pounding so hard, he was half-convinced it might crack a rib... if it didn't simply explode first... and his fingers tingled with slowly increasing numbness.

A part of his mind seemed to be screaming at him that he was dying... but if that was the case, there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it. And he was finding it hard to care at the moment. He wasn't sure he _wanted_ to live without her.

~fin~


	58. Breathe

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 58: Breathe**

 **by Desha**

"Reno?!" Viridia cried, slightly alarmed. "She's alright... She's not hurt." The redhead didn't even seem to hear her, however. He remained frozen, locked in Rude's ironclad grip, and she quickly looked up at the other Turk in concern.

It took Rude a only seconds to realize what was happening, the faint, rapid, slightly wheezing breaths his partner was suddenly taking finally triggering the memory of the one other time he'd seen him in such a state. It had been years, in fact. They occasionally joked about how he could get overly anxious under certain circumstances – mostly involving the administration of narcotic painkillers – but an actual panic attack? Rude had only seen his friend that far gone once before today. _That_ time it had been triggered by combination of a bad reaction to pain medication and the nagging fear that Tseng had been been giving serious consideration to resigning from the Turks. This, though... Rude suspected that this was pure stress. Reno had finally reached his breaking point.

"What's wrong with him?" Rufus asked, though the question lacked his usual snooty tone. The young executive seemed genuinely concerned.

"Nothing," Rude said, perhaps a little more snappishly than intended, but he was more focused on his friend than explanations at the moment. He hoisted Reno off of his feet, carrying him to the bed opposite Elena's, and set him down, kneeling beside him so that he was at eye level as the redhead curled onto his side.

"Slow breaths..." he said softly, "You've been through this before... remember? You're alright."

"I'll get the doctor on call..." Viridia said, already heading for the door.

"Don't," Rude said, firmly. "He'll be fine. He just needs to calm down." Reno was taking longer breaths by now, but still much too fast, and Rude turned his attention back to him instead of the Lieutenant Commander. " _Slow_ breaths," he reminded him.

It wasn't fun to watch... though he imagined that it was even less fun to go through. He still remembered being shooed out of the room by Ward the first time this had happened. The doctor hadn't given him an explanation right away, and for several terrifying minutes, Rude had been half-convinced his partner was in serious danger. Later, when Ward had told him what was really going on, he'd been more than a little annoyed that Reno had scared him so badly over something that was entirely in his head... and had made the mistake of saying as much to the abrasive physician.

Dr. Ward had very nearly ripped his head off setting him straight – and the young Turk had learned firsthand how the woman had gotten her somewhat fearsome reputation – but ultimately had made it _very_ clear that it was out of the redhead's hands and that feeling as though one might very well be dying wasn't the most pleasant of experiences. He'd quietly read up on anxiety and panic attacks after that... He'd always been of the opinion that knowing the facts made things much less intimidating.

By now, Reno seemed to be making a conscious effort to stop hyperventilating and get his breathing under control, though each breath he took was uneven and shaky, and occasionally interrupted by a weak cough. Much of the fear seemed to have left his eyes, however, and Rude was fairly sure that he, too, had now recognized what was happening. When the redhead's expression changed to one of noticeable irritation, he was certain of it. Reno closed his eyes and inhaled, holding a breath for a moment or two, before releasing it. A few more attempts of the same finally seemed to bring him out of it.

"Well, _that_ was fuckin' humiliating..." he muttered, sounding vaguely disgusted, and forcing himself upright. He still seemed shaky, but before Rude could stop him, he was on his feet again and bee-lining for the stricken Turk on the other side of the room. "'Lena?" he prodded, reaching for her hand. When she didn't move, his gaze snapped around to Viridia and the President. "What the _fuck_ happened?"

"She's going to be fine..." Viridia replied, hurriedly, "She wasn't injured."

"Their phones didn't work inside the temple. As near as we've been able to piece together, Tseng sent her outside to relay some information back to the Highwind and was attacked by Sephiroth shortly after she departed," Rufus explained.

"That _bastard_ left him for dead," Viridia spat, and the anger in her voice was palpable. "He barely made it back to the temple entrance."

"Reeve learned what happened through his little robot spy. I sent Elena back immediately, and then ordered a rescue team to go and retrieve them both. Tseng was... badly injured... but alive. And they found _her_ like that," Rufus continued, nodding toward the unconscious woman.

Reno reached out and stroked Elena's hair back, never letting go of her hand. "What's wrong with her?"

"We were a little stumped on that, at first, actually... until one of the medical personnel on the Highwind pried this out of her hand." Viridia held up a small collection of crystalline shards. "It's the materia she found. Or what's left of it, anyway."

The redhead blinked in surprise, and shook his head. "What'd it do to her? She didn't even know what it was..."

"No... But _I_ did. I recognized it as soon as she handed it to me. It's a rare healing materia... very powerful, and _very_ hard to use. I'm amazed she even _could_ use it with what little training she's had... but she managed it somehow. It was a weak spell compared to what this materia is really capable of in the right hands, and the crystal ended up shattering... probably because she couldn't focus the magic properly... but it's the reason Tseng is still alive."

"So... she's not hurt," Reno said, echoing the commander's earlier words with relief, "She's just –"

"Exhausted," Rufus cut in.

"Depleted might actually be more accurate," Viridia corrected him, making her way over to the couple. She slipped behind the redhead and hugged him. "She'll be out for awhile... probably a few days. But she'll be okay. Don't worry."

Reno took a somewhat shuddering breath, and turned to look at her. "What about Tseng? When are we gonna know somethin'?"

Rufus snorted derisively. "Those incompetent idiots... All they've said is that when they have something to tell us, they will tell us. Were it even remotely possible, I'd have him transferred to Midgar immediately. But... as I cannot safely do so, I've demanded that they consult with that harpy of a physician you all seem so fond of. Though personally, I've never understood the appeal of that accursed woman..."

Rude was already slipping silently into the hall and dialing before the President had even finished the sentence. Ward picked up on the second ring.

"If yer wanting an update, yer just going ta have ta wait. I don't have one for yeh yet," the doctor answered without preamble, her voice welcome even as it roughly assailed him from the tiny speaker.

"... Got _anything_?" Rude asked, glancing through the narrow window in the door at his partner. The man was still noticeably on edge, and knowing _something_ was better than knowing nothing.

"Well, I can tell yeh that if he makes it through this in one piece I won't be letting him out of bed for a good long time... Even with mako treatments, he's going ta be out of commission for awhile. That man is _inconceivably_ lucky, as it is. If Elena hadn't had the presence of mind ta give that spell a try, he'd have bled out before they even got him back to the airship for sure. We'll just have ta hope his luck hasn't quite run out yet."

"... Not sure if that's gonna make everyone feel better... or worse."

"I wish I could tell yeh more. I really do. But I'm stuck waiting, same as the rest of yeh," Dr. Ward said, with a long-suffering sigh. "... How's that little troublemaker of mine? I imagine he's none too happy at the moment. They told me Elena hasn't regained consciousness quite yet."

Rude frowned. His partner probably wouldn't appreciate him talking about him behind his back... especially given that Ward had the ability to declare the Turk unfit if she thought he couldn't handle things... but the doctor should definitely be told what was going on. Rude didn't want to be responsible for Reno being sidelined against his will. But he also didn't want to be responsible for what might happen to him if he ended up breaking down completely.

"He's... not doing so great."

"Mmm... Would yeh care ta be a bit more descriptive there? Or am I meant ta determine his state of well-being psychically so yeh can avoid feeling guilty about ratting him out?" Ward snarked at him, and the bald Turk couldn't help but smile slightly. He wasn't surprised the aging doctor had deduced the reason for his reluctance.

"He had a panic attack. Didn't take that long to calm him down, but..."

"But that's not normal for him," Ward finished for him, with a heavy sigh.

"... You're not gonna recall him to Midgar. Are you?"

The doctor was silent for a moment, and Rude soon began to fear the worst. Finally, she answered him. "Not yet, no. I imagine finding out that both of 'em were down for the count came as a bit of a shock... so I'll give him a chance ta pull himself together, first. But it's not off the table. Yeh keep a close eye on him for me. And if yeh see _anything_ else that concerns yeh, yeh let me know."

"..." He didn't like being stuck in this position. And if he _did_ end up telling Ward something that got Reno put back on leave, the redhead was going to be pissed.

"I know making a call like that isn't easy... especially when it's a friend. But it's for his own good. Yeh give me yer word right now that yeh'll keep me updated."

Rude closed his eyes, and ran a hand over the back of his head. He didn't like it, but someone had to do it. And right now, he was the only other Turk _not_ incapacitated. "... Yeah. I will."

* * *

Viridia silently scanned the incident report log the previous shift had left for her. Things had been unusually quiet on base all day... and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if the usual suspects had heard what had befallen her Turk and, for once, decided to behave themselves.

They had mutually agreed to remain professional in public... but she knew that just about everyone on the base knew. They'd known for years. Things like that didn't stay secret for long in a place like Junon. It didn't really bother her. She certainly wasn't ashamed of their relationship. She simply preferred to keep her private life separate from her military life. Tseng had never seemed to mind, even though for _him_ , the line between personal and professional wasn't quite as set in stone.

For Viridia, her subordinates were her subordinates. At best, a few of them were casual friends. But for Tseng, _his_ subordinates were his family, and he loved them like his own. He'd all but _raised_ Reno... And the others meant just as much to him. Even his fondness for Rufus crossed the boundaries of mere bodyguard.

There were times she found herself a little envious of that. Now, for instance... especially after seeing how Reno and Rude had reacted to him being injured. As much as she loved Junon, that... by her own design... was something she'd never had. If she'd been in Tseng's place at the temple, she very much doubted that any of those under _her_ command would have risked themselves casting an obscenely difficult spell to try and save her life. And even had one of them been willing to try, she didn't hold much hope that many outside of, perhaps, the Materia Corps elite, would have been successful. She was convinced that the only reason Elena had managed it was because she had so desperately wanted it... _needed_ it. Nothing else could account for a novice with a hunk of unprocessed, raw materia crystal being able to not only summon up the mana required, but also focus it enough to activate the materia and hit the intended target with the spell.

She smiled a little at the thought of Elena. Now _there_ was a woman who didn't care about what other people's opinions might mean to her career. She was Reno's girl and she didn't give a damn who knew it. Viridia couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Tseng had ever harbored a desire for the same freedom those two had. They'd been involved for close to twelve years now... and almost no one would ever know it, just seeing them interact in public.

Alone was another matter entirely. Tseng was very different when they were alone together. So much of that perfectly poised and polished nature of his fell away when she was the only one looking. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He was true gentleman. He was charming and intelligent. He was deliciously exotic and beautiful and his smile was contagious. He'd hardly even had to _try_ to seduce her when they'd first met. Somehow it had just happened. In fact, she was fairly certain that he'd been just as surprised as she was when they'd woken the next morning, still wrapped in one another's arms. And then it had simply _kept_ happening... for more than a decade. It had always just seemed like the natural progression of things, and neither of them had ever had any interest in fighting it.

And now, it was very possible that he might be gone when she woke up tomorrow morning.

Viridia set the report aside and rubbed her eyes, chastising herself for allowing that thought to creep back into her head. She'd been holding it together all day... but she knew if she started down that path, she would lose the tenuous grip on the tears she'd been keeping at bay for hours now. They had never formally acknowledged they were together to anyone... not even themselves, really... and somehow that made the idea of losing him now so much worse.

* * *

Reno gazed out at the setting sun, trying to calm the tumultuous thoughts bouncing around in his head. He couldn't find a word to describe how he felt at the moment... mostly because he was feeling so many different things at once.

Fear seemed to top the list. There was still no real news on Tseng, beyond him still having a pulse. He was afraid he was going to lose him. And beyond the abject terror of the gaping hole in his life that loss would leave him with, he was afraid of what that would mean for _him_. He'd be in command. Rude and Elena would be looking to him. Asking him what to do next... how to go on. Tseng had been grooming him for that very role for years now... and even so, he felt woefully ill-prepared for it becoming a reality. Tseng was the person he looked up to most in the world. How in Ifrit's name was he ever supposed to take his place?

Beneath all that, past the fear and the uncertainty... he felt lost. He could feel the waves of guilt still lapping at the corners of his mind, and he didn't know where to turn. Elena couldn't comfort him right now, and he sorely needed it. Rude had to be worried _enough_ about him after that little display in the medical ward. Lira hated him. And Vir had her own problems to deal with... He didn't want to burden her with _his_.

And then under that layer, there was the shame and humiliation of breaking down so completely that his best friend had been forced to coax him back to reality like a child trying to tempt a scared kitten out of a drain pipe. Fuck only knew what Rufus had thought of _that_. Even now, he could still feel the lingering tendrils of panic coiling around him, and he had to concentrate far too hard on not allowing them to gain any more ground than they already had.

What the _hell_ was wrong with him? When had he let himself get so weak? And why did it have to happen _now_ when he was needed most? The redhead wrapped his arms tightly around himself, as if he could somehow physically hold himself together in spite of his world seemingly collapsing around him.

The sun was sinking fast, and he vaguely wondered how long he'd been out here. Probably long enough that people were getting worried. He hadn't said much when he'd taken off once the medical staff had declared visiting hours over and barred them all from Elena's room. Though if they _were_ getting concerned about him, he wasn't unreachable. As much as he'd needed to be alone for a little while, he hadn't wanted to cut himself off completely... not when news about Tseng's condition could come at any time.

A faint tapping caught his attention, and it took him a moment to recognize the sound as footsteps. He frowned and pulled himself back, deeper into the shadows, leaning back against the cold metal wall as they drew nearer, echoing entirely too loudly in his little hiding place. They stopped just above his head and waited.

"... You in there?" a familiar voice asked. Reno stayed silent, but the interloper was persistent. "You know how I feel about heights... I'm coming in to check. And if it turns out I climbed in there for nothing, I'm gonna be pretty mad."

"I'm not in here," he called back. "So don't bother wastin' your time."

He heard a soft snort of laughter, and a moment later a pair of feet appeared at the open end of his shelter. Rude slowly and cautiously lowered himself down, looking decidedly convinced that this was a terrible idea as he swung himself inside.

"Thought I told ya I wasn't in here."

Rude smirked and sat down next to him. "What it is with you and being up high?"

The redhead shrugged. "Makes me feel safe."

"You do realize we're sitting in the barrel of a giant canon... right?"

Reno gave a quiet laugh in spite of himself and shook his head. "Yeah... I know."

His partner leaned over and draped an arm around him, dragging him closer, tight against his side, and Reno closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the physical contact and the warmth.

"Was starting to get worried about you. You missed dinner," he said, "If you weren't up here, I was gonna have Viridia send out a search party."

In retrospect, he should have realized that this was the first place his partner would have looked for him. In fact, Rude was probably the _only_ person who would have known to look for him here. There weren't many people confident enough in their own agility to walk out along the military installation's massive canon and swing themselves into the end of it's barrel... Reno did it every chance he got. It was one of the few banned activities Viridia had never caught him at.

"Tch... I didn't shut my phone off, ya know. Not with Tseng still..."

He found that he couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. Rude just nodded.

"So how long are you planning on staying up here?"

He shrugged again. "'Til I stop feeling like I'm still shakin' and my throat might close up at any second?" he replied, with noticeable distaste. The redhead sighed and glanced up at Rude. "The brat say anything after I left?"

"No. Think you _might've_ actually scared him. You weren't looking so great for a few minutes there."

"Terrific," Reno muttered. Neither man said anything for several minutes. They just sat, quietly watching the sun as it finally dipped below the horizon. "I don't know if I can do this," the redhead said at last. "I'm not sure I'm strong enough for this shit anymore. Fuck, maybe I never was."

Rude snorted derisively. "Get over yourself, Reno."

He looked up in surprise, and no small amount of hurt, but his friend only shook his head.

"You're not weak. You've _never_ been weak. You freaked out because you've been trying so goddamn hard to _prove_ to yourself that you're not weak that you stopped asking for help when you needed it the most. You let Elena do the bare minimum to keep you going... and only because you can't get away from _her_... and then you cut the rest of us out unless we forced the issue. Well, I'm not gonna let you do that anymore... so get the _fuck_ over yourself."

Reno blinked in shock. His partner was seldom so adamant about... much of anything. "... I can't tell if you're pissed at me, or worried sick."

"Both," he replied, and then smirked slightly, "But mostly worried. So stop hiding and talk to me."

The redhead made a soft, distressed sound, before leaning into Rude's solid frame. "I'm sacred," he whispered.

"Of what?" the other man prodded.

"Of everything. Of fuckin' unforgiving, unavoidable Ifrit-be-damned karma. I get stuck doin' somethin' no oneshould ever even _think_ about doin'... and then my whole goddamn life goes to shit. And then, just when I think it can't possibly get any shittier, shit gets worse. People I care about are gettin' picked off one by one. Lira's never gonna speak to me again. Tseng might be fucking _dead_ by mornin'. 'Lena's in a goddamn coma. Rufus and Vir both _probably_ think I'm losin' my fuckin' mind, and they might actually be right. You're the only person I got left that doesn't hate me, isn't layin' in a hospital bed, and doesn't think I'm completely nuts... and I'm not even _sure_ about that last one. Somethin' happens to you... and I'm done. I'm gonna lose it completely. And I'm scared I might not come back from that..."

By the time he finished, he could feel his chest tightening again, making it hard to breathe normally, and he had to fight the instinct to gasp for air.

"... I don't think you're _completely_ nuts," Rude said, smiling warmly as he shifted his grip on the redhead slightly and massaged the back of his neck.

Reno cast him a sidelong glance. "Fuck you," he said with a weak laugh.

"You're not alone," Rude said in reply. "You have people who _want_ to make it better. You're not a burden to us. You're family."

The redhead took a deep, shuddering breath, and nodded, unable to find his voice.

"Ready to get out of here?"

"Yeah. I think so," he said, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat.

"Good... Then let's go before someone gets bored and decides to test fire this damn thing."

"Hey... Rude?" Reno queried. He followed his partner back onto the top of the canon's barrel.

"Yeah?" he grunted in response, as he pulled himself up over the lip. The redhead followed effortlessly, earning an annoyed glare from the other Turk.

"... Ya mind stayin' with me tonight?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly. He hated the idea of anyone seeing him mid-nightmare – even Elena – and hated even more the idea of actually asking someone to stick around and watch... but he had a feeling tonight was going to be especially bad.

"Was gonna insist on it," Rude answered, reaching out to ruffle his hair. The redhead attempted to duck out of reach and avoid it, but in the end gave in and just let him do as he pleased. His partner smirked, and laid an arm over the younger man's shoulders, walking him back towards the base.

* * *

Rufus hadn't bothered to turn on the lights in his office. The waning sunlight had provided more than enough illumination for sitting silently, lost in though. Now, though, the sun had set, and the office was dark... and he was _still_ sitting silently in a chair, gazing out of the huge plate glass window at the shadowy waters the stretched out from Junon, the base's canon a strange silhouette in the moonlight.

This was his fault. Tseng had been hurt following _his_ demand for vengeance. He never should have sent him into that temple. And it could have been worse still. Elena could have ended up in that confrontation as well... It was sheer luck that she hadn't. Nevertheless, shehadn't exactly returned unscathed. Two Turks sacrificed... and for what? Sephiroth was still running free.

And that was to say nothing of Reno. He thought back to the multitude of times he'd called the redhead useless... worthless... idiotic... In truth, he trusted him nearly as much as he trusted Tseng, even if he didn't hold the same personal fondness for the student as he did for the mentor. His petty campaign for revenge had cost Reno a hefty price. He'd never thought that _anything_ could break the slum rat. Reno never seemed to have any doubt what to do, no matter what the situation. Seeing him crumple in such a fashion had been a shock... and one more thing he blamed himself for.

For the past few hours, he'd been debating with himself as to whether he should simply... stop. Was revenge really worth it? To hell with the Rumah-forsaken Promised Land. Sephiroth could have it! The damned thing was probably just a legend anyway... a madman's fantasy. He'd already lost a father. Was this really worth risking the loss of so much more?

He was almost certain that his own father would have told him no... it wasn't. In situations like this, it was best to cut one's losses, minimize risk, and consolidate one's assets... and not let one's ego get in the way of doing what was smart.

With a heavy sighed, Rufus stood and made his way out of the office, decision made. In the morning, he would inform his two still-functional Turks that the hunt for Sephiroth was suspended. Indefinitely. And then he would make arrangements to return Tseng to Midgar... Hopefully it would be a transfer to Midgar General's intensive care unit, rather than its morgue.

The President was tired... and he wanted to go home.

* * *

Technically speaking, she wasn't supposed to be here. It was after posted visiting hours for patients, and most visitors would have been immediately ejected from the medical facility. But being head of base security had its benefits.

Viridia had only just come off shift. Under normal circumstances, she would have been heading back to her quarters for a good night's sleep before her morning inspection and breakfast. Very little about today had been normal, however... which was why she found herself striding purposefully into the building, flinching in the glare of the brightly lit hallway.

Tseng was out of surgery... at last. She probably should have been informing the President of that fact, not to mention Reno and Rude... but she wanted to see him, if only to prove to herself that he was still hanging on. Still fighting.

She had little trouble finding his room. The night-shift staff acknowledged her with a curt, and somewhat disapproving nod, but didn't try to stop her from entering. Not that she would have let them. She let the door close behind her with a soft creak.

"Yer not supposed ta be here right now," a tired-sounding, though still thoroughly annoyed, voice stated, "Just who do yeh think yeh are, barging in here like that?"

Her attention quickly snapped to the figure of an old woman. She was dressed in a medical lab coat, straight, silver-gray hair cut off bluntly at the shoulder in a crisp, perfectly straight line. The woman's eyes narrowed at her, taking stock of the intruder as a perceived threat.

Viridia straightened, and returned the unwavering gaze with suspicion. "Lieutenant Commander Viridia Nacelle, base security chief. And just who are _you_? You're not with Junon medical..."

Much to her surprise, the woman's expression softened. "Ah... Well, Lieutenant Commander Viridia Nacelle, base security chief... I'm Dr. Justinia Ward. Head physician for Shinra Company. The President had me flown in. I arrived a few hours ago."

"You're... Dr. Ward?" she repeated, surprised. They'd never met, but she'd certainly heard of the woman from Tseng... usually in reference to something that Reno had done to injure himself. And she knew that the Turk leader trusted her implicitly.

"That's what I said, now isn't it? I take it yeh heard they'd finished with him, then..."

Her eyes traveled to the nearby bed, where Tseng lay, motionless save for a somewhat unnatural rhythm to his breathing... which, she realized with some concern was due to the ventilator that was currently doing the breathing _for_ him.

"Don't yeh expect me ta sugar-coat anything... He's still in a bad way. Worse than I've ever seen him... and I've seen him in some dire straits before, believe me. But he's holding his own. I don't think he's ready ta give up just yet."

"... What are his odds?" she asked, somewhat breathlessly.

Ward frowned and gaze down at her patient. "If he can make it through tonight... If he can hold on until they get that blasted machinery packed up and shipped out here... I'd say his odds are good. It's going ta be a long road ahead, but he'll recover. _If_ he can hold on."

"Machinery? You mean the mako therapy equipment..." she clarified, and Ward nodded. Junon didn't have its own. In fact no one did, yet, except for Midgar General Hospital. And even there, from what she'd heard, it required special circumstances... or high-level clearance... before they'd put it to use. "Can I stay?" Viridia asked quietly.

"... Normally, I'd say no. But... I think he'd appreciate the company. From what I hear tell, the two of yeh have been a bit of an item for quite some time."

She looked up, mouth hanging slightly open for a moment. "He... told you about us?"

Ward chuckled. "Well, actually, it was that redheaded troublemaker of his that let it slip awhile back... but he certainly didn't deny the claim. Only time I can ever recall seeing Tseng Itsudake blush." She set the chart she'd been holding back onto the hook at the end of the bed. "Stay as long as yeh like. I'm going ta go and see ta my other patient... I won't be far off if yeh need me."

Viridia nodded and took a seat next to the bed. She wasn't going anywhere for awhile.

* * *

"I don't even know why I'm _tryin'_ to fuckin' sleep..." Reno muttered. "It's fuckin' pointless." Rude tried, and failed, to stifle a yawn, and the redhead glanced over at him guiltily. "You don't have to stay 'n put up with me screamin' ya awake every twenty minutes... Fuck off already. I'll be fine."

Rude returned to his own bed and flopped backwards against the pillows, letting his eyes close. "Go back to sleep, Reno. See ya in twenty minutes..." It was the fourth time, already, that he'd woken to his friend's distressed cries and been forced to rouse him from his dreams.

The redhead sighed, and shook his head. "Fuck, man. I knew tonight was gonna be bad but... _fuck_. Haven't had a night like this since I had to let that asshole minion of Hojo's fuck around in my head..."

"Six," said Rude, pulling the sheets back over himself. Reno looked up, confused.

"Six what?"

"Six fucks in less than ten sentences. Think that might be a new record."

Reno couldn't help the laugh that slipped past his lips. "You're _countin'_ how many times I swear every time I wake you up? Do you have any idea how deranged that sounds."

"I'm only counting the fucks. And it made you laugh, didn't it?"

"Tch... You're a real weirdo sometimes, pal... ya know that?" But he couldn't deny that it had lightened the mood a little. Rude was good at that. You'd never know it if you didn't bother getting to know the guy, but Rude's sense of humor could be almost as twisted as _his_. And he was a master of the straight-faced delivery. He settled back and closed his eyes for a moment, before rolling onto his side, his pillow hugged tight to his chest.

It wasn't much of a replacement for El... but it was embarrassing enough having Rude see him like this. The last thing he needed was to give him another reason to think less of him. Hell, his partner didn't even know about the toy. He'd been much more careful of keeping her hidden than he had been with Mr. Foo-foo... though he _still_ wasn't entirely certain how Rude had found out about his previous stuffed bunny. Still... He was nearing the point where he'd have been willing to sacrifice what little dignity he still had for the sake of being able cuddle her. El was no replacement for Elena... but she was something, at least.

He was exhausted... and he desperately wanted to sleep. At the same time, he almost didn't dare. The dreams had covered everything from Sector 7 to visions of Tseng telling him he'd never amount to anything as head of the Turks. Every fear... every doubt... every worst case scenario that had entered his mind since this whole mess began... It all seemed to be manifesting itself tonight in his dreams. In the dark, he could still feel Rude's eyes on him, watching over him, and he settled a bit, forcing himself to relax.

"Hey... Rude? You think Tseng's gonna make it?"

"He's been in bad shape before. Always comes out okay in the end," the other Turk responded. Reno rolled onto his back, tucking his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

"Yeah... but... I think this time's different. You remember him ever being worked on for so long? And then they don't tell us shit when they're done? Or even _if_ they're done?"

"... I remember the time he had to jump into that flooded storm channel to haul _your_ ass out after you got yourself knocked out in that fight on the Sector 8 bridge... Twenty foot drop, four broken ribs, torn Achilles tendon... and he _still_ managed to carry you back to the car before you woke up."

Reno snickered. "Best part was, I didn't have a scratch on me... from the fall, anyway. Think heresented me for it the whole time he was waitin' on shit to heal..."

"How about the time he and Veld were flying up to Icicle Inn and got attacked by a red dragon because they got a little to close to her nest?" Rude went on.

"Tch... _Don't_ remind me. Only thing I remember 'bout _that_ is what his shoulders looked like after the mako therapy. All the peeling skin made even _my_ worst sunburn look tame by comparison."

"I'm just saying... He's been hurt bad before. Tseng's never just given in, and he's not going to start now."

"Hope you're right..." the redhead sighed, letting his eyes drift shut.

"It's not some cosmic punishment for what you did... what _we_ did... you know," Rude added, "Shit happens. Especially when you go looking for it on a regular basis."

* * *

"Oh... so _there_ yeh are. I was starting ta wonder."

Tseng blinked slowly against the unpleasantly bright light and groaned. Or tried to. He very quickly discovered that he was thoroughly incapable of making any sound whatsoever... though he had no idea why. Everything was rather hazy.

A dark silhouette leaned over him, blocking out some of the light.

"Don't yeh go trying ta talk. That tube's staying in for a bit."

The Turk leader fought hard against the grogginess that afflicted him, trying to simultaneously make sense of the words he was hearing and force his vision to focus. At last, he recognized the face in front of him. He tried to speak... to ask what in the nine hells was going on... only to find that his voice didn't work. Ward shook her head and clucked her tongue.

"Now what did I _just_ tell yeh?" the doctor chastised him with a disapproving frown. "Blasted Turks... Not a one of yeh ever listens ta sound medical advice the first time it's given." Her expression softened a bit. "Do yeh remember what happened? Yeh can blink once for yes, twice for no."

Tseng resolutely closed his eyes and opened them again before returning his gaze to the doctor's face. Yes... _now_ he remembered. And he was quite certain that should have been dead. It seemed not... though how that was even remotely possible was a complete mystery to him. He'd been _very_ sure of the fact that he was dying not that long ago.

"Yer lucky, Tseng Itsudake. There's no other word for it. Though yeh'd best get used ta lying on yer back... because yer going ta be doing that, and very little else, for quite some time. If Elena hadn't been there, I doubt very much we'd be having this conversation right now."

Tseng's eyes widened slightly. Elena. Where was _she_?

"Oh, now, calm yerself down. All of yer little Turks are safe and sound right here in Junon. Though I _do_ need ta check in on the troublemaker soon as he wakes up. Rude tells me he hasn't been quite himself since yeh were hurt."

The Turk leader let his eyes close again. Reno... He hoped he was alright. His former-rookie had been putting on a brave face since the incident in Sector 7... but Tseng suspected that was all it _really_ was. What he really needed was time... and unfortunately, that was something Tseng simply hadn't been able to give him.

"I'll look after him. Don't yeh worry," Ward said, calmly, "Now... Yeh've already had _one_ mako treatment, and that seems ta have stabilized yeh. I've scheduled another for this afternoon. Yer probably not feelin' much right now with all the nice, strong painkillers yer on at the moment... but believe me when I tell yeh that yer a mess. We're going ta be pushing the limits of what they tell me's safe for mako therapy exposure for a few days. Yeh may be awake, but yer not outta the woods quite yet."

He blinked once, slowly, to show that he understood. A soft creak to his left suddenly captured his attention... and Ward's as well, as she chuckled quietly to herself and waved the new arrival into the room.

"I think yeh have a visitor..." she said.

"Tseng..." a familiar voice breathed, the sound of relief clearly evident, and a moment later Viridia joined Dr. Ward at his bedside. More than anything he wanted to hold her... The best he could manage was a weak raise of his hand, reaching for her. She smiled, and for a moment he was almost convinced he could make out the slightest shimmer of tears on her lashes, as she took hold of his hand, lightly stroking her fingers over the back of it.

"I'll just leave the two of yeh alone for a bit, then..." Ward said with a knowing smile before disappearing from view. He heard the door close softly behind her.

* * *

Reno yawned and poked unenthusiastically at the eggs on his plate. He just had no appetite. He'd managed a few bites to humor his partner, but the food didn't hold much interest for him. Even the bacon sat largely untouched... and that was usually one of his favorites.

Rude didn't look very happy about that, but the redhead just couldn't find the energy to put forth more of an effort.

They'd been told that Tseng had made it through the night... but Junon Medical was obnoxiously tight-lipped when it came to discussing patients with anyone but a commanding officer. Tseng _was_ the commanding officer in this case... so they'd been waiting on Rufus, who, apparently, had decided to sleep in this morning... much to the redhead's annoyance. That, combined with a pretty sleepless night, had left him in something of a daze.

"I _thought_ I might find yeh here. If there's food ta be had, yer liable ta be nearby..." a voice behind him stated, and Reno jumped, startled from his lethargy, and turned in his seat to assure himself that he wasn't hearing things.

"Doc?!" He'd never been so happy to see the woman in his life. Maybe _now_ they could finally get some actual answers.

"Before yeh ask... He's doing alright. He's still in serious condition, but I'll get him patched up again. Don't yeh worry."

"Is he awake? Can we see him?" Reno asked, breakfast forgotten and abandoned as he stood up from the cafeteria table. Rude wasn't far behind.

"He was awake when I left... but I doubt he'll be for much longer. A certain lieutenant commander is with him right now. I'd like ta let him rest a bit after she leaves... but yeh can see him later today."

Rude laughed and slung an arm around him, and Reno felt some of the tense knots in his stomach begin to untwist themselves. He grinned, and for the first time in days, it didn't feel forced.

"... What about 'Lena?"

Ward shook her head. "Still out cold, I'm afraid. But not in any danger. She'll wake up when she's ready."

That was... disappointing. But not unexpected. Viridia had said it could be days before her strength recovered... and if anyone knew what materia could do to a person, it was Viridia.

"Now then... I've dealt with two of my patients. Time to take a look at number three."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Tch... I'm not hurt, Doc. Neither is Rude. No patient number three around here."

"Hmph... Yer either going ta follow me and _walk_ inta that exam room, or I'll have yer partner carry yeh. Yer choice."

Reno opened his mouth to voice his opinion on that claim... and shut it again when he saw the way Rude was looking at him. It was almost gleeful. He'd always _known_ the son of a bitch enjoyed doing that to him. The redhead groaned, defeated.

"Fine. Just... no fuckin' needles," he muttered, and he absently trailed the doctor, ignoring her sharp chastisement of "Language!". He followed her back to the medical building, and she ushered him down a hallway and into an empty exam room where he leaned back against the cold metal table. "So... Tseng's really gonna be okay, right?" he asked.

"I won't say I'm a hundred percent certain yet... it's just too early for that. But I like his odds... and those odds'll keep improving with every stint in the mako therapy unit. For the moment, he's stable, and he's not in much pain. That's the best I can tell yeh. Shirt off, and sit down."

Reno rolled his eyes, and shrugged out of his jacket before tackling the buttons on his shirt. He didn't see the point in this... though he _was_ glad she was here. Even if it did mean being poked and prodded for no reason. For some reason, he'd always found Ward's penchant for the plain and honest truth to be far more comforting than being told that everything would be fine... even when the truth was that she just didn't know for sure.

He stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside, hopping up onto the table. "Let's just get this over with..." he sighed, and he soon found himself at the mercy of the good doctor and a cuff being inflated around his upper arm.

"Yer blood pressure's up a bit..." she observed.

"Tch... wonder why..."

"Don't yeh take that tone with me, yeh sarcastic little thing..." the woman cautioned, "My job is ta keep yeh healthy."

He considered a retort, but his heart really wasn't in their usual banter right now, so he simply shut his mouth and fixed his gaze on a point on the wall. The sooner she was done, the sooner he could get out of here. He flinched slightly when the icy cold end of a stethoscope came in contact with his bear skin, and he glared at the doctor.

"Deep breath, if yeh please..." she said with a smirk. It went on like that for several minutes until Ward was apparently satisfied that he wasn't going to keel over at any second. At last, she stepped back, looking him over.

"We done yet?" Reno asked, impatiently.

"No," Ward stated. "How are yeh sleeping?"

"Great," he dryly replied, "Never better. Can't ya tell from the bags under my eyes?"

"I noticed yeh weren't eating, either... How long's that been going on?"

"Can't a guy just not be hungry once in awhile?" Even to his own ears, that sounded defensive. To his surprise, Ward didn't comment.

"Have yeh had any thoughts of hurting yerself?"

Reno's attention was _very_ quickly refocused away from the wall and directly on the doctor. "Fuck, no," he said, adamantly. "I'm fucked up, but I'm _not_ that fucked up. That what this is all about? You think I'm gonna off myself?"

Ward smiled faintly. "Actually... no. But that's a question I'm required ta ask yeh, under the circumstances. _And_ I wanted yer full and undivided attention, besides."

The redhead glared at her. "Yeah, well... you got it."

"I had a little chat with Dr. Quaid before I left Midgar... yeh remember her, don't yeh? She's not best pleased about yeh missing out on those sessions she recommended. We came to a bit of a consensus yeh might say."

Reno suddenly felt his blood run cold, and his eyes went wide. "Doc... Please. Please don't put me on leave. I need to be _here_ right now. Someone's gotta take over for Tseng 'til he's back on his feet. That's s'posed to be me. I can't just abandon Rude and 'Lena like that..." Eight hours ago, he was questioning whether he was even _capable_ of taking on leadership of the Turks... now he was practically begging for it. The irony wasn't lost on him... but it wasn't a responsibility he could just abdicate. He was needed... and he didn't want to let Tseng down.

"Oh, for Shiva's sake..." Ward sighed, exasperated, "Do yeh _always_ have ta assume the worst? Calm down, yeh little troublemaker. I'm not sending yeh back ta Midgar."

Reno breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed minutely. "So... what the fuck was all that about then?"

"I'm not sending yeh back ta Midgar. Yet," the doctor replied. "But I'm also not completely convinced yer fit for duty. I heard about what happened when yeh got here."

"... Goddammit, Rude..." he growled. "That fuckin' traitor." Of course Rude would have told her. His friend had a truly aggravating habit of informing on him to the doctor. He was going to have a little chat of his own with him as soon as the Doc cut him loose.

"He was worried. And rightly so. Yer a fortunate one, yeh know... Not everyone is lucky enough ta have people like that in their lives."

He scowled, but he didn't argue with her. Just because she was right didn't mean he had to concede the point to her.

"But... I'll let yeh sort _that_ little issue out amongst yerselves. Yeh want ta stay in the field, then yer going ta have agree ta my conditions. Starting with this one." She produced a small bottle from the pocket of her lab coat and placed it in his hand. The redhead raised an eyebrow, as he read the label, noting the name of the medication. It was long and borderline unpronounceable... and really didn't tell him anything.

"What's this?" he asked. His assumption was sleeping pills... and if that was the case, she could just forget it. He couldn't deal with not being able to wake up from a dream. Not again. And if they were the more powerful ones that knocked him out completely... he didn't want _that_ either. He couldn't afford it... not when they were still hunting Sephiroth.

"It's an antidepressant."

Reno blinked in surprise. "A... what?" He frowned, tossing the bottle back to her "No way. I don't need any fuckin' happy pills." He stood up and grabbed his shirt, pulling it back on and storming towards the door. Ward calmly stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "Outta my way, Doc..."

"Or what? Yeh'll _make_ me move? Yeh sit yer behind back down and hear me out, or I'll have yeh back in Midgar so fast yer head'll spin... and don't think I _won't_."

He ground his teeth, fighting back the desire to tell her _exactly_ what she could do with her damn pills. Ward stared him down, unrelenting. After a few moments of fuming, Reno grudgingly backed down and resumed his seat.

"I'm not _depressed_."

"I'm not sure Dr. Quaid agrees. And I, personally, think yer at least _heading_ in that direction. But I'm not prescribing them for depression. I'm prescribing them for anxiety. I want yeh ta take one every night before yeh go ta sleep." She handed the bottle back to him, and firmly closed his fingers around it.

Reno narrowed his eyes at the little container. He hated this. He'd thought he could do this on his own... especially now that he'd opened up a bit more to Rude about how he was really handling things. And now Ward was coming along and telling him that _she_ thought he couldn't. That he needed to be medicated in order to feel normal again. His shoulder sagged in resignation.

"Whoever heard of a Turk on antidepressants?" he muttered, more to himself than to Dr. Ward. The doctor placed a finger under his chin and gently lifted his head until he was forced to meet her gaze.

"I'm really not supposed ta be telling yeh this... doctor-patient confidentiality and all... but in this instance, I don't think he'd mind. I prescribed that same medication for Tseng quite some time ago, back when _he_ found himself trapped in a mindset not so different from yer own."

Reno's brow furrowed slightly, and he stared at her. "What?"

Ward smiled reassuringly. "I doubt yeh've forgotten how bad he was after his sister was killed. As I recall, yeh came ta me yerself, worried sick over the way he was acting."

Reno glanced down at the bottle, and shook his head in denial. "No... Tseng wouldn't have needed –"

"Tseng wasn't ashamed ta admit that he needed some help at the most difficult time of his life. And he wouldn't want yeh ta be, either."

"... I never knew," he whispered, "I mean... I knew it was bad. I didn't know it was _that_ bad. I always kinda just thought he snapped out of it."

"He always _has_ been a bit too proud for his own good. Rubbed off a bit on _yeh_ , if yeh ask me. But he got through it, and yeh will, too. Yeh won't have ta take them forever... Just until yeh've built yerself back up some. Give yerself the chance ta actually _do_ that."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I won't have a choice. I won't sit idly by and watch yeh deteriorate. Yeh'll be on mandatory medical restriction in the office."

He'd figured as much. Ward didn't mess around. If he wanted to stay on the job, he'd have to swallow his pride and agree to her demands. Though... he did have to admit... it felt far less demeaning, knowing that he wasn't the only one. And in a strange way, he actually felt the tiniest bit better. Things had seemed dangerously close to hopeless last night. Ward was offering him a chance at banishing that feeling. He swallowed sharply, and tucked the pills into his pocket.

"... 'kay. I'll take 'em," he said quietly.

"Good. I'll tell yeh what. If yeh'll go and get some breakfast... and actually _eat_ it this time... I'll let yeh in ta see Tseng a little early. Deal?"

"... Can I have my candy, too?"

Ward laughed softly. "Ah... Now _there's_ my little headache." She reached into her pocket and produced the requested sweet, smiling. "I think yeh've earned it."

* * *

"I don't quite understand, sir," Reeve Tuesti's voice responded over the phone. "You... want me to call Cait Sith back to Midgar."

"I've decided that this idiotic pursuit of a madman is not in Shinra Company's best interests. I see no reason to continue dedicating company assets to it." He stood and walked around his desk, pausing in front of a shelf. His father's model of Junon was displayed there. He needn't have bothered fixing it all those weeks ago... the man hadn't lived long enough to discover that he'd ever broken it in the first place.

"Sir... If that's your decision, of course I'll comply," Reeve replied, the voice from the speakerphone filling the space like a physical presence. Rufus shook his head... He never should have had that Mideelian carpet removed from the office. Sounds echoed far too much for his liking now. "But before I do something I might not be able to _un_ do, I'd like to give you my final report. I've learned something that might change your mind..."

He hesitated... He doubted very much that he could be swayed at this point, but he couldn't deny his curiosity.

"Alright. Let's hear it."

"Yes, sir. After Avalanche entered the temple, they encountered... some sort of recording of events. We... saw Tseng being attacked by Sephiroth. And we heard what he said to him. He spoke of becoming one with the planet. Then later, we ran into Sephiroth himself."

Rufus clenched his fists. Though he wanted Sephiroth to pay for what he'd done... it just wasn't worth the risk. After Tseng, he wanted no more blood on his hands.

"I hardly see how his mad rantings are relevant to company interests."

"Sir, Sephiroth told us what he _meant_ by 'becoming one with the planet'... The temple. It was a... a puzzle. And when it was solved, it physically _became_ the object Sephiroth was searching for. Avalanche used one of my Cait Sith automatons to solve it, hoping to prevent _him_ from using one of those... sycophants... that follow him around to do it. It became a materia sphere. A _black_ materia sphere."

The President paused, and then stalked back to his desk, returning to his seat. "And just what does one _do_ with black materia?" he asked.

"Sephiroth claimed that it held what he called the ultimate destructive magic. He plans to use it."

"Against Shinra?" Rufus asked, feeling a flash of panic.

"... No, sir. Against the planet itself."

The executive's eyes narrowed suspiciously. That made no sense. What did the man hope to accomplish by such an act?

"Sir... He claims that by 'injuring' the planet, spirit energy will gather at the site of the wound. He plans to be right in the middle of it. To make it his own. He thinks he can become a god! I don't know if that's even possible, but sir... if that materia is _really_ as powerful as he claims it is... using it like that could be a catastrophe for the entire world."

He was speechless. That Sephiroth was utterly mad was without question... but 'wounding' the planet? The fool could end up destroying them all!

"And this... black materia," he began, mouth suddenly dry. "It's currently in Avalanche's possession?"

"... No, sir. It's not," Reeve answered, a note of foreboding in his tone. "Sephiroth has it. What's more, the Cetra girl went missing this morning. We think she may have gone after him."

Rufus closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. This was far from good news. For all his talk of the Promised Land, he had assumed that Sephiroth was little more than a deluded old soldier, brain addled by war and too much of the mako Soldier initiates were showered in. Dangerous... but only if he chose to attack directly. But this...

Perhaps it was mere fantasy. The ravings of a lunatic who wanted to play god. But if that were the case, why would the Cetra have gone to such great lengths to secure this so-called black materia?

The risk had decidedly changed... and his decision had to be reevaluated. Sephiroth now represented a clear threat to the company. Perhaps to the entire world.

"Sir?" Reeve prodded, "... Do you still want me to recall Cait Sith?"

There was really only one answer he could give. Shinra had created Sephiroth. Sephiroth was now a major threat to anyone and everyone. It was Shinra's responsibility to eliminate that threat.

"No. Continue monitoring Avalanche. I want daily reports from now on, and immediate updates on any significant developments."

"Understood, sir. Er... Sir? About Tseng... He was still alive when we entered the temple. Did... he survive?"

"He's still alive, yes... though his condition remains quite serious, I'm told." He'd been more than simply told. He'd seen the man firsthand. It had been something of a reality check for him. Tseng had always been remarkably resilient. Often, by the time Rufus was aware of an injury, he was already on the mend and back at work. He tended to forget sometimes that... his Turk was mortal. His brief visit late last night had been a stark reminder that such was the case.

"I see," Reeve replied, and there was a long pause, followed by a minor commotion. "Avalanche is getting ready to head out, sir."

"Very well. Monitor them closely. I'll expect your next report this evening."

He ended the call and leaned back in the chair, fingers steepled before him as he stared out the window, thinking... considering. They didn't know where he was. They didn't know where he was going. But Sephiroth had to be stopped. That much was clear.

Now he just had to figure out how to do it.

~fin~


	59. Downtime

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 59: Downtime**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:** I've been trying to make sure to get out at least one chapter per week... but with the holidays upon us, that may slow down a bit. I'll still try my best not to keep you waiting too long!_

* * *

"You're an asshole, rattin' me out like that," Reno stated, as he strolled back toward the mostly empty table in the mess hall a short while later. Ward had turned him loose on his promise that he'd go and get something to eat... for real this time, not just to put in an appearance at the breakfast table. To his surprise, he'd found his partner waiting for him right where he'd left him. He set his new tray down and took a seat across from him.

"... Sorry." Rude glanced at him over the top of his sunglasses, uncertainly.

"Tch... Don't be," the redhead replied with a shrug before digging into the ridiculously unhealthy amount of bacon he'd forced the cafeteria staff to pile onto his plate. Knowing that Tseng was doing at least alright, if not especially terrific, had restored his appetite a bit. And given that he'd missed out on lunch in the hectic scramble to get to Junon as quickly as possible yesterday, and then skipped dinner that night in favor of hiding out in the local oversized artillery piece, he'd suddenly realized that he'd let himself go far longer than he should have without eating. It was starting to make him light-headed... and _that_ he just didn't need right now.

"... So what'd she say?" Rude asked, his tone still a little cautious. Reno shifted somewhat awkwardly, cramming several pieces of bacon and half of a biscuit into his mouth.

"Mmm mmph..."

"Care to try that again?" his partner ventured, finally cracking a smile. The redhead swallowed and grinned.

"I'm good," he repeated, "... Well... provisionally." He caught sight of the eyebrow rising from behind the dark lenses in curiosity. "She threatened to send me home if I didn't do exactly what she told me to."

Rude frowned slightly. "What do you have to do?" he asked, and Reno didn't miss the quiet note of guilt in his voice.

"Heh... well, for starters, I gotta quit skippin' meals. Not that that's really been a problem up 'til yesterday..." He bit into some kind of cinnamon pastry, expecting a welcome sugar rush, only to find it surprisingly bland. He glared at it in contempt. "Tch... Leave it to the military to fuck up junk food," he muttered. The Turk shrugged and ate it anyway.

"What else?" Rude asked, apparently having caught onto his hesitation in telling him everything.

"... I... kinda gotta take some shit she gave me," he said with a sigh. Rude eyed him, patiently waiting for him to elaborate. "Antidepressants, okay? She put me on fuckin' antidepressants."

If his partner was at all surprised by the admission, he didn't show it.

"Gonna take 'em?"

"Like I have choice?" Reno shot back. "It's either take 'em, or pack my shit and go sit behind a desk for fuck only knows how long... and I'm not about to leave you guys out here on your own."

"Good."

Reno paused in his mission to clear his plate for a moment, and looked up at the other Turk with a slightly pleading expression. "Don't tell 'Lena, though, 'kay?"

That earned him not one, but two raised eyebrows.

"Please?" he added, "I just... I don't want her knowin' the Doc's got me on that shit."

"... Why?" Rude asked, sounding genuinely surprised, and the redhead gave him a odd look.

"'Cause..." he replied, "It's fuckin' humiliating and I don't want her thinkin' less of me. Just promise me you won't say anything about it to her..."

Rude shook his head, and Reno was fairly certain he'd just rolled his eyes at him behind his shades as well.

"Fine. I won't tell her. But for the record I think you're being stupid."

"Yeah... Thanks for _that_ vote of confidence, pal." He downed the rest of his coffee before he went on. "On a completely unrelated subject... Doc said I can go see Tseng soon as I got some food in me. You comin' with me?"

"Eat faster."

* * *

"You're _still_ here?"

Viridia jumped slightly, roused from the light doze she'd fallen into. She turned her head, searching for the source of her sudden wake-up call, her eyes falling on none other than the President of Shinra himself. The security chief quickly got to her feet, coming to attention.

"Sir. I'm... not scheduled for duty today, so I –"

"There's no need for explanations, Commander. I'm well aware of the nature of your relationship with my head Turk. It was more of an observation than a question."

Rufus joined her beside Tseng's bed, looking down at the wounded man appraisingly. "I understand he was awake briefly this morning."

"Yes, sir."

"And Elena? I'm told there's no change as of yet..."

"Not as far as I've heard, sir."

For a moment, Viridia was certain she saw a look of regret cross the man's face. It was gone almost as soon as she'd noticed it.

She was fairly well-acquainted with the young President. His safety had been largely her responsibility for the duration of his extended stay in Junon. For quite some time, she'd been thoroughly convinced that he couldn't stand her... even though Tseng had insisted otherwise. The little brat had made a _game_ of escaping from her security force's watchful eye at every opportunity, just so he could rub it in her face later.

A few times, he'd even left the base entirely and she'd been forced to call on the Turks for help in locating him. It had led to an intense dislike of the company heir at first... though it had eventually dawned on her that the man was simply bored out of his mind and desperately looking for stimulation. Her opinion of him had shifted a bit after that.

"Tch... How come no one told _us_ there was a party?" a voice from the door said, interrupting her thoughts, and Viridia smiled as Reno and Rude made their way inside. The redhead seemed much more like his old self this morning, and she was glad. As much trouble as he tended to make for her any time he showed up in Junon, deep down he was a sweetheart and seeing him so distraught yesterday had been heartwrenching.

Rufus snorted softly in contempt. "Perhaps because if we had, you'd have invited yourself. As you seem to have done anyway..."

The redhead smirked. "So what's the point of not tellin' me about it, then?" he asked, innocently, before becoming more serious, "How's the boss doin'?"

"Ward says he'll probably be in and out of consciousness for the next few days. They have him on a _lot_ of painkillers. But he's responding well to the mako treatments," Viridia replied. She stepped away from the bedside and approached the younger Turk. "How are _you_ doing?"

She hadn't seen him since he'd taken off so suddenly yesterday. Rude had stopped her from going after him, and told her that he'd handle it. That was the last she'd seen of either of them until now.

"Fine..." Reno said with an awkwardly dismissive shrug, brushing past her a moment later to get to his superior. Viridia glanced up at Rude.

"He's... _better_ ," the other Turk said quietly. She nodded in understanding. When they'd spoken after he'd first arrived on base, Tseng hadn't been able to tell her much due to security restrictions, but from what she'd gathered, something that had happened back in Midgar was already weighing heavily on his lieutenant well before the Turk leader and Elena had been put out of commission. She'd caught brief snippets of the news over the past couple of weeks, so she knew about the bombings and the tragedy in Sector 7... and assumed they were related to the redhead's present state of mind. She would have liked to have asked... but she doubted Reno would be able to tell her anything Tseng hadn't already, even if he wanted to.

She watched as Reno took the seat she herself had recently vacated, resting a hand on Tseng's shoulder. Unexpectedly, the Wutaiian Turk's own hand moved slowly to cover it, and the redhead started in surprise. He grinned widely at the sight of his mentor awake.

"'Bout damn time you woke up, boss. I was startin' to worry I was gonna have to do some actual work for a change... and your job kinda sucks," he said, and Viridia was almost certain his voice seemed a little thicker than usual, as though he were trying very hard not to let his emotions get the best of him. Tseng let his fingers coil around Reno's, squeezing weakly. Rude and Rufus both crammed themselves in beside the bed, and Viridia hurried over to join them.

"For _Shiva's_ sake..." Ward sighed, as she walked in on the impromptu gathering. She folded her arms stubbornly across her chest. "I realize yer all worried about him, and I'm sorry... but yeh can't _all_ be in here at once. He needs ta rest and recover, and he's not going ta be able ta do that with the lot of yeh hovering over him like that. _One_ of yeh can stay... for ten more minutes. The rest of yeh, go and find someone else ta harass for awhile."

Rufus narrowed his eyes at the woman. "How _dare_ you tell me what to do... _You_ work for me, and I don't care if –"

"Uhh..." the redhead quickly interrupted with a worried laugh, as he and Rude each seized the executive by an arm, all but dragging him towards the door. "Yeah... Vir can stick around. We're goin'..." He quickly dropped his voice to an urgent whisper. " _Don't_ piss off the Doc, sir. Trust me... nothin' good ever comes of it."

Viridia resumed her earlier seat, snickering softly to herself. If she hadn't known better, she'd have thought the pair of Turks were actually _afraid_ of the aging physician. She watched as they bustled the President out of the room.

"Ten minutes," Ward reiterated, before following them.

"Interesting little family you've got, Tseng..." she said, smiling as she reached out and lightly brushed the jet black hair away from her lover's forehead.

* * *

"Let _go_ of me..." Rufus ground out, clearly angry, and his Turks obligingly released him.

"Heh... Sorry, sir... But one thing we don't do is tick off Ward," the redhead repeated. Rude was nodding sagely behind him. The President scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I never realized how easily cowed you two are. Afraid of a doddering old woman. Pathetic."

"Wouldn't let her hear ya call her _that_ either," Reno replied, smirking. "You need us for anything?"

"Briefly. I... had intended to call off this hunt. After what happened at the temple, it seemed far less profitable a venture than it did back in Midgar. However..." he said, pausing, uncomfortably, "If Reeve is to be believed, leaving Sephiroth to his own devices may be far more dangerous than I thought. I can't simply drop this matter."

"Heh... Guess we better finish what we started, then, huh partner?" said Reno. He glanced over at Rude, who cracked his knuckles and smirked. Tseng had trained them well, Rufus mused silently to himself. He was asking them to risk their lives on nothing more than his say-so... and there was no hesitation. He was grateful... both to his long-time friend, and to the two men Tseng considered his own.

"I'm expecting a fresh report from Reeve this evening. We'll decide where to go from there, and I'll fill you in on the details of his earlier report then as well."

Reno nodded. "In that case... I'll be hangin' out with 'Lena for awhile if ya need me."

Rufus waved him off, and the redhead disappeared down a side hallway, heading for the woman's room. The President turned to Rude, studying him for a moment.

"Should I be worried about him?"

"... He'll manage."

* * *

Reno sighed and curled himself in closer to Elena's unconscious form, willing himself to relax.

"I have _gotta_ be the most pathetic son of a bitch on the planet. Don't know what you see in me sometimes..." he murmured softly against her shoulder. Sitting beside her hadn't been enough. It hadn't been long before he'd given in, and climbed in beside her, holding her as she slept and wishing she could hold him back. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "You're beautiful when you're asleep... but I like you better awake. Don't keep me waitin' too long."

At some point, he must have drifted off, because the next thing he was aware of was a finger prodding him gently between his shoulder blades. He growled softly, annoyed and turned to see who'd woken him. He'd actually been sleeping very peacefully for a change, and Ifrit knew he needed it.

"Sorry... Rude sent me to find you. Rufus is waiting for the two of you in his office."

The redhead blinked in confusion for a moment before glancing towards the window, and the descending darkness beyond, and then back towards the intruding security chief.

"Ah, _fuck_... Have I been out all afternoon?" he asked, sitting up. Viridia smiled warmly.

"Guess so, if you've been _here_ the whole time. Not that I'm complaining... I have far fewer incident reports to deal with when you're not running around loose on my base."

Reno shook his head and cast one final glance at Elena before getting to his feet and stretching. "Better not keep 'em waitin', then..." He looked at her, sure she could see the worry in his eyes. "Hey... Vir? How long you _really_ think she's gonna be like this?"

"It's a little hard to say, since I don't have a very good idea of what sort of casting level she's at. But Full Cure is _exceptionally_ hard to use. It requires huge amounts of mana. I overdid it with it a couple of times and was useless for hours afterwards... and I've been using materia for almost twenty years now."

The redhead let his shoulders slump. That wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for.

"If it helps, though... I don't think it was entirely _her_ mana that cast that spell. I think she borrowed some. If that's the case, she might wake up sooner than she would otherwise."

"You can 'borrow' mana?" Reno asked, brow furrowed. That was something he'd never heard of. He'd always been told that people had a finite amount of magical energy, and once it was used up, it took time to replenish itself.

"Well... Sort of. It's not a very well documented phenomenon, and no one's really sure how or why it sometimes happens. But frankly, it's the only explanation I can come up with for why she was able to do what she did. It shouldn't have been possible. I think she accidentally tapped into Tseng's reserves... and maybe even the energy around temple itself... and used it to save him."

Reno snorted softly. "Ya know... I think you fuckin' materia users just make shit up to suit whatever scenario you got in mind." he replied, only half serious. Still... It sounded like a load of crap to him. But then, he couldn't exactly offer a better explanation.

Viridia chuckled. "Well... No one ever said it was an exact science. Come on... I'll walk you. Knowing you, you'll be scaling those damn support towers again the moment I turn my back on you. Can't let you out of my sight for a minute..."

The redhead rolled his eyes, but flashed her a quick smile. He'd always liked Vir. He was pretty sure _she_ hadn't always liked _him_... but she'd warmed to him eventually. Truth be told, he'd always been a little disappointed she'd never joined the Turks. She'd have made a great one... and it certainly would have made Tseng happy to have her in Midgar rather than Junon.

Reno was strongly of the opinion that his mentor didn't get laid _nearly_ enough... though he'd long since stopped mentioning that opinion in conversation. Largely because of the thinly veiled threats of extra paperwork if he didn't. Besides which... he was pretty sure the Wutaiian was a _lot_ more into the woman than he let on. It was more than just convenient sex. For both of them. How _much_ more, he wasn't quite as sure of.

"Relax, Vir... Not really feelin' up to drivin' ya nuts right now. Maybe after 'Lena wakes up," he replied as he let her guide him out of Elena's room and down the hallway. Viridia laughed, shaking her head, and Reno eyed her curiously.

"What?"

"It's just that... I haven't seen much of you in the past few months. You've changed so much since the last time I spent more than five minutes alone with you," she said, a smile on her lips. "You really _are_ in love with her, aren't you..."

He sighed and dropped his gaze. It had been funny at first, but this whole 'Wow... _You_ found someone?!' reaction he seemed to get from... literally just about everyone he'd ever met... was starting to get a little old. He supposed he kind of deserved it, but still...

"Is it really _that_ hard to believe?" he asked. They stepped out of the building and into the evening air. A stiff breeze was blowing in from the ocean, and the air smelled like rain. Viridia paused, and looked him over for a moment.

"No. It really isn't," she replied, "You're just fun to tease."

"Tch... cut a guy a break, Vir. I've had a rough couple of weeks," he replied, returning her smile.

"I never cut you a break... and you'd _hate_ it if I did," she shot back, good-naturedly elbowing him in the ribs. "Just imagine... _me_ not getting on your case. It'd just be weird."

She was right, he had to admit. As much as he appreciated all the support and kindness from his fellow Turks, he didn't mind at all having someone around still treating him the same way they always had.

"So..." Viridia went on as they headed towards the administration building. A few tiny drops of rain hit his skin, the cool spray waking him up a bit. "You never _did_ really tell me how you two ended up together."

Reno gave a faint laugh. "It wasn't easy. "

The lieutenant commander paused, mid-stride and folded her arms over her chest, staring at him in a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "Oh, please. You're really going to stand there, with a straight face, and tell me that the obnoxious little horn-dog who's probably been in more bunkhouses around here than most of my entire staff combined had trouble getting a date?"

"She wasn't interested. And I didn't push her to reconsider, 'cause 'Lena's my first rookie and no matter what, we gotta work together. I didn't wanna fuck things up between us." He'd certainly spent more than enough time hinting, though... before he'd finally given up and the hinting had turned entirely to joking. He still clearly remembered how thoroughly shocked he'd been when Elena had kissed him that night. He'd been so caught off guard, he'd half-thought he'd been hallucinating at first.

Viridia grinned. "Guess you changed her mind, though..."

"Still not entirely sure how," he replied, resuming course toward the administration building. "One second I'm droppin' her off at her place... the next, she's kissin' me and we're in bed together having the best sex of my fuckin' life." He grinned to himself. "Heh... and then she dumped me."

The woman blinked in surprise. "She dumped you?" she asked, catching up to him with a few quick strides.

"Well... told me she wasn't up for a second date, anyway."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm an obnoxious little horn-dog who's probably been in more bunkhouses around here than your entire staff combined..." he replied with a laugh. Reno shrugged. "We worked it out. Took awhile, though."

At last they reached their destination, entering the building and making their way to the elevators at the far end of the foyer.

"Hmph... so when's the wedding?" Viridia chuckled, and judging by her tone, the redhead was fairly sure she was trying to goad him into a denial that things were _that_ serious. Normally, he'd have played along... but in this particular instance, honesty seemed like the best policy.

"Depends on when I finally work up the nerve to ask."

 _That_ stopped her dead in her tracks... and Reno smirked slightly to himself as he pretended he hadn't noticed and continued on toward his meeting. "Hey, now!" she called after him as she scurried to catch up. "You can't just say something like that and walk off..."

The redhead stepped aboard an elevator and hit the button for the executive office and suite, waving to the security chief as they began to close.

"Catch ya later, Vir..." he said, grinning. Her protests were cut off as the doors shut and the car whisked him upwards.

That had felt... good. He'd been so tightly wound before Tseng had regained consciousness, he'd almost forgotten how much better something as simple as laughing could make him feel. And he was sure he'd left Viridia at least mildly entertained as well.

He hadn't been kidding... He really _did_ intend to ask Elena to marry him just as soon as he found the courage to do so. It was just... what if she said no? He didn't _think_ she'd say no... but what if? There were plenty of reasons for her to turn him down... not the least of which was the fact that she could have him for as long as she wanted him whether they got married or not. _He_ certainly wasn't going anywhere unless she kicked him to the curb.

But somehow, asking her to make things official seemed huge to him... which, frankly, struck him as downright bizarre given his general attitude toward such things. Reno had always lived by the philosophy that a ring was just a ring. If you wanted someone, you offered yourself to them and that was that. They either wanted you back or they didn't. No tedious ceremonies or legal documents or expensive jewelry required.

He'd offered himself to a lot of women over the years. None of them had been interested in keeping him, nor had _he_ been interested in more than a little mutual gratification. Elena was so very different.

Plus... it had been such a short amount of time for them. He didn't want to make things weird by trying to coax her into a promise she wasn't ready to make. He'd willingly agreed that she could have him all to herself... but he'd never made the same request of her. He'd never needed to... not only because he _very_ seriously doubted she'd go out looking for other lovers while they were together, but also because – at the time at least – as long as she came back to him in the end, he could have lived with it if she had. It wouldn't have made him _happy_... but he could have lived with it.

Though now that he thought about it, he was admittedly reconsidering that stance. The thought of her with someone... _anyone_... else made him cringe. And he _was_ goingto ask her. Just as soon as he stopped being such a coward about it.

The elevator opened and Reno stepped out, walking down the hallway towards Rufus' office. The door stood open, and he could already hear voices from within.

"What storm drain has that damn slum rat crawled into now? I sent Commander Nacelle off to locate him nearly an hour ago..." the President intoned, clearly annoyed.

"... It was ten minutes ago, sir."

"Please... It didn't take me anywhere _near_ ten minutes to get here," the redhead said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him. He raised an eyebrow at the noticeable look of relief on his partner's face. "What?"

"Tried calling you. Three times. You didn't answer."

Reno's brow furrowed, puzzled, as he pulled his PHS from his pocket. He couldn't possibly have been _that_ asleep. He ran his thumb over the button for the screen, intent on checking his call log... It remained dark.

"Ah, fuck..." he muttered. "Forgot to charge the damn thing last night. Battery's dead. Sorry..."

Rufus scoffed quietly, but didn't comment on the oversight. "Now that we're all here... _finally_... Reeve Tuesti informed me yesterday that the item housed inside the temple was some sort of materia. A very destructive one. It seems that Sephiroth has also managed to _acquire_ said materia, thanks in no small part to those idiot terrorists. And as I hardly trust _those_ fools, it would appear that it falls to Shinra to clean up the mess."

"Tch... Well, that's nothin' new for _us_ ,is it Rude?" Reno replied, perching himself on the corner of the President's desk and folding his arms. "We're _always_ stuck cleanin' up other people's messes. What do you need us to do?"

"I spoke with Reeve an hour ago. His robot and Avalanche are heading north... towards the northern continent. That Cetra girl that was with them has run off and they believe she is trying to stop Sephiroth on her own... though Rumah only knows how she plans to do _that_..." he said, with a roll of his eyes.

Reno frowned... Aerith had gone after Sephiroth? _Aerith_? The kid had a lot of spirit, but she was no fighter. What the hell did she think she was gonna do? Particularly alone...

"However... as we don't yet know _where_ Sephiroth is, I've decided to let Avalanche handle that problem for us. Reeve will monitor them. When they locate him, the Highwind will move in and finish him from the air. Once and for all this time. I want a body."

"'Kay... so the military's gonna handle the hard part. What about me 'n Rude?"

"Even with Sephiroth dealt with, there's still the matter of the black materia. Retrieve it. Avalanche will almost certainly be after it as well, and, assuming Sephiroth doesn't simply end them before we get there, it's hardly something that should be in _their_ hands... Besides which, it may prove fruitful to our _own_ interests. If they're still alive, deal with them as well, once they've outlived their usefulness."

"So... basically, you got nothin' for us 'til we actually have an opening to snatch the materia..." Reno said, vaguely irritated. Not that he wanted to go and confront Sephiroth one on one personally, but sitting around doing nothing didn't sound like much fun, either.

"Hardly..." Rufus replied, dryly. "To begin with, you can look into a report that Don Corneo was sighted in Mideel."

The redhead perked up at that. "Corneo... That slimeball finally crawled out of his hole?"

He wasn't going to lie... the thought of finally being able to put the hurt on that asshole appealed to him. He'd been too valuable to harm back in Midgar, but now that he'd abandoned his sleazy little empire, the son of a bitch was fair game, as far as Reno was concerned. All the girls the Don had exploited over the years deserved a little payback, in _his_ opinion... especially Lira. He didn't care if she hated him... he was always going to care about _her_ , and if he had the opportunity to make Corneo pay for treating her and all those other women like a commodity, he was more than happy to take it.

"So it would seem. And as my father _did_ order him put out of our misery before his death..."

"On it," the redhead replied with a cold grin. Finally... something he was going to _enjoy_ handling. "Come on, partner... Let's go get ready to hunt us down a pervert."

And if he was lucky, by the time he got back, Elena would be awake and he could take some time to soothe his rather frayed nerves in her company. Then... they'd get a location on their rogue Soldier, bomb the ever-living hell out of the fucker, pick up that materia Rufus was so interested in, and go the fuck home. He was putting in for a vacation for _both_ of them when this was all over... and making good on his promise to take Elena to Costa del Sol. Maybe he'd even take her ring along with him. The beach was pretty romantic. She'd like being proposed to there...

* * *

The following morning, Reno was up before the sun. He'd taken the pills as Ward had demanded he do... but he had slept restlessly. Eventually he'd simply given up. Thankfully, his restlessness had at least not been fueled by nightmares for a change. It had been more from excitement. Corneo'd had this coming for a long time, and the Turk was going to enjoy meting out a little justice.

He'd already raided the mess hall, and dropped in on Elena... though the latter had required some stealthy avoidance of the medical staff on duty to reach her. Nothing had changed since he'd left her the previous evening, but he hadn't wanted to leave on a mission without saying goodbye, just on the off chance she might be able to hear him. It seemed a little unlucky not to.

Now, he was making his way back toward the administrative guest quarters. Rude probably wasn't up yet... and he probably wasn't going to be happy to be _woken_ up... but Reno was anxious to get started. As he reached his partner's quarters, he didn't bother knocking, instead simply picking the lock and slipping inside. As expected, his fellow-Turk was still sound asleep in bed.

Reno smirked and crossed the room, and in one fluid motion, yanked the pillow out from under the sleeping man's head with one hand, while simultaneously stripping away his blanket with the other. Rude's head hit the mattress with a soft thump, and his eyes snapped open in alarm. Reno had to dart back to avoid the fist that reflexively came barreling in his general direction.

"... What the hell are _you_ doing up?" Rude grumbled, finally realizing who his snickering harasser was. "It's still dark outside." He sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawing widely.

"Thought we'd get an early start."

The bald Turk raised an eyebrow. " _You_ want to go to work early?" he replied with a derisive snort, and rolled his neck until it gave a satisfying crack. He turned his gaze back on the redhead. "Are you sure Ward put you on antidepressants and not stimulants?"

Reno grinned and slung the pillow at the other man's head. Rude caught it before it could hit him. "Just get up. Findin' Corneo is _still_ gonna take some effort, even knowin' roughly where he is. Mideel's a big island. Sooner we get started, the better."

"I'm not going to get to go back to sleep for a couple hours, am I?" Rude sighed.

"Sleep on the helicoipter."

"Remind me again why we're friends?" he said, a faint smile crossing his face as he got to his feet.

"'Cause I'm so loveable. Now move your ass."

* * *

His entire body ached. It wasn't just the open wound in his abdomen, though _that_ was certainly the worst of it... especially when the painkillers began to wear off. It felt like every nerve he possessed had been systematically stimulated to the point of fatigue.

He vaguely recalled hearing the words 'spinal injury' from Ward at some point, though frankly, he'd been so drugged out since he'd awoken he hardly knew where he was half the time. Given that he was quite sure he could still move his toes, however, he assumed that whatever injury Sephiroth had left him with wasn't _completely_ irreparable. The way his extremities tingled uncomfortably at all hours of the day and night, however, made him wonder if he should expect some sort of permanent nerve damage.

The fact that he had the presence of mind to wonder about that at all told him that the drugs were wearing off again... which meant that someone would likely be in shortly to dose him. He wished they wouldn't. At least not immediately. He would have liked to have had at least a short period of lucidity, no matter how much pain it might leave him in. This half-way point seemed to be as close as he got.

As soon as Ward endeavored to remove this Leviathan-forsaken tube from his throat, he intended to inform her of his wishes, but until then, he'd effectively been rendered mute and he lacked the strength to attempt to write out any sort of message. For the past... day? Two days? Hell, he could have been lying there for a month for all he could tell... In any case, for however long he'd been confined to this bed, his time had been occupied by little more than bouts of repeated mako therapy, annoyingly undignified – but admittedly necessary – procedures performed by the medical staff, and regular visits from Viridia and Dr. Ward. Most of it through the haze of powerful painkillers.

He still didn't remember much prior to waking up in Junon. The feeling of relief at seeing Elena outside the temple... Saying goodbye to her... Feeling himself slipping into unconsciousness... All of that he _vividly_ recalled. But afterwards? There was almost nothing. Vague memories of pain, of bright lights, of a general sense of urgency surrounding him... but nothing more. He supposed that was a blessing. If Ward's demeanor when he'd first been conscious enough to understand what had happened was anything to go by, he'd been in bad shape. He still _was_ in bad shape... but he'd noticed that the people caring for him didn't seem to be looking at him as though his next breath might be his last any longer.

But more than his present condition, the mission's status worried him. Had Sephiroth found a way to obtain the contents of the temple? Had Avalanche confronted him? Had _Aerith_ confronted him? Had any of them survived? Did Rufus know about any of it? Surely, he must, at least in part... Even if Reeve's robotic cat had been destroyed, there was nothing preventing the executive from reporting back to the President. _He_ was safely in Midgar, after all.

And where was Elena? Reno and Rude had both turned up, but the recently-promoted former rookie was nowhere to be seen. Ward had said all of his Turks were safe... Why, then was she so conspicuously absent?

He heard the door to his room open and turned his head minutely to one side, trying to see who it was. He was only able to catch a brief flash of pale blue... a color he'd come to recognize as the uniform of the resident nursing staff. A moment later a young, somewhat put-upon-looking man was at his bedside, needle in hand, poised to inject its content into his IV. If he'd noticed that the Turk was awake, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Hold off on his next dose if yeh would."

The man jumped noticeably and drew his hand back, turning to face the newcomer. "Y-yes, doctor," he answered sounding slightly confused and stepped back from Tseng's bedside.

"Yeh can leave that with me. I'll see ta it that he gets it once I've had a moment ta speak with him," the voice said, as Ward finally stepped into view. The nurse replaced the protective cap over the needle and set it on the table next to him.

"Er... Yes, ma'am," he replied, and mere seconds later, he was gone. Ward chuckled.

"I think I've got half the unit walking on eggshells. Yeh should see them scatter when I pop in on a group of them unexpectedly. I suppose I've gotten a bit accustomed ta dealing with staff who are just as used to _me_ as I am to them..." she said, smiling. "... though I have ta admit... it's fun ta watch."

Had he been capable of it, Tseng would have laughed. The doctor was certainly acerbic... even downright intimidating when she was angry enough... but it was hard to imagine legitimately being frightened of her. She was by no means a large or particularly athletic woman, though even in her seventies she was remarkably spry. And she was was perfectly pleasant so long as you didn't annoy her. But then... he'd known her for nearly fifteen years. He supposed that _did_ make him a bit biased.

"Good news... Yer latest x-rays show that the mako treatments have worked wonders on that collapsed lung of yers. So that tube's coming out."

Finally. Tangible progress. He fixed his gaze on her, questioningly and she smirked.

"Yes... now," she added in answer to his unvoiced question. Ward gently prised the tape that held the tube in place away from his skin. "Just relax for me and take a deep breath."

He did so, and a moment later very nearly gagged as the somewhat shockingly long piece of plastic was drawn out of his windpipe and set aside. He coughed, weakly, eyes watering slightly.

Tseng tried to speak, but it took several attempts to find his voice. When he finally did, it seemed rough.

"I _detest_ those things," he said, only slightly louder than a whisper. It certainly wasn't his first time... and he never seemed to get used to it.

"So yeh've told me... every time yeh've had one removed."

He swallowed experimentally, wincing slightly at the horrendously dry feeling in his throat. "Where is Rufus? I need to speak with him," he said, ignoring it for the time being.

"His office, I assume. From what I hear, he's preparing that airship of his for another try against Sephiroth. But I'm sure he'll tell you all about it soon enough. Even though yer _definitely_ not going ta be fit for duty any time soon..."

"And my Turks?"

"The terrible twosome has been sent off somewhere. They left earlier this morning," she replied, taking a seat next to him.

"Where?" he asked, wondering what had happened now.

"Now how in Shiva's name should I know? D'yeh think his highness the President discusses that sort of thing with me?"

He glared at her. In the back of his mind, he realized he was, perhaps, being a bit unreasonable with the doctor. She may have had much higher than average security clearance, but that certainly didn't mean that they made a habit of keeping her in the loop on Turks operations. At the moment, however, he was perfectly fine with being unreasonable. "Fine... then perhaps you'd care to tell me why Reno and Rude didn't take Elena with them."

"Hmph..." Ward crossed her arms over her chest and returned his glare easily twofold. "Most likely because an unconscious woman isn't likely ta be of much help ta them."

Tseng blinked, unable to think of a reply right away. Ward smirked slightly.

"Yeh mind yer manners, Tseng, and I'll mind mine. Elena's alright... She just overdid it a bit saving yer sorry hide."

"Would you care to elaborate? Or am I to remain in the dark as punishment for my attitude?"

Dr. Ward chuckled. "She tried ta put yeh back together herself. I don't know where that girl got her hands on a bit of Full Cure materia, but yer Lieutenant Commander Nacelle seemed terribly impressed with the results. Took a lot out of the poor thing, though. She's been asleep for days. We're looking after her here in the medical unit."

The Turk leader tried, and failed miserably, to sit up, having to bit back a sharp yelp as his injuries rather vehemently protested the movement.

"For Ifrit's sake..." Ward sighed, clucking her tongue reproachfully. "What makes yeh think yer in any condition ta move, much less haul yerself out of bed and down the hall ta check on someone that doesn't need checking on? ... Which I'm assuming is what yeh intended."

"... Too goddamn many drugs, addling my senses," Tseng replied with a groan. That had been a spectacularly bad idea. He suddenly felt as though he'd just been impaled all over again. He sank back against his pillow, eyes squeezed shut as he waited for it to pass.

"Hmph... Well, I think now's as good a time as any ta give yeh a few more, then."

"Wait..." he said, still panting softly. "I want to speak with Rufus first... and I can't do that if I'm barely lucid."

"Stubborn pain in my backside's what yeh are..." the doctor muttered, but she pocketed the syringe she'd only just retrieved from the bedside table. "Fine... I'll send someone ta go and fetch him for yeh. But _then_ , yer going ta take a nice long nap before yer next treatment." Ward sighed and made her way towards the door. "I'm not sure who this recovery is going ta feel longer for... yeh or _me_..."

Tseng smiled faintly at her retreating figure. He suspected they'd _both_ be ready to shoot one another by the time he was back on his feet.

* * *

"Fuck, man... swear this place gets more humid every time I'm stuck comin' here," Reno muttered, pushing aside a huge leaf that glistened with moisture... and scowled as the one directly above it showered him with its own wet burden.

"It's the tropics. What were you expecting?" He had to admit, though, it was getting to him, too. Turk uniforms were clearly not intended as safari wear. The sweat had his shirt plastered so thoroughly to his back, it might as well have been a second skin. It wouldn't have been so bad if the redhead hadn't landed them in the middle of nowhere, and decided to _walk_ to the nearest town. Granted, if Corneo really _was_ hiding out in Mideel, a helicopter emblazoned with the Shinra logo would probably send him back into hiding before they ever saw a trace of him... but this nature hike from hell they'd embarked upon almost wasn't worth it.

"Yeah, yeah... Doesn't mean I have to _like_ it. Why the hell do people live here? I mean... Costa del Sol's hot as fuck, too, but at least there you don't feel like you're tryin' to breathe underwater the second you step outside." He slapped the side of his neck, and drew his hand back, grimacing at the carnage before wiping it on his pant leg. "And these fuckin' mutant mosquitoes seriously have it out for me..."

Rude snickered softly to himself. Reno had never been what anyone would describe as outdoorsy. Missions that required roughing it in the wilderness were inevitably met with baneful glares before he ultimately did as he was ordered... Rude had long been convinced that Tseng used them as punishment back when Reno had been a rookie Turk. His partner was a city boy to the core, and he was happiest in his own environment. Rude himself had never minded such missions... he actually enjoyed the assignments that took him out of the city once in awhile.

To a point. Rocket Town, where he'd grown up, wasn't exactly an isolated country town. But it was certainly no urban metropolis, either. Thankfully, though, Mideel wasn't really 'the wilderness'. In fact, he was pretty sure that he could see a cobble-lined path up ahead.

"Oh, thank fuck..." Reno sighed, sighting it as well. Moments later they emerged onto a small crossroad that led off in three different directions. "So... which way d'ya think?"

Rude glanced up at the signpost that pointed the way to various destinations. "Oban's tiny. Hard to hide from the locals, but not much traffic for 'em to talk to, either. Loth is more touristy. Lots of people coming and going. Banora's back the way we came... at least a few hours walk. Never been there. Hear it used to be a farming town. Mostly abandoned now."

"Tch... all good places to hide. But knowin' Corneo, no matter how scared he is of Shinra, he'll want someplace with a little action. I vote Loth."

Rude nodded. That had been his thought as well. The redhead would have hated the comparison... but Corneo was about as outdoorsy as Reno was. He'd stick to places that catered to all the creature comforts he was used to.

"Hey... didn't you once tell me you have a cousin or somethin' somewhere in Mideel?" Reno asked as they started down the road to Loth.

"... An aunt. Mom's younger sister," Rude replied. He shrugged. "Might have cousins by now, too. Haven't seen her since I was six. They had some big fight and never spoke again." To be honest, he really hadn't thought of the mysterious woman who'd shown up unannounced to his sixth birthday party in years. It had been a strange encounter all around... all he really knew about her was that her name was Iris, and she lived somewhere in Mideel. He could only assume that her surname was Chambliss... as that had been his mother's maiden name... since he didn't know if she had ever married or not.

"Huh... Ever tried lookin' for her?"

He could have, he supposed, made more of an effort to locate her. But something about the way his aunt and his mother had interacted the one time she'd come to visit had put him off the idea. He'd never asked what had happened between them... but he couldn't shake the feeling that trying to find out would result in digging up some long-buried family skeletons.

"... No."

Reno paused and glanced back at him. "Tch... and you have the balls to accuse _me_ of keepin' shit to myself," he replied, half-joking... but, Rude was fairly certain, half-serious. "If I had family out there somewhere, _I'd_ wanna..."

"Don't."

The redhead blinked in surprise, but mercifully cut off his comment.

"... You're my family. You and Tseng and Elena. I don't need to go looking for more."

Reno shrugged and continued down the road. "If you say so, partner. So... Since you obviously don't wanna talk about _that_... I'm thinkin' we start our search for Corneo at the first place with air conditioning we come across."

"Hmph... Good plan," the bald Turk replied with a soft laugh.

* * *

She felt as though she'd been asleep for days... and was somehow still exhausted. It took every ounce of her concentration to focus enough to untangle herself from the sheets that covered her, though by the time she managed it, she found herself falling.

It was a short drop.

Elena landed, facedown on the floor next to her bed with a loud _oomph_ and slowly pushed herself to her knees, dazed. The tile floor was cold against her bare knees, and she very much wanted to get off of it. Her fingers gripped the sheets, and she hauled herself halfway upright before stopping to rest as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

The next thing she knew, someone was lifting her off of the floor and setting her back in bed. By that point, however, her eyes had grown heavy again, and she all she could manage was a murmured 'thank you' to whomever had come to her aid before she drifted off again.

* * *

Rufus cast one final glance back at the door before moving on. He'd been in a hurry, but the quiet thud had pulled him to a stop a few short steps from his destination. He shook his head and made a mental note to mention to Ward that her _other_ patient wasn't being properly monitored... and was slowly waking up.

In the meantime, however, he had other matters to discuss. Tseng was awake, and asking for him... and he had news of his own to relate to the Turk leader. Reeve had contacted him not long ago to inform him that Avalanche was looking for a way into the City of the Ancients, as they believed that the Cetra girl had gone there to find a way to prevent Sephiroth from using the black materia.

He stepped silently into the room, finding his friend much as he'd left him the previous afternoon. Tseng seemed far more alert this time, however, his eyes opening moments after the President had entered.

"Since when did it become appropriate to have me _summoned_...?" Rufus asked, by way of greeting. The injured Turk smiled faintly.

"I would have preferred to come to you personally, but I seem to be rather immobile at the moment. I'll try not to let it become a habit, sir."

"See that you don't," the executive replied, before softening slightly. "You're... improving, then?"

"I suppose you could call it improvement, insomuch as I don't appear to be dying at the moment. Frankly, though, being skewered is a decidedly unpleasant experience that I hope never to repeat. That's not why I asked Ward to send for you, however. Did Mr. Tuesti tell you what happened at the temple?"

Rufus took a seat and nodded, grimly. "Yes... and we have a problem. Sephiroth got what he went there for. Some sort of black materia... He believes it to be a form of ultimate destructive magic. Apparently he thinks he can use it to become a god. The man is completely and utterly insane."

The Turk leader frowned. "You're right. That _is_ a problem. What do you propose we do about it?"

"I'm letting Avalanche track Sephiroth. I see no point in wasting company assets on _that_ endeavor any longer. Reeve is keeping me up to date, and the Highwind is being outfitted with additional weaponry. I'm not about to make the same mistake twice. We'll take him out from a distance this time rather than luring him to us. Avalanche should provide a much needed distraction... He'll never see us coming."

Tseng closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. "And the materia?"

"The Turks will recover it... and deal with any surviving terrorists... once the dust has cleared."

"And what do _you_ intend to do with it, sir?" he asked, somewhat warily Rufus thought. The President looked away for a moment. His first instinct had been to give it to the research labs to study. It would undoubtedly provide profitable research material for years. "If I may make a suggestion, sir?" Tseng prodded when he didn't answer right away.

"Go on..."

"Bury it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The Cetra sealed it in that temple for a reason. You didn't see the murals on the walls, sir... the destruction they showed. That thing is dangerous. Much _too_ dangerous for anyone in the company to possess, and certainly too dangerous to experiment with. Lock it away, and forget it ever existed."

"You're serious..." Rufus said, surprised. Tseng had always been a bit more on the cautious side than his predecessor, but it was rare that he offered such dire commentary.

"Perfectly," the Wutaiian replied. "If you'll recall, sir... the Cetra were all but wiped out, and no one knows why. You said yourself, Sephiroth believes it to be the ultimate destructive magic. Who would _you_ trust with that kind of power? Heidegger? Scarlet? Hojo?"

Rufus shuddered slightly. The prospect of any one of those fools getting their hands on something that dangerous was slightly terrifying. Rumah only knew what they might do.

"I see your point," he grudgingly conceded. "I'll... take it under advisement. Regardless, we likely have some time yet before we need to worry about with to do with it. We have to _get_ it first."

Tseng laid back and closed his eyes again, and Rufus couldn't help but notice how tired he looked. Just this short conversation seemed to be taking a lot out of him... and he was beginning to realize that the man was in no small amount of pain as well. He'd always been an expert at hiding it, but the younger man could see it in his face, and the furrow of his brow, and the way his arms unconsciously wrapped around his abdomen beneath the covers, as if to protect the injury.

"I'll get that accursed doctor for you..." he said, standing.

"Before you do, sir... Where did you send my Turks?" Tseng asked, suddenly looking up at him again.

"Mideel," Rufus answered, "They needed a distraction... and I wish to see Corneo's head on a platter."

"Ah..." Tseng acknowledged, relaxing noticeably, "Reno, at least, should enjoy that assignment. He's always hated him..."

' _So have I_ ,' Rufus thought to himself, but he only nodded and slipped out into the hall. He was fairly certain Tseng believed he didn't know of his father's involvement with Corneo... but he knew. He'd always known. And he also knew that if it weren't for his father's taste for whores, his mother might still be alive.

* * *

It was growing dark by the time Rufus made his way back to his private quarters from the executive offices. Reno and Rude had briefly reported in to inform him that they had nothing to inform him of. Aside from that, much of his time had been spent overseeing the retrofits of the Highwind. While he was confident that the airship would be able to challenge the rogue Soldier, particularly with the element of surprise backing them, he'd ordered the installation of an experimental emergency system that had been slated to be implemented several months from now. He'd demanded his engineers have it completed and functioning by the end of the week.

The system's purpose was two-fold... In the first place, it was intended to jettison any extra weight the craft for conceivably do without and still remain aloft. In the second, it also involved installing dual mako-powered turbine engines that could propel the airship at nearly three times its normal speed. The Highwind would be able to run like a bat out of hell should it become necessary. The work was proceeding on schedule.

He yawned as he flipped on the lights in his quarters. Perhaps he's skip his usual evening bath and go straight to bed. It had been a long day, after all.

Before he could decide one way or the other, however, his PHS rang, and he noted Reeve Tuesti's name and number displayed across the screen. Odd... Tuesti had already reported in today. Something must have happened. He accepted the call, hoping for good news for a change.

"Yes? What it is, Reeve?" he asked, anxiously.

"Sir..." the man began, and the emotion in his voice, though somewhat concealed, was clear. "Avalanche found Sephiroth at the City of the Ancients... Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that he found them. He... killed the Aerith."

Rufus was silent for a short moment. The Cetra girl was dead? He was passingly acquainted with the young woman's file. She was no threat to a Solider. Why bother killing her? The only logical reason he could come up with was that she had known something the others didn't. Something that might have had the potential to derail his plans.

"Do they know why?"

"No, sir... We'd only just found her there in the city. Sephiroth... came out of nowhere. She never saw it coming. Cloud tried to challenge him, but he just laughed and went on raving about becoming one with the planet. Then he was gone as quickly as he came and we were left fighting some sort of... _creature_...that grew out of something he dropped."

The President scowled. "He's gone, then..."

"Yes, sir. But we know where this time. He practically dared Cloud to follow him. He's heading north to the Great Glacier."

What was Sephiroth's interest in the traitor, he wondered. Was it just that Strife was a fellow Soldier? Did he perhaps think to entice him to his cause based on their shared history? Somehow he doubted that. Were that the case, he wouldn't have murdered the girl.

"Then that's where we'll target him. The snow fields are virtually empty. He'll have nowhere to run from an air assault. Stick with them, Reeve, and let me know of any further developments immediately."

"Understood, sir."

The call dropped and Rufus sat down on the edge of his bed. This would soon be over... and he was glad. Once these loose ends were tied up... once the threat had been dealt with... he could go home. He missed home.

He wanted desperately to ask Tseng's opinion on this latest turn of events. That, however, would have to wait until morning. For now... Rufus was going to bed.

~end of disc 1 – please insert disc 2~


	60. On the Move Again

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 60: On the Move Again**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Wherein we find out why on earth that white chocobo in Mideel had a Contain materia..._

* * *

Rude groaned and rolled over. The "first place with air conditioning" they'd come across had turned out to be a small clinic at the edge of the village of Loth. And it apparently served double-duty, also functioning as one of the little town's inns... with what had to be the most uncomfortable cots the Turk had ever slept on in his life. The sun was already peeking through the windows as he sat up, massaging his knuckles into his lower back.

His partner was still sound asleep a few feet away, sprawled over a likewise much-too-hard platform, clearly not bothered by the discomfort. He twitched slightly as Rude moved to get up.

"Go the fuck back to sleep," the redhead muttered, not moving a muscle. The bald Turk shrugged and climbed out of bed anyway, before snatching the pillow out from under his friend's head and smacking him with it. Reno finally deigned to open his eyes. "Just 'cause I was up early yesterday doesn't mean I'm plannin' on makin' a habit of it..." he said with a glare... but he sighed and sat up, stretching.

"I just figured you'd want to find our target and get back to Elena as soon as possible," Rude teased.

"Well... yeah, mighta crossed my mind once or twice. Fine. I'm up... so let's start with breakfast. For a tourist destination, this place has a pretty limited number of places to eat. If Corneo's here, _someone_ inone of 'em must have seen him by now..."

Rude nodded reaching for his jacket. "Works for me," he replied. "... How'd you sleep?"

The redhead rolled his eyes as he dragged himself to his feet. "You gonna start askin' me that _every_ mornin' now?" he asked, sounding somewhat cross. "I'm takin' Ward's fuckin pills... Quit worryin'."

The other Turk snorted softly. As if _that_ were going to happen. He'd spent the last ten years worrying about his friend, as _any_ older brother might... that wasn't likely to change anytime soon. He shook his head and tossed Reno his clothes. He probably _should_ back off a little for the time being, however, if only to avoid stressing him out any more than he already was.

It had been evident early on in their relationship that Reno hated to think of himself as a burden to others. Rude had always suspected that it stemmed from his mother having taken her own life once she could no longer cope with living the way she had been, but the redhead didn't talk about it much. He was more than happy to reminisce about the woman as he remembered her alive... but her death was a subject he largely avoided. Reno had never come right out and said so, but the way he hedged around the specifics of the topic, Rude was pretty sure his friend felt that the realities of raising a child in the slums had been at least _partially_ to blame for her choice. That guilt had, over the years, translated into a need to be completely self-reliant. But even the most self-reliant individuals occasionally needed someone to lean on, and Reno was loath to admit that.

"Marketplace?" he queried, pulling himself from his musings. That was where most of the local eateries were located. There were one or two out closer to the beaches that catered largely to the tourists, as well.

"Yeah. And when we're done, we can check out that weapons shop we passed on the way in."

The little shop had been closed for the day when they'd arrived, a sign hanging in the window stating that the owner had gone fishing and would return the following morning. Rude smirked teasingly.

"Thinking of getting Elena a souvenir?"

"Tch... Quite screwin' around, partner. Corneo left in a hurry and he knows we're lookin' for him. If he wasn't armed when he took off, he'd have wanted to be as soon as possible," the senior Turk replied, rolling his eyes. He paused in his bid at getting dressed and glanced over at him. "... You, uh... ya think she'd like somethin', though?"

Rude laughed and shook his head. "You're completely whipped, you know that, right?"

The redhead simply finished buttoning his shirt and flipped him off as he headed out the door. Rude followed, still chuckling to himself, and the pair of them made their way out onto the street.

* * *

"President Shinra, sir?"

The electronic hiss of the intercom speaker only seemed to make the receptionist's voice more irritating than usual. He was competent enough, but the young man's cloying effervescence was almost enough to convince Rufus that replacing him was warranted. Particularly first thing in the morning.

Somehow he always managed to talk himself out of it before he followed through, however. He reached across the desk and pressed the button next to the speaker.

"Yes? What is it?" he asked, not bothering to look up from the map he'd been studying. It showed the area around Icicle Inn on the northern continent. Sephiroth was up there, somewhere... perhaps hiding in one of the hundreds of caves that littered the mountains. Shinra had no active ventures in the area at the moment... the land surrounding the massive crater was barren and frozen, and the crater itself was riddled with vicious creatures. Though he had to admit... it _was_ some of the best skiing on the planet. But if it took destroying large pieces of the landscape to rid the world of Sephiroth, his annual ski vacation was something he was perfectly willing to sacrifice. They _would_ , however, have to do something about the townspeople first, if it came to that...

"Someone to see you, sir. Professor Hojo."

Rufus' gaze shot up, and he stared at the intercom. _Hojo?_ His eyes narrowed in suspicion. What the hell did _he_ want? The last he'd heard, the scientist was in Gongaga, following his creation's trail. And Sephiroth _was_ very much Hojo's creation... Rufus had spent hours of his time since his return to Junon reviewing the files Reno and Rude had retrieved from Nibelheim. He knew the whole sordid story now... including a few things that he suspected his Turks hadn't had time to discover for themselves. Hojo had been quite the loose canon back in the day, even going so far as to attempt to kill one of their own ranks... perhaps even succeeding, as little regarding the ultimate fate of one Vincent Valentine of the Turks was to be found in the journals relating to the Jenova Project.

"... Send him in," the president said at last. As the intercom clicked off, he opened the drawer to his left, lifting a small handgun out of its case, and placing it on the desk in front of him. He'd never trusted Hojo... and he trusted him even less after reading of his early experiments. Though he doubted the man was here to try anything against him, he _had_ shot Valentine in cold blood. Tseng would never have let him hear the end of it if he didn't take precautions.

The door opened and the man himself strolled in.

"Bored of your retirement already?" Rufus commented.

"As it happens... I've decided that my considerable expertise would be put to better use at Shinra than elsewhere at present," the scientist sniffed, taking a seat opposite the executive. The younger man let a wane smile cross his face.

"I'm afraid we're not hiring at the moment."

Hojo made a somewhat wheezy sound that might have been a laugh. "Oh? I really thought you might be just a bit more grateful of my offer, Mr. President." He eyed the stack of journals on the corner of the desk, and Rufus realized belatedly that leaving them out like that had been a mistake. He'd unintentionally tipped his hand. "After all... there are few on the planet who know more about Sephiroth than _I_ do..."

The executive frowned, trying his best to school his expression. "Just what is it that you want, Hojo? I find it very hard to believe that you're here to help us destroy your own son."

"Hmph... Sephiroth was an experiment. He has never been anything more. I simply wish to see the inevitable _outcome_ of that experiment," he replied, "Unfortunately, tracking my specimen has proven far more strenuous than I had anticipated. Thus, I'm offering my considerable expertise to assist you in your endeavors in exchange for the opportunity to view the results."

Though he suspected the researcher wasn't telling him the whole truth, Hojo _was_ right about one thing... He _was_ the definitive expert when it came to the rogue Soldier. And the information he could provide might well prove valuable. Even life-saving.

On the other hand, Rufus didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him. He hadn't exactly been devastated when Hojo had tendered his resignation, and he was in no hurry to invite him to return.

Of course... he was president now. And that meant he could always have him thrown out on his ass once Sephiroth had been dealt with.

"You're quite mad if you think I'm going to simply let you wander in and out of our operation unsupervised," the President replied after a moment.

Hojo snorted haughtily. "I presume, by that, you mean to _have_ me supervised, then."

"Oh... I intend to keep a _very_ close eye on you." Rufus stood and circled around to the front of his desk. "I'll gladly accept your... expertise. But once you have the results of your little experiment, and I have a very _dead_ former-Soldier, Shinra will have nothing further to do with you."

The man gave him a smug smile and got up from the chair.

"I expect I won't have much use for Shinra, either, when this is over..." he replied. With that, he turned and shuffled out of the room, not waiting for a dismissal. Rufus silently watched him go. The man was up to something, he was sure... and he was tempted to simply be rid of him. But Hojo's insight and... as grudgingly as Rufus had to admit it, his intellect... were too great a resource to simply ignore. He wouldn't leave him to his own devices, however. As soon as Reno and Rude returned from Mideel, he was going to have one of them watch that bastard like a hawk. In the meantime... the base's head of security would have to do.

* * *

The morning sunlight was much too bright. Elena groaned and rolled to one side, dragging her pillow over her head and wondering why Reno had left the curtains open last night. He always closed them... because usually _he_ was the one moaning and complaining when the astrological alarm clock woke him before he was ready to be a functional human being.

Speaking of Reno... she suddenly realized that she was alone in bed. There was no warm body with its arms protectively wrapped around her... no soothing heartbeat lulling her back to sleep... just cold sheets and far too insistent sunlight.

She slowly sat up, still feeling groggy... and found that she had absolutely no idea where she was.

Elena looked around in alarm at the unfamiliar surroundings. The faint antiseptic smell that seemed to permeate the air told her, at least, that she was in a medical facility of some kind... though clearly not Midgar General. This place was far more utilitarian... built for efficiency, not comfort. She closed her eyes, trying to recall what the last thing she remembered was.

They'd been inside the temple... Tseng had sent her back out to contact the Highwind. And then...

Elena sat up and gasped, eyes going wide in spite of the harsh light flooding the room. Tseng...

She swallowed sharply, tears coming to her eyes, unbidden. She'd watched him take his last breath... and there hadn't been anything she could do to save him. She remembered trying so hard to make the materia work as Tseng had gone utterly still... She'd wanted it more than anything she could remember wanting in her entire life, but it hadn't been enough. A soft sob escaped her lips as she realized he was gone.

And as much as it hurt _her_ to think of losing someone she'd come to care so much for, she knew that Reno must be devastated. The thought scared her. How much more could he take? Everyone had a breaking point... and she was terrified that her lover was getting dangerously close to his.

The door on the far side of the room swung inward with a quiet _swish_ , and Elena looked up, hoping to see a familiar shock of red hair.

"Well, now... It's about time yeh woke up. I probably don't have ta tell yeh, but yeh've got a few people who've been a bit anxious ta see yeh up and about again..."

"Dr. Ward?" she queried, slightly confused. She was certain this wasn't Midgar General... and it didn't look like any part of the medical suite at company headquarters that she'd ever ventured into. She shook her head... Why in Shiva's name was she sitting here wondering what was going on when she could just ask?

"Where am I?"

Ward smiled fondly. "Yer in Junon, my dear. It was either that or Mideel, and much as I love my homeland, Mideel frankly wouldn't have done yeh a bit of good after the the mess yeh got yerself inta at that temple."

Elena wasn't sure what she was talking about. _She_ hadn't been the one attacked and mortally wounded. _She_ was fine. At least she thought she was. She felt fine, at any rate... aside from being unable to remember anything about how she'd gotten to Junon. Her memory seemed to cut off the moment Tseng breathed his last.

"I imagine yer feeling a little lost at the moment..." the doctor said, breaking in on her thoughts as she reached for Elena's wrist, taking her pulse. "Not surprising, given that yeh've been out for going on four days now..."

"W-what?" she asked, wide-eyed. Four days? That couldn't be right. "What happened?!"

"Yeh saved yer boss' life... That's what happened. Cost yeh close ta four days of yer own, but yeh kept him alive long enough for the Highwind ta get him here..."

She suddenly felt almost dizzy with relief. "Tseng's... alive?" she breathed. Ward chuckled quietly and took a seat next to her bed.

"Well, if he's not, he's the most talkative corpse I've ever met..." the physician replied, smiling. "He won't be on his feet for some time yet... but I expect he'll be back getting himself inta dangerous situations again well before I tell him he ought to be." She took one look at Elena's expression and sighed. "I suppose yeh'll want ta go and see him for yerself, then..."

"Yes!" Elena cried, shoving the covers aside, and climbing out of bed.

"Alright... alright... For Shiva's sake, wait for an old woman," Ward said, chucking as she rose from the chair. She escorted her into the hallway, and into a room two doors down. "Now, mind yeh... yer not staying long. He's scheduled for one more round of surgery in an hour. How you Turks can tolerate so much abuse, I'll _never_ understand..."

Ward pushed open the door and ushered her inside, where Elena was greeted by the sight of a very pale and tired looking Tseng. Even so, a smile spread over his face as soon as he noticed her.

"Elena..."

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Try not ta wear him out," the doctor, cautioned, closing the door behind her and leaving Elena alone with the Turk leader. She hurried over to his bedside.

"Tseng... I-I was afraid you were –" Somehow she couldn't quite bring herself to finish that sentence, instead, pausing to wipe away the moisture that had gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm quite certain I _would_ be, if you hadn't been there. And I'm immeasurably grateful that you _were_." He reached for her hand, taking it in his own, and Elena was surprised at how weak his grip felt. Ward was right... it was going to be awhile before he recovered. She let herself drop into the chair next to him, and her concern must have shown on her face, because Tseng laughed quietly. "Do I really look that bad?"

"... Yes, sir. You do."

Tseng sighed, and let his head fall back against the pillows that were propping him up. "You needn't be so brutally honest," he said, his tone teasing.

"Sorry, sir," she replied, smirking slightly.

* * *

"Yeah... I know _exactly_ who yer talkin' about. Ugly bastard... Kept tryin' ta chat up my waitresses. And couldn't keep his filthy hands to hisself, neither. Came in every mornin' and evenin' fer almost a week straight, 'n then I never saw him again. Glad ta be rid of him. The tourists are what keep a roof over my head, but some of 'em..."

The woman made an annoyed sound in her throat, and rolled her eyes. Reno frowned.

"When's the last time you saw him?"

"Mmm... gotta be two... three days ago now, maybe?" She turned to a younger woman who standing near the door, waiting to seat customers. "Sarah? When's the last time that creep was in here fer breakie?"

"Saturday. I remember 'cause yeh sent me off ta Margo's stand fer more dumbapples an' he tried ta grab my arse on my way out..."

The woman nodded and turned back to the Turks. "That's the last we saw of the bastard. What's yer interest, anyway?"

"Got a score to settle with him. Any chance he's still around?"

"Might be. But I'm friends with all the shopkeeps in town. Know he was causin' problems fer a few of _them_ , too. Haven't heard 'em complainin' about him recently, though. Yeh been up north yet? Not a favorite with the tourists, but some of 'em like ta visit the more 'quaint' places on the island..."

Reno glanced at Rude and shook his head. "Not really our guy's style."

"Well, then... I'd wager he caught one of the ferries. Couldn't tell yeh which one, though. Got one that runs 'tween here 'n some of the smaller islands... and another that'll take yeh all the way ta Wutai or the western continent. Plus just 'about _all_ the fishermen'll give yeh a lift in whatever direction they're goin' if yeh've got some gil ta spare." she replied, refilling both men's coffee cups.

Reno nodded his thanks, and she wandered off to see to her other customers. The redhead took a sip of his drink, wincing slightly at the distinct lack of sugar. For some reason, Mideelian culture dictated that it was nowhere to be found at the breakfast table. At least the coffee was strong.

"... Sounds like we missed him," Rude commented.

"By several days..." Reno muttered glaring at the bitter liquid in his cup. He wasn't happy... Corneo had been on his shit list for years. The opportunity to finally take him out had excited him, and now the mission looked to be ending in lukewarm disappointment. It could be weeks before they picked up another solid lead... and he suspected that even when they did, with Sephiroth still a threat, Rufus wasn't going to make Corneo a priority target.

"You almost look like you're taking this personally," Rude said with a snorted laugh.

"Tch... _You_ know damn well how he treated 'his' girls. Fucker doesn't deserve to just walk away without payin' for that."

"... Killing him isn't going to make Lira forgive you."

He sighed, and looked away. "No... but I owe it to her, anyway." He downed half of the remaining coffee and reached for a slice of toast. "Owe it to 'Lena, too. Don't think I've forgotten about that little rescue op we pulled in Wall Market awhile back... Asshole had his hands all over her 'til she knocked him out."

Rude shook his head and wiped his mouth with his napkin before standing up and tossing a twenty gil note on the table. "Finish your breakfast. I'll go ask around the docks. See if I can find someone who knows where he went."

Reno's eyebrow rose, surprised. "You don't want company?" he asked, and Rude smirked.

"We're pretty much done here... and you still have a souvenir to buy. Wouldn't want Elena getting mad that no one brought her back anything..."

The redhead rolled his eyes, but didn't make any move to follow his partner. "Meet ya back at the clinic, then. If you don't find anything useful, I say we quite wastin' our time here and report back."

The other Turk gave a nod and headed out onto the town's main street, while Reno reached across the table for the strip of bacon he'd left behind on his plate.

A few minutes later, he paid their check and strode out himself. The air outside was already hot and muggy. The little cafe had been decidedly warm, but nothing like being outside on the street. Other shops had opened while they'd been eating, and Reno made his way toward the market along the south edge of town. He hadn't really been serious about finding a souvenir for Elena... but now he found himself wondering what she might like. As far as he knew, she'd never been to Mideel. None of _her_ missions had ever sent her to the little island nation... though he supposed it was possible that she might have paid a visit before they'd met. Her brother had done quite a lot of traveling before his death, after all... He vaguely wondered if she'd ever accompanied him to any of those exotic and distant locales. If she had, she'd never mentioned it.

Reno stopped in front of the weapons shop he and Rude had selected as a potential source of information on Corneo. The door stood open, and an older man was at the counter fanning himself with a palm frond. He looked up and grinned at the Turk as he stepped inside.

"Gonna be a hot one today..."

"You ever have a _cool_ one around here?" Reno shot back, returning the grin.

"Well, now, that'd depend on yer definition of cool, yeh know. Had a nice little squall come through last week. Could _almost_ walk down the main drag without breakin' a sweat after it passed. Practically needed my old bomber jacket from my military days up north ta keep warm," he laughed. "Yeh lookin' fer somethin' particular?"

"Just somethin' my girlfriend might like..." He strolled over to a small case of handguns, looking them over. Firearms really weren't his specialty, though... and Elena was rather particular about _hers_. Probably not the best choice for a gift.

"Laddie... If I'd ever met a gal that'd think deadly weapons made fer a nice present, she'da been a lot more'n my girlfriend," the shop owner chuckled, "I'd snap up a prize like that before someone _else_ tried ta, sure as water's wet..."

"Heh... Plannin' to, believe me..." he replied, "You sell any materia? She's kinda picky when it comes to her guns."

"Mmmm, no... sorry. That's my brother's niche an we got us an agreement not ta compete with each other. Yeh'll find his shop up the boardwalk a ways. Yeh tell'em Merrick sent yeh his way. Give yeh a good deal if yeh find somethin' yer lady might like."

Reno grinned. "Thanks, man. Hey... before I go, any chance you've seen a guy I'm lookin' for? On the heavy side, dresses kinda flashy, blonde mohawk... tends to get a little handsy with the ladies?"

"Ugh... Him. Yeah, I seen him. Tried ta talk my niece inta visitin' his room at the inn. Kicked his sorry ass out when he started liftin' her skirt. Friend of yers?" the man asked, tone noticeably more hostile than it had been a moment ago. Reno snorted softly.

"Just the opposite. Asshole's gonna get it if I ever manage to catch up to him."

The shopkeeper immediately dropped the hostility and grinned. "Well, in that case... Yeh carryin'?" he asked. Reno opened his jacket just enough that his backup weapon was visible in its holster. "Nine mill, eh?" the man noted, turning to open a display cabinet filled with ammunition. He selected a box, and tossed it to the Turk. "On the house."

The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"She's my _only_ niece, and I'm a very protective uncle," the shopkeeper said in response.

* * *

"Lieutenant Commander?"

The woman jumped slightly, startled, and turned to seen who'd called her name. She relaxed when she saw the Turk and smiled.

"Elena! Heard you finally woke up. Good to see you. And... It's Viridia. Please."

"Viridia," she corrected herself, smiling back. "Er... The president sent me to take over for you. Where's Hojo now?"

The security chief nodded to a nearby door. "His quarters. Hasn't left since I escorted him back from breakfast. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I think..." Elena replied, "It's a little strange knowing that I missed out on almost four days, though... I still feel like I'm playing catch-up, even after being briefed on what's been going on."

"Trust me, I know the feeling. I've accidentally sent myself into a nice, long materia-induced nap on more than one occasion. Hazards of joining the materia corps... It takes awhile to get a good feel for your limits. Once knocked myself out for six days. My CO was pissed," she said with a laugh... "Tseng wasn't too happy, either, for that matter. I was supposed to be on leave for part of it. He was going to take me to Icicle Inn... and it's no easy task for us to get time off at the same time. We never _did_ get around to rescheduling that little vacation..."

Elena giggled softly. "So... er... have you two _really_ been together for eleven years? Or were the guys just trying to see how gullible I am?"

Viridia echoed her laugh. "Oh, no... We've definitely had something going on at _least_ that long. Tseng had just been promoted to Second when we met." She grinned slightly and dropped her voice. "Just between you, me, and the wall, I think Veld might have actually not-so-subtly encouraged him to pay a little extra attention to me. He was trying to recruit me for the Turks back then. Guess he thought Tseng might have better luck." Her grin widened noticeable. "Did _you_ really dump Reno right after you seduced him?"

The Turk flushed slightly. "W-well... I didn't _dump_ him exactly," she stammered, "I-I mean... it was only that one night. We weren't even together!" She still felt bad about that. Reno had been wonderful... and she'd crushed him without even trying. "I guess I sort of... panicked." She shook her head and sighed. "Dear Shiva... looking back, I really _was_ an idiot. I almost let myself walk away from something amazing."

"I think that redheaded pain in my backside's glad you didn't..." Viridia stated, smirking, "Well... I'll leave you to it. Hojo seems to be keeping himself occupied, so I doubt you'll have much to do. But if you need backup, I'm not too hard to find. Just flag someone down and tell them to get a message to me."

* * *

Rude frowned and began working his way back up the beach. There were two commercial ferries that were currently at sea, so he hadn't been able to speak with their captains... but a couple of the dockhands had recognized his description of Corneo. He'd definitely left on board _one_ of them. One had been bound for the western continent... a small port near the Gold Saucer and then on towards Gongaga... and the other for Wutai and some outlying islands. The men hadn't been certain which Corneo had been aboard... but either way, he had several days head start on them. Even if they'd been under orders to pursue him if he'd left Mideel... which they weren't... it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. They'd just have to wait until he surfaced again.

A disappointing outcome... but one they could do very little about. It was time to head back to Junon and see how preparations for Rufus' assault on Sephiroth were coming along. Odds were good they'd be needed soon, if all went according to plan.

He'd just made it back to the path the led into town when a blur of white feathers sped past him. Rude stared in surprised as he finally recognized it as a small, white chocobo.

"Get back here, you feathered menace!" an all-too-familiar voice shouted from the direction of Loth, and moments later, Reno rounded a small bend in the road, sprinting at top speed after the fleeing avian. He didn't stop to explain, rushing right past his fellow-Turk in pursuit of his quarry, a look of indignant fury on his face. Rude shook his head and took off after him.

"Gotcha..." the redhead growled as he came to a halt. The chocobo had fled directly into a small grouping of boulders on the beach, penning itself in. "Give it back."

It was only then that Rude noticed the pale green glow in the animal's mouth. Its beak gripped a small materia sphere. The chocobo stamped its feet and circled the trap it had unwittingly wandered into. And then, with a quick snap of it's neck, it tossed the materia a few inches into the air and let it fall into its open mouth.

"You bastard son of a mutant chicken!" Reno swore and charged the bird, tackling it. All he got for his trouble was a sharp kick to the stomach and a laughing ' _wark!_ ' as the bird got free and took off down the beach. In seconds, it was out of sight. The redhead stared after it for a moment before finally picking himself up and brushing the sand from his uniform.

"I fucking _hate_ chocobos!" he spat, storming back towards Rude.

"... Dare I ask?"

"It _ate_ it. Just to _fucking_ spite me. Only one they _fucking_ had, too..."

"What was it?"

Reno's shoulders slumped. "'Lena's present. 'Cause _her_ rare materia got shattered savin' Tseng. Contain's not nearly _as_ rare, but... ya know. Stupid fuckin' bird."

"... I don't think I even want to know how you managed to get yourself into this," Rude snickered. "Come on... We'll find her something else."

"Tch... Forget it. Probably just get attacked by whole goddamn flock of 'em if I push my luck... You find any trace of our target?"

"A trace is about _all_ I found," Rude replied, still chuckling at his friend. "He hopped a boat west... No one was sure of his destination. Maybe Wutai... maybe Gongaga. Maybe some half-deserted island where he can dig in and hole up for awhile."

Reno gazed off into the distance, westward towards the sea. "My money'd be on Wutai. Corneo's always had kind of a fetish for the place."

"Pretty well-known fetish..." his partner pointed out.

"Yeah. I know. First place ya'd look for the fucker if you knew anything about him. But on the other hand, he's never been real subtle about much of anything."

The bald Turk shrugged. Reno may have be right. Corneo stood out like a sore thumb anywhere other than Wall Market. Wherever he went, people were going to notice him. It was very possible that he _was_ headed for Wutai, even knowing that it would be somewhat expected. He might even be counting on that, seeing as Rude had been willing to dismiss the idea as too obvious just moments ago.

"Doesn't matter, though..." the redhead continued. "We got here late, and our orders aren't to pursue. Guess we're gonna have to write this one off as a fail."

The annoyed tone in his voice told Rude that his friend was none too happy about that. Neither was _he_. No Turk like to file a report stating they failed to accomplish their objective.

* * *

"I trust that the Highwind is nearly ready?"

"Yes, sir... It will be done within the hour. After that we can leave whenever you give the word," Heidegger replied, puffing out his chest with pride. Rufus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. The man had always been a pompous ass, but the task the president had set him was hardly a difficult one. He'd merely ordered him to check in with the maintenance crews and report back with the current status of the airship. He'd already known that the modifications were nearing completion.

"And Scarlet's new prototype is on board?"

"Er... Well..."

His eyes narrowed. "Now what?" Rufus snapped. Those weapons were supposed to have arrived last night. It wasn't the weapons researcher's precious 'huge materia' canon... but they were powerful, none-the-less. So much so, that she'd shipped them off to the open plains north of Rocket Town for final testing rather than put the area around Midgar at risk in the event of a malfunction.

"The Gelnika..."

Rufus sharply pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't like where this was going. "What about it?"

"It... er... crashed," Heidegger hesitantly admitted. "Right after refueling at Costa del Sol."

"I believe that's the _second_ Gelnika that has ended up at the bottom of the ocean in the span of a week... Remind me. _Why_ are we still using those outdated garbage heaps in the first place?" he ground out. Those weapons had represented several million gil in research and parts. Not to mention the fact that they had been designed specifically with Sephiroth in mind. He wondered if they could still be salvaged.

Likely not in time for their attack, even if they _had_ survived the crash and the crushing depths. They'd just have to work with what they already had... which was, admittedly, an impressive amount of ordnance. The new prototypes had been more of an insurance policy than a necessity. One he'd just have to live without.

"We're leaving as soon as the Turks return from Mideel. See to any last minute preparations," he said. The other man gave a nod of acknowledgment and scurried from the room.

It didn't escape his notice that Heidegger hadn't bothered to answer his question. When this was over, he was going to call for a full audit of Junon's aging equipment... something he would have done to fill his time in exile, had he realized it needed to be done. Rufus had a sneaking suspicions that Heidegger and Scarlet had gradually talked his father into cutting the military's budget over the past several years in favor of more funds for their own departments. The consequences of those cuts were starting to show... and if the man though _he_ was going to be as easily manipulated as his father had become after his second marriage, Heidegger was in for quite a shock. Rufus was nobody's puppet, and he wasn't about to tolerate such scheming in his board of directors.

Fools, the lot of them, anyway. Except, perhaps, for Tuesti – who was too new to the job to be so utterly corrupted, and surprisingly competent to boot – he would replace them all the first chance he got.

In the meantime, however, he had far bigger problems to deal with. Rufus gazed out of the tall windows of his office and spotted a faint silhouette approaching the base. It didn't take long to recognize it. It seemed his Turks had returned... hopefully with Corneo's head.

* * *

The helicopter touched down with a soft thump on the landing pad, and Reno shut down the engine.

"So... what's it gonna take to get _you_ to tell the brat we didn't find Corneo?" he joked, hanging his headset up and unfastening the buckles on his harness.

"Tseng telling me I make a better Second than you do," Rude replied with a smirk. "Now go do your job."

"Tch... What happened to all that 'I'm here for you, let me help you' bullshit you were talkin' the other day?"

Rude laughed softly as he stood up, and elbowed the redhead in the side. "Not the kind of help I meant, and you know it."

"Fine..." the redhead replied, with a feigned sigh of resignation, before he straightened up and took on a more serious expression, "Do me a favor and check in on 'Lena while Rufus is yellin' at me for not puttin' a bullet in Corneo's head, will ya?"

"Sure. Was gonna look in on Tseng, anyway." The pair parted ways, Reno heading towards the administration building while Rude made his way to medical. Stepping inside, little seemed to have changed in their brief absence. The staff he passed were their usual efficient and less than casual selves. He'd long since decided that he much preferred the civilian doctors and nurses in Midgar to the rigid military medics here in Junon.

He came to Elena's room first, quietly opening the door and peering inside. The Turk stopped short at the sight of the empty bed. Where was she? Had something happened?

Well... _obviously_ something had happened. Comatose women didn't just vanish into thin air. Which either meant that her condition had gotten worse, and they'd had to move her... or she was no longer comatose. The latter seemed far more likely, and he grinned faintly. _That_ would certainly be a relief to his partner. It was very much a relief to _him_ as well.

He shut the door and slipped farther down the hallway. The door to Tseng's room was already open a crack, and he could hear voices from within.

"Just one bite..." a familiar voice said teasingly.

"Viridia... This is entirely unnecessary..."

Rude's grin widened at the realization that Tseng had improved considerably since they'd left for Mideel, and he knocked quietly, alerting them to his presence before he stepped inside. He gave a soft snort of laughter at the sight of Viridia hovering slightly over the Turk leader... a spoonful of what looked to be chocolate pudding in hand as she tried to coax it past the stricken man's lips.

"Rude..." Tseng said, glancing up at the new arrival. Viridia took advantage of the momentary distraction and slipped the spoon into his mouth. She was rewarded with an annoyed glare. "Will you _please_ stop doing that?"

"Ward said you need to eat."

"I will eat when I am hungry."

"You'll be hungry if you eat something..."

"That... doesn't even make sense, Viridia..."

"It does if I say so..."

Rude shook his head. "You'd think you'd know better than to argue with her by now... Her whole job is keeping people in line."

Tseng shot him a reproachful look before turning his attention back to the woman next to him. "May I at least have a reprieve from this force-feeding to speak with my Turk?"

Viridia smiled, and set the spoon back on his tray. "A short one. But only because I have to go back on duty now."

"Thank Leviathan for that..." he sighed, and the woman sniggered and looked over at Rude.

"He's a little cranky this afternoon," she explained, "And _I_ have been the picture of tolerance and compassion, because I can tell he's hurting. But if he keeps it up, he can just feed _himself_ from now on."

Viridia gave the two men a quick wave before departing, and Rude took her place next to Tseng's bed. The Wutaiian sighed.

"I'm going to owe her flowers, or something equally apologetic for my general attitude today. I seem to have taken a page from Reno's book... I'm afraid I've been rather unpleasant company for the most part." He pushed himself up slightly, grimacing in pain at the movement, but waved Rude off when he moved to help. "Was your hunt successful?"

Rude shook his head. "Intel was old. Corneo'd been gone for days by the time we got there. Reno's reporting in now. Where's Elena? She wasn't in her room."

"Awake and back at work," Tseng replied, smiling faintly. "From what Viridia tells me, it would appear that Hojo has returned to Shinra. Rufus is... understandably hesitant... to simply let him roam free. He's more or less been placed on house arrest for the time being. Elena is taking a turn on guard duty."

"Good. Was starting to miss her, and Reno's been... having a rough time without her."

"Mmm... Ward mentioned that," he replied, "How is he?"

"Alright. Think he'll be a lot better now that she's awake, though."

"He's still feeling guilty over Sector 7, then..."

Rude shook he head. "There's that... but he's also been scared shitless." When the Turk leader raised an eyebrow, he elaborated. "Not sure if he said anything to you about it, but apparently Lira found out about the pillar collapse. She's cut him off. Then _you_ got hurt and we weren't sure you were going to make it. And Elena..." He shrugged. "Hardly a week, and ninety percent of the people he loves most are out of the picture. Like I said... scared him shitless. He's calmed down a lot, but I think it'll do him some good to have you and Elena back _in_ it again."

Tseng let his gaze drop to his lap and sighed again. "I never should have allowed him to take that assignment. I should have simply seen to the pillar myself."

"Not your fault the former president was a bastard. We all agreed to draw for it, Reno included. He'll get through it." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, not entirely certain whether he should say anything "... Ward tell you she's medicating him?"

"No," Tseng replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "What is she giving him?"

"Not sure exactly. An antidepressant. Just so you know, he doesn't want Elena finding out about it."

Tseng chuckled quietly. "I can always count on you to keep me up to date on the latest intelligence."

"... Wouldn't normally break his confidence like that... but I figured _you_ probably ought to know if you didn't already. And he only _specifically_ asked me not to tell Elena."

"Thank you," the Wutaiian Turk replied, sincerely. Rude nodded. It was true... Reno really _hadn't_ seemed overly concerned about anyone but Elena being made aware of Ward's orders. Still... he didn't feel quite right bringing it up. But Tseng was their commander, stuck in bed or not. He had a right... and a need... to know what was going on with those under his command.

He gave Tseng's should a gentle squeeze and stood up.

"Get some rest. You look like hell."

"Elena made much the same comment," the Turk leader said, somewhat dryly. "There _is_ such a thing as being _too_ forthright, you know..."

Rude smirked. "Viridia's right. You _are_ cranky."

* * *

"I was hoping for better news," Rufus said, scowling. It was hardly the Turk's fault Corneo had slithered away again, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about the fact.

"I was hopin' to be _deliverin'_ better news, sir. But he was gone before we even found out he'd been there. We missed him by days, not hours."

Rufus waved his hand dismissively. "Well... There's little to be done about it right now. We have bigger fish to fry. The Highwind is nearly ready to depart for the northern continent. As soon as the crew is ready, we'll be leaving. Reeve reports that Sephiroth is still on the move, presumably toward Icicle Inn. From there, Avalanche expects him to go over the ice fields. A rather ideal spot to launch an all out assault against him, don't you think?"

"Heh... The people in town might not think so. Gonna ruin their skiing..."

"An unfortunate casualty. But better that than having to attack him in a more populated area. I trust you'll be ready to go?"

"Just give the word, sir. Me and Rude haven't even unpacked yet."

"Good. I suppose I ought to mention... we seem to have reacquired a leech while you were gone."

"Sir?" Reno asked, curiously.

"Hojo has crawled out of whatever hole he was hiding in, and 'offered' his services to Shinra for our efforts to destroy our rogue Soldier. Obviously, there's more to it than that, and I don't want him causing trouble. He's been under guard since he was granted leave to remain in Junon. I want him watched on board the Highwind, as well... _very_ closely."

"Got it. We'll keep him on a short leash. Who's babysittin' him now?"

"Your girlfriend."

Reno's mouth opened, but no words emerged. Rufus rolled his eyes.

"And I can only assume, by that reaction, that you wish to go and find her so that you can express to her just how utterly useless you are when you've been separated for more than five minutes at a time," the President snorted in contempt.

"Ya know... normally, I'd have a comeback for somethin' like that, sir... but if we're done here, then yeah. I'd like to go tell her how useless I am," the redhead said with the hint of a grin.

"We leave in an hour," Rufus said, clearly a dismissal, and Reno turned on his heel, and hurried out into the hallway.

Elena was awake. He could hardly express the sheer level of relief and happiness knowing that set loose inside of him. He jabbed anxiously at the button for the elevator, waiting impatiently for it to arrive. Hojo would almost certainly have been placed in the administrative quarters for the duration of his stay. Short of the base's detention cells, it was the most secure place in Junon to confine someone. He stepped aboard the elevator and hit the button for the fifth floor.

He found her seated in a chair outside one of the rooms, chin propped up on one hand, a bored expression on her face as she read a paperback. The redhead let a smile spread across his face as he started towards her.

"Tch... You and your fuckin' romance novels..."

Her head jerked up at the sound of his voice and the book slipped from her fingers, forgotten, as she stood up.

"Reno!"

The redhead barely had time to blink before he'd been captured in her arms. He tightened his own arms around her, clutching her as though she were the only thing keeping him tethered to the world. It was several moments before he could bring himself to loosen his grip on her enough that he could tilt her head back for a kiss.

"Fuck, I missed you..." he breathed when they finally pulled apart.

"Missed me so much you just up and took a little vacation to Mideel?" she teased. Reno grinned.

"Some vacation. Didn't get my target... think I lose a couple pounds just from sweatin'... and got kicked by one very ill-tempered chocobo," he shot back. "Seriously, 'Lena... You have no idea how glad I am to see you." He gently cupped her cheek with one hand and pressed another quick kiss to her lips. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Interesting..." a nasal voice commented from behind the pair, and both looked up to find Hojo studying them intently. "One would think that your kind would be acclimated to losing one of your ranks on a regular basis... or at least intelligent enough to avoid developing any _real_ feelings for someone with an approximately seventy-two percent chance of dying before age thirty. Eighty-one percent in a female Turk's case. Wasting time on such maudlin pursuits seems counterproductive to your purpose."

Reno narrowed his eyes at the uninvited criticism. "Keep talkin' and _you'll_ have an eighty-one percent chance of dyin' in the next five minutes. You're under guard now... not under protection. Might end up havin' a little accident if you're not careful."

It was a bluff... and frankly Hojo probably knew it. Rufus might not trust the guy, but he'd be ticked if the professor wound up floating facedown in the bay before they even boarded the Highwind. The redhead wasn't in the mood to entertain the man's clinical evaluation of every situation he came across, however. And Hojo had never been his favorite person to begin with. Judging by her current expression, he wasn't one of Elena's, either. In fact, she looked downright livid... so much so that Reno subtly repositioned himself so that he was blocking her from having a direct path to the man, just in case.

Hojo didn't seem to notice... or didn't care. He simply hummed thoughtfully and nodded to himself. "I assume the president has finished his preparations? When will we be leaving?"

"Airship leaves in an hour. With or without you." Preferably without, he thought to himself. Hojo nodded again.

"I'll go and make myself comfortable on board now, then... lest I'm accidentally left behind."

* * *

There was nothing on. The news was depressing... the only coverage anyone seemed to care about was the ongoing work in Sector 7... and she had no interest in the afternoon soap operas. A hundred and twenty-seven channels and she couldn't find one thing that didn't make her feel like her time would be better spent crawling back into bed. Somehow, Lira had never realized just how boring having nothing to do could be.

Before, she would have been at work this time of day... chatting with her friends between clients, laughing over some of the stranger fetishes the denizens of Midgar came to the Honey Bee with... It was certainly never dull.

It certainly wasn't all so amusing, either. There were days when she loved the job... and days when she hated it. As much as she missed the camaraderie that she'd enjoyed with the other girls, very few minutes of her days had been dedicated to thoughts of her clients. Even her regulars. To most of them, she was barely a person. To some of them, she wasn't even that.

And the there was that pig, Corneo. Wall Market was currently in turmoil, from what her friends had told her, but she was glad he was gone from Midgar. He was a bastard... cruel, heartless, and disturbed. Every girl who worked for him knew that, firsthand. And his favorites knew it better than anyone else. Thankfully, she'd never been one of his favorites... The old pervert had a distinct preference for blondes.

That was why – and the thought came to her more or less out of nowhere – she'd insisted on dying Elena's hair when Reno had come to her, asking her to help insert the rookie Turk into Corneo's mansion.

She scowled and shut off the TV. She'd been doing so well... not thinking about the redhead. It had been almost two days since he'd even crossed her mind. The log on her phone still showed the call from him that she'd ignored. She hadn't been able to bring herself to delete it... or to remove his number from her contact list. He hadn't tried to call her since, and she had a feeling it was because he knew she wouldn't answer.

And what would she have said to him, even if she did? The people he'd killed... among them had been her friends... her fellow brothel-girls... her clients... Innocent people. Slum dwellers just trying to get by. And he'd murdered them all, without hesitation, on the order of a tyrant.

But as much as Lira tried to convince herself of the picture of her one-time friend has a heartless killer, it never seemed to stick. She knew better. Reno was far from heartless. Killing wasn't a part of his job he _enjoyed_... It was just a part of his job he accepted. And she had to wonder if he had accepted what he'd done yet.

Dr. Ward had missed her last appointment. Lira had seen another physician instead – with whom Ward had apparently left strict instructions on her care. A little probing on her part had netted the information that the good doctor was in Junon caring for a patient of hers who'd been badly injured, and Lira had left the hospital with a distinct feeling of trepidation. Was it Reno she'd gone to take care of? Or one of the other Turks? Would Reno have tried to contact her if Tseng, or Rude, or Elena had been hurt? Would one of _them_ have tried to contact her if _Reno_ had been the one injured?

She honestly couldn't say... and wondering had driven her to try to banish all thoughts of the redhead from her mind. It hadn't worked for long.

"I don't know what to do..." she sighed, arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. "What do you think?"

Not that she was expecting an answer... but recently, she'd taken to talking her her unborn child. It was soothing, in a way. Even when she was alone, she wasn't _really_ alone.

"I know... Eventually, I'm going to have to talk to him." Even if there was to be no reconciliation between them, she knew that, if only for her own closure, she'd have to face him sooner or later. There were things she needed to say to him.

Lira picked up her phone and opened the contact list, staring at the familiar number for a few moments before shutting it off again and tossing it onto the couch next to her.

There were things she needed to say... but she didn't think she was ready to say them quite yet.

* * *

Reno stood near the railing, his arm wrapped around Elena's waist as they gazed out at the amazing view.

"This never gets old..." Elena said, leaning into his side. "It's beautiful up here."

Reno had given Hojo-duty over to Rude after they'd boarded the airship. Elena had still been furious with the man. For that matter, she was still more than a little upset now. That the bastard had the nerve to opine on their relationship was no great surprise... but she had never forgiven the man for what he'd done to Reno. And she never would. Reno might very _well_ be dead right now if Hojo had had his way. She didn't need him giving her the odds on their survival as Turks.

The snow-capped peaks of the northern continent rose ahead of them. They'd be over land again soon. She could already feel the drop in temperature.

"Anywhere's beautiful when you're there," the redhead said, grinning, and she giggled.

"Reno... that might be the cheesiest thing you've ever said to me..."

"Hey!" he replied, in mock offense. "Geez... ya try 'n say somethin' nice, and all ya get is mocked for it..." He shook his head. "Enjoy the view while ya can, 'Lena. We gotta get back down to the cockpit in a few. Rufus is gonna want us _there_... not up here watchin' the show."

"Are we sure this is even going to work? What if he decides to use that materia against the Highwind? We don't even know for sure what it does... What if it's something we can't defend against?"

"That's why we're gonna try and take him out before he knows we're comin' for him."

The airship at last made landfall, it's shadow huge on the icy ground below, and Elena spotted the town of Icicle Inn in the distance. They were flying low now, below the level of the peaks. It wasn't easy to hide something as large as the Highwind, but the pilots were apparently giving it their best shot. Minutes later, they slipped past the sleepy little town, and along the mountain range.

"Looks like we're heading towards the crater..." Elena commented.

The northern crater was considered one of the great wonders of the world... right alongside the Dacho statues of Wutai and the mako caverns of Mideel. Shinra had always had an interest in the area... the crater cut deep into the planet, and depths like that were where the richest of mako deposits tended to be found. But the crater had proven treacherous to the crews sent to survey it. Legions of monsters inhabited the area around and inside of it. The company had eventually given up its exploration of the crater in favor of more easily accessible areas. It was only within the last three or four years – with the construction of the huge and heavily armed airships like the Highwind – that consideration was being given to restarting those surveys.

Reno was about to answer, but the ringtone of his PHS interrupted him. He gave an irritated sigh and answered it.

"Yeah, I know partner... we're on our way back down now," he said before Rude even had a chance to speak. The Highwind began a slow turn back towards the town.

"Don't bother. We're dropping you off at Icicle Inn."

"All expenses paid, I hope..."

"Sorry... No time for skiing. Hojo claims that he knows why Sephiroth is so interested in the crater. He's gonna show us. Rufus wants you two to stall Avalanche for a little while so they don't... interrupt us."

"Tch... yeah. Nothin' suspicious about Hojo just suddenly havin' that little insight, right?"

"Hpmh... That's why we don't want Avalanche showing up unannounced."

"Yeah, alright. We'll take care of it." He ended the call and turned to Elena. "Grab your gloves, 'Lena. We're gonna go play in the snow."

~fin~


	61. Meetings

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 61: Meetings**

 **by Desha**

Elena shivered as an icy gust of wind whipped past her, sending up a flurry of snow from the ground, and followed Reno as he trudged through the drifts. It was obvious the walkways had been cleared at least once already today... but judging by the piles of snow, it was a never-ending job. The two Turks, along with the pair of Shinra military personnel they'd commandeered, hustled to get out of the cold, pushing open the heavy wooden door of the ski lodge. The warmth that greeted her indoors almost hurt against her frost-kissed cheeks, after their long walk into town.

The Highwind hadn't wanted to draw unnecessary attention... so the pair of Turks and their entourage had disembarked almost half a mile away.

"Heh... You frozen solid yet, 'Lena?" Reno asked, waving the security officers off for the time being. They wouldn't need them until Avalanche actually showed themselves.

"My fingers and toesmight be..." she replied, tugging off her gloves and stuffing them into a pocket. She smirked to herself and reached for him while his back was still to her, laying her chilled fingers against the back of his neck.

"Yaahh! Quit it!" the redhead squealed, dancing away from her touch, and Elena heard a hastily muffled snicker from at least one of the soldiers from Junon. "I didn't ask for a demonstration..."

Elena giggled softly and trailed behind him as he gave a nod to the man at the front desk and made his way over the the wood-burning stove on the other side of the room. He dragged a chair closer to the heat source and sat down, pulling her along with him, onto his lap.

"I'd offer to take you upstairs and warm ya up... but we're s'posed to be keepin' an eye out for Avalanche," he said, leering slightly as he gently rubbed her cold hands in his own. His were cold, too, but it helped a bit.

"Too bad..." She pulled one hand free, and unzipped his coat, grinning evilly as she slipped the ice-cold appendage inside and under his shirt and pressed it against the delicious warmth of his stomach. The redhead gasped at the sudden chill, shuddering. "Guess I'll just have to warm myself up."

"Ya know, just on the off chance you've never noticed, I don't have a nice warm layer of fat to protect me from the cold like most people... You're siphonin' off all my body heat doin' that."

Elena looked him in the eye. "Are you implying that I _do_ have a nice warm layer of fat?"

"... I'm not touchin' _that_ question with a ten foot pole," he shot back, "There's no right answer, and too many possibilities that'll get me slapped."

With a smile, she calmly slid the other hand in to join the first. Reno made no further complaints, though, and instead simply wrapped his arms around her tighter, pulling her more fully against his body. The wind outside howled and sent more snow careening into the picture window at the front of the lodge. It was the perfect vantage point, really. They could see most of the main stretch of the town right there from the comfort of the lobby. As stakeouts went, this was definitely one of the more agreeable ones.

"You know... I haven't been to Icicle Inn since I was a kid." She shifted slightly on Reno's lap so that she had a better view of the window. It _had_ been a long time... though very little seemed to have changed. A few new houses here and there, but by and large, it was the same little ski resort her family had vacationed at when she was around eleven years old. "... Well... Unless you count us getting trapped overnight in that cave out on the glacier," she added with a quiet laugh.

"Tch... Don't remind me. I don't think I've ever been that cold in my entire life."

"It wasn't _that_ bad... at least not until the very end. I was definitely starting to feel it by _that_ point."

Reno's eyebrow rose. "Wasn't that bad for you, maybe... _You_ spent most of the night sittin' on _me_. I was freezin' my ass off the whole time. Not to mention worryin' about whether or not I was keepin' you warm enough."

She snickered and withdrew her hands, flexing her fingers slightly. They'd warmed up nicely, by now, and she smiled as ran them along his cheek. "Well, then... I guess for someone so skinny, you make a great space heater," she teased.

"That your way of tellin' me I'm hot?"

Elena groaned at the joke, rolling her eyes... but couldn't stop the laugh that slipped past her lips. "Your jokes are terrible."

"You love my terrible jokes," Reno replied, grinning widely.

"I love _you_. I only _tolerate_ your jokes."

The redhead looked positively scandalized. "You don't really mean that..."

She laughed again and nuzzled him. "You're right... I don't really mean it. I love your jokes... I only tolerate _you_." Reno mirrored her earlier eye roll.

"And you call _my_ jokes terrible."

* * *

"It's not much farther, I assure you..."

" _Perhaps_ you might do us all a favor and tell us just what it is we're looking for," Rufus ground out. Hojo was beginning to annoy him. He'd spent the last thirty minutes directing the airship's pilot to circle slowly around the crater, all the while watching out the huge window in front with a smug, superior expression plastered on his face.

"Ah, but that would ruin the surprise..."

"Then ruin it. I tire of this."

Hojo gave his wheezy little laugh and turned to face the younger man. "Patience is a virtue, Mr. President. But as it happens, there's no need for explanations. We're here."

He pointed toward an indentation in the cliff face, which Rufus realized belatedly was actually an opening... a tunnel, leading downward into the side of the crater.

"What's down there?" he asked, suspiciously.

"If my hypothesis is correct... the Promised Land."

Rufus frowned slightly, and glanced at the Turk guarding the Professor. Rude shrugged. The executive stepped toward the window and nodded to the pilot to take them in closer. As the Highwind descended toward the cavern, Rufus was soon able to spot the telltale glow of natural mako. The airship drew closer still, and it became apparent that the glow wasn't just emanating from deep within... the walls of the cave itself were glowing faintly. It wasn't ice, as Rufus had initially thought.

It was materia...

Scarlet hurried over to join him. "Incredible..."

"This is really it," Heidegger said, peering through the glass. "The Promised Land your father was searching for."

Rufus turned to glance back at him. "And it seems that _I_ will be the one to reach it."

He couldn't help the growing sense of smug satisfaction he felt at achieving what his father had failed to do. This would almost certainly prove to be a massive boon to the company. Once Sephiroth was out of the way, he would have teams up here immediately to secure the site, and begin surveying the cavern.

"Rude," he said, turning to the Turk. We're going down there. I want to see it for myself. All of it."

"... Yes, sir."

Rufus ignored the hesitation in the man's voice. The Turks worried too much. Every last one of them. Besides which, this was an opportunity he wasn't about to pass up... no matter what the risk might be. He strolled off the bridge, heading for his private quarters. A trip into the crater below was going to require warmer clothing. Rude followed seconds later.

Hojo, meanwhile, remained on the bridge, off by himself in a corner, ignored by the remaining crew.

"That land is no one's..." he chuckled to himself. "It's where the Reunion will take place. They will all gather here." He frowned thoughtfully, gazing out at the desolate landscape and the materia-lined cave right in the middle of it. "I wonder if we will meet... Sephiroth himself...?"

* * *

"Got 'em..."

Elena stirred slightly on his lap, and Reno laughingly realized that she'd fallen into a doze.

"Huh?"

"'Lena... They're here!" he whispered, urgently, trying to avoid drawing the attention of the other patrons of the lodge. Her eyes snapped open and and she sat up. He smirked. "Have a nice nap?"

"Oh, be quiet. It's your fault, anyway, for being so warm" she groused, blushing faintly as she rushed to get to her feet and hurried off to collect their backup. The redhead didn't argue. Instead, he stared out the window at the odd group of people now entering the town. Their numbers seemed to have grown by two since his last encounter with them. The first he could hardly make out. She... or at least he assumed it was a she, based on her stature... appeared to be huddled in close to the the other newcomer... probably for warmth, as most of them looked to be a bit under-dressed for the local weather. All he could really see of her were her feet, and the outline of her head beneath the heavy red cloak of her companion.

Speaking of whom... _he_ looked more than slightly intimidating. Tall, with long black hair, he was dressed entirely in black, save for the blood-red cloak that whipped around him in the harsh wind. Reno could see the glint of metal on one arm, though from his current position he couldn't tell if it was armor or some sort of weapon. What he _was_ certain of, however, was that the man had training. He was watching the shadows carefully, though subtly... much the same way Reno would have done himself, walking into a strange place he wasn't certain was secure. While the others simply trudged along through the snow, this man was on alert.

And somehow, when the man looked in the Turk's direction and locked eyes with him, Reno wasn't even surprised by it.

"Fuck," he swore.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, returning with the two soldiers. Reno gave a barely noticeable gesture for her not to come any closer to the window

"Stay outta sight. I just got made," he replied, not turning his head, or giving any other indication he was speaking to anyone. The man was still watching him. "Take Vir's men and go out the back door. They've already seen me. I'll keep 'em distracted. Incapacitate, don't kill... we're only s'posed to be slowin' 'em down a little. And watch out for that guy in red. Somethin' tells me he's not gonna go down easy if it comes to a fight..."

Elena nodded, and hurried off, the soldiers in tow. He watched as the group outside made their way to the center of town, pausing not far from the ski lodge. He had a feeling that the building had been their original destination... the newcomer had likely warned them he was waiting for them by now.

That was alright. As long as they were focused on _him_ they wouldn't notice Elena flanking them...

* * *

"Don't let them split up," Elena said to the two men under her temporary command. "But try not to hurt them, either." This was going to be tricky. They'd gone into this assuming things would be roughly evenly matched at five to six, as Reeve's robotic cat creature would do what it could to assist... or at the very least not directly interfere if a fight broke out. Neither of them had counted on Avalanche picking up two additional members, and given that none of Reeve's reports had mentioned that little detail, the executive's judgment, if not his loyalty, had to be called into question now. That, potentially, made things eight against four.

Wait... only eight? She frowned, and double-checked her count. Someone was missing. Where was the girl from the slums? Aerith...

She shook her head. Not _here_ obviously. She supposed that was a good thing... One less opponent to deal with. Still, it struck her as odd. Elena drew her gun and signaled for the soldiers to follow her. The group was still huddled in conversation, some of them occasionally glancing toward the lodge. Reno was still visible in the window, though as she drew closer to her targets, he vanished. The man he'd warned her about... the one in red... noticed immediately and reached for his own weapon. Like her, it seemed he had a preference for firearms... though the clawed gauntlet on one arm looked equally deadly.

Elena nodded to the two men beside her and lifted her weapon, aiming it at Cloud.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go any farther," she said, having to raise her voice to be heard clearly over the wind. One by one, the members of the party turned. Cloud eyed her appraisingly.

"What's down there?" he asked, suspiciously. His eyes flickered toward the crater in the distance.

"Can't tell you that," she replied... not that she even _could_ have if she'd wanted to. She still had no idea what Hojo had wanted to show the President. "And it doesn't matter, anyway, because I'm stopping you right here. Besides... I still owe you after what you did to my boss."

"Boss?" he repeated, sounding vaguely confused, "You mean that guy, Tseng? That wasn't us. Sephiroth attacked him."

She knew that... but she could hardly take on all of them with just two officers from Junon backing her up. Reno needed time to get into position.

"Maybe... but don't pretend you'reinnocent. You left him there to die." By then, Reno was closing in from the opposite direction. She saw him, briefly, out of the corner of her eye, lurking between two houses. It was time to even up the odds a little. She stepped toward Cloud, lowering her weapon. "Let's see if an ex-Soldier can avoid this!"

In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best course of action... but Strife was the bigger threat, and she was under orders not to kill him. They were supposed to stall... and what better way than to start a fight?

What she _hadn't_ entirely expected was for her suckerpunch to actually connect.

Cloud reeled back, nose bloodied, and landed flat on his back in the snow. He didn't get back up. Elena blinked in surprise. He hadn't even _tried_ to avoid it.

"Cloud!"

She was quickly snapped back to the present by Tifa's alarmed cry, and she hurried to raise her weapon again, warningly.

"Unless you want to end up laid out just like him, stay right where you are," the Turk cautioned. Her reinforcements quickly backed up her threat, lining the remaining members of Avalanche up in their sights. She motioned to Barret and Cid. "You two... pick him up and take him inside."

She suddenly found herself staring down the barrel of Barret's gunarm.

"Wouldn't try that if I were you..." a voice from behind him warned. "Unless you _want_ me to put a bullet in your little friend here..."

"Barret..." Tifa prodded, reaching for him and pushing the weapon down so that it pointed at the ground. She glanced back over her shoulder, insistently, and when he followed her gaze, he saw what Elena had already spotted. The redhead had moved in and was holding one of their own hostage.

She didn't look very old. Maybe sixteen or seventeen... Wutaiian, with short black hair and a massive shuriken strapped to her back. Reno had taken her by surprise when Elena had knocked out Cloud, separating her from the other newcomer and the rest of her allies.

"Now... How 'bout you just do what the lady told you to...? You play nice and no one else has to get hurt," he continued, a smirk crossing his face. He looked directly at the man in red... who didn't seem at all rattled by the unexpected turn of events. The stranger stared him down for a few seconds before wordlessly turning and taking several long strides towards the downed ex-Soldier. He lifted him with little effort, slinging him over one shoulder.

Elena and the two officers corralled the remaining terrorists and escorted them into a nearby house... one that was, mercifully, empty. She didn't think things would have gone over well if she'd had to deal with it's residents as well. Once inside, Reno released the girl and shoved her towards the group.

"Ugh... Jerk!" she muttered, stumbling slightly. Her eyes narrowed at him as she regained her footing and, and she stood up, arms crossed over her chest, looking annoyed. "Hey... Don't I know you?"

Reno snorted in contempt. "Dunno... Do ya Miss 'ultimate ninja'...?" he asked, a smug grin plastered firmly on his face before he slammed the door shut, cutting off whatever reply she might have made. He turned to the two soldiers. "Kick back and relax. We got things from here."

"Yes, sir!" one of them replied, and they took off, back to the ski lodge.

"Who's the girl?" Elena asked, curious now. "She seems a little too young to be a former date..."

"Tch... _That's_ the little brat that swiped my phone _and_ my wallet on that goddamn mission to Wutai awhile back. Recognized her as I was moving in. What're the odds?" He smirked and tossed a materia sphere into the air, catching it as it fell. "Figured I'd return the favor while I had the chance. Payback's a bitch." He handed the sphere to Elena, and grinned. "And since I didn't bring you back a souvenir from Mideel..."

Elena laughed, shaking her head. "You're always so thoughtful..."

"Come on... They're not goin' anywhere 'til Strife wakes up. Let's get out of the cold." He draped an arm over her shoulders and guided her back towards the ski lodge. They'd stick around and shadow the group once they _did_ finally get underway again. But for now, they had some time to kill. Reno suddenly laughed.

"What?"

"I just realized somethin'. Always knew you had a hell of a right hook, but you fuckin' knocked a former _Soldier_ out cold with one punch. 'Lena... I am going to try very, _very_ hard to never ever piss you off _ever_ again. Ever."

* * *

It was glorious. The materia stretched from floor to ceiling like a great crystalline tree. The floor of the cavern, the walls, the roof... all materia. It was like standing inside a flawless gemstone. Sunlight filtered through from an opening high above them, adding to the natural mako glow.

"It's... amazing..." Scarlet breathed, unable to take her eyes off of the sight before her. For once, Rufus actually agreed with the woman. He'd never seen... never even imagined... anything like this. "It's _all_ materia!"

"And rich with mako energy. Father was right... The Promised Land truly _does_ exist." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hojo, hands clasped behind his back as he studied one of the shimmering pillars. Rufus ignored him and instead turned to Heidegger "As soon as we return to Midgar I want you working with Tuesti on an initiative to begin harnessing the energy of the crater. There's so much... so close to the surface... We won't even _need_ a reactor! The company will see profits my father never even _dreamed_ of..."

"Yes, sir!" Heidegger replied, enthusiastically.

Yes... The profits from this venture would be unprecedented. And Shinra's legacy would be secured for all time. He would never have to worry about the threat of internal incompetence damaging the company again... Hell, he could probably even get his step-mother to agree to a cash settlement rather than fighting her for control of his father's board interests with what this place would bring in. Juliet didn't want to _run_ the company. She just wanted an income that would keep her securely in the lifestyle she had become accustomed to.

It would be a new era for Shinra. For the entire planet!

Somewhat unbidden, his thoughts turned to Tseng's advice... That should it come down to it, the Promised Land must be destroyed if it looked like Sephiroth might succeed in getting his hands on it. Rufus dismissed the idea entirely now. He couldn't destroy this place. And if all went according to plan, it would never be necessary anyway.

Without warning, the entire space began to shudder and quake, and the President found himself nearly thrown off his feet. He was quickly steadied by Rude, who had been silently shadowing him since their arrival in the cave.

"What's happening?" Rufus asked.

"It's... It's coming from inside the wall!" Scarlet gasped, pointing beyond the tree-like structure. "Something's _in_ there! It's _moving_!"

Rufus followed her gaze, peering into the glassy surface of the wall. At first he wasn't certain what she was talking about. There was nothing there in the darkness beyond the materia. His eyes widened as he realized that the darkness wasn't _beyond_ it at all... it was, indeed, inside, encased in the crystallized mako. He didn't know what it was, but it was huge. The cave shook again, and the President recoiled in horror as a huge emerald eye slowly opened behind the wall of materia.

"Weapon... Then it really does exist. I never truly believed it..." Hojo's voice spoke. The President turned to stare at him incredulously.

"You _knew_ about this... this _creature_?!"

Hojo chuckled quietly. "Weapon. Monsters created by the Planet itself. They awaken when the Planet is in danger. Their sole purpose is the elimination of the threat. Or at least that's what my former colleague, Dr. Gast, believed."

The rumbling had stopped, but the gigantic eye still watched them, unblinking. Rufus couldn't help but wonder... was Sephiroth the threat that had awakened it? Or Shinra? Based on sheer size alone, he prayed it was the former.

But what truly disturbed him was that Hojo hadn't even batted an eye. He'd expected this. Rufus glared over at the man.

"It would seem that you've been keeping a great deal of information to yourself..." he said, coldly.

* * *

Elena looked down the nearly sheer cliff face, and swallowed sharply. This... wasn't fun. It didn't seem to bother Reno, however. But then again, the redhead climbed like a Shiva-forsaken spider.

It wasn't the height that was getting to her... though they were certainly high enough by this point that a misstep was going to result in serious injury, if not worse. It was the wind, and the ice, and the biting cold. She'd lost all feeling in her fingertips, and she wasn't entirely certain she still _had_ feet.

Avalanche had left Icicle Inn nearly an hour ago... and headed straight out onto the glacier after picking up some gear at the local shops. She and Reno had quickly followed suit, tailing them across the ice fields. It was slow and tedious work... and when they'd finally stopped for a short rest at a small cabin near the base of Gaea Cliff, the two Turks had slipped into a nearby cave to escape the wind and huddled close until their targets departed once more.

And now they were _climbing_ the damn cliff!

"You okay back there, 'Lena?" Reno called down to her. He wasn't far ahead, but the wind and snow made it hard to see or hear him.

"Aside from the frostbite?" she shot back, and continued up to the narrow ledge where he'd stopped to wait for her. As she reached his position he grinned and pulled her the rest of the way up.

"Didn't quite catch that..."

"I _said_ I'm going to have frostbite by the end of this..." she repeated, and stripped off her gloves so she could blow warm air onto her fingers. It didn't help much. "Any idea how much farther we have to go?"

Reno directed his gaze upward. "'Least another fifty feet or so." He pointed to a wide ledge above them. "Saw 'em pull themselves up there a few minutes ago. Haven't seen 'em start climbin' again... so they're either takin' a breather or there's another cave."

They'd already passed through one such opening in the cliff face. It had been a slower, but easier route upwards. Unfortunately it only got them so far before they were back to climbing.

"You doin' alright?"

Elena nodded. "I'm fine. I'm definitely going to feel it in the morning, though. Assuming I've thawed out enough to feel much of anything by then..." She bounced vigorously on the balls of her feet, hoping to keep the circulation going. Standing still was just making her colder.

"Oh, I'll thaw ya out all ya want soon as we're back in Junon... Count on it," the redhead teased suggestively. "But for now, we better get goin' again. We stay here much longer, we're liable to end up frozen to the rock."

She nodded, and Reno started up the next leg of their climb. It was _so_ cold... and it seemed to go on forever. By the time she was halfway to the next ledge, she was shivering so violently she could hardly find a decent handhold. The red head disappeared over the the ledge a few minutes later, safely at the top and she struggled to follow.

"Come on, 'Lena! It's not much farther! You can do it!" his voice shouted down to her. Elena yelped as her fingers suddenly lost their grip on the rock and she scrambled to find a new hold. When at last she did, she clung to it, pressing her body tight against the unforgiving rock. That had been too close. She stayed like that far longer than she should have, unwilling to risk moving again... but she knew she had little choice in the matter. She was too far from the previous ledge to go back, and still too far down for Reno to pull her up. She had to keep going.

After what seemed like an eternity, her fingers finally closed around the edge of the outcrop Reno was standing on. He hauled her up, and she very nearly went limp in his arms, she was so exhausted. The cold was sapping her strength, and she hoped they didn't have to keep going as they had been... she wasn't sure she could make it much farther.

"Hey... You still with me?" Reno asked, and she looked up to find him frowning in concern.

"I'm so cold..." she whispered. He guided her away from the edge, and, she was thankful to see, into the mouth of a cave. Out of the wind at last, she relaxed slightly.

"Not sure how far ahead of us they are... but we can't keep goin' like this," said Reno. "I'm freezin', and you look like you already froze and made it up here on will alone." He glanced around, eyes falling on a pile of partially burnt wood, the charred remains of a fire. "Looks like we're not the only ones who made it this far and needed to take a break." The redhead pulled a glove off with his teeth and stuck his hand over it. "Cold as the fuckin' mountain, though. Been here awhile."

Elena let herself sink to her knees nearby. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the feeling of fatigue that seemed to be seeping into her very bones, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she shouldn't give into it... but it was so very tempting. Reno looked up from his somewhat futile efforts to relight the fire with his lighter and swore.

"No, no, no... Don't do that..." he said hurriedly, returning to her side. "Gotta stay awake for me, 'kay?"

"Trying..." she murmured. Elena forced her eyes open again.

"Don't s'pose you've got a lightning materia on ya?" he asked, lifting her arm and pushing back the sleeve of her coat to take stock of the little spheres equipped in her armlet.

"Don't you mean fire?" she replied, still a little dazed.

"Tch... If I could _use_ fire, sure. But most materia doesn't exactly like me, remember? Might at least manage a spark or two with lightning... before I electrocute myself, that is..."

Elena shook her head, trying to clear it. She had a fire materia! Why in Ifrit's name hadn't she thought of that herself? With some effort, she made herself focus on it, sending an effective, if somewhat weak, spell towards the wood. It flared to life moments later. Reno picked her up and carried her closer, setting her down as close to the flames as he safely could.

The next several minutes were spent largely in silence as the pair slowly started to warm up. It was Elena who finally broke that silence with a faint giggle.

"You goin' snow crazy on me or somethin'?" he joked, "Is that a thing?"

She smiled. "You were going to risk electrocution for me..."

"'Course I was. Not that I'm not glad I didn't have to resort to that... but I'd do anything for you."

Elena shook her head and grinned, as her hand found one of his. "I'd tell you not to... but you'd just do it anyway. Do you think we'll be able to catch up to them?"

"Dunno..." he replied with a shrug, "Maybe, depending on how rough the road ahead is. But I think we've accomplished what we were sent to do. The Highwind's got a good couple of hours on 'em at this point. I say we warm up, see how bad it looks after this cave, and put in a call for extraction if it gets any worse than what we've already dealt with. No sense killin' ourselves just to follow those assholes."

"Did you notice? Aerith's not with them anymore..."

Reno nodded. "Yeah... Reeve told Rufus she took off on her own awhile back. Guess they never found her again. Rufus didn't say anything about 'em joinin' back up, anyway. Wonder what she's up to? Hope she's okay..."

"Who is she, exactly, anyway? I never quite got the whole story..."

Reno sighed and leaned back against a rock, gazing up at the ceiling as he organized his thoughts. "She's an Ancient. Or a Cetra. Or whatever the hell they call themselves. Last one alive, far as anyone knows. Shinra scientist by the name of Gast met her mother and talked her into helpin' him with his research on the subject. And then they up and disappeared. Few years later, Hojo stumbles onto 'em again, and now there's a baby. Not real clear on what went down, but Gast went missing again and Hojo convinced Aerith's mother to take her kid 'n come back to Midgar with him as research specimens. 'Least that's what's in the reports. It was _years_ ago. Before I was even born, I think."

"Hojo... just _convinced_ her to come back?" Elena asked, suspiciously. She had her doubts about that. Reno snickered quietly.

"That's the _official_ record. Don't think anyone who's ever met the little fucker actually buys it. Tseng definitely doesn't. _He_ thinks Hojo most likely killed Gast and kidnapped Aerith and her mom. It was before his time, too, so he really can't say for certain... Makes sense, though, 'cause eventually Aerith's mom grabbed her kid and ran for it. Got as far as the Sector 5 slums, but she was injured by the time she got there. Pretty bad. She didn't last long. Aerith got taken in by Elmyra... You met her when ya dropped off that little girl at her house."

Elena nodded. She remembered the older woman well. She hadn't exactly been pleased to find a Turk on her doorstep, but she'd welcomed the little girl with open arms.

"Eventually, Hojo decided he wanted her back. So the Turks got tasked with findin' her... or more specifically, Tseng did. And he _did_ find her... but he let her go when she told him about how she and her mom had been held prisoner 'n shit. She wasn't high priority at the time, and the Meaningless War was just startin'. Plus it was right after his sister died... Think her story hit a nerve. He just couldn't bring himself to take her back to that life. He told Veld that he'd lost track of her somewhere in Sector 1, and that was that. Kept it a secret from everyone 'til he took over for Veld as commander. Then he let me in on it after I got promoted to Second, and then the more senior Turks a little later. Most of 'em took it to their grave. Me 'n Rude are the only ones left who knew."

"But... I still don't understand why Hojo wanted her to begin with," Elena replied. She prodded the fire a bit, coaxing its flames higher. Reno shrugged again.

"It was the whole Promised Land thing, from what I've heard. Hojo thinks the Cetra are the key to findin' it. And Aerith is the last of the Cetra," he explained, before amending, "Well... last _living_ Cetra, anyway. That Jenova things' s'posed to be one of 'em, too. Personally, I don't see the resemblance. Like I said,though... I hope she's okay. Tseng's got a soft spot for her. I don't think he'd take it too well if somethin' happened to her. Hell, I'd be a little ticked off, too. She's a nice girl who doesn't deserve the bullshit Shinra's put her through."

"I didn't know you knew her that well..."

"Don't, really. I mean, aside from occasionally checkin' in on her and makin' sure she's still where we think she is, and maybe every once in a while keepin' an asshole or two from botherin' her. But she's one of those people that's it's kinda hard not to like. Always seems to find somethin' good in a person, ya know? Even the fuckers who've been keepin' her under surveillance for the better part of a decade."

"Sometimes it's not that hard to find something good in a person," she responded, leaning against his side. Reno smiled and put his arm around her, pulling her closer. The wind outside seemed to be dying down a little, and Elena wondered how long that would last. If the weather calmed for a bit, they _might_ be able to push through and catch up with Avalanche.

"Heh... Hopefully she came to her senses and decided to get herself outta this shit and go somewhere safe. Looks like Avalanche found a couple people to pick up the slack, anyway. The Wutaiian kid's a brat... but she's got skills. And that _other_ guy..." Reno shook his head. "Don't know who he might be, but if you ever run into him on your own, watch yourself. Don't think he's your average mercenary."

"Why?" she prodded. She couldn't deny that he'd been somewhat imposing... but if he were really that great of a threat, why hadn't he bothered attacking when the two of them had confronted the group?

"Somethin' about him. The way he looked at me. I just got the feelin' that he knew _exactly_ who I was... and that he decided to hold back and not start shit on account. And _not_ 'cause he was worried about not bein' able to kick my ass, either."

By now, the fire was dying down again, and no amount of poking or prodding seemed to be encouraging it. Their wood supply was nearly at an end. They'd have to move on soon. Reno was sorely tempted to call an end to the pursuit. Elena had warmed back up, but he didn't look forward to making her go back out there. For that matter, he _really_ didn't want to step back out into the cold again, either. The Highwind could easily send a helicopter to retrieve them from the ledge outside.

Besides which... he definitely didn't want to be too close to Avalanche if and when Sephiroth decided to show up and have it out with them. Preferably, he'd have liked to have been as far away from that shitshow as they could possibly get when the Highwind started throwing everything it had at the former-Soldier... but Rufus wanted that materia, and if it vanished in the aftermath, he wasn't going to be happy about it.

The redhead sighed inaudibly. He'd be glad when this was over, and he could take Elena someplace warm... and ask her to be his wife. He'd decided... he was _definitely_ going to propose to her in Costa del Sol. At sunset. On the beach. He was already mentally rehearsing what he'd say to her whenever he had a spare moment.

But for now, it was just a tempting fantasy. They were alone in an icy cave, high up on a frozen cliff, not on the warm sand of the beach. As much as he would have liked to have continued his daydream, they had other matters to see to. At the very least, they should continue on through the cave and see if catching up to the quarry was feasible.

The fire had burned itself down to a pile of glowing embers by then. It was still putting out heat, but Reno could already feel the chill creeping back in.

"Think it's time we got movin' again..."

* * *

Tseng stared upwards at the ceiling tiles, trying his best to ignore the pain in his abdomen and chest... which, truth be told, seemed to have been the primary activity of his entire day thus far. He'd requested that Ward back off on the painkillers a bit, to which she had grudgingly agreed... with the firm stipulation that if it became an issue he would be honest with her about just how much pain he was in. For the time being, it was bearable, if not exactly pleasant. He'd allowed her to give him just enough to take the edge off.

He wanted to be alert, not drugged into a stupor. His Turks were out there... without him. He needed to be awake in case there was news... even if there was, quite literally, nothing he could do but worry about them should said news be bad.

And then there were Viridia's visits to his bedside. He wanted to be awake for those as well, as they were infrequent and sporadic and often far shorter than he would have preferred due to her duties on the base... but he looked forward to each and every one of them.

There were times that he wished Viridia wasn't so dedicated. Or perhaps that _he_ weren't, either. He couldn't deny that he occasionally entertained the idea of saying to hell with Shinra and relocating to Junon, or pleading with _her_ to join him in Midgar. Such fantasies were fleeting, however. He knew that neither of them would ever really choose to give up their careers and ignore their duty. Not even for each other. It didn't stop him from thinking about it now and then, though.

He could still remember the first time they'd met. The connection between them had been almost instantaneous, and when Veld had informed him that they wouldn't be leaving Junon until the following morning, Tseng had bid him goodnight and headed for his quarters... and then walked right past them. He hadn't even been certain, at the time, where he was going, but before he knew it, he'd found himself at her door.

He'd woken just before dawn, tangled in her bedsheets and regretting nothing... a sentiment she'd wholeheartedly shared. Somehow he'd known, even then, that it wasn't going to be just a one night stand.

Tseng closed his eyes, smiling slightly in spite of his pain. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but it couldn't have been long before he was interrupted by the very person he was picturing.

"And just what are _you_ so happy about? Did you finally decide to let Ward up your morphine again?" a familiar voice teased. The Turk leader chuckled softly and opened his eyes, his gaze falling on Viridia.

"No... Though I seem to have found a suitable replacement for the time being."

"Oh, really?" she asked, slipping into the chair beside his bed.

"Mmm... I was just thinking about the day we met. And that evening."

"Well, I hope you're not getting any bright ideas. I don't think you're quite up for that level of activity just yet."

"Pity."

Viridia laughed and shook her head. "That lieutenant of yours has been rubbing off on you more and more of late, Tseng."

Tseng smiled. "I suppose seeing him so completely in love has just made me think about certain things. _Reno_ certainly has no issue expressing how he feels about Elena. I sometimes wonder if perhaps I should follow his example on occasion."

The security chief cocked her head questioningly. "Just what are you trying to say?"

"That you mean a great deal to me, and I don't think I've ever actually told you how much," he replied, reaching for her hand, and lightly caressing the back of it. "And that I'm fortunate not to have lost my chance to do so."

"Tseng..."

"I love you, Viridia. I don't wish to... _change_... anything between us. Only to tell you that. Because I never have, and you deserve to hear it from me."

She brushed his hair back with her free hand, and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I love you, too," she whispered, smiling widely.

* * *

"Oh, for Ifrit's sake... First we go up – and damn near freeze to death doin' it – now we're stuck goin' back down again," Reno muttered, eying the sharp incline. The cave had eventually led them to a snowy path. The path had led them into the crater itself.

At least it was a hell of a lot warmer here.

"Reno... Look." Elena pointed into the distance and the redhead's gaze quickly followed her own, narrowing his eyes as he struggled to make out the dark figures on the pathway below.

"Are... those more of the clone assholes we keep runnin' into?" They certainly looked to be, concealed in black cloaks as they were. "Fuck..." he breathed, "How many of those things did Hojo _make_?" He counted at least two dozen. And that was just on what he could see of the winding ledge from his present position. There might very well have been more farther down.

He hesitated. None of the 'clones' they'd encountered up to this point had been especially strong or skilled fighters. But in large enough numbers, the two Turks could easily be overwhelmed... and they definitely seemed to have numbers.

"'Kay... we're gonna go slow and take 'em out one by one. Don't let 'em slip behind you. Last thing we need is our escape route to get cut off."

Elena nodded and readied her gun as she followed him down the incline. Reno, too, opted for his backup weapon rather than his mag-rod. Better to take them down from a distance and give themselves a little bit of a safety zone. The path was narrow, and it was a _very_ long way to the bottom. Getting caught in a melee wasn't going to end well.

They seemed to be moving slowly forward, unhurried but single-mindedly. The redhead actually cringed when one of them simply plummeted over the side with a faint cry and the others didn't even react. He glanced back at Elena, who was watching them with an expression of fascinated horror on her face.

"They don't even care," she said, shocked, "I'm not sure they even noticed..."

"What I wanna know is... where the hell are they goin'? I mean, seriously... what the fuck's down here? You think Sephiroth sent 'em in for some reason?"

By now, they'd drawn close enough to the procession that he could get a decent shot. But he didn't take it... and signaled for Elena to hold off, as well. The creatures were oblivious to just about everything around them... and as this was, quite literally, the only navigable path, Avalanche must have gone through that gauntlet, as well. Clearly there had been no epic battle fought before he and Elena got there... Why waste the ammunition _and_ risk Avalanche hearing them coming a mile away when they could just walk right past them?

"New plan..." he said, lowering his weapon and tucking it back into its holster.

* * *

"... I have a bad feeling about this place, Mr. President..." Scarlet intoned ominously. The eye still stared at them from the wall, but no further tremors had been felt. It was as disquieting as it was fascinating, in Rufus' opinion. Who could have known that such a massive creature slumbered within the northern crater?

"We'll leave the Promised Land for another day. Sephiroth is our primary concern right now," he said, turning to the woman. "Let's get back to the airship."

As he turned to head out, the cavern was suddenly engulfed in a light so bright, Rufus had to shield his eyes against it. When it at last faded out, he discovered that they'd been joined by someone new.

"H-hey! Where did you come from?" Scarlet blurted out, and Rude moved to pull the president out of harm's ways as Cloud Strife gazed up at the huge materia formation in the center of the room.

"This is going to get rough. Better get out while you still can," he said, emotionlessly.

Rufus pushed the Turk aside and took a step towards the ex-Soldier. "What are you talking about?" he asked, eyes narrowing. Did the man really intend to challenge Sephiroth here? Alone?

Cloud slowly turned to look at them.

"This is where the Reunion is happening. Where everything begins and ends," he replied, cryptically.

"Yo, Cloud!" a voice from behind the group shouted. "What's goin' on?! Tifa said there was trouble!"

Rude once again hauled the young president back, this time insistently placing himself between Rufus and their unexpected guests, and shot him a look that very clearly said 'Stay there' as Barret approached, weapon raised. Cloud nodded, more to himself than to his ally.

"Thanks... Barret. The black materia. Where is it?"

The man with the gunarm seemed to hesitate a moment, glancing between the former-Soldier and the Shinra personnel that surrounded him. Rufus eyed the pair of them curiously, wondering how they'd managed to recapture Sephiroth's prize. Surely they hadn't already faced the lunatic...

"It's safe..." Barret replied, cautiously.

"I'll take things from here. Give it to me."

Rufus had only had the dubious pleasure of meeting Strife face to face once before now... but even he could tell that something seemed off. This wasn't the man he'd been confronted by on the balcony of the presidential office. He seemed different now. Almost... resigned.

"Yo, Cloud... you a'ight?" Avalanche's supposed leader asked. Apparently Rufus wasn't the only one with misgivings about the Solider at present. He moved to take a step forward, only to be physically held in place by the Turk in front of him. Cloud nodded in response and held out his hand.

"Hope you know what you're doin'..." Barret said, producing the mysterious materia sphere and handing it over.

"Just leave the rest to me."

There was a second blinding flash of light, and as it faded out, a new voice chimed in.

"No, don't! Cloud... please, stop!"

Rufus cringed at the sudden shouting, as it was directly next to his ear, and turned in surprise. The woman he recognized, though he didn't know her name. Reno referred to her consistently as the 'bartender'.

"Thank you for everything," Cloud said, apparently ignoring her plea, "And... I'm sorry." He turned to face the new arrival. "Especially you, Tifa. I really _am_ sorry. I never lived up to being 'Cloud'. Maybe one day you'll find the real one."

The woman gave a distressed cry, and sank to her knees.

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" Hojo exclaimed, pushing through the small crowd. "It means that my experiment was a success! What number are you? Where is the ID tattoo?" he asked, excitedly looking Strife over. Cloud gave a sad shake of his head.

"I don't have a number. You never gave me one. I was a failed experiment."

Hojo took a step back, aghast. "What? Impossible... How could only a failure have made it this far?"

"Professor... please. Give me a number _now_. Please," Strife implored him. Hojo merely turned his back.

"A failure..." he muttered shaking his head in disbelief. Cloud's shoulders slumped at the rejection. He didn't move again until, without warning, he rose into the air. Rufus's eyes went wide. He could actually _feel_ the mako energy all around him, cascading towards the center of the room, lifting the man higher and higher. He'd never witnessed such a phenomenon before... never even heard tell of anything like it. Strife vanished before his eyes, in another flash of light.

Rufus angrily grabbed Hojo by the collar, pulling him in close to his face. "Who _is_ he?" he demanded. He'd known the bastard was keeping thing from him. But this... Just what sort of game was the demented scientist playing at?

"A Sephiroth clone I created after the _real_ Sephiroth died five years ago," Hojo said, chuckling slightly. "Jenova's cells and mako energy, combined by science and nature, to bring him to life. I must admit... I'm disappointed to learn that he was one I had considered a failure, but my theory _has_ been proven."

Rufus glared at him. "And just what 'theory' might that be?" he ground out.

"The secret to immortality. That Jenova will eventually become whole again. A Reunion of the body. I have waited for _years_ for it to begin," he replied, no small amount of madness in his eyes. "I believed that my clones would gather in Midgar, where the largest part of her body was stored... but I was wrong. Jenova was able to move on its own... to escape its confines. But being the genius that I am, I soon figured out why. It was Sephiroth's doing. Dead or alive, his will is strong... Too strong to simply diffuse itself into the Lifestream of the planet. He began to manipulate the clones himself... and Jenova followed them."

"To what _end_?" Rufus asked. Hojo ignored the query.

"The one thing I couldn't figure out was where they were all going. But what I _did_ know was that Sephiroth was at their final destination. The real one... not the likeness of him created and controlled by Jenova that _you've_ been following."

The cavern suddenly shuddered violently, and shards of materia rained from the ceiling of the cave. Rufus looked upwards in alarm as a massive crystal was dislodged overhead. For a brief moment, he was certain it would crush them all, but it held fast, cradled in the tendrils of the tree-like structure. He swallowed sharply as he realized there was something inside.

"Do you see him!" Hojo shrieked, "He _is_ here! Sephiroth!"

And he was. The form inside the crystal was indeed a body, and as Rufus looked closer, he recognized it as the rogue-Solider they had been chasing since Midgar. Or thought they'd been chasing... Frankly, he still wasn't entirely clear on what was going on... but now was hardly the time to explore the subject, as a second figure became visible next to the strange cocoon. Strife was there, in defiance of the laws of gravity, physics, and logic, standing before the legendary warrior. In his hand was the black materia, which he offered to Sephiroth, breaking the barrier of the crystal as though it were liquid. He released it inside and it took on an ominous glow..

"This is perfect! Jenova's Reunion and Sephiroth's will! They won't be diffused into the Lifestream, but gathered and strengthened here!" Hojo cackled.

"What are you talking about?" Tifa asked, eyes wide. "He's going to use that materia to summon Meteor! He's going to destroy the planet!"

Rufus frowned as the room began to shake again. Not in sporadic short tremors as before, but rather an insistent rumbling that seemed to be growing in intensity. As much as he wanted to hear more about this so-called 'Meteor'... there was no time.

* * *

Though wary at first, by the time Reno and Elena had made it halfway along the ledge, they were moving at a sprint. _Something_ was going on up ahead... something big. Reno wonder vaguely if maybe it might be a better idea to turn tail and run... but something told him that it would be better to go on. As they neared the source of the tremors, Elena came to a halt.

"Reno..."

"Shit... Think they're dead?" he asked, eyes falling on the sight that had stopped her. It was Avalanche. Minus a few key members, but most of the group was present and accounted for. That... didn't bode well. He shook his head and covered the remaining distance, kneeling down beside the first body he came to. It was the man in red. The redhead reached for his neck, searching for a pulse.

Without warning, a clawed, metal hand closed around his forearm, twisting it painfully and forcing him to lean back or risk a broken arm. Red eyes stared back at him for a moment, and then the Turk found himself face down on the rock, his arm yanked roughly behind him, and pinned in place.

"Let go of him!" Elena ordered, and Reno turned his head slightly... just enough to get a good look at her holding his captor at gunpoint.

"You followed us..." he simply. "Why?"

"Ordered to," Reno shot back before Elena had a chance to answer. "We were just s'posed to stall you assholes for awhile."

The man was still for a few seconds, and then, just as suddenly as he'd found himself incapacitated, the pressure on his arm eased.

"You didn't do this?" he asked, nodding to he still-unconscious companions.

Reno sat up rubbing the abused limb, and signaled Elena to lower her weapon. "No. We just caught up to you guys. The hell's goin' on?"

Several large boulders came loose from the sides of the crater as the shaking intensified, and the man glanced farther along the path, towards an opening in the far wall.

"I don't know." He stood, and moved to check on the others. Reno scowled faintly at the rough treatment and subsequent disinterest, but stood and brushed himself off.

"'Lena... Gimme a hand here," he called back to her, joining the man in red and gently rolling the female ninja onto her back while his apparent temporary ally tried to rouse the pilot from Rocket Town. She didn't appear to be injured... but she was out cold. "Check on that stupid Moogle, will ya? See if that thing's up and runnin'."

A few feet away the cat-like creature the group had stolen from Shinra labs clambered to its feet, shaking its head. "... Vincent?" he queried glancing toward his compatriot, and then back at the pair of Turks with suspicion.

"Don't worry about them. Help us wake the others. I'll explain later."

"Oooh..." the Wutaiian girl groaned, starting to come around. "Why do I feel like I got trampled by a cockatrice?"

"Tch... Quit whinin' little miss ninja-brat. I don't think you wanna hang around here much longer..."

Her eyes shot open, and she glared up at the Turk who was tending to her. "Ugh... You again?! Don't you have anything better to do?"

"What in fuck's name's goin' on?" a gravely voice groused from a short distance away, and Reno spotted the pilot from Rocket Town sitting up, shaking his head to clear it. Vincent... apparently, as that was what the lab specimen had addressed him as... had vanished. It took the redhead several seconds to catch sight of him again, moving swiftly towards the large opening in the cliff face.

"Not really the time to discuss particulars, Gramps... We're not safe here. 'Lena, move it or lose it!" he replied, hefting the young Wutaiian to her feet.

"Who the hell are _you_ callin' Gramps, pretty boy?" the man growled at him, but he didn't seem interested in pursuing the argument any further, gaze taking in the shaking walls and sporadic landslides.

There was a low, ominous rumble from the direction they'd come from, and they turned just in time to see the path that had brought them here collapsing like a trail of dominoes.

"Ah, fuck me..." he breathed, "Fucking run!"

"This way!" Vincent called out to them, waving them forward from the opening. A handful of the Hojo's Sephiroth clones began to converge on him, and Reno watched as he made short work of them, the blast from his gun sending two to them ground and a third sailing over the edge into the abyss.

The two Turks, and their unlikely allies, wasted no more time standing around. The little group followed Vincent's lead, rushing toward the questionable safety of the other side of the crater. What remained of the clones didn't try to stop them... They simply continued to shuffle along, only to be swallowed up by the collapsing walkway.

The ninja girl tripped, crashing hard to her knees, and Reno didn't even break stride as he seized her by her belt and yanked her upright again, urging her on. There was no time to waste. They had to get across... Now.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they made it, skidding to a stop just on the other side of the opening. Much to the Turk's surprise, they weren't alone. Rufus was there... and Heidegger and Scarlet, and Hojo. Rude, too. So were the Lockheart woman and Barret Wallace. Rufus shook his head.

"Whatever I say now is too little, too late. We need to evacuate," he said, then glanced at the new arrivals. "Come with us. I want to know what you know."

Reno ducked his head as a shower of tiny materia shards rained down on him. When it stopped he looked upwards searching for the source... and what he saw stopped him cold.

"What the actual _fuck_... ?" he managed, eying the huge materia crystal held aloft by a branching, tree-like structure, and its sole occupant. Inside, glowing with a disquieting purple light, was an orb... the black materia, he realized belatedly.

"Reno! Come on!" Elena's voice demanded, and he turned, seeing that the others were already heading for the exit. He cast one final glance at the strange sight above him and then hurried after them... only to stop dead in his tracks as his sights settled on the wall... and the massive eye that was watching him. "Holy shit..." he gasped in disbelief, before fleeing along with the others to the Highwind.

~fin~

 **Author's note:** _This will probably be the last chapter until the new year, as I'll be doing quite a bit of holiday traveling. See you all in 2017!_


	62. Plans are Hatched

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 62: Plans are Hatched**

 **by Desha**

It was a scramble to reach the Highwind. The violent tremors were constant now, and finding solid footing was difficult, even for Reno. Somehow, though, everyone made it before the cavern began to collapse in on itself. That, however, wasn't the end of their problems.

"Get us out of here!" Rufus ordered, having to shout over the combined din of the nearby cave-in and the panic amongst the crew. The Highwind's turbines picked up speed, whining loudly in the chaos just as Reno and Rude had hauled the last of their company aboard. The redhead glanced back towards the crater... only to freeze.

It was looking at him. The creature from the wall. Somehow it seemed even _bigger_ now, dwarfing the airship as it stood up from it's rocky prison, deep blue flesh glistening in the frosty air. It gave the Highwind what Reno could only describe as a dismissive glare before taking flight itself. He watched it, eyes wide, as it landed far out to sea and vanished beneath the waves.

"What the _hell_ is that thing?" he asked, still watching the distant point, wondering if it would be coming back.

"Don't think _that_ one's the one we need to worry about right now..." Rude commented. It was one of the few times Reno could remember hearing real fear in his friend's voice, and he turned slowly, not entirely certain he wanted to know what _else_ might be threatening them.

His eyes fell on what, for a brief moment, he thought was simply part of the crater wall that had been thrust upward when the creature had made its escape... but then it began to move. Reno slowly lifted his gaze, jaw dropping at what he saw.

This one was even larger than the first, with a great, dragon-like head and armored plates enveloping its body. The thing's clawed hands reached out towards them as it towered over the airship.

"... We are _so_ fucked," Reno breathed, though he was fairly certain Rude never heard him. His words were completely drowned out by the creature's ear-splitting roar. The Highwind turned away, fleeing from the threat, just as a massive column of what looked like mako energy erupted from the crater. The creature, too, fled from it, it's departure rocking the airship violently.

"Reno!" Elena's voice cried out, and he turned just in time to see her go down as the deck tilted wildly. He dove for her, hand clamping around her wrist and pulling her to safety. The bartender wasn't quite so fortunate. Tifa also fell, the angle of the deck sending her sliding toward the edge. She was saved from plummeting by the railing, but she hit hard and lay motionless as the airship gradually began to steady itself. Reno gripped Elena tighter, pulling her protectively into his lap as they waited for things to settle.

"You alright?" Rude's voice asked, and the redhead glanced up to find him looking down at the pair of them.

"I'm fine," Elena replied, somewhat shakily, "I thought I was going over for a second there, though..."

There was a loud, rending sound, and all three of them turned back toward the crater just in time to see several more huge objects shoot out from its center as a wall of energy closed around the opening.

"Someone wanna tell me what the _fuck_ is goin' on?" Reno asked, looking pointedly at his partner. Rude shook his head.

"Nothing good."

* * *

"I don't like this..." Reno muttered, "I get that you wanna find out what they know, but I don't like the idea of puttin' you alone in a room with any of those Avalanche fucks. Let _us_ handle this... It's what you pay us for."

Rufus didn't turn away from the window... He simply continued to gaze out at the deceptively calm ocean. They'd been back in Junon for four days now, and already the creature they'd seen disappear into the water had attacked three times. The base had, thus far, managed to fend it off, but the most recent attack had been a very close thing. The Weapon – as Hojo had deemed the creatures – had very nearly breached the bay. If it had gotten much closer, it would have put the underwater reactor at risk... and without the reactor, the base was all but defenseless.

It was only a matter of time before it came back.

There were five of them out there, as far as they'd been able to determine. The soldiers in the Junon garrison had taken to calling the one that seemed fixated on the base "Sapphire" for it's deep blue coloring. The naming convention had been extended to the others as well. "Emerald" Weapon, for example, had first been seen swimming deep in the ocean trenches by the reactor personnel... though it seemed content to leave the facility alone for the time being. And there were reports of a blood-red creature inhabiting the desert area near the Gold Saucer. Though no one from Shinra had yet laid eyes on it, Rufus had been quick to nickname it "Ruby". "Diamond" Weapon had appeared briefly near the southern islands, and just as quickly vanished.

The lone exception to the naming scheme was the fifth... the draconian Weapon that had very nearly sent the Highwind tumbling from the sky. No one had seen it since the day the Weapons had first appeared, but its intimidating visage had led to most of those who had been present on the airship to refer to it as "Ultimate" Weapon. The name had, unfortunately, in Rufus' opinion, stuck.

"You think I can't manage him on my own?" the President responded at last. "I can understand you objecting to me speaking to Strife, given your paranoia-induced expectation of violence, but Wallace is hardly comparable. And as Strife seems to have taken his leave from the group, that uncouth slum rat with the machine gun for an arm appears to be their de facto leader. It seems only fitting I speak to him at least _once_ face to face, given that I intend to lay the blame on him and his little girlfriend for _that_."

He nodded to the window, and the Turk stole a quick glance up at the sky where an ominous body loomed. It had been growing larger by the day. Sephiroth's Meteor. Hojo had calculated that it would arrive in perhaps another three to four weeks... though even _he_ admitted that was only an estimate. But when it finally did... there would be little, if anything, anyone could do to stop it. Not that they weren't planning on trying, of course... but the odds were decidedly against them.

Their best bet was likely to confront the source of the problem... but Sephiroth had walled himself away in the northern crater, an impenetrable shield of mako energy surrounding the entire area. Scarlet was already at work with personnel in Junon, and her own teams back in Midgar, developing on a way to break through... and in fact, most of the base was already murmuring that they'd heard that the mechanical units had been ordered to prepare the base's cannon for transport under her supervision.

Meanwhile, Heidegger – and Palmer, of all people – had been tasked with a backup plan of sorts. Palmer, in a rare instance of not being entirely useless, had pointed out that the Shinra No. 26 in Rocket Town was still functional. Heidegger, in an equally rare moment of intelligent discourse, had brought up Scarlet's Huge Materia weapon and wondered aloud whether or not it could be modified into a bomb of sorts that might break up the astral body closing in on them. They would both be leaving for Rocket Town in a few days.

It was a pleasantly refreshing moment of competence for them all... though Rufus had his doubts that it would last.

The general public, meanwhile, was scared and restless... and the giant rock up in the sky that was getting closer by the hour wasn't exactly comforting. Thus Rufus had opted to follow in his father's footsteps and pin the blame on Avalanche. Two of them, at any rate. Barret Wallace and Tifa Lockheart were the only original members remaining... and they had the added benefit of having already had their faces plastered across the local TV channels in Midgar, thanks to the former-President's previous attempt at scapegoating them.

"The son of a bitch has a fuckin' gun surgically grafted to his fuckin' arm. We can't exactly disarm him, sir," Reno replied dryly, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Tseng would outright forbid it, and you know it. If you're expectin' me to ignore everything he's taught me and just give in on shit like this, you're gonna be waitin' a long time."

Rufus shot him an irritated glare. "Tseng's prized pupil," he muttered. "Oh, very well. Have it your way, then. I doubt it would have been an especially intelligent conversation anyway. And we have more important things to argue over than the minutia of etiquette."

"What do you want us to do with the rest of 'em?" Reno asked, and the President was quite certain he detected a note of relief in the redhead's voice.

"Find out what you can from them, and turn them lose. Kill them if you think they'll be a problem. I would prefer to do this _without_ unnecessary bloodshed, but if they insist upon it, I'm more than willing to give it to them."

Reno nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir."

"Well? Don't you have work to do?" Rufus queried, raising an eyebrow.

* * *

Clearly dismissed, Reno slipped from the office and down the hall, already making plans in his head. He'd have Rude and Elena handle interviewing the terrorists. He was immensely grateful that Rufus hadn't put up a fight over their leader. Tseng would have killed him if he'd allowed such a meeting to take place, given recent events... but for once, that thought had been of secondary importance to him. Temporary Turk leader or not, Rufus' safety was his primary responsibility now. Up until recently, his role had always been firmly centered around his fellow Turks and keeping them in one piece so they could _all_ continue to do their jobs. It was taking some time to adjust to the change... and if he was being honest, he wasn't entirely sure how well he was doing at it. He had so _much_ information coming at him from all directions since they'd returned to Junon, sometimes he couldn't remember if he was coming or going.

He'd even forgotten Ward's mandated medication twice now... though, thankfully, it didn't seem to have made _that_ much of a difference. It probably wasn't something he should be making a habit of, though... and Ward would have his head if she found out he'd been skipping doses, intentionally or not.

It was strange, he realized as he stepped aboard the elevator, that even though Tseng had been training him as his successor for years now, the true weight of that role had failed to make much of an impact upon him until it had suddenly become a reality. He had, of course, been in command before... but this time was different. Tseng's injuries were serious and would require a lengthy recovery. He might _never_ fully recover... which meant that until he was well enough for a full evaluation, his position in the Turks was somewhat questionable. Temporary leadership could easily become permanent if Ward failed to clear him for active duty once he healed. Reno didn't like thinking about it... but it _was_ a possibility. Even though he hoped it wouldn't come to that, he had to be prepared for it.

Of course, if they didn't do something about that Ifrit-forsaken rock, it wouldn't matter anyway.

The elevator chimed and released him into the administration building's lobby. First things first... he hadn't eaten yet and it was nearly ten in the morning. Breakfast was the first order of business, before his mind began to cloud and his attention started to waver from hunger. Then he would get Elena and Rude started on debriefing the members of Avalanche.

Well... most of them. Tifa had taken a much harder hit than anyone had realized. She was _still_ unconscious in the base's medical facility. Barret spent a good deal of his time sitting with her, and the others came and went frequently as well. Even Rude occasionally poked his head in to check on her... when he was certain he wouldn't encounter any of her decidedly protective allies in the process. Apparently his partner still had a little bit of a crush on the woman, despite his claims to the contrary.

As Reno made his way across the lobby, he felt the all-too-familiar sensation of being watched. He frowned slightly and subtly turned his gaze in the direction that seemed most likely to be the source. His gaze was met by another, and he stopped in his tracks, arms folded over his chest.

"Tch... Security's s'posed to be keepin' you guys _outta_ this building," he muttered.

"I thought we might talk briefly. Without risking my allies intruding on the conversation." He stood, brushing aside the long red cloak that enveloped him and calmly approached the redhead.

"Vincent, right?" Reno replied and the man nodded. "So what's so important?"

"Curiosity, mostly. And something of a more personal nature. I've been watching you. You're new at this, and it shows."

The redhead scowled indignantly. "I've been Turk for over ten years... I'm definitely not 'new at this'."

Vincent barked a quiet laugh. "I meant at running things. I wasn't around for the encounter with Sephiroth at the Temple of the Ancients, but I heard what happened. Did your commander survive?"

Reno eyed him somewhat suspiciously, wondering what the man's interest was in Tseng. "Why?"

"Because whether this is a permanent promotion for you, or just temporary is relevant to me... I have a favor to ask, and want to know if I'm asking the right person."

He studied the stranger for a moment, trying to gauge his intentions... and to his surprise, found him to be thoroughly unreadable. But for whatever reason – and even Reno couldn't say why, precisely – he opted for an honest answer to the question.

"... I don't know if it's permanent or not. Tseng is alive. Whether or not he they let him back in the field once he's healed up is still up for debate. Sephiroth really did a number on him."

"I see," Vincent replied, a thoughtful look on his face. "I suppose that's permanent enough, then. I have a score to settle with one of the company's employees. Hojo, specifically."

"Tch... Not that I've got a whole lot of affection for that lunatic, but what makes you think I'd be willin' to help you out?"

Not that there was much he'd be able to do anyway. Hojo had slipped away, unnoticed, in the chaos of their frenzied arrival in Junon four days ago. No one had seen him since. And he'd long since ditched the tracking device he and Elena had planted on him back in Costa del Sol. He was in the wind... and Reno wasn't particularly upset about it. He could do without having to keep an eye on the creepy scientist... or ordering Rude or Elena to do so, which was almost worse than taking on that duty himself.

"Because I'm asking this as one Turk to another... though my own career ended some time ago, thanks to that madman."

Reno blinked in surprise. If the guy was trying to bullshit him, it was a strange way to go about it. Vincent couldn't possibly have been _that_ much older than the redhead was himself. Certainly no older than Tseng. If he'd been a Turk at one time or another, surely they'd have crossed paths. And besides which... there weren't any 'former' Turks out there. Turks typically didn't get the opportunity to retire.

"You wouldn't remember me," he said, apparently reading Reno's thoughts. "You said yourself... you've only been a Turk for ten years. And... I don't exactly look my age. Something _else_ I have Hojo to thank for."

Reno snorted softly in disbelief. The whole idea was laughable. Though if he was making it up, he was certainly committed to the lie... The redhead couldn't detect even the faintest hint of deceit in the man. "Yeah? You were a Turk, huh... Alright. Convince me."

* * *

Tseng frowned as Ward prodded the sole of first his left foot, and then his right, with a needle. The left was perfectly normal... but on the right, while he could feel the pressure of her efforts, the sensation was faint. He had no trouble moving the limb, but... something wasn't quite right. It had taken him some time to realize just how little feeling he had in it. As soon as he had, he'd told the doctor.

"Is there anything you can do?"

"For Shiva's sake, Tseng... I told yeh, this is going ta take time. Yer _not_ going ta be back on yer feet in a week. Or two weeks. Or even a month. Not even with mako therapy helping yeh along. Yer lucky ta even be breathing."

"I'm perfectly aware of that. What I want to know is whether or not there is anything you can _do_ about this particular symptom."

Ward rolled her eyes and moved to stand at the side of the Turk leader's bed. "Yeh were impaled, Tseng. And not just impaled... nearly gutted. There's some nerve damage... and unfortunately, we probably won't know the full extent of that damage for awhile yet. And no matter how treatable it is, it's going ta require physical therapy, which yer in no shape ta be starting right now. So there's no sense in arguing with me over it."

"Your bedside manner leaves much to be desired, Justinia..." he replied, eyes narrowing. The doctor shook her head.

"Would yeh prefer I simply showered yeh in platitudes and told yeh everything will be fine whether I have any evidence ta back that claim up or not?" she asked, crossing her arms huffily. Tseng looked away, chastised. Direct as she could be, he much preferred to hear her honest assessment.

"No."

"Good. Now... Don't yeh go taking that ta mean I'm giving up on yeh. I have no intention of seeing yeh retire before _I_ do. But yer going ta have ta be patient. It's not going ta be an easy recovery this time, and rushing things will only end up setting yeh back." Ward took a seat on the edge of the bed, and gently gripped his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am..." Tseng replied, the faint hint of a smile on his lips. This was the reason he like Ward. She took her patients' recoveries personally. Behind that acerbic, no-nonsense veneer, she was one of the most dedicated and caring physicians he'd ever encountered, and he had always counted himself fortunate to be under her care... even when she viciously berated him for not always following medical advice. It was also why, when he'd taken over as leader, he'd requested that she be designated as the Turks primary medical contact, and trusted her enough to give her the final say as to whether or not one of his own – or he himself – was fit for duty. She'd become invaluable to them all over the years.

"Yeh know... between _yeh_ and that redhead of yers, I'll be surprised if I even _make_ it ta retirement without losing my fool mind. Odin forbid he and Elena start in on a family before then. I don't think my old heart could take the stress of having ta wrangle miniature Turks-in-training in addition ta the rest of yeh," she said teasingly.

"Would I be out of line if I requested to accompany you into retirement before that happens? I'm not certain mine could take it, either," Tseng chuckled.

* * *

"So... Lemme see if I got this straight," Reno said, gesturing towards Vincent with his fork. He'd opted to kill two birds with one stone, and conduct the first of his interviews over his far-too-late breakfast. "You want me to believe that you were a Turk. Over thirty years ago. And that you haven't aged a fucking day _since_ then, because of somethin' Hojo did to you."

"Yes," his dining companion replied, simply.

"... Riiiiight." Reno shoved a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, running through the man's story again as he chewed. He was skeptical... but at the same time, at least _some_ of the details meshed with things he'd heard from Tseng. And from Veld.

He very clearly remembered the former Turk leader cautioning him on more than one occasion to watch himself around Hojo... because the man was so untouchable that he'd once killed a Turk and convinced the board to make the whole thing disappear. He'd always sort of thought it was just Veld's way of keeping the rookies from getting into too much trouble where the scientist was concerned... or at the very least, a highly exaggerated recounting of a much more mundane series of events.

And yet... This 'Vincent Valentine' certainly knew an awful lot _about_ the Turks. Far more than the average denizen of Midgar... More than most Shinra employees, for that matter. One way to be certain, though... he'd have Rude run the name through the company records and pull the asshole's file. Assuming it even existed. In the mean time, however... he had to admit to a certain amount of curiosity.

"So answer me this. Seein' as you're very obviously not... ya know... dead... why'd you never come back?"

Vincent looked away briefly, and for a moment, Reno saw real hurt in his eyes.

"I was ashamed. I allowed myself to be played a fool by that narcissistic egomaniac, and it cost me my mission and very nearly my life," he replied, "And for awhile, at least, I believe I _was_ , in fact, very near death. When I finally _did_ recover enough to free myself from the prison Hojo had left me in, I wanted nothing more to do with my past. More than anything else, though, it was the guilt of not being able to save... someone I cared about."

 _That_ struck a nerve. He knew well what it was like to live with the fear of being helpless to save Elena... And he tried very hard _not_ to let himself think about what it would be like to actually lose her. This Vincent was perhaps even better than Rude at hiding what was on his mind... but this was something Reno was intimately familiar with. He wasn't lying. Not about _that_ , at any rate.

"Let's say I'm actually startin' to buy into this. What is it you want from me? Hojo's long gone. Flew the coop soon as we touched down, far as anyone's been able to tell... Even if I wanted to hand him over to ya, I couldn't. I don't have him," the redhead said.

Vincent leaned forward, fingers steepled. "He's gone for now... but he'll surface again. He's too obsessed with his experiment not to. And when he does, I want him to die. By your hand, or by mine... I don't really care. Should you or your Turks come across him before I do..."

Reno smirked. "Might have to take a request like _that_ up with the President himself instead of his hired guns."

"You won't do it, then?" Vincent asked, pointedly.

"... Didn't say _that_. I have a feeling Rufus wouldn't mind seein' that particular thorn in our side eliminated after what he pulled back at the crater. Assuming I'm not specifically asked _not_ to kill the bastard... I got no problem makin' sure doesn't walk away from it if we happen to cross paths."

* * *

"Reno?" The redhead rubbed his eyes and yawned before glancing toward tempting silhouette framed by the open door. "Come to bed. You're exhausted."

"I'm buried in reports, is what I fucking am..." he sighed, but obligingly shoved the folder he was currently flipping through aside. It was endless. Everything from Junon security reports, to up-to-date information from Midgar, to Rude's daily intelligence briefings. Not to mention the witness statements from every crew member of the Highwind present that the northern crater, the files they'd retrieved from Nibelhiem, and a rather lengthy list of requests from both Scarlet _and_ Heidegger. "How the _fuck_ does Tseng stay on top of all this shit? Every time I look up, there's a new one..."

Elena smiled and slipped onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, and capturing his lips before any further complaints made it out. "Worry about it in the morning," she whispered, her breath warm against his cheek. The redhead grinned and let his hand trail along her hip and to her waist before diving expertly beneath the fabric of her shirt to continue its journey upward. She was right... it was late, and he _should_ get to bed... though at the moment, sleep wasn't quite what he had in mind.

She squirmed slightly as he caressed the ticklish spot below her ribs, and then giggled and quickly swatted at the _other_ hand that had suddenly found the buttons of her shirt and was deftly undoing the topmost ones.

"Not here, you pervert! What if someone comes in?"

"Tch... It's almost midnight. Who the hell'd be wanderin' around the admin building this time of night?"

Just as the words left his lips, however, the sound of a throat clearing brought his attention back around to the door. Elena squeaked in surprise, and all but jumped to her feet, smoothing out her uniform and frantically trying to re-close the buttons her lover had undone.

"Hmph... Relax. It's just me," Rude snickered.

"You ever heard of knockin'?" he said, sourly.

"Ever heard of closing the door before you start feeling up your girlfriend?" he shot back, smirking. He strode into the room, brandishing a folder, and Reno groaned.

"Not another one..."

"This is the employee file _you_ asked for. There really _was_ a Turk by the name of Vincent Valentine back in the day. Went missing thirty-five years ago on a long-term security detail in Nibelheim. Presumed dead, no details as to what happened. Whole incident report's missing, in fact. And check out the ID photo."

The redhead flipped the folder opened and blinked in surprise at the sight of the photograph paperclipped inside the cover. There was no mistaking the fact that the man in the picture looked identical to the main claiming to be the former-Turk.

"Well... If it's _not_ him, the guy apparently had a twin. Or a kid. Or somethin'."

Rude nodded. "Hard to believe. Of course, he wouldn't be the _only_ Shinra employee to come back from the dead lately... What do we do about him?"

"Nothin', if we don't have to," Reno replied, closing the file. "Far as Shinra's concerned, he's already dead. I'm content to leave him that way, 'long as he doesn't cause problems. Kinda seems like the least we can do for a fellow Turk."

"Agreed. And his... request?"

"Someone shoulda put a bullet or two in Hojo a long time ago. I say long as it doesn't conflict with orders, we do both Valentine _and_ ourselves the favor of endin' him if we get the chance. Either of you two got a problem with that, now's the time to say so."

Elena shook her head. "No objections here," she said, firmly.

"Fine by me, too," Rude chipped in. He hesitated a moment, and then sighed.

"Somethin' else is on your mind... What's up?" Reno asked, recognizing a bombshell when it was imminent.

"The interviews. You know I had Reeve on my half of the list..."

"Yeah..."

"... Found out what happened to Aerith."

" _And_ judgin' by your tone, it's not good news..."

"Doesn't get much worse," he confirmed, "She's dead. Rufus knew. Never said anything to us."

"That asshole..." the redhead muttered, annoyed, "How?"

"Sephiroth. Got her not long after she split from the group, apparently. You want me to help you break it to Tseng?"

Reno shook his head. "Nah... Shit like that's my responsibility now. I'll do it myself." He closed his eyes for a moment as he felt Elena's hands on his shoulders, kneading gently. "In the mornin'," he added, in response to her earlier demand to come to bed. He sighed softly, looking over the pile of papers on the desk. For a temporary office, it certainly had managed to become cluttered in the short time he'd been working there.

"Need a hand getting through those?"

"Oh, dear Ifrit, yes..." he breathed, "I think I've done more readin' this afternoon than I have in the last twenty-six years combined..."

Rude chuckled and gave him a nod.

"I'll see if I can't summarize a few of the longer ones for you tomorrow. Go get some sleep." The bald Turk glanced over his partner's shoulder at Elena and grinned. "Or... not," he teased.

* * *

For a few blissful minutes, he was still just asleep enough that everything was silence and warmth. And then Tseng woke up, and the familiar unyielding pain of injury set his teeth on edge. It was definitely time for more drugs.

This was becoming an unwelcome routine for him of late. The sweet release of unconsciousness followed by the agony of waking, whereupon he was viscerally reminded that though his wounds were _healing_ they were far from _healed_.

And then there was the thirst. It never failed – and he strongly suspected it was related to the painkillers Ward dosed him with every night like clockwork. His mouth was inevitably so dry he'd have sworn that his tongue had turned to dust and disintegrated. Tseng bit back a whimper as he sat up just enough to reach for the glass of water on the table beside his bed. Moving his torso in any way seemed to send arrows of pure fire shooting through his chest and abdomen, but he would not be denied. His fingers closed around the glass, and he pulled it toward him.

"You could just ask someone to hand that to you, ya know..."

Tseng ignored the comment until after he'd drunk deeply from the cup for several seconds.

"I'm fairly certain I would dehydrate first, if I didn't take matters into my own hands," he replied at last, voice somewhat raspy from the lack of moisture. "You're certainly up early."

Reno smirked and slid into the room, shutting the door behind him, and made his way over to the bed. "No I'm not. You're up late. It's almost nine. Vir was here awhile ago, but she didn't wanna wake you. Told me to tell you she'd be back after her morning shift."

Tseng mentally sighed. He hated it when he missed one of Viridia's visits.

"And I get you instead, in the meantime? That seems a rather poor substitute..."

"Ouch," the redhead said, laughing softly. "Careful, Boss... I might start to take your bad mood personally." His smiled faltered a moment later. "But... uh... _this_ time, you might be right about that. Got some bad news."

Reno dragged a chair over to his bedside, and spent far more time than necessary arranging it before taking a seat. Whatever his lieutenant had to tell him, it was, indeed, bad, Tseng realized. The younger man was usually unflinchingly blunt when it came to things like that. It was unusual for him to try and stall in such a manner.

"Just tell me."

He sighed, and glanced up at the injured Turk. "I really don't want to."

"Someone's dead," Tseng stated, easily recognizing the look in his protege's eyes. "Who?"

"... Aerith." The reply was so soft, for a moment Tseng was willing to believe Reno hadn't spoken at all. The moment passed, far too quickly, however, and he felt his chest constricted painfully. He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath.

It wasn't fair. Aerith was kind and caring and beloved by everyone who knew her. And so very young. All those years he'd spent shielding her. It had been for nothing, in the end. He'd failed to protect her... just as he'd failed to protect his own sister.

"Do... you want to know what happened?" Reno's voice hesitantly asked.

"No," he whispered. "A full report later... but not now."

The redhead nodded his understanding. "For what it's worth... they said it was quick. She didn't suffer."

"I presume you have work to do," the Turk leader replied, not actually acknowledging the information.

"Yeah... but I can stick around for awh– "

"Go and see to it. I'll be alright."

"Tseng..."

"Go. Please. I would prefer solitude at the moment."

Reno gave a heavy sigh, and stood. "... 'Kay. Let me know if want some company later, though, huh? I've got plenty of shit to do, but I'll make the time."

He stood and started toward the door, retreating into the hallway and letting the door close behind him. He did his best to ignore the sound of a water glass shattering against the wall that followed his exit.

* * *

"How'd he take it?" a voice behind him suddenly asked as he exited the medical facility. Reno halted, but didn't look back at his partner.

"'Bout as well as you'd expect."

"You didn't _have_ to do it on your own, you know. I would've come."

The redhead smiled faintly, and glanced back over his shoulder. Rude was leaning casually against the wall, partially obscured by the shadows of the building.

"Yeah, I know you woulda. But it's _my_ job to deliver bad news, not yours. 'Sides... You know what he's like. Hates anyone knowing how much he's really hurtin'. Physically or otherwise. Kicked me out pretty quick after I told him," he replied, before turning away and starting off towards the administration building again. Rude pushed away from the wall and fell into stride beside him. "Told Ward why I was there before I went in. She said she'd keep an eye on him."

"You think this is gonna be a repeat of Mayu?"

Reno shrugged. He really had no idea what to expect. Aerith had always been something of a stand-in for Tseng's sister... but more on a metaphorical level than a literal one. He cared about her, certainly, but Reno had always gotten the impression that his desire to protect the young woman was more of an atonement for his failure to protect Mayu than it was Tseng actually regarding her as a replacement for what he'd lost.

But that didn't mean the Turk leader wasn't more than slightly attached to her in much the same way he'd been to his sister... and Mayu's death had come close to shattering the man. The pair lapsed briefly into silence as they made their way across the tarmac.

"Rufus wants Avalanche turned loose and escorted from the base today," the redhead said, changing the subject. "All except the bartender and the asshole, obviously."

"Hmph... Whole thing's a waste of time, if you ask me."

Reno snorted softly. He wholeheartedly agreed... but Rufus wasn't to be talked out of his planned execution. He wanted to do it just as soon as Tifa woke up.

"... You know, I never asked," Rude continued, "Where did you put the guy's kid, anyway?"

" _Fuck_..." Reno groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "I forgot all _about_ her. She's in Kalm. Left her with Talia... but that was s'posed to just be a temporary thing. Great. Now on top of ever fuckin' thing else, I gotta figure out what to do with a soon-to-be orphan. Tch... 'cause I don't have enough shit to handle right now."

"Think Talia would take her on permanently?"

The redhead shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe... but she's got a baby to take care of, too, ya know. Guess I could just kick her back to Elmyra. She was pretty pissed when I took her to begin with. Kinda sucks havin' to ship the kid back to the slums when she just got out of 'em, though."

"Reno! Rude!" Elena shouted, waving at them from the doors of the building. The two men looked at one another in curiosity, previous conversation set aside for the moment, and quickened their pace. "I was just about to call you," she said as they approached. "Rufus wants to see all three of us upstairs. He says he has a job for us."

* * *

Rufus carefully lifted the heavy barrel from the Junon canon model on his desk, looking it over with an appraising eye. Moving the real thing wasn't going to be nearly so simple... but it was the only thing Shinra had in its arsenal that would even have a chance at breaching Sephiroth's barrier around the crater. The military's recent attempts to do so with more conventional means had proven that to him.

He'd dispatched them within hours of his own return, and they'd been at it around the clock ever since... with no progress to be seen. Five days of nothing. In the meantime, Scarlet had her own teams in Midgar, working to outfit the city with a scaffolding to mount the weapon to. Reeve had been brought in – as his robotic spy was no longer needed – to work on rerouting the reactors to power the damned thing.

Under normal circumstances, it would take months to complete a project of this magnitude. But they didn't have months. They would be _lucky_ if they had weeks. He had given the order just minutes ago to begin the process of dismantling the canon and preparing one of the airships to transport it.

He didn't like leaving Junon defenseless... especially with a Weapon out there that seemed to be fixated on targeting the base... but it couldn't be helped. It was the only shot they had at breaking through to Sephiroth, and breaking through to Sephiroth was still their best chance at stopping Meteor's approach.

He hoped.

Frankly, he had no way of knowing what would happen, even if they _did_ put an end to the rogue-Soldier once and for all... which was why he'd summoned the Turks. He had a job for them. A knock echoed against the door to his office and he looked up from the model.

"Enter."

Reno stepped inside, his fellow-Turks in tow.

"'Lena says you've got somethin' for us," he said, for once getting straight to the point, rather than engaging in his usual idiocy. It was actually somewhat disconcerting for the young executive.

"I do," Rufus replied, leaning back in his chair. "Palmer is in Rocket Town, modifying the Shinra No. 26 to destroy that damned rock. Heidegger will be joining him after we've dealt with the execution. They're in need of a payload. You will be retrieving it for them." 

"Can do. What are we after?"

"Huge materia. Scarlet has already examined the Gongaga reactor and found nothing viable... but given the heavy damage, that's not surprising. I want you to check the reactors in Nibelheim, Mt. Corel, and Fort Condor. Materia from the Junon reactor is being extracted as we speak. You will leave immediately."

Reno frowned. "Nibelheim and Corel we can do... but Fort Condor's not gonna be so easy. Those 'rebel' fuckwits are still holed up in there, last I heard. Sneakin' _into_ the reactor we could probably manage without too much trouble. Gettin' back out with a shitload of super-dense materia strapped to our backs is gonna be a problem."

Rufus had already considered that. Fort Condor had been an issue for almost a year now. Had it not been for the reactor, the protestors demanding that the birds nesting on top be protected would have been routed months ago... but while Shinra could certainly have taken the fort with relative ease, doing so without damaging the extraordinarily expensive equipment – not to mention potentially flooding the area with raw mako – was a little trickier. Until now, the plan had simply been to occasionally harass them, but otherwise just wait them out. Either the men and women inside the fort would eventually run out of food, or the blasted eggs would finally hatch and the occupation would be moot.

Now, though... they needed access to that reactor, endangered species be damned.

"See to Nibelheim and Corel first. If we can scrape together enough from those two, we may not need the Fort Condor reactor at all. Troops from Junon will be at your disposal should we find otherwise."

* * *

"Tch... Didn't think we'd be makin' _another_ trip up here so soon," Reno groused, his voices staticy over the headset. He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat, making himself as comfortable as he could. The helicopter's cockpit didn't exactly lend itself well to relaxation.

"So... _everyone_ in Nibelheim works for Shinra?" Elena asked from one of the passenger seats in back. The redhead turned back to look at her and grinned.

"Just about. Wouldn't know it to talk to 'em, though. They're pretty committed to the act. If we weren't in such a rush, me 'n Rude would take ya into town so you could see for yourself."

"... And make her spend the night in the manor?" Rude queried with a smirk. Reno chuckled and turned around to face front again.

"That, too..." he agreed, grinning. Elena unclipped her harness and leaned forward, thrusting herself between the two men.

"What are you two snickering about now?"

"Oh, nothin'..." Reno replied, grin still firmly in place.

"Just a little right of passage we used to put rookies through back in the day..." his accomplice elaborated.

"Ya know... Test their courage a little. See if they can make it through the night in the haunted house without freakin' themselves out."

Elena rolled her eyes and returned to her seat. "First of all..." she said, "I'm not a rookie anymore, remember?"

"Yeah, but you're still the youngest. That makes you fair game..." Reno shot back. She pointedly ignored him.

"And second... there's no such thing as a haunted house."

"Hmph... That's what Reno thought before _he_ had to do it. _He_ only lasted until about two in the morning."

Reno smirked at his partner and flipped him off. " _You're_ one to talk. _You_ ran outta there, tail between your legs, before midnight, ya fuckin' wuss."

"... Only because you, Cissnei, and Tseng tried to murder me in my sleep. Asshole."

The redhead laughed and shook his head. "Hey, me 'n Tseng just played along after the fact. It was all _her_ inside, ya know."

"Who's Cissnei?" Elena asked, curious. Both men suddenly sobered. It was Reno who finally answered.

"... She was Turk. Good one. Probably coulda been one of the best if she'd been around longer. Good friend, too. She got recruited not long after I did. We... lost her about eight years ago."

"... Oh." She stayed silent after that, not sure what else to say. Reno, however, didn't seem quite ready to let the subject drop so quickly.

"You'd've liked her, 'Lena. She was awesome... Right from the start, that kid didn't take shit from _anyone_. She was this tiny little thing compared to most of the rest of us... real quiet, too, for the most part. Not shy at all, just... not in the habit of sayin' the first thing that came to her mind. But she could kick some _serious_ ass. And she was the queen of practical jokes. Even better than _me_. In fact, I usually ended up gettin' blamed for a lot of the shit she pulled 'cause no one ever suspected perfect, poised little Cissnei of anything..."

"So... I guess you and her were... close, then," Elena said, somewhat hesitantly. Reno gave a soft laugh and glanced back at her again.

"Yeah..." he replied, "... but not the way you meant that. Never hooked up with Cissnei. She, uh... kinda had a thing for someone else." His eyes not-so-subtly shifted toward Rude. "Don't think he ever knew, though."

Elena heard a sigh so soft over the headset that at first she thought it was just a burst of static... until Rude chimed in on the conversation.

"... He knew."

The redhead gave him a slightly sad smile before continuing. "'Bout eight years back there was some pretty bad flooding down in the Sector 4 slums. Bad enough Shinra had to actually do somethin' about it, 'cause if they didn't, a whole lotta people were gonna die and that definitely doesn't make for good publicity. Turks got tapped to direct the evacuation into the other sectors and keep people from panickin' too bad. Shit went wrong, and Cissnei got trapped with a group of evacuees. No way to get to 'em in time... Woulda been killed ourselves if we'd tried. By the time we found her..." He swallowed sharply and pulled his gaze back around to the front. "Well, it took almost a week for the water to go down enough to get back in and... some of the critters that live down there aren't too picky about what they eat... so you can imagine. Though I don't recommend it."

"Reactor's up ahead," Rude said, breaking the awkward silence that followed. Elena leaned forward again and peered through the plexiglass windshield at the sharp spires of Mt. Nibel. She could just make out the outline of the reactor nestled between two of the peaks. It was much different than the reactors back in Midgar... but then, it was also much older technology than the state-of-the-art machinery in the city.

"Set us down as close as you can get. That huge materia shit is heavy and I'm not haulin' it any farther than I have to."

Rude snorted contemptuously. "As if _you're_ going to be hauling anything out of there," he teased, "I'm the one who always gets stuck with the heavy lifting."

"Only 'cause you're so much better at it..." the redhead replied, smiling innocently as the helicopter touched down not far from the reactor's entryway. Elena hefted a canvas tool bag and the three of them disembarked, Reno leading the way into the reactor. As they stepped inside, Elena couldn't help but stare in shock. This was nothing like the reactors in Midgar.

For one thing, the back of the room was tiered, with rows of strange, pod-shaped containers. The faint glow from inside told her that they were filled with mako... but beyond that, she had no idea what they might be.

"Probably goes without sayin'... but this shit's highly classified. Nibelheim isn't your average mako reactor."

"What are _those_?" she asked in response.

"Don't know exactly... When _I_ asked, I got told it was some kinda incubation chamber. Another one of Hojo's experiments, of course. Don't touch 'em. In fact, don't even look at 'em funny. Fuck only knows what he's been growin' in there, and personally, I don't think I wanna find out."

Elena and Rude followed him up the stairs and into the main chamber of the reactor. She gazed down into the dark pit of the reactor core, and wondered just how deep Shinra'd had to drill to reach the mako deposits. Reno pointed to a metal door at the far end of the walkway.

"That's were they used to keep Jenova. Come on... we need to go down a ways. Huge materia forms in the compression chamber. We gotta close the main vent first and then put the reactor in low power mode. Then we can go in and see what we've got."

"I-is that safe? I mean... you _do_ know how to do that, right?"

Rude elbowed her gently as he slipped past her on the walkway. "He doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. _I'm_ the one who got briefed on the procedure," he said, chuckling. He reached out and grabbed the redhead by the ponytail, jolting him to a sudden halt with a yelp. "And you have to _open_ the vent. Not close it. Unless you're in the mood to come down with mako poisoning."

"Ya know," Reno said, scowling slightly, as he rubbed the back of his head, "If you're gonna make me look like an idiot in front of my girlfriend, you could at least lay off the _physical_ pain when you do it..."

His partner smirked and took the lead, as Reno tried valiantly to ignore Elena's giggling. They came to a ladder that descended deeper into the well, and Rude hopped on, testing it out. It creaked loudly under his weight.

"Always a promising sound..." Reno muttered. "Uh... 'Lena, maybe you oughta wait up here..." he added, taking the bag of supplies from her and hanging it across his body for the climb down.

Elena frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "You'd better not be implying that this is too dangerous for me..."

"No... I'm _implyin'_ that we should probably have someone up here to haul our asses outta this hole if that ladder breaks. Or at least to be able to go for help. We all get stuck down there, we're pretty much fucked. No one's gonna come lookin' for us any time soon."

He dug through the bag and pulled out a length of rope, holding it out to her. Elena flushed a faint pink as she took it.

"O-oh... Right."

Reno grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Come on, 'Lena... You know I don't think you need _me_ protectin' you from every little thing. You're too tough for that shit."

"So how come you're going down instead of her?" Rude teased, and then let himself slide down the sides of the ladder, disappearing from view before the redhead could answer.

"Fuck you, Rude!" he called down after him, and Elena couldn't help but laugh as he followed suit.

When Reno reached the bottom, he quickly sought out his partner and smacked him, backhanded, in the shoulder.

"What the hell'd you have to go and say _that_ for?" he hissed, keeping his voice down in the huge echo chamber. Rude laughed silently.

"She knew I was kidding."

"Not the point," he replied, unamused. Rude ruffled his friend's hair, and the man's irritated expression deepened. "Quit fuckin' around and let's see if there's anything useful in there."

Rude chuckled quietly. "You know... we both always thought Tseng was just born with no sense of humor. _Now_ I'm starting to think his job sucks it out of you."

"Ha ha," the redhead replied, rolling his eyes. Rude shrugged and twisted a valve near the control panel for the compression chamber. Far above them, there was a loud hissing sound. It went on for several seconds, and when it finally stopped, he keyed in an access code on the panel. It glowed yellow, and then green. As soon as they had the all-clear, Rude moved to the heavy airlock and tried to turn the wheel that opened it, grunting with the effort. It didn't budge, and after a few more tries he abandoned the effort and turned back to his fellow Turk.

"I'm just saying... You've been a little subdued lately. Hand me the crowbar?"

Reno gave a derisive snort and unshouldered the bag he'd brought down, shifting through its contents until he located the requested item, and handed it over.

"Yeah, well... I've got a lot on my mind right now. You have any idea how much shit Tseng has to juggle on a daily basis? And in case you've forgotten, we're _kinda_ tryin' to save the planet from a psychotic lunatic. Plus... ya know... everything else. You'll have to excuse me if entertainin' you isn't my top priority at the moment."

Rude lodged the crow between the spokes of the wheel, giving himself a lever, and hauled back on it, hard. It didn't so much as squeak. He backed off and shook his head.

"When's the last time anyone was down here?" he asked, somewhat incredulously.

"No idea," Reno replied. "Here... I'll give ya hand. Maybe between the two of us we can move it."

"Doubt it... It's rusted shut. Wait here... Think there's something in the helicopter's tool kit that might help."

"Careful on that fuckin' ladder..." he called after him. Rude nodded and headed back toward the entrance, leaving the redhead alone by the compression chamber. The redhead eyed wheel, and glanced back toward the ladder. His partner was already halfway up. "Tch... can't be _that_ stuck..." he said softly to himself, gripping the crowbar and straining hard against it.

Nothing... It was if he were pushing against the mountain itself. He repositioned the crowbar so that he could brace it against his shoulder, and pushed hard, but it was no use. It wasn't moving.

"No way am I lettin' a fuckin' _door_ beat me."

Reno moved the crowbar a second time, so that he could apply downward pressure to turn the wheel. He reached for the top of the frame and pulled himself up until he was standing on the makeshift lever, slowly letting it take his full weight. With a frown, he bounced slightly, but found that there was absolutely no give to it.

"Ah, come on... You gotta be kiddin' me..." he groaned. Determine to make at least some progress before Rude returned, he jumped... and with a loud crack of rust giving way, and a sharp squeal, the wheel finally turned a fraction of an inch.

"Ha!" he cried, triumphantly.

* * *

"What's that?" Elena asked, curious, as Rude returned to the reactor well with whatever it was he'd gone to search for aboard the helicopter.

"Aerosol lubricant... cuts through rust. Figured it might unstick that door for us."

"Ha!" Reno's voice echoed up from below, a pleased note in it. Shortly thereafter, however, came a surprised yelp, followed by a metallic squeal, a thud, and a few moments later, a loud clattering and the sound of the redhead swearing. The pair of Turks looked at one another, both wondering the same thing.

"... What do you think he's done now?" Rude asked.

Elena shook his head. "Unless he's hurt, I don't even want to know," she said with quiet snicker. Rude snorted in laughter and headed down the ladder without another word. By the time he reached him, the redhead was picking himself up off the floor, though he paused when he spotted his partner walking toward him.

"... Door's open," Reno stated, rubbing his forehead just above his right eye. When he moved his hand, Rude noticed a long scrape, and the faint bluish hue of a bruise already forming.

"The phrase 'using your head' really isn't meant to be taken literally. You alright?"

"Yeah... Just... Don't ask."

Rude shrugged. "Guess we don't need this now..." He tucked the can of lubricant into the bag at his feet and then made his way to the door, turning the wheel the rest of the way and pushing it inward.

"Jackpot," Reno stated, peering around his fellow-Turk, and Rude couldn't exactly disagree. The crystal was massive. Easily three feet long, and nearly as wide around as Reno's waist. It glowed a soft green and the natural facets of the stone sent pinpricks of light dancing across the interior of the chamber. They stepped closer to it, and it reacted with a rhythmic, almost throbbing, flicking. Rude lifted it, grunting loudly with the effort and almost immediately had to set it back down again.

"This is gonna take both of us," he breathed in shock. He'd been told that the stuff was incredibly dense... but for Odin's sake, that crystal weighed more than _he_ did. Reno took up a position opposite him.

"On three..." he agreed.

"Three," Rude replied, lifting again, and his partner struggled to take on the excess weight. Between the two of them, they managed to shuffle their way out of the chamber and down the walkway, finally depositing their load next to the ladder.

"I don't get paid enough for shit like this..." Reno griped, pressing his hands into his lower back and stretching with a look of dramatic pain etched on his features. Rude chuckled at the display of feigned discomfort.

"If you're done, we still need to get this thing up _there_..."

"Hey! 'Lena! Toss that rope down here, will ya?"

"Coming down!" came the disembodied reply from above them. A few seconds later the end of the rope dropped, coiling at their feet. They spent the next few minutes securing their prize to it.

Rude moved to start the climb up the ladder, but the redhead stopped him, holding him back and smirking mischievously.

"'Kay, haul it up!" he shouted to the Turk waiting for them on the upper walkway. Both men snickered as the rope went taut for several seconds and then slacked off again.

"Very funny, Reno!" Elena called back.

* * *

"Sir..."

Rufus looked up from his present task... signing several approvals for supplies to be transferred from Junon to Midgar. His eyes fell on the sight of the base's security chef. She didn't wait to be invited in.

"The reactor lookout just notified us that Sapphire Weapon has been sighted again."

The young executive bit down on a particularly unbecoming response to that news and forced himself to reply with restraint.

"Is it preparing to attack?" he asked.

"They're not certain, sir," Viridia replied. "Right now, it's just... circling. It comes in just close enough that they can pick it up on radar, and then swims back out to sea. Every two hours since around midnight last night, like clockwork."

Rufus' eyes narrowed angrily. "And I'm just _now_ hearing about this?"

"It's staying just at the edge of radar range, sir... They weren't certain what it was at first, so they sent a sub out to watch for it."

The President scowled and shoved aside his work. "What's it up to now?" he muttered, more to himself than to his security chief.

"Sir, I know moving the cannon is necessary... but it's going to leave Junon largely defenseless against that creature. If it attacks once it's gone... we'll be wiped out."

"Then we'll wait," he said, firmly.

"Sir?"

"The scaffolding in Midgar won't be ready for another week. Have the crews stop prepping the cannon. We'll keep it operational until the last possible second. In the meantime, order all of our personnel prepare to evacuate. We'll empty the base of all non-essential personnel just before we move the cannon."

He didn't like simply abandoning the military installation – not to mention its reactor – to the mercy of that _thing_ , but there was little else to be done. As Lieutenant Commander Nacelle had rightly said, without the cannon, Junon was a sitting duck... but the cannon _needed_ to be relocated.

And if that meant sacrificing the rest of the facility, Shinra Company would just have to eat the loss.

~fin~


	63. Weapon Attacks

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 63: Weapon Attacks**

 **by Desha**

Tseng flinched at the sudden brightness that assailed him as Viridia threw wide the curtains that, up until now, had been blocking out the entirely-too-bright morning sun. He'd been awake for hours... but had demanded that the medical staff leave the room darkened. He wasn't feeling especially cheery at present, and frankly he didn't care to be reminded that, outside, it was shaping up to be a warm and pleasant day.

"Which part of 'leave them closed' was I unclear about?" he all but growled at her.

"Oh, it was all perfectly clear. I'm just ignoring you," she responded, smiling sweetly. She tugged open the second set of curtains as well. "Now... isn't that better?"

"No. I can honestly say it's not." He glared coldly. All he really wanted right now was to be left to his own thoughts. When he was ready for company, he would damn well ask for it.

Viridia sighed and took a seat by his bed. "Snarl at me all you like Tseng. Just know that when you finally get out of here, I expect a full apology and flowers. Roses. Yellow ones. And maybe some lilacs. In the meantime, you're not just going to sit here and brood."

"I am most assuredly not _brooding_."

"Hmm... Of course you're not. That's why you're glaring a hole in the wall," she said, taking his hand, and gently clasping it in her own. "Reno told me what happened to your friend."

Tseng made a soft sound of annoyance and pulled his hand out of her grip.

"He's worried," she added.

"Ah... I see. You're here to ensure I don't drive myself mad with guilt as Reno is apt to do. I can assure you, I have not spontaneously developed his penchant for the over-dramatic..." He folded his arms over his chest, ignoring the painful twinge from his wounds at the movement, and looked away from her.

" _That_ may be the closest thing to an unkind word I've ever heard you say about Reno... and he'd be hurt to know that's what you really think of him."

Tseng's scowl deepened, but he didn't attempt to defend himself. Of _course_ that wasn't what he really thought of the younger Turk. And there was certainly nothing 'over-dramatic' about Reno's reaction to recent events. Anyone would have had a hard time coming to terms with something like Sector 7... particularly when they alone triggered it.

"He'll be alright..." he said quietly.

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

"I'm in no mood for amateur psychoanalysis, Viridia..." Tseng replied, but, by then, his tone had softened. "But... you've made your point. That does _not_ mean I require constant supervision, however."

"Hmph... And just what makes you think I want to sit with your oh-so-pleasant-to-be-around self all day long, anyway?" she asked, with a hint of teasing in her voice. She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Why can't you just admit it?"

Tseng turned, at last, to look at her, an incredulous expression on his face. "Admit what?" he asked, confused.

"That you're upset," Viridia stated, "We all _know_ it's eating you alive, so stop trying to pretend you're fine. You're angry that you're stuck in bed while your little Turklings are out there doing Shiva only knows what to try and save us all from the mess we've gotten ourselves into..."

He pointedly rolled his eyes at the word 'Turklings'. She'd started playfully referring to his subordinates as such on occasion years ago... but the childishness of it never ceased to irritate him, and she knew it.

"... You're angry that the girl you tried to protect ended up dead and there was nothing you could do to stop it," she continued, ignoring his disdain, "And, I think more than anything else, you're absolutely _furious_ that all you _can_ doright now is lay there and dwell on it."

"And I don't have the right to be?!" he shouted, nearing the end of his tolerance.

"Well, if you're going to start yelling at _me_ , too, then you'd better plan on making itan apology, flowers, _and_ dinner."

He looked away from her. Angry or not, what right did he have to take it out on her? Viridia wasn't the cause of this disaster. If anything, she was the one bright point he could still see in it all.

"Tseng..." Viridia said, her voice gentle, but her tone serious. "... be angry. But stop trying so hard to hide it that you lose yourself to it."

They sat in relative silence for a time after that... Tseng mulling over her words, and Viridia giving him the solitude he needed to do so without actually leaving him on his own. She was, he eventually concluded, correct. What bothered him most was not the events themselves that had brought them to this point... but rather his own inability to prevent any of it from happening. And it was only going to get worse. His Turks were out there, on their own... without him. If he'd been physically capable of doing so, he'd have dragged himself out of this Leviathan-forsaken bed and taken back his command, rather than forcing it upon Reno.

He could still starkly remember the first few weeks after _he'd_ taken over the Turks. It had been overwhelming... Terrifying, really. Even after years of being groomed for the role, he'd been thoroughly convinced he was in over his head. He'd lost track of just how many times he'd quietly wished it was all a dream and he would wake up and Veld would be back in his office. But, of course, that had never happened.

And _he_ hadn't been dealing with other problems at the time.

He imagined that Reno was going through the same nameless terror and self-doubt he so accurately remembered. There had been a certain feeling of finality and dread when _Tseng_ had taken over... but if he had anything to say about it, he'd be taking that mantle back just as soon as he could convince Ward he was able to, and Reno almost certainly knew that. But the redhead would also be aware that it could be months before that happened... and until then, he _was_ effectively the Turks' commanding officer. Tseng wasn't dead... but he might as well have been, for all the good he was to the team at the moment.

And then there was Aerith. He'd turned down Reno's offer of details, but now he found himself wanting know know what had happened... where he'd failed her. If there was anything... anything all all... he could have done to save her. A part of him prayed that there wasn't. He could have saved Mayu if he'd acted, and failing to do so had destroyed him. As selfish as it was, he couldn't help but hope that Aerith had been a lost cause from the start... because the alternative was much too painful to consider.

He must have fallen into a doze, because some time later, he was awakened by footsteps moving away from his bed. It took him a moment to rouse himself enough to recognize Viridia's retreating form, and he realized that she almost certainly had to leave for her next shift by now.

"Roses and lilacs?" he called after her, raising his head minutely off the pillow. Viridia paused and glanced back, smiling.

" _Yellow_ roses and lilacs."

* * *

By the time they set down in Rocket Town, the sun was setting. Dragging that Ifrit-be-damned chunk of materia out of the reactor well had taken over an hour, and all three of them pulling for all their were worth. Reno hoped the Corel reactor would be a little more cooperative. It _ought_ to have been... Corel was where huge materia had first been discovered to begin with, and he knew for a fact that there had been a crane system installed for just that purpose several years back. That, and the train that had once carried workers to and from the site – before Shinra had razed the town and automated the entire facility – he hoped would make their job a whole lot easier the second time around.

As Rude was shutting down the helicopter's engine, the redhead spotted Palmer bounding towards them as fast as his fat little legs could carry him. Apparently, he'd been eagerly awaiting their arrival. A small contingent of ground troops trailed behind him, and Reno offered a silent 'thank you' to whatever deity may have been listening that they weren't expected to haul their load any further than they already had.

"Did you find it? How much is there?" Palmer exclaimed excitedly as the Turks disembarked.

"We found it," Reno replied, motioning to the cargo space in the back of the craft. Elena slid open the door, revealing the crystal.

"Outstanding!" the head of the space program cried, clapping his hands together in delight. He waved the soldiers forward and watched as they collected the materia and carried it off towards the rocket looming over the town. "When will you be leaving for the Corel reactor?"

"First thing in the mornin', sir," said Reno. "All goes well, we should be back with whatever we find sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, good. Good, good. We'll be waiting. Now... to get this installed in my rocket!"

Reno shook his head, vaguely amused, as Palmer scurried off after the materia, leaving them to themselves.

"Well, _he_ was a little excited," Elena commented when he was out of sight.

"Tch... This is probably the most useful the guy's felt in years..." He turned to Rude. "Mind puttin' us up for the night, partner?"

"Hmph... My house is your house," he chuckled in response, and slung an arm over his friend's shoulders. Rude grinned slightly and pulled Elena in with the other arm. "As long as you two behave yourselves and don't keep me up all night..."

"What?" the redhead asked leering slightly, "You don't like hearin' 'Lena scream my name? _I_ do..."

"Ugh... Would you just –" Elena began, but paused mid-sentence, and smirked. "You know what? Forget it. I'm not going to give you the satisfaction this time. You just go ahead and make all the jokes you want."

Reno blinked in surprise. "I... You..." He glared at her. "Tch... It's no _fun_ when you don't get all embarrassed."

Rude snickered loudly and led them down the main street of the little town, turning off when they neared the outskirts and walking up the path to the little two-story cottage. The bald Turk ushered them inside, turning on the lights and dragging the sheets he hadn't bothered removing on his previous visit off of the furniture in the living room.

"So... outta curiosity..." Reno began, "You keepin' this place or what? Been sittin' empty for awhile now."

Rude shrugged. "I don't know." H hesitated a moment before continuing. "Not a whole lot of reason to, I guess. Not like I'm ever moving back here."

He turned away from the pair, haphazardly folding one of the sheets, before sighing and tossing it onto the small pile of coverings he'd left on the floor.

"I'll be back in a little while. If we want to eat tonight, I need to run to the market. Didn't leave anything behind when we stayed here before."

The other two Turks watched him as he drifted past them and back out the door without another word.

"Is it me... or did he seem a little uncomfortable?" Elena asked.

"Heh... Trust me, it's not you. Doubt he's real thrilled to be back here again so soon. Bad memories 'n shit, ya know? I keep suggesting that he sell the place, but... I don't think he's quite ready to let it go yet."

"Because of his dad?"

Reno shook his head. "Nah... 'cause of his mom. From what he's told me... which frankly isn't much, 'cause Rude does _not_ like to talk about it... this place was her dream. Perfect job, perfect home, perfect family. Then it all kinda blew up. Literally."

"What do you mean, 'literally'?" she queried, and Reno could hear the note of morbid curiosity in her voice.

"One of Shinra's fuckin' rockets exploded. With her in it. Nothin' was ever quite the same between Rude and his dad after that. He doesn't want to get rid of this place 'cause of her... but he doesn't want to actually _come_ here 'cause of him. So it just kinda sits in limbo for the most part. Personally, I think he'd be better off if he got rid of it."

He reached for her, and pulled her over to the couch, settling her on his lap and grinning.

"Ya know... Between me, Rude, and Tseng, the Turks are probably the sorriest bunch of fucked up assholes on the planet," he said, snickering. "You're about as normal as we get, I think... and even _you_ have that whole romance novel addiction thing goin'..."

"You're _seriously_ comparing my reading habits to _your_ issues?" she teased.

"Hey, I may be a mess, but at least I admit I'm a mess. _You're_ still convinced readin' that trash isn't a major psychological problem."

Even though he was clearly joking around, Elena leaned back an looked at him, a serious expression on her face. "You're _not_ a mess."

Reno had to laugh at that declaration. "You're right," he chuckled, "I'm not a mess. I'm a _huge_ mess." He nuzzled her and inhaled deeply, reveling in her scent for a moment. "But I'm a pretty happy mess, all things considered. I got you to thank for that." He felt her arms tighten around him as she leaned in, plundering his lips. Reno's hand crept to the back of her neck, gently urging her to take whatever she wanted from him.

It was several minutes before they finally broke apart again, and he lifted his face to look at her.

"Hey... 'Lena?"

"Yes?" Elena giggle softly as she teasingly fondled his ponytail. Reno cocked his head to one side and grinned.

"When this shit's all over... you wanna go to Costa del Sol with me?"

"Are you sure you want to go _there_?" she replied, surprised. "We haven't exactly had the best luck on any of our previous visits..."

"Which just means that we're due," he shot back, "So?"

She laughed softly and kissed him briefly, as the front door opened. "Of course I'll go to Costa del Sol with you."

"... If you think I'm going to handle Corel by myself while you two head off on vacation, you've got another thing coming..." Rude commented with a smirk as he made his way into the kitchen to deposit the bags of food he'd returned with. Reno laughed and extricated himself from Elena's grasp, following him.

"Need a hand?"

"... If I wanted to burn the place down, there are easier ways to do it," he responded, teasing the redhead.

Reno rolled his eyes. "Are you _ever_ gonna let that go?"

"Not in this lifetime," Rude said, turning towards him, and gesturing at him with the wooden spoon he'd pulled from a drawer. "Six feet back at all times, if you're gonna stay and watch."

The temporary Turk commander sighed as he heard the sound of quiet giggling behind him.

"Oh, give him another chance, Rude..." Elena chimed in, "He's been living with _me_ for weeks and hasn't set anything on fire yet."

"Tch... This _is_ his idea of givin' me another chance, 'Lena. Usually, he shoves my ass out the door and tells me to _stay_ out."

* * *

A faint knock jarred Tseng from his sleep, and he sighed in frustration. Sleep seemed to be nearly all he was good for lately... and while he understood it was simply his body's way of healing itself, it still annoyed him to no end that he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open for more than an hour or two at a time. He looked up just in time to see a familiar figure striding purposefully into the room.

"Sir. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"I was bored," Rufus stated, "And you know how I dislike being bored. As you seem to be the _only_ member of staff not otherwise occupied, I thought you might entertain me for a time."

Viridia's visit earlier in the day seemed to have served to snap him out of his black mood... for the moment, at any rate... which was a good thing for the young President. Had he still been of the same frame of mind he'd been in earlier, he doubted he would have had the patience to deal with Rufus' usual games. Now, though, had he not known that doing so would have been excruciating, Tseng would have laughed. But as he _was_ , in fact, well aware of that limitation, he instead simply offered the President a wide smile.

"I see. My apologies, sir, but I'm afraid any performance I might be able to offer at present will be rather disappointing."

Rufus flashed him a look of irritation.

"Hmph... I'm going to have to have a word with my head of base security. _She_ assured me that you were all but biting the heads off of anyone who dared venture too close to your bedside. I was hoping that such a spectacle might provide a needed distraction, but it seems the lieutenant commander is a bit prone to exaggeration..."

"To be fair, I _was_ in a decidedly foul mood this morning, sir..."

Rufus settled himself into a nearby chair, looking somewhat unconvinced.

"... How are you, really?" he asked, and Tseng was slightly surprised by the worried inflection in his voice. It was rare, even in private, that Rufus expressed any noticeable concern for his well-being... even if he made it known in other ways.

"I... suppose I could be considerably worse."

"But?" Rufus prodded.

"Why the sudden interest, if you don't mind me asking?"

The younger man snorted contemptuously, and looked away. "Because, you're a valued employee. And... my friend. And I haven't had the time to inquire lately."

Tseng smiled in response. If concern was rare, admitting that he actually considered the Turk to be a friend was virtually unheard of. His charge really _must_ have been worried if he was being so cavalier today.

"I would much prefer to be back at work than lying in bed," Tseng answered, "Being so utterly useless is... infuriating... and being largely out of the loop on recent events is not something I enjoy."

Rufus' gaze came back around at that statement, and he raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought your subordinates would have made it a point to keep you informed."

"I suspect they would... if _you_ didn't keep sending them off to Leviathan-knows-where before they get the chance," he replied with a smirk, "Speaking of which... where have they gone now?"

Viridia had left before he'd been able to ask her this morning. Though to be honest, he wasn't entirely sure she would have known anyway. Turk missions were well outside her purview, and unless it were directly related to base security, there would have been no reason to inform her of their whereabouts.

"At present, they're in Rocket Town by way of Nibelheim. I've ordered them to begin retrieving whatever huge materia can be recovered from the reactors. Palmer seems to think that Scarlet's design can be modified into a missile. He and Heidegger are going to try blasting that accursed rock out of the sky. Frankly, I have my doubts it will succeed, but at least it will keep those two idiots out of my hair for awhile."

"Ah. Yes, I can see how that _would_ be appealing."

"As much as I hate ta interrupt this touching display of mutual disdain... Yer scheduled for an x-ray."

Rufus turned towards the door and glared at the unwelcome interruption. "Is there _no_ expectation of privacy in this second-rate excuse for a hospital?"

"Not from me, there's not... Now off with yeh. President or not, yer standing between me and my patient. And my patient is in need of an x-ray," Dr. Ward stated, shooing him away from the bed.

"How dare you speak to me li–"

"I said out! Don't yeh argue with me, Rufus Amadeus Shinra. If yeh think I can't put the likes of _yeh_ in yer place after nigh on two decades of keeping _this_ one and the rest of his ilk in line, yer in for a nasty shock."

Tseng did at last give in to temptation and chuckled softly despite the stabbing pain it set off in his abdomen. "I would take her at her word, sir."

"I could fire you right now, you old hag..." Rufus hissed in response, pinking slightly at the use of his full given name.

"Oh, yeh could, could yeh? And just who would take care of yer Turk, here, if yeh did something as foolhardy as that?"

The President's eyes narrowed, but he didn't seem to have a response to that. Of course, there were any number of physicians available on the base... but none who were as well acquainted with – and well-liked by – the Turk leader.

"Yeh can come back in an hour," Ward stated, definitively. Rufus scoffed, and raised a finger in protest, but Justinia simply stared him down. "Yeh can come _back_ in an hour," she repeated, even more firmly. At last, he turned on his heel and stalked out, muttering under his breath the whole way.

"Hmph... The boy didn't know who he was dealing with," she said, smirking as she turned to see to her patient. Tseng shook his head.

"Were it anyone but you, Justinia, I believe I would be gravely concerned for your continued employment..."

* * *

Elena wasn't sure at first what had woken her. She'd been sleeping soundly, in the same position in which she'd drifted off. The room as silent and dark and still. A moment later, however, thunder rumbled loudly.

A storm. That must have been it.

She yawned and gave a mental shrug, before seeking out the familiar warmth of her bedmate with the intent of going back to sleep... only to find him missing.

"Reno... ?" she called out, softly. When there was no answer, she groped for the little lamp on the bedside table and clicked it on, squinting at the clock next to it in the sudden brightness. It was just after two in the morning. Where could he be?

Uncertain, she crawled out of bed, stretching as she padded her way across the room. She hoped it wasn't another nightmare. She hated it when he just disappeared like this because he didn't want to wake her. If that were the case, though, it seemed odd to her. Reno hadn't had one in... well... at the very least not since she'd woken up in Junon... and he hadn't seemed especially troubled when they'd retired for the night. At least no moreso than anyone else was at the moment.

Elena yawned again and twisted the doorknob, wondering where he'd be hiding if he _was_ having trouble sleeping. Rude had taken the couch in the living room downstairs... and the room down the hall was stuffed full of boxes and old furniture. There really weren't many other places he could go...

As she stepped into the hallway, though, it became clear that he hadn't gone far at all.

"Reno?" she queried, flipping the wall switch and flooring the landing with light.

He was nestled into the corner at the far end, knees hugged tightly to his chest. She could hear him, breathing rapidly... practically panting... and when he looked up at the sound of her voice, his face was pale and his eyes were wide.

"It won't... stop..." he managed.

"Reno?!" she repeated, feeling an icy chill run down her spine. She covered the distance between in a few strides, dropping to her knees in front of him. "Reno? What's wrong?"

Elena tried to coax him out of the position, but he was so tense... He shook his head.

"Go back to bed..."

"What? No!" she very nearly shouted, worried. Something was very, _very_ wrong. And if he really thought she was just going to leave him and go back to sleep, he clearly wasn't thinking straight. The stairs creaked and a few seconds later, Rude reached them, blearily rubbing his eyes.

"... What's going on?" he asked, before his gaze landed squarely on the redhead. "... Reno..."

By then, Elena was on the verge of panicking. She had no idea was was happening to him... no idea what she should be doing. Apparently, her fear was more than a little apparent on her face. Rude turned to her and sighed.

"He didn't tell you about this, did he?"

"Tell me about what?" she asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"That he's been having panic attacks," he replied. "Don't worry... he'll be alright." Rude reached for his friend, lifting him off the floor and carrying him back into the bedroom, depositing him on the bed. "You need to control your breathing..." he said gently.

"The fuck you think I've been _tryin'_ to do for the last twenty minutes?!" Reno replied, squeezing his eyes shut. "This shit won't stop this time!" His eyes opened again, and he looked up at him with pleading misery. "For fuck's sake, make it stop, Rude... Please..."

Elena felt her heart twist at the desperation in his voice. As useless as she felt, she couldn't just stand there and do nothing while he suffered. So instead, she slipped into bed next to him, fingers finding the sensitive spot on the back of his neck, and massaging gently. It always seemed to lull him to sleep when he was restless... She hoped it would help now. Rude gave her an approving nod before turning his attention back to the redhead.

"You're alright. Just breathe," he said, keeping his voice even and calm. "Slowly," he amended, when the rapid breaths continued unabated.

"I hate this..." Reno whispered.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours... though when Elena glanced at the clock again, it had really only been about fifteen minutes... until the anxious redhead finally settled into a more normal rhythm, eyes drifting shut as his body relaxed a bit.

"How long has this been going on?" Elena asked, breaking the relative silence. She couldn't imagine Reno being able to hide something like this from her for long, And truth be told, she was a little angry that he'd tried.

Rude frowned. "Since the Temple. When he found out it wasn't just Tseng in the hospital... that was the first one."

"That was the _only_ one," the redhead said quietly, but firmly, and Elena jumped slightly in surprise. She'd thought he'd fallen asleep.

"Ward put him on medication that was supposed to stop this from getting any worse."

She shook her head. "Well, it's obviously not working..." she replied, sounding more than a little angry about that fact. Rude folded his arms across his chest, and looked down at Reno with a somewhat accusing expression. The stricken Turk guiltily turned his head away from the other man's gaze.

"Yeah... 'bout that. I mighta skipped a dose. Or.. ya know... three or four."

"Reno..." Rude sighed in exasperation.

"It wasn't on purpose!" he protested, "I've just been pullin' such weird hours the last week or so, I forgot about it a few times."

"You take it tonight?" Rude asked, an eyebrow rising in challenge.

"..."

"Reno?" Elena softly prodded, "Did you?"

"... No," the redhead finally admitted.

"Why not?" Thunder rumbled again in the distance, louder than the first time she'd heard it – it sounded like it was getting closer – drowning out whatever answer Reno muttered into his pillow. "What?" she asked, not quite catching it. He sighed, and lifted his head slightly, looking back over his shoulder at her.

"... I didn't want you to know about it, okay?" he repeated, and Elena was surprised to see a noticeable, if somewhat pale, pink hue color his cheeks. "So, I kinda left 'em back in Junon so you wouldn't accidentally find 'em. I felt fine. I mean... I didn't think it'd be a big deal."

Without warning, the entire house shook as a clap of thunder nearly deafened them all, and the redhead startled violently. Seconds later, the rain began, pelting the windows and drumming on the roof. Elena stroked his hair, reassuringly.

"You know Ward's gonna skin you alive, right?" Rude commented. The redhead groaned and dragged the pillow over his head.

"Rude!" Elena cried, glaring in irritation. Granted, it was probably true... but hadn't Reno had a rough enough night as it was? Rude chuckled softly and took a seat on the edge of the bed, prying the pillow out of his friend's grasp.

"I'll call her. Find out what she wants you to do, since we can't exactly get a refill right this second... Maybe I can calm her down before she gets her hands on you. You gonna be alright for awhile?"

"Tch... You're not seriously gonna call the Doc in the middle of the fuckin' night for _this_ , are you? Bad enough I'm gonna get reamed out for my own stupidity. Now she's gonna be _extra_ pissed for wakin' her up, too..."

Rude snorted a laugh. "She's never been pissed about that before. What makes you think she's gonna start now?" he replied, giving the younger man's shoulder a gentle squeeze before standing and hurrying from the room to find his PHS.

Elena stayed right where she was, rubbing slow circles between Reno's shoulders. He still felt tense, even though the worst of it seemed to have passed.

"... I'm sorry, 'Lena..." he said after a minute or two.

"Why didn't you want to tell me?"

Reno rolled onto his back and caught hold of her hand, coaxing her to lay down beside him. She snuggled up tight against his side, and let her head rest in the center of his chest, fingers sneaking upward to twine their way into his hair.

"... I didn't want you worryin' that things were gettin' worse. And I didn't want you thinkin' less of me. You have any idea how _fucking_ humiliating it is to be so terrified of absolutely nothing, for no reason at all, that you can hardly breathe?" The storm was raging outside and another loud clap of thunder interrupted him. His entire body twitched again. "... Or to be so on edge afterwards you start jumpin' at loud noises?" he grumbled, annoyed at his own reaction.

"So you thought you'd completely terrify _me_ by not telling me something was wrong until _after_ I find you like that?"

The redhead cringed. "You mad?"

"Yes. I am. Very. And if I weren't _also_ so grateful that you're okay, you'd be sleeping on the couch tonight, you asshole." In spite of that, she protectively tightened her grip on him. "Be glad I'm more relieved than angry, or Ward's lecture would pale in comparison to _mine_. Don't you _ever_ keep something this important from me again."

"If I promise you that, will you still come to Costa del Sol with me?"

Elena propped herself up slightly so that she could see his face. "Why the sudden desperation to visit Costa del Sol?"

He shook his head and managed a weak smile, and let his hand drift along her cheek. "It's just important to me. I'd tell ya why, but... it'd kinda ruin the surprise."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Alright... Deal."

There was a soft knock at the bedroom door, and a moment later, Rude stepped inside.

"Hey," he said hesitantly.

"... That's never a good tone..." Reno muttered, "Do I even wanna hear this?"

"Probably not. But she told me not to wait to deliver the message."

Elena sat up, concerned, and Reno, too lifted himself more or less upright. "What'd the Doc say?" he asked, bracing himself.

"... You're suspended, pending evaluation. She's ordered you to report back to Junon immediately."

"She can't do that!" Elena gasped.

"Yeah... actually she can," Reno said with a defeated sigh.

* * *

Rufus glared impatiently as his head of general affairs bumbled into his office without bothering to knock. Behind him, Scarlet's heels clicked excitedly on the tile as she followed him.

"Sir... The girl is awake," Heidegger stated grinning widely behind his obnoxiously bushy beard.

"We can proceed with the execution at any time," Scarlet added. It took some effort not to let the extent of his disgust show in his expression. Yes, he'd ordered this... as a matter of necessity. _These_ two were taking far too much delight in the prospect of killing someone than he cared to see. But in the end, he supposed, it didn't really matter. Gleeful or not, Tifa Lockheart and Barret Wallace would be dead by the end of the day... and that would buy the company the good will it needed for its next endeavor; turning the city of Midgar into a giant weapon.

He had little doubt that installing the canon in the city was going to be... unpopular... to say the least. The last thing he needed were protests breaking out in the streets. This execution was merely a part of the narrative to sell the population on his plan.

"The press has been notified of the schedule?" he asked, emotionlessly.

"Yes, sir," Heidegger replied. "And the gallery has already been set up and decorated for them. We can begin at any time."

"Notify base security that the execution will take place at noon. See that any of the spectators are kept in line."

"Yes, sir!" he replied, enthusiastically.

* * *

It was almost eight in the morning and the storm still hadn't abated. Reno stood at the window, gazing out at the gloomy surroundings, watching as the rain turned the worn dirt road to mud. Rude and Elena had planned to make for Mt. Corel at first light. But with weather like this, the helicopter was grounded... at least until some of the lightning and wind abated.

 _He_ , however, wasn't traveling by helicopter...

"Are you sure you don't want us to at least walk you over?" Elena asked. Reno shook his head.

"Tch... no sense in _everyone_ gettin' soaked."

The Gelnika that would be transporting him back to Junon was waiting on the little airfield outside of town. It was only a short walk from Rude's father's house. He sighed and turned away from the window. "Look... you two watch yourselves out there, 'kay? You got two more reactors to hit up soon as this weather clears up."

Elena hugged him tight, and Reno felt his throat tighten. He wanted to stay with them. They were _his_ team. How the fuck had he managed to screw up so badly? Reluctantly, he placed a soft kiss on her lip and pushed her away.

"Keep an eye on 'Lena for me, will ya, partner? Don't let her fall down a reactor well or anything..." It was a lousy attempt at a joke. He knew it. They knew it. But they laughed anyway. "I better go... I miss this flight, Ward really _will_ hunt me down 'n murder me."

He shouldered his bag and headed for the door. Outside, he found himself almost immediately drenched by the pouring rain. He cast one last glance back at his fellow-Turks and then started the slow slog to the airfield.

It took far longer than it really should have, and by the time he _did_ finally reach the Gelnika, he was not only soaked, but muddy as well. He didn't care... it's went along perfectly with his current mood. Reno flopped down into one of the jump seats that lined the walls of the cargo plane, and strapped himself in.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. When the time came for him to take over for Tseng, he was supposed to have been ready for it. How in Ifirt's name had he ended up like _this_? In a way, he felt like a rookie all over again, wondering if he was really good enough to be here... and given his present circumstances, concluding that no. He was not. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd wondered if Tseng had made a mistake choosing him, not only for the Turks, but as his second-in-command... but it _was_ the first time in a very _long_ time that he was having a hard time convincing himself otherwise.

Reno was only vaguely aware of the flight crew informing him that preparations were complete and they were ready to take off. It was going to be a long trip... and in one sense, not nearly long enough. He wasn't looking forward to facing the doctor. But he was even _less_ looking forward to facing Tseng. He didn't know if Ward had told him what had happened or if he'd have to confess to his idiotic decision to forgo his medication himself... and he couldn't quite decide which would be worse: seeing the disappointment on the Turk leader's face immediately, or watching it set in as he told him the reason Ward had ordered him back to Junon. The thought of either was almost enough to send him spiraling right back into panic mode again.

The Gelnika began to taxi, jarring him roughly as it clattered over the worn pavement of the airstrip, and moments later, it was airborne. Reno flinched as the pressure change made his ears pop. He'd never liked that sensation. Seldom seemed to experience it in the helicopter, for some reason. He glanced out the tiny porthole-shaped window to his right, watching as Rocket Town faded from sight.

Next stop... Junon.

* * *

"Have they been informed?" Rufus asked as he and Heidegger strode into the medical facility. The girl was awake, the press had arrived, and the execution was to begin in a matter of minutes. And the guards were here to escort them to their fate.

"No, sir. As requested, we've kept things quiet."

"Good," he said with a nod of approval. Reno had successfully talked him out of speaking to the condemned earlier... but it seemed only right that he tell them that they were going to be used to further Shinra's agenda personally. His father would likely have simply had them dragged off to their deaths, kicking and screaming for the cameras... or perhaps taken a few minutes to gloat before having them dragged off. Rufus didn't care for theatrics... even though they were occasionally necessary. And he didn't feel much like gloating over this particular situation. He'd even gone so far as to turn the more innocent members of Avalanche loose... Security had escorted them off the base days ago. But these two would have to die.

They paused in front of the room, and Heidegger opened the door for him.

"I see you've recovered," he said blandly by way of greeting. Tifa eased herself off of the bed, moving to stand beside Barret.

"What are you going to do with us?" she asked, unintimidated. Straight to the point. Under better circumstances, he might have been just a little impressed. He'd specifically ordered that the personnel keeping them contained not rouse any suspicion. They'd been treated as guests up until now, but still the woman was suspicious of his motives. As she should be.

"Meteor has been summoned. Essentially it's all but over now," he replied. Not entirely true... but that was what any number of people were thinking. "So... I have no use for you anymore." He paused, and smiled coldly. "No... That's no _entirely_ true. There is one more important task for you."

Heidegger snickered behind him, and the President had to fight the urge to role his eyes at the man. As soon as he no longer had need of the pompous twit, Heidegger was going to be out on his ass... right alongside Scarlet and Palmer. He would not allow Shinra Company to continue under such incompetent leadership.

"Preparations for the public execution are complete," Heidegger said, snidely. Barret leapt for him, snatching the gloating executive by the neck.

"Execution?! What're ya gonna get by executin' us?" he shouted, as the other man clawed at his throat, gasping for air. Rufus calmly waved the security guards forward, and they shoved the terrorist back. Heidegger hurriedly retreated behind his superior.

"You are to be executed for _causing_ this situation," the President explained, ignoring his employee's cowardice. "People are ignorant. They'll feel better if someone is punished."

Barret growled low in his throat and sent one of the guards into the wall, where he crumpled, out cold. The other three rushed to restrain him.

"I take back what little praise I had for you, ya damn jackass!" he yelled, trembling with rage. "You're just as bad as your sorry excuse for a father!"

Rufus sniffed in contempt and turned to the door. "Well... enjoy your last moments together." With that, he removed himself from the room, leaving Heidegger and the guards to deal with them. He couldn't fault the man for being furious. He'd just told him he was going to be killed for political gain.

Though as he made his way back to his office, he had to admit... being compared to his father was somewhat sobering. His father had been... his father. But even Rufus could not, with any honesty, say that he'd been a good one. He couldn't even claim that he'd been a good _person_. He had still been his father, however... The only one he'd ever known. And he wondered how far the apple really did fall.

Rufus entered the administration building and took the elevator to the executive floor, walking purposefully into his office and taking a seat at his desk. He would watch the execution on the monitors. He had little desire to be physically present for it... something he was almost certain he and the elder Shinra would have disagreed on.

With a scowl, he pressed a button that turned on the live feed, and watched as Tifa and Barret were paraded in front of the press gallery.

"Is everyone here? These are the ones who brought this madness into the world!" Scarlet proclaimed, emphatically from the podium. She turned to look back at the prisoners. "We'll be broadcasting your miserable deaths live on national television."

A reporter waved at her for her attention. "Scarlet... why a public execution in this day and age?"

'Why, indeed,' Rufus thought to himself. As barbaric as it was, it served a purpose. For all the civility of human beings, when society felt wronged, they demanded blood. It had been a staple for thousands of years, and no matter how evolved they thought of themselves as being, old instincts still lingered. There had been surprisingly little protest from the public when the execution had been announced earlier in the day.

"We'll start with the girl," Scarlet stated, drawing Rufus from his musings. Barret was struggling against his bonds.

"If you gotta do it... do me first!" he demanded. Scarlet grinned.

"Cameras, this way! Make sure you get this... The audience just eats up tearful goodbyes!"

Rufus made a quiet sound of disgust. Yes, it was necessary, but did the woman really have to take so much abject pleasure in it? He watched as Scarlet shoved Tifa towards the execution chamber. That, at least, would be relatively painless. The gas would render its victims unconscious before it finally finished them off. As executions went, it was a humane one.

"This is my _special_ gas chamber. Take your time and enjoy a slow, painful death," the gleeful executive said as she forced the other woman into the chair. Rufus' eyes narrowed. When had she done _that_? He hadn't approved any such changes. He stood, debating for a moment whether he should put a stop to it... even though realistically he knew that he couldn't. It wouldn't do for him to be seen as soft on live TV.

A moment later, however, it ceased to be of any importance. Red emergency lights flashed, and a loud, angry klaxon sounded throughout the base. Rufus ran to the huge picture window... he had a feeling he already knew what was happening.

His fears were confirmed a few seconds later as an announcement blared from the PA system.

"Emergency! Weapon is approaching! All military personnel, take your positions!"

Of all the lousy timing... The President squinted out at the sea beyond the base, only just able to make out the telltale wake forming among the waves.

"Sir!" Heidegger squealed, racing into his office, "It's Weapon!"

"... There have been so many attacks lately," he commented, more to himself than to his subordinate. "Can we handle it?"

"Y-yes, sir. I believe so. Your orders?"

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "Is there really a need to ask?"

Heidegger cringed slightly at the other man's withering tone, but quickly fumbled for his PHS. "Activate defenses and the main canon! Target: Weapon!"

Rufus felt more than heard the low rumbling that he knew was indicative of the huge steel plates being lowered into place to protect the base. The shields had saved them several times already from the tsunamis generated by the massive aquatic monster when it retreated. Hopefully they would continue to do so.

"Preparations complete, sir," Heidegger informed in, and Rufus gave him a nod. "FIRE!" he screamed into the phone.

The tremor nearly knocked him off his feet when the canon fired. Rufus watched silently as the shot sailed toward its target, hardly daring to breathe. When it collided, it sent a towering wall of water into the air that rushed out in all directions from where Weapon had been. He stared intently as the sea calmed, searching for any sign of their attacker.

"Did we get it?" he asked, somewhat breathlessly. He hardly dared hope. Weapon had taken impacts from the canon during earlier attacks as well and come back fighting... though they'd never managed to score quite so direct a hit before.

"Seems so..." Heidegger replied, but the words had barely left his mouth when the alarm sounded again, and he jumped, surprised.

"Weapon approaching! Speed, 50 knots! It's heading right for us!" the soldier on the other end of the phone call cried, his voice so loud that Rufus could hear him quite clearly even without the aid of the speakerphone. Heidegger looked at him in panic.

"It can't be! We hit it _dead on_!"

Rufus turned toward the window, where he spotted the familiar wake reforming in the water. It was wasn't done yet. Previous attacks had ended after a single run at the base. Either they'd severely pissed it off, or it had finally grown tired of playing with them.

"How long until we can fire again?"

"It will take them six minutes to reload."

"Then use regular firepower in the meantime. Everything we have!" If they survived this, it would be a miracle. Heidegger was already shouting orders.

"Open all artillery doors! Don't let it reach land!"

Sapphire Weapon was closing now, it's deep blue body rising out of the water as its speed increased. Far below, Rufus could see the movement of troops as they scurried into position to take aim at the creature with smaller weapons... all of which, he knew, would be ineffective, but perhaps could buy them the time they needed.

The base's secondary canons fired first, and then the ground troops opened fire as well, sending trails of smoke towards Weapon. Explosions detonated as the shots hit their mark, but the great leviathan was unphased. Rufus shook his head, and stepped back from the window. This was _not_ good.

"70 knots and closing, sir! It's going to hit!" Heidegger gasped, and a moment later, the impact sent Rufus staggering. He only just managed to grab onto the edge of his desk and remain upright. He turned his gaze on the window, watching in horror as the Weapon began to rise out of the waves, mouth gaping as a surge of energy built up in the depths of its jaws. They'd never seen _this_ before. It seemed Sapphire really _was_ done with them... It intended to finish them off, and they were defenseless.

Just as it looked as though they were lost... the main canon fired. The shock wave sent a long crack streaking down the large picture window in Rufus' office, and for a moment, there was so much smoke beyond the glass, the President was certain it had been a misfire. Slowly, it began to clear, and the imposing silhouette of Sapphire Weapon remained... standing before the city. Rufus' stomach clenched in fear. That was, quite literally, everything they had. There was no chance of loading the canon for a _third_ shot.

He'd very nearly given up hope of getting out alive. Until, that is, the remaining smoke cloud was whipped away by the ocean breeze. The Weapon still stood... but without its head.

With an agonizing slowness, it's massive body began to topple, sinking into the ocean. Muffled by the cracked glass that separated him from the base outside, Rufus heard a cheer go up from the soldiers below.

"We got him, sir! We got him!" Heidegger cried, ecstatically, and Rufus covered the short distance to the window, looking out at the sinking giant with a mixture of satisfaction and disbelief. He shook himself from his shock and glanced back at the man.

"See to the injured... and then get that canon prepared for its move to Midgar."

Junon didn't need it now. True, Emerald Weapon was still out there, but it had never ventured close enough to be perceived as a threat to the base. It seemed far more interested in the supply ships – which had largely stopped running their usual routes after several devastating attacks – than in harassing the military installation.

"Yes, sir..." He was out the door before Rufus could say anything farther. The young President breathed a sigh of relief and looked back to the window. Movement along the barrel of the canon suddenly caught his eye.

"What in Rumah's name..." he began, moving closer to the glass for a better look. Scarlet was easily recognizable, her crimson dress fluttering around her in the brisk wind. But it was the figure out in front of her that drew his attention. It took him several incredulous seconds to realize that it was the Avalanche woman. How she'd managed to get loose, much less out onto the canon, he was at a loss to explain... but Scarlet didn't seem eager to let her get any farther.

And when Tifa rather viciously slapped the weapons developer, he couldn't help but feel a smug sense of gratitude towards her. _He'd_ wanted to do that for years. The blow knocked Scarlet to her knees, albeit briefly, but it was more than enough time for Tifa to run... though where she planned to run _to_ was anyone's guess. She reached the end, and to his surprise, simply kept on going.

As her feet left the edge, the Highwind rose to meet her, a rope dropping over its side. She came close to missing the catch, but she managed, and Rufus could do nothing but watch as she was hauled aboard... by the _other_ member of Avalanche his idiotic staff had failed to execute.

The airship began to turn, not back toward its dock, but out to sea... and unless Rufus was very much mistaken, Barret Wallace was standing on its deck, looking directly into his office, with his middle finger in the air.

* * *

Reno couldn't do anything but watch as the Highwind tore through the skies at high speed, away from Junon. He'd heard the canon fire... not once, but twice. But the Gelnika had been too far off, and the cargo bay too badly positioned, for a good view of what was going on. By the time he'd made his way into the cockpit, whatever it was seemed to be over, and the airship was fleeing the scene.

It almost had to have been another Weapon attack. There were very few reasons for that canon to be fired, let alone fired twice in quick succession, and he wondered if they'd finally managed to wound the son of a bitch. The previous attempts had barely made a dent in Sapphire's armored exoskeleton... even though they _had_ served to drive him off.

He couldn't help but wonder – and worry about – the damage to the base. Last he'd checked, the defenses were still under repair from the last time the creature had charged them from the sea. Things had the potential to be bad down there... a concern that was given credence when the Gelnika was told to circle rather than being given clearance to land.

Thankfully, they were only in the air an extra twenty minutes or so... and the redhead could make out the sight of tiny figures frantically clearing debris from one of the base's runways. After what seemed, to him at least, an eternity, they were finally given the all-clear to set down. The Gelnika bounced slightly as it's wheels came in contact with the airstrip, and he felt the familiar sensation of deceleration as it braked to a halt.

When he stepped off the plan, the chaos became apparent... though not quite of the variety he was expecting. There was damage, yes... and minor injuries were being treated in makeshift triage areas, while the worst cases were carted off to the main medical bay... but there was no sense of looming panic, no rippling fear in the crowds. If anything, there was a far more excited undercurrent in their demeanor.

"Reno!"

The Turk turned immediately at the sound of a familiar voice, and spotted Viridia weaving her way toward him through a throng of people headed for the barracks. As she drew closer, he noticed the blood... It started at her hairline and ran down the left side of her face, saturating the collar of her uniform shirt.

"Vir! You alright?" he asked, closing some of the distance between them. She gestured dismissively.

"I got thrown up against a bulkhead during the attack. It's not as bad as it looks," the security chief replied.

"Weapon again?"

She looked vaguely surprised. "You missed it up there? Yeah, it was Weapon. And we finally showed him what the Shinra Army is made of. That bastard's rotting at the bottom of the ocean... minus a head," she answered, grinning with no small amount of pride, "I didn't realize you guys were due back already... Could've used you about an hour sooner."

Reno mentally groaned. He wasn't exactly in the mood to explain. "I'm the only one here... Ward's orders. 'Lena and Rude are still on assignment. It's a long story."

"Well... unfortunately, I don't have time for long stories right now. Or short ones, for that matter. But if you're headed up to medical anyway... would you mind checking in on Tseng for me? I'm not going to get away from this any time soon."

"Yeah, sure thing... I'll let him know you're alright."

"Thanks, Reno," Viridia said, flashing him a grateful smile before disappearing back into the flow of personnel. Reno sighed softly and shook his head, picking out a path of his own and steeling himself for the inevitable. He had a feeling he wasn't going to enjoy explaining himself.

~fin~


	64. Materia Hunting

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 64: Materia Hunting**

 **by Desha**

"Come eat some lunch."

Elena looked away from the window and the dreary sight beyond it long enough to spot Rude leaning against the doorframe the opened into the little cottage's kitchen. She shook her head.

"No thanks. I'm not very hungry." The rain was still coming down in torrents. She'd be amazed if the airstrip didn't get washed out if it kept up much longer. The two remaining Turks had hoped to have been in the air by now, but the storm simply continued to rage. If it didn't end soon, even if they _did_ manage to get underway at some point today, they'd never make it to Corel before dark. The whole day was likely a wash.

"He won't be gone long. Ward'll have him back to work before you know it. Probably by the time we finish with the reactors." The bald Turk glanced past her, out the window. "Maybe _before_ we're finished if this weather keeps up," he added.

Elena sighed. She knew Rude was only trying to make her feel better, but honestly... it really wasn't helping. She'd never given it much consideration before, for some reason... but Ward had the power to made or break any one of them. One word from the doctor, and they were sidelined. That's all it took. If she felt she had to, Ward could send Reno back to Midgar indefinitely.

She hated to think what that would do to him... and she wasn't sharing Rude's optimism at the moment.

And if that _did_ end up happening, Reno would be miserable. The redhead may have been slacker at heart... but when he _truly_ had nothing to keep him occupied, he became restless and unhappy. As much as Reno liked to profess that he loved nothing more than a little time off, when he was bored, he was despondent... and he went to great lengths to alleviate his boredom. Which, if some of the stories he'd told her in the past were any indication, more often than not tended to get him into trouble of some sort. On top of that, knowing that she and Rude were still out there finishing the mission would just depress him further. Surely Dr. Ward must realize that...

Elena sighed as another thought occurred to her.

"Rude... Is this _my_ fault... ?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice.

Rude groaned and removed his sunglasses, pinching the bridge of his nose... "Sweet, merciful Shiva... now he's got _you_ doing it." He ignored her offended glare and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her around to face him properly. "How could any of this be _your_ fault?"

"You obviously knew what was going on... but he was too embarrassed to tell _me_. He was trying to hide it from _me_."

"Because, like I keep telling him, he's an idiot. That's not your fault. It's on Reno. Don't just let him off the hook for doing something dumb. He'll never learn if you do that."

"But..."

"Come on. We're not going anywhere in this storm, and that meteor isn't going to kill us all quite yet. Come eat, and then I'll play you at chess or something. It'll take you mind off things."

Elena managed a wane smile. "Checkers is more my speed..." she replied, finally acquiescing to his request. Maybe taking a break from dwelling on Reno's situation... and the _planet's_ situation... _would_ help. It certainly wasn't as if she could do much of anything about either stuck there Rocket Town, after all. "I've always been pretty terrible at chess."

Rude smirked and ushered her into the kitchen, all but pushing her into a seat at the table, and setting a plate of lasagna in front of her. "Good. I'm not particularly great, either. Maybe I have at shot at winning for a change."

She took a bite, savoring the rich tomato sauce and luscious cheese, before answering. "Tseng kicks your butt a lot, then?" she teased gently. To her surprise, Rude shook his head.

" _If_ you can manage talk Tseng into playing board games it's gonna be Go... which I've never understood at all, can't play for shit, and generally despise the very existence of. Reno'll occasionally play chess, though. If you can call it playing. He mostly just trounces me before I even realize I've lost."

Elena blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Rude nodded. "To be fair, though. my mother used to do the same thing... but at least she _let_ me win once in awhile. Reno doesn't."

"He's never even _asked_ me to play with him. He just keeps trying to get me into those ridiculously violent video games of his."

"Video games are more entertaining," Rude snickered. "He says chess is too easy. He likes a challenge. Or at least something with plenty of blood and explosions. Only plays if I badger him into it. Or bribe him."

"Oh, come on, Rude... Chess is 'too easy' for him?"

The other Turk took a seat across from her, settling in to his own lunch and glanced up. "He's not stupid..." he said pointedly.

"... Didn't _you_ , not five minutes ago, call him an idiot?" she pointed out. Rude chuckled. "But... seriously, Rude. There are people out there who make whole careers out of playing chess. You say that like Reno could beat them."

Rude shrugged. "At the very least, he'd give 'em a decent game. You know you've got the Turks' marksmanship record clinched by about a mile, right?"

Elena nodded, not quite sure what that had to do with anything... but, regardless, it was a distinction she was rather proud of. Not many could come close to her level of accuracy.

"Reno's got the record on the strategy eval by about the same margin." He laughed quietly into his napkin. "Veld made him _retake_ it when his results came in. Thought he cheated somehow. And when he scored even higher the second time around, he made him take an IQ test."

Her jaw dropped slightly. "W-what did it say?" she asked, somewhat incredulous. The other Turk grinned.

"... Inconclusive. He's either secretly a genius, or he's the best bullshitter on the planet. No one's really sure which. Didn't really seem to _matter_ which, as far as Reno was concerned. He couldn't have cared less. He was more interested in what the cafeteria was serving for lunch that day," Rude replied. "It certainly shut a _few_ people up, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's... just say there were one or two senior Turks when he and I came on board who didn't think he was all that bright at first... Assholes who'd lived on the Plate their whole lives and just saw him as another low-class, uneducated slum rat."

Elena frowned. It was a little disconcerting to think that, back in the day, the Turks weren't the close-knit little family they were now. But then again... she hadn't felt _entirely_ welcome when she'd first been promoted, either – owing largely to Reno's early 'training' methods – and she knew that Tseng had privately expressed some initial doubts about her. She wondered if _everyone_ went through that uncomfortable period of adjustment before they proved that they belonged.

"So... Which do _you_ think it is?" she asked, and Rude raised an eyebrow behind dark lenses. "Is he a genius, or a bullshitter?"

Rude laughed.

"Personally? I think he _might_ be a little of both... but _definitely_ more bullshitter than genius. Mostly, he just has a gift for strategic thinking," the bald Turk chuckled. He shook his head. "Don't read too much into it, Elena. I only mentioned it because you seemed so shocked he'd be good at something like chess."

"It's just so... _not_ Reno," she said, somewhat lamely. Rude snickered and lifted another bite with his fork.

"No argument there. Like I said... I have to badger and bribe him to get him to play at all. Even then, I think he only agrees because he knows I like the game." He paused long enough to chew and swallow before going on. "But I think that's a big part of why he is the way he is... why he occasionally gets overwhelmed and anxious. He sees too many possible outcomes sometimes, and too many ways to get to them. And it's _definitely_ not _your_ fault that every once in awhile he freaks out when he takes a wrong turn."

Elena frowned thoughtfully as she finished her plate. That... actually made a lot of sense when she thought about it.

"What are we going to do if Ward sends him home, Rude?" she asked.

"Follow orders and finish the mission," Rude replied, succinctly. "But I don't think it'll come to that. Ward knows him too well to do that to him. For now, stay focused on our objective. We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it."

* * *

Dr. Ward looked up from her present task and glared at him as he made his way into the medical bay.

"Hmph... Fine timing. If I didn't know it was impossible, I'd swear yeh decided ta show up _now_ just ta get out of the lecture I had planned for yeh," she groused as she wrapped a long strip of gauze around a soldier's freshly stitched arm. Apparently, she'd been recruited by the military staff to lend her expertise to more than just Tseng after today's attack. Reno cringed at her tone. "Well? Don't just stand there... Make yerself useful and bring me a fresh tray. I've got a whole line of people ta fix up before I can deal with yeh."

The redhead obediently retrieved a tray of medical supplies from the stack she'd gestured to, silently bringing it over to her as Ward bustled off to the next patient. She took it from him, and set it on the table that swung out over the bed.

"Tseng's waiting for yeh. I've already told him why yer back, and he'd like a word with yeh. If there's anything left of yeh when he's finished, yeh'll be getting an earful from me, too... and then we'll discuss what's ta be done with yeh."

Reno opened his mouth to reply, thought better of it, and wordlessly retreated down the hallway towards Tseng's room. He wasn't entirely sure if the the doctor was really as angry as she sounded or if she was simply focused on more urgent tasks at the moment and lacked the time to put more effort into being personable... but he'd been granted a brief reprieve, and he wasn't going to push his luck.

Well, he silently amended, pausing in front of the door, a reprieve from _her_ wrath, at any rate. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, and stepped inside. Maybe he'd luck out again and Tseng would be asleep.

"Sit down, Reno."

No such luck. He walked across the room, taking up residence in the chair beside the bed.

"Explain yourself."

Reno looked away and sighed.

"And look at me while you do."

"Yes, sir," he replied, forcing himself to raise his eyes to meet Tseng's. "I... stopped taking the medication Ward prescribed for me."

" _Ordered_ you to take," the Wutaiian firmly corrected him, "You would do well not to forget _that_. Particularly given that it was the sole condition of you remaining in the field, was it not?"

"Yes, sir."

"And as a result, Elena found you curled up in a corner, unable to to calm yourself."

The redhead visibly flinched. He hadn't realized Rude had been so thorough in his report to the doctor... though it didn't surprise him. Rude was thorough about _everything_.

"Yes, sir."

"Just what would you have done if that had happened in a far less ideal setting? In the middle of retrieving your objective, for example... or had you been attacked en route to one of the reactors," he asked gravely, his arms folded across his chest.

"... I don't know, sir."

"Hmm..."

Reno swallowed sharply. He had a feeling he knew what the next question was going to be.

"And _why_ did you fail to follow Ward's orders?"

He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "The first couple of times were an accident," he admitted. "I was up all night tryin' to sort through all the crap people kept handin' me, and... I just forgot," he replied, before noting the Turk leader's unamused expression and quickly adding, "I know... that's no excuse."

"Why did you _continue_ to disobey Ward's orders?" Tseng asked, evenly. Reno had always hated this... Ever since he was a rookie, Tseng was the one person who could really intimidate him without even trying. He never shouted... he never raised a hand to him... but somehow, that unrelenting gaze never failed to render even the cockiest of his subordinates deferential and accommodating. Reno was no exception.

"... I..." He shut his eyes, dreading the reaction this was going to get. "... left the pills in Junon so 'Lena wouldn't find 'em. I didn't want her to know I was takin' 'em."

"In other words, you placed your own vanity above the safety of your team. Even above _Elena's_ safety. I'm disappointed, Reno."

He felt his mouth go dry at that. Reno could only recall Tseng uttering those words to him once before... and it had hurt as much then as it did now.

"Yes, sir." It was far more of a whisper than he'd intended.

"As commander, you're not only charged with the well-being of you team... You're also expected to be an example for them to follow. Had Rude or Elena done something like this, you would be livid... and don't try and tell me you wouldn't. Leadership does not exempt you from holding yourself to the same standards you hold _them_ to."

"I know. It was a stupid thing to do."

Really... what the hell _had_ he been thinking? He was being perfectly honest when he'd said that the first two or three skipped doses had been a legitimate lapse in memory... but after that? _That_ had been intentional. He'd arrogantly decided that he didn't need it that badly and opted to forgo it rather than risk appearing weak in front of Elena. And the worst part was... she'd fucking found out anyway. In the most degrading, humiliating way he could have imagined. If he'd just done what Ward had told him to do in the first place, he wouldn't be in this mess.

He suddenly realized that Tseng hadn't said anything further. Instead, he was looking at the younger man expectantly.

"... So... What now?" Reno finally had to ask, as it became clear that his mentor had decided to place things firmly in his court.

"I suppose that _is_ the only question that really matters now, isn't it? But as it happens, it's not up to me this time."

The redhead mentally groaned. Tseng was right. It wasn't up to him... it was up to Ward. If the doctor stripped him of command until further notice and ordered him back to Midgar, he'd be on the next transport home whether he liked it or not.

"Think Ward'll give me another chance?"

"I have little doubt of that. She's always had a rather persistent soft spot for you. But it wasn't Justinia I was referring to," Tseng replied. Reno blinked in surprise. He supposed that technically Heidegger could sideline him... though the pompous asshole had never cared about any of the Turks enough to bother with such things before. Rufus certainly could as well... but he had bigger things to worry about at the moment. The Turk leader seemed to sense his confusion on the issue. "Reno... _You_ are in command. Stop concerning yourself so much with the decisions you can't control, and worry about the ones you can. What do _you_ intend to do should Ward clear you for duty?"

He didn't even have to think about that.

"My job."

"Good. And I expect _this_ time, you will follow orders."

Reno leaned back in the chair. As reprimands went, this had been a surprisingly mild one... in all aspects but one. One, and only one, other time had Reno done something idiotic enough to truly let Tseng down. He'd vowed to never let it happen again. Somehow, though, he'd failed, and that knowledge stabbed at him.

"I'm sorry, Tseng. I never meant to be such a disappointment."

The Wutaiian shook his head, and reached for his lieutenant, taking hold of his hand. "I am deeply disappointed in your actions," Tseng replied. "But I do not, and have never, considered _you_ a disappointment."

Hearing that, he wasn't ashamed to admit, was a relief. There weren't many people in the world who's opinion of him actually mattered to Reno. Tseng was one of the very few.

"I won't torment you any further. You've still got Justinia to deal with, after all. If you're feeling up to lending a hand before she comes after you, I suspect they could use some help outside. Just how bad is it this time?"

"Lotta debris... Didn't look like too much structural damage, though. 'Course I was kinda thinkin' more about other things on the way in," he replied, grateful for the change of subject. "Don't know if you heard... but they actually manage to take down Sapphire."

"Mmm... I _had_ wondered about that. I heard quite a lot of cheering after that second canon blast... but I fear keeping me up to date on the current threat status has not been anyone's priority today. I can only assume that Viridia has her hands just as full as Ward's are."

He didn't come right out and say it, but Reno had no trouble picking up on the faint note of concern in Tseng's voice at the mention of the security chief's name. And the redhead was quick to seize on the opportunity to begin to make up for his previous lapse in judgment.

"Saw her on the way in... She's gonna be busy for awhile. But she's okay."

"That... is good to know," Tseng replied with a tired smile.

* * *

Elena groaned softly and let her head fall into her arms on top of the table. Twelve. In a row. Chess was definitely not her game. Rude, meanwhile, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself with an opponent that he, as he'd quickly discovered, significantly outclassed.

"Okay..." she said, her voice muffled in her sleeves, "I give. Can we switch to something else now?"

"I guess I could beat you at poker for awhile, instead..." the other Turk teased her. Elena smirked in her hidden position, and a moment later calmly raised her head. If there was one game she _was_ good at, it was poker. Many years of summers spent in Veraheim had fine-tuned her skills. Nana had taught her granddaughter well.

"What are we betting?" she asked.

Rude chuckled, and began putting away the chess pieces. "There should be poker chips around here somewhere. Dad had a weekly game with the neighbors for years before he got sick. Wouldn't want you running short on funds just because we're bored and have nothing better to do."

"Where's the fun in that?" she asked, innocently, smiling slightly. She had to hand it to Rude... he'd been right about her needing a distraction. She was still decidedly worried about Reno, but things didn't seem quite so desolate with the addition of the impromptu activities.

Rude gave a soft snort of laughter and shrugged. "Don't blame me when you're broke, then... I play for keeps."

* * *

His electro-mag rod crackled threateningly, and the two men who'd been seconds from hurling a brick through a nearby shop window quickly backed down, turning tail and running roughly in the direction of the base's main elevator. He'd suspected they'd snuck in from lower Junon in the chaos after the attack... their direction of flight pretty much confirmed it.

He didn't bother chasing them. The older of the two couldn't have been more than sixteen. They were just a couple of kids looking to cause trouble and maybe score some free merchandise. And given that the younger member of the duo had looked like he was about to shit himself, Reno didn't think they'd be sticking around the base. The redhead smirked and gave the EMR a quick twirl before turning and sauntering off in the opposite direction.

"Decided to join the security corps, have we?"

Reno turned toward a narrow alleyway and spotted Viridia striding purposefully toward him.

"Not that I'm complaining," she continued, "I could use the help. It has been a _nightmare_ getting things to settle down around here."

"Anything ya need, Vir... I'm just killin' time, waitin' for the Doc to kill _me_."

"Ha! What kind of trouble are you in now, you little degenerate?" Viridia teased. Reno sighed and shook his head. "... Is it really that bad? What'd you do?"

"More what I _didn't_ do. Kinda disobeyed a direct order from the Doc. Tseng wasn't real happy about it... and Ward's gonna rip me a new one, soon as her workload dies down."

The security chief raised an eyebrow. " _That's_ not like you..."

"Yeah... well... ya might not've noticed, but I haven't quite been myself lately," he admitted. The two of them turned onto the main roadway and ducked into the large tunnel that ran beneath the massive canon.

"You wanna talk about it? I mean, I know we're not exactly as close as you and Tseng are, but... if you need to unload, I don't mind. I get a lot of that sort of thing from newbies. Practically part of my job description these days."

He hesitated a moment before answering. "... That offer good for later? Like, for instance, _after_ Ward disembowels me? I'm kinda tryin' _not_ to think about shit right now."

Viridia smiled warmly. "I'm off duty at seven. We can talk over dinner, okay? Assuming nothing _else_ goes wrong today. In the meantime... how would you feel about joining me down there?" She nodded towards the tunnel leading downward, away from the city and out towards the ocean... and the underwater reactor. "Commander Yorik wants the reactor facility, the sub docks, and the underwater causeway scouted before he'll give the all-clear to the repair teams. And until the repair teams shore things up we can't resume the materia recovery from the reactor. All my people are busy keeping things in line topside... and I _hate_ going down there alone."

"Heh... Guess I'm in the escort business today."

"Professional escort, huh? I thought you claimed to have a girlfriend..."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Back off, Vir. Lame jokes are my department."

"Oh, come on," she teased, unlocking the entrance to the lower tunnel with her security badge. "That was funny!"

* * *

"Well... ?"

Rude looked down at his nearly non-existent cash supply and then at the pile in the center of the table. If he lost this hand, he was done... and Elena was looking just a little too happy about that.

Unfortunately for her, Rude was currently holding the best hand he'd been dealt all afternoon. If he'd had a little more cash on him, he could raise her one last time and win back everything he'd lost and then some. He frowned, looked directly at the female Turk, and removed his sunglasses, tossing them onto the pile. Elena giggled and shoved the rest of her money in.

"I call. Show me what you've got."

Rude smirked and laid his cards down on the table, revealing the seven, eight, nine, ten, and jack of clubs.

"Straight flush," he said with a smug grin, reaching for the pot.

"Ah, ah, ah," Elena chided, stopping him from claiming his prize. She fanned out her own cards on the table and Rude's face immediately fell. " _Royal_ flush. Read 'em and weep."

"... You're officially banned from Turks' poker night."

"Since when do we have a poker night?" she asked, pausing in her collection of her winnings to look across the table at him.

"We don't. But I'm going to start one just so I can ban you from it."

Elena giggled again and picked up the sunglasses, slipping them on. "Like Nana always says... Never bet against a Brewer."

Rude shook his head, laughing softly and leaned back in his chair. "Well... at least you're in a better mood now." It was true. Between having her ass handed to her at chess... and then returning the favor by cleaning him out in their poker game... Elena seemed to have lost her somewhat melancholy demeanor from earlier.

"Thanks for helping with that," she replied. "I'm still worried about him, though."

"Reno can handle a verbal beat down. Won't be the first time. Besides... I think he _needs_ to hear it at this point. Can't just let him wallow in self pity forever. We've both been babying him." He smirked slightly. " _You_ , I can understand... but _I_ should know better by now."

Elena peered over the tops of her appropriated sunglasses. "And just what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"... Just that he's got you wrapped around his finger," he teased, "One look at those sad little puppy dog eyes he's so good at pulling, and you want to comfort him... when what he really needs is a kick in the ass."

"Are you implying that I'm a pushover?" she scoffed, vaguely offended.

The bald Turk chuckled softly. "Only where Reno's concerned."

Elena glared at him and picked up the deck of cards. "Just for that..." she began, and squeezed it into a small arch. Rude immediately sat up, but before he could tell her not to, the entire deck leapt from her fingertips a few cards at a time, flying into the air and landing, scattered, all around him. Elena crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. "New game. Fifty-two Card Pickup. You can go first."

* * *

"Uh... Why do I get the feeling this thing's not s'posed to be leakin' like that?"

"Relax... it's leaking from a weld. As long as the dome hasn't been compromised, we're fine," Viridia replied, noting the number – A-5 – stenciled on the support beam and jotting it down in her notebook. "It's probably not the only one. Repair crews'll be busy tonight."

She started down the tunnel again, and Reno trailed her, glancing briefly back over his shoulder at the little waterfall that had formed on one side of the domed causeway. He hoped she knew what she was talking about. He was pretty damn good swimmer... but they were easily two hundred feet or more underwater at the moment. The redhead had his doubts about being able to make it that far if something went catastrophically wrong.

His eyes followed the metal supports along the ceiling, carefully looking for any other signs of damage from Weapon's rampage. All seemed sound, however... and beyond the transparent membrane that enveloped them, he could make out the shadowy figures of sea life returning to the bay.

"Huh. Looks like we lost some of the exterior lights, too," Viridia commented, following his gaze and making another note.

" _Thought_ it seemed a lot darker out there than I remembered..." The only other time he'd been down here had been years ago. He and a senior Turk by the name of Ashland had accompanied the former-President Shinra as security during an inspection... and he definitely remembered being able to clearly see the creatures that had been swimming around the enclosed walkway.

The the underwater docks and the reactor loomed ahead of them, and as Viridia had predicted, they encountered a few more small leaks that had formed along some of the welded seams in the causeway's shell. None of them seemed to concern her much, however, and when they at last reached the end, she swiped her badge, releasing the lock on the door.

"Oh... Rufus is _not_ going to be happy about _that_ ," she said almost as soon as they'd cleared the airlock... and the redhead had little difficulty in spotting the problem. One of the four docked subs was partially underwater, which normally wouldn't have been an issue, given that it was _supposed_ to spend most of its time underwater... except that it was also laying on its side. A second submarine had been dislodged and forced up onto the dock itself, a deep gouge in its hull, and the third and fourth, though undamaged as far as he could tell, were presently trapped in their berths by the mangled boom of a fallen cargo crane.

"... Well... 'Least his huge materia's still in one piece," the Turk replied, a soft shimmer of light at the far end of the marina catching his eye. Deep red in color, it hadn't taken him long to spot its source: the massive crystal that was resting somewhat askew on a large wooden pallet.

"Hmph... Thank Odin for that, or you wouldn't be the _only_ one getting eviscerated later," she quipped, as she pulled out her phone and started documenting the damage to the submarines and their bays.

"Heh... Yeah, well, 'least you'd've been able to take some solace in the fact that none of this is your fault. Me? I can't pin the blame on anyone but myself."

"So are you _really_ just going to torture me with teasers all afternoon, or are you actually going to tell me what the hell you did to get yourself yanked out of the field?" Viridia asked, stepping over the remains of a metal ladder that had fallen from one of the upper catwalks. "Because just so you know, I've got a pretty good imagination, and I'm sure I can come up with all sorts of possible reasons before dinner tonight..."

Reno sighed. He'd been trying not to dwell on it, but unfortunately, that just wasn't happening.

"Ward kinda put me on some shit after that whole panic attack thing. Ya know... like antidepressant bullshit. And I kinda quit takin' it... and it kinda happened again."

Viridia paused in her bid to reach the opposite side of the dock and rounded on him.

"Why in Odin's name would you do something that _dumb_?" she asked in disbelief.

"Tch... Gee, thanks Vir... Don't take it easy on me or anything..."

The security chief meandered back over towards him, pausing beside him. Without warning, her hand shot out, and smacked him hard in the back of the head.

"Ow!"

"Idiot. You know, if you were one of _my_ subordinates, you'd be on latrine duty for the next _month_ , for pulling a stunt like that."

"If I were one of _your_ subordinates, you wouldn't be allowed to hit me like that," he replied, with a glare, rubbing the back of his skull. "Cut me some slack, will ya? I already know it was stupid."

Viridia made a faint sound of irritation and shook her head. "Let me guess. _You_ didn't want to tell _Elena_ , did you? That's why you quit taking it."

Reno blinked in surprise. He was pretty sure he hadn't mentioned anything about her to Vir since his return... How she'd drawn that conclusion was something of a mystery. It was a little late to try denying it, though.

"... Mighta had somethin' to do with it."

"For Shiva's sake, you'reas bad as Tseng," she muttered, and he instinctively ducked, half-expecting her to take another swing at him. "He pulled that same shit with me once, and you'd _better_ believe me when I say he knows not to ever do it again." She rested her hands on her hips, staring him down. "And if you really love her as much as you say you do, you won't either. That's _not_ how relationships work."

It took him several seconds to recover from his shock. He honestly couldn't remember Vir ever taking quite that tone with him before. Oh, sure... she'd yelled at him plenty of times, and she'd marched his ass to the base's holding cells more often than he could even remember. But she seemed to be taking this almost personally.

"What the fuck are _you_ so pissed at me for?" he asked, bewildered. She continued to glare at him for a moment, and then finally sighed.

"Because I know how much it can hurt when someone you love isn't being honest with you. Especially when you know that they're in pain themselves." She shook her head and took a step towards him, reaching out and absently straightening the collar of his shirt. "She's not going to think any less of you for needing help. I certainly didn't think any less of Tseng..." Viridia grinned widely. "Though I did come dangerously close to punching the bastard in the face for lying to me about it."

"... Yeah. Think I probably woulda ended up in the doghouse for awhile, too, if 'Lena hadn't been so glad I wasn't dyin' last night." He raised his eyes to look at her. "Hey... Vir? Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Sure."

"Back when Mayu died... was Tseng really that bad? I mean... I was scared shitless when I first saw him afterwards. And I was worried about the guy for awhile, after that, 'specially when he went home to Wutai for what was s'posed to be a couple of days and ended up disappearin' on me for over a week... but after awhile he just kinda seemed to snap out of it."

"He never told you where he went?" Viridia asked, and Reno shook his head. "He was here with me in Junon. And yeah... it was pretty bad. He must have drafted his resignation letter a dozen times the day he arrived. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry and so devastated. It took a few days before he calmed down enough to actually talk about what happened. For awhile there, he was dead set on not going back."

Reno involuntarily shuddered. He hadn't realized he'd been that close to losing his mentor. Tseng had never let on, at least not to him, that he'd legitimately considered leaving the Turks. The thought was more than slightly sobering. Without Tseng, who knows where he'd have ended up? In all likelihood, Reno would have been dead by now. The Wutaiian had always taken great pains to reign in some of his riskier behavior when he'd been younger... allowing him freedom to make mistakes – and he'd made plenty – but always keeping a tight grip on the leash, just in case. At first, he'd somewhat resented being told what to do by his demanding guardian. Eventually, though, he'd grown used to it... even grateful for it on occasion. Before Tseng, no adult had ever given enough of a shit about him to bother telling him that he couldn't do something.

"Sounds like I owe ya for talkin' him out of it."

Viridia smirked slightly. "As much as I'd like to take credit, it wasn't anything _I_ did that changed his mind. Tseng just couldn't bear to leave _you_ behind."

Reno blinked. "... Me?"

The security chief rolled her eyes. "Yes, you," she replied, laughing quietly, "I swear if he were any _more_ attached to you, I'd be obligated to be jealous." She shook her head, still chuckling. "So... getting back to the previous topic... what are you going to do the next time you see Elena?"

"What d'ya mean?" he asked, caught a bit off-guard by the question.

"For being a self-centered, lying sack of chocobo dung and probably scaring her half to death with all that panic attack shit. I suggest flowers. And jewelry. And swearing up and down that you'll be a good little Turk and take your medicine from now on."

Reno eyed her strangely, one eyebrow rising in curiosity.

"Now what?" Viridia asked, arms folded over her chest.

"Nothin'... I'm just startin' to wonder if you're somehow channelin' an old friend of mine right now. 'Cause that sounds an awful lot like somethin' she'd say. If she was still speakin' to me, that is..."

He hadn't thought much about Lira lately... and felt a little guilty that she'd so easily slipped his mind... but it was true. In fact, most of their conversation had been one he could easily imagine having with her. Lira had a way of making him feel better about almost any given situation... and he missed that. He would always miss it... but he'd more or less given up any hope of having her in his life again. It had been weeks. She'd have called him by now... texted... emailed... _something_... if there was still a chance.

The woman snorted softly, pulling him from the morose thoughts before they could really take hold. "Why am I not surprised that there are other women out there who'd call you a lying sack of chocobo dung?"

The redhead smiled faintly. "Hey... I was never _that_ bad."

"Of course you weren't..." Viridia deadpanned. "Come on, Mr. Innocent... We still need to take a look at the reactor before we can get out of here."

* * *

"You're not sending him home... are you?" Tseng asked, as Dr. Ward fussed over him, checking the heavy bandages around his abdomen.

"And just what makes yeh think yer entitled ta that information? Yer on leave until I say otherwise... which means yer _not_ in command right now," she replied. She gently probed a large bruised area on his side. It had been healing well up until the latest mako therapy treatment... but something seemed to have reinjured the skin. She frowned thoughtfully and tugged the dressings back into place. "No. I'm not sending him home," she said, "Particularly not without someone ta keep an eye on him. _Yeh_ on the other hand... If I thought it were safe ta move yeh that far, I'd have yeh back in Midgar so fast yer head would spin. I'm afraid we're going ta have ta stop the mako treatments for a bit. Yeh've got poisoning from it, and I'd feel much better if yeh were in Midgar General instead of this ridiculous excuse for a hospital."

Tseng chuckled softly. "You've let yourself become spoiled by luxury, Justinia. Junon has perfectly suitable medical facilities."

"Hmph..."

"Is it anything to be concerned about?" he asked. The doctor shook her head.

"No... Not really. I've been watching yeh closely for any signs of it, so it's _very_ low-grade. But we can't continue ta treat yeh with mako until it's cleared yer system."

The Turk leader sighed and let his head lean back against the pillow.

"I really _am_ going to be stuck in this bed for months, aren't I?" He mentally chastised himself for letting some small amount of the dismay he felt slip into his voice. Ward would almost certainly pick up on it.

"Ah... Yeh've finally started ta take me seriously, have yeh?" Ward quipped as she pulled the covers back over him.

"I suppose I've been hoping that there was a chance of you uncharacteristically exaggerating the extent of my injuries."

The doctor barked a sharp laugh. "Yeh'd think yeh'd know me better than that by now." She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I told yeh... Yer going ta take quite some time ta heal... and I meant it. But I _will_ put yeh back together in the end. Just like I always do."

"Please do me a favor... Put Reno back together first."

Ward scoffed quietly. "I don't see why the two should be mutually exclusive. Now... I'm going ta go and see ta getting yeh a dose of antidote for that mako poisoning before it starts ta spread. And then I'm going make sure that little troublemaker of yers takes the medication I prescribed for him even if I have ta personally shove it down his throat every night."

Tseng quickly smothered a laugh. "Be gentle with him. He's _already_ expecting you to bite his head off, I think."

"Now why would I go and do a fool thing like that? I'd just have ta reattach it when I was done, now, wouldn't I?"

* * *

It was growing dark by the time Reno and Viridia made their way topside again. The damage to the reactor had been, insofar as they'd been able to tell, minimal... though the sensors _were_ registering a small mako leak somewhere in the upper level machinery. They hadn't stuck around long enough to find it. Neither of them were equipped for dealing with something like that... and it wasn't _their_ problem anyway. That was a mess for the repair crews to sort out.

As they stepped out onto Junon's main thoroughfare, his PHS chimed, and he hurried to check it, hoping that it was a message from Elena. No such luck however, and he couldn't quite repress the groan that escaped his lips moments later.

"The doctor finally get around to summoning you?" she teased him, and he shot her a sour look.

"Naturally..." he sighed.

"Well... if you live through it, I'll see you around seven."

"Not helpin', Vir," he replied, but smiled slightly, leaving the woman behind with a wave as he headed for the medical bay.

Things had quieted considerably since he'd been gone... though the place seemed to have noticeably fewer open beds than before, and the nursing staff all but ignored him as he slipped by them, focused as they were on whatever task they were attending to. Reno set off in search of Ward, wondering if she would be in the exam room she'd commandeered shortly after her arrival as a makeshift office, or still looking after the surplus of patients. He opted to try the office first.

The redhead took a deep breath and silently pushed door open, peering inside... and finding the room empty.

" _There_ yeh are," a voice behind him stated loudly, and Reno nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden and unexpected declaration. He spun around to face her, his left hand landing firmly on the mag rod clipped to his belt out of sheer reflex.

" _Fuck_ , Doc... You _tryin'_ to give me a heart attack?"

The old woman cast him a disapproving glare.

"Yeah, yeah... I know. Language," he muttered.

"Hmph. Well? Inside with yeh, and up on the table. Let's have a look at yeh, then."

"… Seriously, Doc? Can't ya just start yellin' _now_ so we can get this over with?"

"I'm not going ta tell yeh twice. And I'll remind yeh, I'm not over pleased with yeh at the moment."

Reno cringed and did as he was told. Apparently, the last few hours hadn't done much to improve the good doctor's mood. She was still mad. That thought in mind, he shrugged out of his jacket and then his shirt before she even had the chance to ask, and endured her relatively brief exam in silence.

"How have yeh been sleeping?" she said, apparently satisfied with her poking and prodding.

"Fine up 'til last night. Don't even know what brought it on. I was dead asleep when it started."

Ward folded her arms across her chest. "That doesn't surprise _me_ in the slightest. I told yeh to take those pills daily for a reason. Yeh had the medication built up to a nice, therapeutic level in yer system and then yeh went and cut yerself off. Soon as those levels dropped too low, something was bound ta happen. Yer lucky yeh've only been on it a short while, or it probably would've been a lot worse for yeh."

She opened a drawer in her desk and removed a small plastic bottle, twisting off the cap and shaking one of the tablets into her palm. The doctor placed it in Reno's hand and offered him a bottle of water.

"Yeh take that right _now_. When yer ready ta come off of it, we'll take yeh off gradually."

Reno silently complied, tossing it back and following it with several gulps of water. He wordlessly licked an errant drop from his lips and stared down at the bottle as he twisted the cap back on.

"So... You sendin' me back to Midgar?" he asked, without looking up.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not lettin' yeh out of my sight, yeh little troublemaker," the woman scoffed. "Yer staying here in Junon, and yer going ta do everything I say. Or else. We'll see where yeh stand when yer two cohorts get back from wherever they're off ta now."

The redhead raised his eyes to look at her. "... You're not gonna yell at me?" he asked, somewhat surprised that the visit seemed to have gone as calmly as it had. He could hardly believe his luck.

"After the day _I've_ had, I just don't have the energy. But I'm sure yeh'll give me plenty of chances ta make it up ta yeh."

"And you're... really not pullin' me?"

Ward shook her head. "No. I'm not. Yeh were doing just fine until yeh decided ta ignore me. As long as yeh've learned yer lesson on _that_ I'm willing ta give yeh another chance."

Reno sagged in relief, eyes closing briefly as he felt himself really relax for the first time all day.

"Though if it were up ta me, the whole lot of yeh'd be taking a nice long vacation," she added. "In fact, if we manage ta live through being pummeled by that Shiva-forsaken meteor, I think I'll make that an official recommendation."

" _That_ is one medical order I'll be happy to follow to the letter _,"_ the redhead replied, as he slid off the table and started pulling his shirt back on. "We actually survive this, I'm takin' 'Lena and disappearin' for _at least_ a couple weeks."

Ward snorted softly in disbelief. "Please. _Yeh_ haven't accumulated two solid weeks of vacation time at once since yeh were a rookie... and even then it was only because yeh hadn't been on the job long enough ta use it all yet."

"Heh... shows what you know, Doc. I've been savin' it up so I can take 'Lena somewhere special. And that's exactly what I'm _gonna_ do, just as soon as we kick Sephiroth's ass, save the fuckin' planet, and get shit back in line."

"Yeh watch that mouth of yers. I may be sparing yeh the sharp side of my tongue today, but yer still on thin ice. And don't yeh even _bother_ asking for yer treat. Yeh've lost _that_ privilege until I say otherwise," the doctor said, sternly. "Now off with yeh. Go and eat something if yeh haven't already. And I expect ta see yeh here, same time tomorrow."

"What for?"

"So I can _watch_ yeh take yer medication."

"... How long you gonna punish me for not obeyin' medical orders?" he asked with a resigned sigh. Ward smirked.

"Until I feel I've driven the point _firmly_ inta that thick skull of yers."

* * *

Rain was pelting the windows when Elena groaned and rolled over in bed. She couldn't believe it still hadn't stopped. As she sat up, a soft knock at the door reminded her that she wasn't alone in the house.

"Come in," she called out, yawning widely. The door creaked softly as it swung inwards, revealing Rude.

"You planning on getting up before noon?" he asked. Elena blinked as she realized that _he_ was fully dressed, and glanced over at the clock. Her jaw dropped slightly when she saw the time. It was nearly ten. She hurried to get out of bed, stumbling slightly over tangled sheets in her haste, and knuckling her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up a bit. Rude snickered loudly. "You know... I really _am_ starting to think Reno's rubbing off on you a little too much. You even wake up like him now."

She glared at him. "It's this damn rain," she muttered, "I always end up oversleeping on rainy mornings."

"Well, looks like the worst of it's finally cleared off. We're good to leave for Mt. Corel any time... so get dressed and come downstairs. I saved you some breakfast."

Elena nodded and the other Turk withdrew, his footsteps fading on the staircase as she dug through her travel bag, pulling out a fresh uniform. As she dressed, she glanced at her PHS, charging on the table by the bed. The message light was blinking. She picked it up, thumbing open her text messages and grinned before switching to the phone and dialing the number.

"Hey," a familiar and welcome voice answered almost immediately.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, a smile spreading across her face. "So what's this good news?"

"Heh... Ward didn't brutally murder me, for one thing," Reno replied. "And she didn't sideline me, either."

Elena's smile broadened. "Are you on your way back?"

"No... I've been sent to my room and told to think about what I've done for awhile, first. But I'm cleared soon as you 'n Rude get back to Junon. Where are you?"

"Still in Rocket Town. The storm kept us grounded all day yesterday, but it's just about past us now. We're leaving for the Mt. Corel reactor in a little while."

"Alright... let me know when you've got that materia secured and are on your way back to Rocket Town with it. Oh... and tell Rude the Ragged Chocobo survived Weapon's latest attack with only minor damage."

"That grungy little bar behind the weapons shop?"

Reno chuckled quietly on the other end of the line. "Yeah, that's the one. He'll be glad to hear it, trust me. Won't have to worry about it anymore, either. They finally managed to take that fucker down. Blasted its head clean off with the main canon."

"Good," Elena replied, "That means I don't have to worry about Weapon destroying _you_ ,either."

She wedged the phone against her shoulder and slipped into a pair of pants. As good as it was to hear Reno's voice, multi-tasking was a must. Rude had already been waiting on her for far too long. She very nearly dropped the device as she awkwardly fumbled the button at the waist.

"The hell are you doin'?" the redhead asked, she presumed, in response to the odd sounds he must have been hearing as a result.

"Getting dressed," she replied, and then quickly added, "And no... I'm not naked."

"Topless, at least?" 

"No."

"Tch... Ruin a guy's fantasy, why don't ya."

"Pervert," she giggled. By now, she was grinning so widely her face was actually starting to hurt. "I've got to go. Rude sounded anxious to get to work. We'll see you in a couple of days, okay?"

"'Kay... Watch yourselves out there. I love you, 'Lena."

"I love you, too," she said, "Stay out of trouble."

"No promises," the redhead said in a teasing voice, and before she could retort, he'd ended the call. Elena shook her head and shoved the phone into her pocket. She was glad to hear him really sounding like his old self again.

She shrugged out of her pajama top and grabbed a bra. She paused, though, halfway into tackling the always-uncooperative little hooks, and glanced over at the closed door. Rude could wait another minute or two.

Elena tossed the undergarment aside for the moment and fished the phone out of her pocket again, opening up the camera app and snapping a photo of herself from the waist up. She attached it to a text before she could talk herself out of what she was doing.

 _'If anyone else EVER sees this, I will kill you. Behave,'_ she keyed in as the accompanying message.

She hurried to finish dressing, and was on her way downstairs when her PHS chimed at her. She opened the new message and grinned as she read it.

 _'I'll be good.'_

"What's up?" Rude's voice suddenly queried, and Elena hurriedly closed out of the text, blushing faintly.

"N-nothing. I was just talking to Reno," she quickly replied.

"Judging by the color of you face, I probably don't want to know what you were talking _about_ ," he teased. "What's the word? Is he allowed back on duty?"

Elena tucked the phone back into her pocket and shook her head. "Not for this mission. But he'll be cleared as soon as we get back. So let's hurry up and get that materia."

* * *

The helicopter circled once more, high over the mountain range, before it began to drop in altitude, and Rude was glad he'd opted to take the pilot's seat himself. Elena wasn't a bad pilot... just an inexperienced one, and the crosswinds high in the mountains were particularly treacherous today. Even _he_ was having a hard time holding a smooth descent.

Reno hadn't been the only phone call earlier that morning. As Rude and Elena were heading out, Rufus had informed them that Avalanche had stolen the Highwind, and Reeve had reported that the group was aware of Shinra's plans for the huge materia. It seemed they intended to try and stop them by procuring it for themselves. A small number of troops stationed at the port in Costa del Sol had been dispatched to block their progress should they arrive before the Turks did, and to have the materia itself ready for transport.

All in all, Rude could find little to complain about. Instead of retrieving their target from deep inside the reactor, all they had to do was pick it up out front. That made their job considerably easier. In fact, if they could make good time getting it back to Rocket Town, they could probably be airborne again in time to make it to Fort Condor by nightfall. Slipping into the occupied garrison under cover of darkness was preferable anyway. If they were lucky, by this time tomorrow, they might even be back in Junon.

And frankly, Rude was just as anxious as Elena was to be reunited with their missing teammate.

He'd hated having to turn him over to Ward. But, as he kept reminding himself, it was for Reno's own good. Rude was irritated with the redhead... and with himself for not looking after him better. He knew perfectly well what Reno could be like, and his friend had made it fairly clear that he disliked the idea of being medicated for his anxiety. Rude couldn't help but think that, if he'd just been paying a little more attention, this could have been avoided.

"Rude... What's that?" the woman beside him suddenly asked, and he quickly redirected his gaze from his intended landing zone to the reactor entrance some distance off. A plume of what appeared to be smoke was billowing from inside. He frowned and scanned the area. Where were the soldiers that had been sent to secure the reactor ahead of them?

His question was answered mere moments later as a train engine emerged from the reactor entrance, trailed by a long line of cars.

"W-what are they _doing_?" Elena stammered as it shot along the tracks. Both of them noted the flatbed near the center, and it's shimmering blue cargo. The huge materia.

"... Running," Rude replied when a second engine began to follow on a parallel set of tracks. Avalanche. It had to be them. The question was, were they in the first train, absconding with the materia already... or were they in the second, chasing it down?

It was a question that was answered shortly thereafter as the second engine began to catch up to the back end of the other train and three figures leapt across the gap between them. Recognizing one of them as Vincent Valentine wasn't difficult. The cat-like creature who'd identified itself as "Nanaki" during its debriefing in Junon soon followed, along with young Wutaiian girl whose name presently escaped Rude's memory. The pair of Turks watched as they began to make their way along the tops of the train cars.

"They're going to try and stop it," Rude noted. Elena was already unfastening her harness. "... Where do you think _you're_ going?"

"We'll take the materia while they're busy with the soldiers on the train. You bring us in low... I'll hop down and hook the winch up to the materia, and then we lift it out of there before they even realize we're here."

The bald Turk snorted softly.

"You're as crazy as Reno." But that didn't stop him from lining himself up with the speeding train and dropping in low behind it. "Wait 'til I'm over that empty flatbed three cars back before you even _think_ about jumping."

Elena nodded and and set her headset aside. She moved toward the back and began unspooling the winch cable, readying herself for the drop. Rude eased the throttle up, increasing the aircraft's speed just enough to begin to overtake the train. Ahead of him, he could see the three Avalanche members fighting their way past the Shinra guards... far too busy to notice the approach of the Turks. At last, he was in position, and he slowed them slightly, matching the speed of the train as best he could. The wind wasn't quite as wicked back here, in the shadow of the mountain, but he knew there was a steep rise in the tracks and a bridge that spanned a wide valley up ahead. She needed to jump before they reached it, as it wasn't very likely he'd be able to hold the helicopter steady enough to be safe for her through that section if the crosswinds there were as bad as the ones higher up.

"Go!" he shouted over the sound of the engines. Elena wrenched open the sliding door in the side of the craft and hesitated, but moments later she disappeared from sight. Rude breathed a sigh of relief as he shifted his gaze forward again and watched her land safely on the flatbed. That was the hard part. All she had to do now was make her way a few cars forward, and clip the cable to the pallet containing the materia.

As the tracks began to trend upwards along the mountainside, she hurried over the roof of the car ahead of her and then scrambled down onto another flatbed, racing across it towards the materia. Rude was forced to back off slightly as the incline increase sharply. Nearly at the top, Elena was just a few feet away from her goal, when Rude saw her suddenly hit the deck.

It took him a moment to realize why. At first, he thought she'd been spotted by the trio of terrorists who'd preceded her onto the train... but it quickly became apparent that they themselves were presently occupied with trying to take control of the engine. The _second_ train, however, was now running even with the materia car on the first... and to Rude's horror, it, too, was still occupied.

Barret Wallace was shooting from the engine's cab, the bullets ricocheting off the the other train, sending up tiny showers of sparks as they struck metal. And Elena was a sitting duck. The car she was on was empty, and offered her no cover at all... and there was no way for her to safely move forward to take shelter behind the materia. To Rude's surprise, however, Wallace didn't seem to be aiming at _her_.

With a sudden, and somewhat sickening moment of insight, he realized he was shooting at the coupling between the two cars. Almost as soon as it dawned on him, the coupling gave way and the rear half of the other train detached itself, separating Elena from the materia she'd been so close to reclaiming. The cars began to slow near the top of the hill... and than started to roll backwards down the incline. Elena slid downwards as well, nearly tumbling towards the back of the flatbed before she finally caught herself.

* * *

Elena let out a scream as the flatbed reversed course down the hill and began to pick up speed, the sudden change in angle sending her first to her knees and then scurrying to find purchase before she found herself falling between the flatbed and the car behind it. She only just managed to wedge her fingers into a metal tiedown loop along the side and pull herself into a safer position.

She'd been _so_ close. If she'd just gotten across that gap...

She looked upward and watched as Rude banked left and came back around from behind the engineless train, ignoring their quarry as it disappeared around a bend. The car rocked violently as it took a sharp turn a little too fast for her taste, and she held on tight.

What in Odin's name had made her think this was a good idea? This was a _terrible_ idea. In fact she might have even gone as far as to say that this was the _worst_ idea she'd ever had.

She yelped again when the runaway train took another painfully sharp turn, and she felt the wheels on one side lift off the tracks. How many more turns like that were there, she wondered. And how many more would she be lucky enough to take without derailing? And what would happen if the train _didn't_ derail? Did it have enough momentum to keep going all the way back to the reactor? Would it slow down by then, or would it slam mercilessly into the dangerous facility?

Just as she was beginning to seriously consider jumping before that could happen – to hell with the injuries she'd likely incur – the sound of metal scraping along wood caught her attention. Elena turned her head just in time to see the winch's hook sliding past her, and dove for it, relinquishing her grip on her makeshift lifeline.

"Pull me up!" she shouted, even though she knew perfectly well that Rude couldn't hear her. Thankfully, though, he seemed to get the message that she was more than ready to go, because a few seconds later, she felt the winch begin to take up the slack in the line.

Elena's fingers gripped the hook so hard her knuckles were turning white by the time she found herself dangling in mid-air, watching the flatbed slip out from under her. It continued to careen down the slope for a short distance until the rear car suddenly came off the tracks and the whole thing buckled. The crash was deafening, even over the sound of the downwash from the helicopter's blades, and she watched in morbid fascination as it twisted and rolled, and finally came to a rest, teetering on the edge of the cliff. And then it went over, practically vanishing right before her eyes, falling into one of the mountain's deep ravines.

She slowly let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding, and tried not to think about just how close that had actually been. Her toes touched the ground a moment later, but she clung to the cabling for support until she'd sunk to her knees in the middle of the tracks. Rude began to set down a short distance away, and Elena somewhat shakily got to her feet and started walking towards the helicopter.

She'd only made it about three quarters of the way there before Rude had killed the engines and climbed out of the aircraft, closing the remaining distance between them.

"You alright?" he asked, concerned, and Elena managed a weak nod.

"If I ever tell you I'm going to jump out of a helicopter and onto a moving train again... handcuff me to my seat until I come to my senses."

~fin~


	65. Underwater Theft

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 65: Underwater Theft**

 **by Desha**

Viridia watched, not certain if she was more impressed or disgusted, as the redhead shoveled one forkful after another into his mouth, pausing only occasionally to forceably swallow.

"I know I've said it before, but... you are a bottomless pit." She shook her head and and bit into the tuna sandwich on her tray. She herself had avoided the potatoes that Reno seemed to be so enjoying. They were far enough into the week that the texture was becoming more akin to paste than food. He forced another mouthful down.

"What's wrong with havin' an appetite?"

"That's not 'having an appetite'. That's a feeding frenzy. You can't possibly be human."

Reno shrugged and went back to eating. Dinner the previous evening had been much the same... though he'd spent slightly more time talking than stuffing his face. They'd talked about a lot, actually... but mostly Elena. It had really been the first opportunity she'd had to spend any significant amount of time alone with the Turk recently... unless one counted his brief stint in one of her detention cells a short while ago... but the conversation then had been light and playful, not the more thoughtful topics they'd covered over dinner.

Really, she couldn't _ever_ recall having had a particularly serious conversation with the young man that lasted more than a couple of minutes. He seemed to avoid it like the plague. In fact the most serious he'd ever been were the times over the years when he'd had to call her and tell her that Tseng was hurt again. Mostly, he just made fun of her for being such a stickler for the rules or bragged that she didn't know half of what he got up to on his visits to Junon.

Last night over dinner, he'd almost been a different person... and she was beginning to understand just how much recent evens were weighing on him. Even when he'd tried to laugh it off.

Today, though... the more jovial side of him appeared to have returned.

"Okay, I'm just going to ask. What's got you in such a good mood all of a sudden?"

Reno glanced up, midway into upending a bottle of ketchup over a pile of green beans and grinned.

"Talked to 'Lena earlier and told her I'd be back on the job soon as she got back," he replied, shrugging. "It was good to hear her voice." His grin widened noticeably, and Viridia had the distinct impression that there was a little more too it than just a pleasant conversation with his girlfriend. Knowing him as well as she did... she wasn't about to ask.

"Soooo... I guess that means she's not _too_ upset over you trying to hide things from her then."

"Think she's temporarily forgotten about that..." he replied shaking his head. "Hopefully, nothin'll come along and jog her memory, 'cause I probably got off a lot easier on that than I deserve, to be honest. I fuckin' hate it when she's mad at me."

"And if her experience is anything like mine, that's about ninety percent of the time," Viridia joked. She didn't mean it at all. Reno could be irritating as all hell, but it was actually pretty hard to stay mad at someone who went out of his way to make you laugh once he realized how angry you were. And beside which... he really _was_ a nice guy at heart. Even if he _did_ more than occasionally drive her crazy with his idiotic antics.

"Aw, come on, Vir... When's the last time I did somethin' to piss you off?"

"Reno... When the four of you first got here, you hadn't been on base for a full twenty-four hours before I had to arrest you."

The redhead blinked. "Oh... Right. Kinda forgot about that."

The security chief laughed quietly and turned back to her lunch. "Your Elena must have the patience of a _saint_..."

Reno frowned slightly. "I'm not really _that_ big a pain in the ass to you, am I?"

" _You_ are the bane of my existence sometimes. You're just lucky that the ten percent of the time you're not driving me up the wall, I actually really like you."

"Ouch."

"Oh, relax, I'm kidding. Mostly."

"Heh... And that's why me 'n 'Lena are a thing," he snickered, "I drive _her_ nuts, too... but she still likes havin' me around."

Viridia smirked. "And she never drives _you_ nuts? No offense, but honestly? I'd have thought you'd have moved on once you got what you wanted."

The redhead shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah. Probably a lot of people who think that about me," he replied, poking at the remaining food, and Viridia frowned. She hadn't meant to bring him down like that. "Probably a lot of people who won't _ever_ buy into the idea that I don't wanna be that guy anymore." He suddenly looked up and grinned. "Fuck 'em, though. They can think what they want."

Viridia shook her head. "You sure you're alright? You seem a little all over the place today."

"Yeah... no. Truth is I'm really not. Ward still thinks I oughta be talkin' to a shrink. I'd rather just talk to 'Lena or Rude... but then I start thinkin' it's not fair to dump all my shit on _them_. Lira used to coax me into it without me even noticin'... but... she kinda hates me now. And Tseng's havin' a hard enough time being stuck in bed twenty-four seven while the fuckin' planet is on the verge of bein' destroyed. He doesn't need _me_ buggin' him for moral support." Reno sighed, and took another tentative bite. "How the fuck did things manage to go to shit so _fast_ , anyway? Few weeks ago, I came close to talkin' myself out of buyin' 'Lena a ring 'cause we've only been together three months or so... and now I'm wonderin' if I should ask her right fucking now, before anything _else_ can go wrong."

The security chief choked on her sandwich, causing her lunch date to look up in alarm. She coughed violently, finally managing to clear her airway.

"I thought that was just a joke!" she said at last. The Turk _had_ made a somewhat off-handed remark to her on the subject not that long ago, but she'd written it off as teasing banter at the time. The redhead chuckled softly.

"Nope. Got the ring, got a place to do it in mind, and _finally_ got the nerve to actually go through with it... I'm askin' her to marry me once we're done with all this shit. And, by the way, Rude's the only other person who knows right now, so don't go spreadin' it around."

"You know..." Viridia said, gesturing at him with her fork, "I always sort of thought that Turks didn't _get_ married."

"Tch... Veld was married. 'Course, I think they hooked up before he was a Turk. So was Tseng's old partner, Artemis. And I dunno if you remember Sato, but _that_ guy was married and divorced 'least three times that I know of. Not like I'd be the first."

Viridia laughed softly. The redhead's answer had been surprisingly defensive. "I wasn't trying to talk you out of it or anything," she snickered. "It was just an observation."

Reno shrugged. "Yeah... Sorry. It's just that... most Turks have always tried to _avoid_ gettin' too involved with anyone. 'Cause fuck only knows what might happen to us. I mean... look at Veld. Guy goes to work like any other day, expectin' to be home for dinner, and gets gunned down in the slums. Instead of seein' him walk through the door, his wife and kid get a visit from Tseng. I wouldn't wish that shit on anyone."

"Then why get involved with Elena at all?"

"Says the woman dating my boss." He smirked and drained the glass of soda in front of him. "You've got enough calls from _me_ tellin' ya he's been shot or blown up or beat down over the years. Why put yourself through all that?"

"Because..." she said, softly, smiling, "He's worth it."

"So's 'Lena. Sometimes it's worth riskin' that sort of pain to be happy."

Viridia was about to reply, but she never had the chance. Reno's PHS rang loudly, and he hurried to answer it, frowning slightly in confusion as he glanced at the screen.

"Need somethin'?" he asked, and listened to the reply in silence. "Yeah, alright... I'll be there."

"What's up?" the security chief asked, as he was tucking the phone back into his pocket.

"Looks like I'm back on the job a little sooner than planned. Soon as the repair crews get shit cleared out of the docks, Rufus wants me to escort the materia from the underwater reactor to Rocket Town."

* * *

They'd lost nearly three hours. Between having to stop and refuel in Costa del Sol, and hitting still more lousy weather crossing the ocean, by the time Rude sighted Fort Condor, the sun was already setting.

This wasn't good. Avalanche had the Highwind, and their little helicopter was no match for it. The airship could fly through damn near anything and seldom had stop to refuel. It could stay aloft for weeks at a time. If they somehow _hadn't_ beaten the Turks to the next reactor, Rude would be truly shocked.

And indeed, as they drew closer to their destination, it became quite apparent that _something_ had happened. For one, the rebels... who for months now had occupied the fort... were being escorted peacefully from the structure. For another, the Turk couldn't see the unfortunately-located condor eggs that had caused the stand-off to begin with. The nest on top of the fort was empty.

"What's going on down there?" Elena asked, pushing her recently-acquired sunglasses up onto her forehead.

"... Not sure. Looks like the rebels have surrendered." And if that were the case, it made their job considerably easier... Without an occupying force to guard it, the pair could simply walk right in, collect the huge materia, and walk out again.

Assuming, of course, that the materia was still there. Rude set down as close to the entrance as he dared and the Turks disembarked. They made their way up toward the the entrance, and the small group that was being processed by the Shinra military.

"Ha! Lookie what we got here... If that ain't a Turk, I'll eat my hat," one man, his arms firmly cuffed behind his back, sneered as they approached.

"Looks like he brought along someone to keep him company. Hey, beautiful! How 'bout you come over here and let a _real_ man show you a good time?"

If Elena was at all bothered by the cat calling, she hid it well, and Rude smirked slightly. There had been a time with something like that would have thoroughly flustered the young woman. She'd come quite a long way since her first promotion. They passed their hecklers by without a word and made short work of locating the officer in charge of the operation.

"You're a little late," the man said. He was older, with a deep scar marring his left cheek and graying hair. "We're just mopping things up at this point."

"What happened?" Rude asked.

"We were prepping for a raid on the fort. We do it every few days, just to keep the rebels on their toes. All of a sudden one of my lookouts spots an airship heading our way. Figured it was just Junon sending more supplies at first... but when it got closer, we recognized it as the Highwind. Got the report yesterday about it being hijacked right out of the shipyard. Since we didn't know what it was here for, we just dug in and watched. None of our ordnance would've made a dent in that thing, and provoking a fight wasn't going to do anyone any good. They dropped low enough to let some people off, into the fort."

"And then?"

"I figured we couldn't take on the Highwind... but if we sent in a small raiding party, while they were there, they wouldn't expect another attack later. Once those bastards left. So that's what we did. Damn eggs decided to hatch right in the middle of it, so the rebels threw everything they had at us. Lost a few guns for hire. The people from the airship got whatever it was they wanted... saw 'em hauling it aboard... and took to the skies again."

Rude glanced sidelong at Elena, and she returned the look. The huge materia. What else would Avalanche be taking from Fort Condor?

"Once they were gone we went in with the entire battalion and finally routed 'em." He nodded towards the group of men and women lined up in front of the cliff wall. "Most of them came pretty quiet since their precious birds hightailed it, but we've got a few loudmouths still bent on stirring up trouble."

"All clear inside? There's something we need to retrieve... if it's still there," Rude replied. He doubted there would be any trace of it... but it _was_ their job to check. The soldier nodded.

"That's the last of them over there. The fort's under Shinra control again."

Rude nodded his understanding and turned to Elena. "... Come on. Let's see if there's anything left for us."

He led her up the path to Fort Condor's entrance. It seemed that the army had been busy. Gone was the heavy, fraying rope that had greeted him when he and Tseng had arrived here some weeks ago. In it's place was a small, one-person elevator of sorts, consisting of a swing and a set of pulleys.

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the contraption. Elena eyed it apprehensively.

"... If I get stuck on this thing, your first instinct had _better_ be to help me... not to start taking pictures."

Rude smirked. "You get stuck, I'm recording _video_. Reno would never forgive me if I didn't."

"You know," she replied, pushing her sunglasses back down over her eyes. "I _was_ thinking about giving these back once we made it to Junon. But maybe I'll just keep them..."

With that, she hopped aboard, gripping the rope tightly, and started to haul herself upwards. Rude hid a smile. Yes... the one-time rookie really _had_ come a long way. He was soon following her path up, into the fort.

"Keep going up," he instructed as he slid out of the swing. "The reactor takes up half the plateau, but the entrance is up top."

Elena turned and headed for the staircase cut into the stone wall.

"What do we do if it's gone?" she asked. "Back to Junon?"

"Not much else we _can_ do," Rude agreed. "Not like we're gonna be able to chase down the Highwind and take it back by ourselves."

"Where do you think they took it?"

"Don't know. Avalanche has always been based in the slums... but I don't think they'd take it there. Too close to Shinra's home base," he replied. "I suppose they could just keep it aboard the Highwind. The thing is made for hauling cargo, after all. Seems like just as big a risk, though."

"Rufus isn't going to happy," Elena observed.

Rude shrugged. "Reno's not going to be happy, either... but it is what it is. They got here ahead of us. At least we've still got the one from Nibelheim. And they'll have recovered the one from the Junon reactor by now, too."

"I have to wonder... does Palmer's idea really has a shot at destroying that thing?" she asked as they found the door that led out onto the mountaintop. "He's not exactly the most reliable person I've ever met..." They edged their way towards the door to the reactor.

"Guess it's as good an idea as any right now. Palmer may be completely worthless as an executive, but when it comes to his rockets, he actually knows his stuff. Used to be a pretty accomplished engineer, until he got promoted to the board of directors. Then he got fat and lazy."

"You knew him before?" Elena asked, surprised, as Rude hauled open the sealed door.

"Knew _of_ him, anyway. Never officially met him. He took over site operations at Rocket Town for awhile after..." He hesitated for a moment, quickly rethinking what he'd been about to say. "... after the accident that destroyed the Shinra No. 24."

Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a brief look of sadness on the woman's face when he glanced back at her... and he wondered if his partner had been doing a little talking about him behind his back. _He'd_ certainly never brought that subject up with Elena before. She didn't press him on it, however, and instead simply followed him down into the reactor well.

Rude scowled as they opened the compression chamber and discovered it empty. He wasn't surprised... but he was definitely annoyed. Elena wore much the same expression.

"Well, that figures," she sighed. Rude nodded.

"Not much point hanging around _here_ any longer. Let's get back to Junon." He grinned teasingly. "You'll be just in time for a candlelit dinner for two."

* * *

Reno stood at the submarine dock, impatiently tapping his EMR against his thigh and watching as the overhead crane slowly swung the pallet containing the huge materia out over the sub's upper cargo bay. How fucking long was this going to take? He reached for his PHS and double-checked that no messages had been left for him and frowned.

He'd specifically asked Elena to check in with him once she and Rude were heading back to Rocket Town with the Mt. Corel materia... That had been hours ago. They couldn't _still_ be fucking around with the stupid thing, could they? And if there had been a delay, surely she'd have let him know...

He was just about to pull up her contact and give her a call, when a loud shout from somewhere back near the underwater causeway, pulled his attention away from the phone. The shout was followed by several gunshots and sounds of fighting. The Turk swore and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"Tch... What are you doin'? Help load!" he growled at several workmen on the dock who'd stopped to peer towards the source of the noise. Regardless of what was going on, the sooner that materia was on board, the better... particularly if his suspicions turned out to be correct. He turned to make his way towards the commotion, only to be stopped in his tracks.

"You know, I don't work for cheap," a gravely voice stated, and the redhead found himself face to face with the last people he'd wanted to run into. The Ifrit-be-damned pilot. And he'd brought friends.

"Looks like we barely made it," Tifa added, and turned as another figure approached from behind. Reno's eyes narrowed in recognition. Strife.

"Either give it to us, or else. Which is it gonna be?" the soldier asked, menacingly. Reno didn't have time to wonder where they hell they'd managed to find _him_ again. There were other matters that needed his attention.

"Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you," he replied, and slammed his palm down onto the security alarm button on the wall. A loud hiss emanated from the wall as metal doors slid open, revealing an oversized robot that shuffled forward on three legs. "My priority is the huge materia," he added with a smirk, and then turned tail and fled, leaving Avalanche to deal with Scarlet's security drone.

It was a somewhat cowardly response, he had to admit... but he doubted he stood much of a chance against the entire group on his own, and the dock personnel certainly weren't going to back him up. By the time he'd sprinted up the narrow ramp that led into the submarine, the cargo doors were closing.

"We've got intruders on the dock. Get us out of here! Now!" he shouted. The door sealed behind him, and the submarine's crew rushed to get them underway. Reno felt the ship begin to move forward, the whoosh of water flowing over the hull loud as it started to submerge. The materia was safe. Even if they got past the drone, there was no way Avalanche could follow them now. Not unless there was someone among them who could pilot a submarine.

The original plan had been to dock in Costa del Sol... but that would almost certainly have to change now. Avalanche knew damn well where the materia was bound for, and the resort town was the obvious place to transfer it to another mode of transportation for the remainder of the journey. It was too much of a risk, particularly with them in possession of the Highwind. They'd have to take it around to the western coast by sub now. Not the most appealing option, given that he was now trapped aboard for the duration... but there wasn't much choice.

"Notify Junon that there's been a change of plans," he said, stepping onto the bridge of the vessel. "We're going to have to bypass Costa del Sol and deliver the cargo ourselves."

"Yes, sir... We'll –"

Without warning, the entire room shook violently, sending Reno staggering into the wall to steady himself.

"The fuck was that?!" he demanded, paling slightly at the thought of being attacked by the _second_ Weapon that lurked in the waters near Junon. Emerald had left the base alone... but it had been attacking a number of ships that dared to stray too close to it's territory. The submarine's crew had explicitly been told to avoid the area it liked to hunt in, but that didn't mean it might not decide to come to _them_.

"Captain! There's another sub behind us! Closing fast!"

"You have _got_ to be shittin' me..." the Turk muttered under his breath. Those bastards had _actually_ commandeered the other sub. Another jolt rocked the ship. "Just fucking great... they're shootin' at us."

"Another round of torpedoes closing, sir!" the young crewman at the radar station shouted, fear apparent in his voice.

"Take us deeper... Dive!" the captain responded, and Reno had to grab ahold of the nearest solid object as the submarine tilted sharply and descended. Two more torpedoes struck them as it did so, and the vessel suddenly listed to one side.

"Sir, we've lost the starboard ballast tanks!"

"The engine room reports heavy damage, captain. They're flooding!"

"Can we surface?" the captain asked.

"No, sir... and we can't maintain depth, either. We're going down!"

"All hands, brace for impact!"

Reno's grip tightened around the pipe he'd been clinging to. This couldn't possibly end well...

* * *

Rude offered his hand to Elena and helped her out of the helicopter.

"You gonna wear those all night?" he asked, nodding to the sunglasses still shielding her eyes, and the younger Turk grinned.

"Why not? _You_ do."

Rude chuckled.

"I'm used to them. We'll see how long you last before you get fed up with bumping into things," he replied... and almost as soon as he said it, Elena stumbled over raised curb. He laughed and caught her before she could faceplant. She pointedly pushed them back up to her forehead.

"Seriously, Rude... How do you stand this all the time? I feel like I'm half blind," she said, trying hard not to laugh at her own clumsiness. She discovered that the lenses weren't actually as dark when worn as they appeared to be from the other side... but now that the sun had gone down, it was becoming a significant impairment nonetheless.

"Could always give 'em back..."

"What? No spares?" she teased, and Rude snorted softly.

"Left 'em on board the Highwind. Those are my only pair unless we make a detour back home at some point... or take back our airship."

She didn't miss the subtle pout her cohort shot at her and she giggled. "Are you trying to guilt-trip me, Rude?"

"... Maybe. Is it working?"

"Maybe," she laughed. "Alright... you can have them back." She paused, and grinned again. " _After_ I show Reno just what lengths you went to trying to beat me at poker..."

As they continued towards the administration offices, she vaguely wondered what Rude was going to tell Rufus. Admittedly they'd failed their mission rather spectacularly. Only one of the three pieces of huge materia they'd been sent after had made it to Rocket Town. The other two were in the hands of Avalanche... and who even _knew_ what _they_ wanted them for.

In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but worry that Rufus might saddle Reno with the blame for that. After all... if they hadn't been a man down, the odds might have been better for them. At least at Mt. Corel. But then... it was hard to guess _what_ Rufus might think. She still really didn't understand the man very well. For all she knew, he might blame her for it. It was _her_ hastily conceived plan that had failed to rescue the huge materia from the train.

"Something on your mind?" Rude suddenly asked as they entered the building, and Elena realized that she'd gone silent for most of their short walk. She shook her head.

"Just thinking... This is the first time I've ever really had to report in about a mission directly to Rufus. And we're telling him we screwed up."

"Wouldn't worry too much. _I'm_ the one who was in command," he snickered, and stepped aboard the elevator. It carried them upwards to the President's office, and a few seconds later, they moved to step out again... only to be nearly run over by a young crewman carrying an armload of rolled charts. He shot them a dirty look for daring to impede his path, but said nothing and simply rushed off down the hallway towards the office.

Elena glanced over at her compatriot questioningly. Rude met her gaze briefly and then hurried after the man. She was quick to follow. As they neared Rufus' office, they could hear a small commotion from inside.

"The other two subs _aren't_ seaworthy yet! I will not send more men down in a vessel that can't take the pressure."

"I want that materia recovered. I don't care if you have to send _yourself_ down. Retrieve it," Rufus spat back. "You might also give some consideration to the crew of the downed submarine. If any of them are still alive, the longer you spend arguing with me, the less likely they are to _remain_ alive."

That seemed to silence the other man. As Rude and Elena entered the office, the crewman who'd passed them in the hallway was already spreading one of the charts out over the top of Rufus' desk.

"Sir... The crews are already working as quickly as they can to repair the damage to the other subs caused by Sapphire Weapon. At least one will be ready before daybreak. I understand that the materia is desperately needed for the attempt to destroy the meteor, but we won't recover it any faster if we lose the recovery sub as well."

"Commander Yorik," Rude said, his voice pitched for Elena's ears only. "Base commander."

She nodded. This was the first time she'd ever encountered the man. He was tall and weathered, perhaps a little older than Tseng, with neatly clipped dark hair and a look determination and confidence. His face had some of the hallmarks of Wutaiian blood, particularly around the eyes... but she suspected that it was only a part of his lineage.

Rufus scowled, and turned, fists clenched, towards the newly delivered sea chart.

"Do we at least know where they ended up?" he asked, visibly restraining himself.

"Yes, sir," Yorik replied, pointing to a small section of the chart not far from the underwater reactor. "Their last reported position, right before we lost radio contact, was here, just east of the trench. Which presents another problem. If they're grounded somewhere in this area..." He gestured to a wide expanse between the reactor and a heavily lined section that Elena could only assume was the aforementioned trench. "... recovery will be relatively easy. But if they slipped into the trench... we may never find them. If it fell straight down, nothing we have is rated to withstand the depths we would have to surmount to reach it... and if not, there are powerful deepwater currents that are more than strong enough to have carried the sub far from where it was disabled."

"Then I supposed we will just have to hope they were fortunate. Inform me the moment you're ready to begin the recovery effort."

"Understood, sir," Yorik replied with a brisk nod, before turning on his heel and showing both himself and the crewman out of Rufus' office.

"Sir?" Rude queried.

"I hope for your sake you have better news than everyone else around here seems inclined to deliver this evening..." Rufus spat, seating himself at his desk. Rude eyed Elena and seemed to convey a silent sigh with his expression.

"... Not exactly. We lost the Mt. Corel materia to Avalanche. They also beat us to Fort Condor."

Rufus growled low in his throat and seized a heavy paperweight from his desktop, flinging it angrily at the wall. It struck the metal wall with enough force to leave a dent.

" _Avalanche_ again?" he shouted, the fury in his eyes enough to make even Rude take a subtle step back. "Those worthless pieces of slum trash... I never should have shown them mercy."

"Sir..." Elena ventured, "What happened to the submarine? Did they attack it, too?"

He looked up at her, seemingly only then noticing her for the first time since their arrival, and appeared to force himself to calm down, and restore his usual facade of cool indifference.

"From what information we've been able to gather... yes. The descriptions given by the crew in the submarine dock were rather hard to mistake. They hijacked one of our subs and chased down the one carrying the materia."

"Is there anything we can do?" Rude asked, but Rufus shook his head.

"At the moment, there is little anyone can do. The other submarines were damaged during Weapon's attack. Repairs are in progress, but, as you heard, the will not be completed for some hours yet." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, and Elena couldn't help but think the young man suddenly looked as though the weight of the world resting squarely on his shoulders. "... There is _one_ thing you might assist me with, however."

"Sir?" Rude queried.

The President opened his eyes, and glanced over at her, and for the only perhaps the second time since she'd known him, seemed to look at her with something akin to sympathy.

"You can accompany me when I go to visit Tseng," he said at last, "... to inform him that Reno was aboard the missing submarine."

Elena felt herself go cold.

"No..." she whispered. "Please, Shiva, no..."

* * *

Reno groaned as he slowly began to come to. The first thing he was aware of was an obnoxious flashing red light, visible even through closed eyelids. The second thing he was aware of... was that he was lying in a pool of water. A hand grasped him by the shoulder.

"Son of bitch..." he muttered when he finally forced his eyes open, and found himself face to face with the sub's captain. "What happened?" He glanced around, taking in the damage. Many of the consoles on the bridge were completely dead, and several were suspiciously damp. Of those that weren't, two or three were sparking ominously, and the sharp scent of smoke and burnt-out electronics filled the air.

He watched as two sailors carried an unmoving third through the open hatch that led to other parts of the ship. He couldn't tell if the man was alive or dead.

"We were torpedoed," the captain replied. "And now we're stranded on the seabed."

Reno sat up, and touched his fingertips to the back of his head. It was tender, and he could already feel a very noticeable lump forming, but they came away bloodless.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"Not long. We were just about to move you to sick bay, now that the more serious injuries have been dealt with."

He shook his head. "Don't bother. Not the first time I've ever been knocked out, doubt it'll be the last," Reno said, getting to his feet. "Any idea how long we're gonna be stuck down here?"

"... We're not sure, sir." He nodded to one of the panels that was sending out sporadic showers of sparks. "As you can see, the radio took some damage, so we've been out of communication since we bottomed out."

"Fuckin' wonderful," Reno sighed. "They at least know they need to send someone down to get us?"

"Yes, sir. Our last transmission was acknowledged by the base just before we lost contact."

Something creaked loudly outside of the hull, and the sub rocked slightly, as though something very large had brushed up against it.

"What the hell was that?"

Before the captain could answer, however, the creaking sound repeated itself, louder this time, and the little ship rolled violently to one side, sending both the Turk and the remaining bridge crew scrambling for handholds before they were tossed into the wall.

"Something's pushing us!" a younger seaman shouted. At almost the same instant the sub rolled back the other direction and the squeal of metal on metal seemed to reverberated through the ship.

"Captain!" a voice squawked over the ship's intercom, "The cargo bay! It's being forced open!"

The captain dove for the speaker, depressing the button to respond. "Get everyone forward! Seal off the cargo bay!"

"Those miserable _assholes_..." Reno swore under his breath. It was Avalanche. It had to be. It's not like the goddamned fish had any interest in what was in that bay. They were just going to peel them open like a Leviathan-forsaken sardine can... to hell with anyone who might still be alive inside. And there wasn't one fucking thing he could do to stop them. "What happens if those doors give out?"

"Bulkheads sealed, captain!" the intercom squawked again.

"As long as it's _just_ the doors... and as long as the emergency seals hold... we'll be alright. For awhile."

The sub rolled violently then, and a sharp rending sound echoed throughout the bridge. Moments later an alarm began to blare, and Reno flinched at the almost painful loudness of it.

"Decompression alarm," the captain noted, "Someone silence that!"

The young crewman from the radar station hurried to do so, and the noise ceased. The captain turned back to the intercom.

"What's going on back there?"

"They've just breached the cargo bay, captain. Forward bulkheads are holding, but we've lost control of the flooding in the engine room. All surviving personnel have been evacuated. We're probably going to lose main power soon, sir."

"Understood," he replied, grimly.

"So... I'm just gonna assume that's gonna be a problem..." the Turk said, noting the expression on the man's face.

"We can run essential systems off the emergency battery for about four hours. After that, we sit here in the dark, and slowly suffocate."

"... Sounds pleasant."

* * *

"And just where d'yeh think yer going?"

All three of them collectively froze at the sound of the vaguely annoyed question, Rude's hand mere inches from the doorknob.

"We are _going_ to speak with my head Turk, you insufferable harpy," Rufus shot back, turning to face her with a defiant look.

Ward crossed her arms over her chest and calmly met his gaze. "He's not yer head Turk right now. He's on extended medical leave and relieved of all duties until I say otherwise. If yeh have an issue that needs the Turks' attention, I suggest yeh take it up with yer _temporary_ head Turk, who yeh badgered me inta putting back on active duty early not yet twelve hours ago. Tseng is sleeping... and I won't have yeh disturbing him at all hours." She looked pointedly at Rude and Elena. " _Any_ of yeh."

She slipped around the small group and positioned herself in front of the door. Rufus glared at the woman and took a step forward, shoving the two Turks aside.

"Were my _temporary_ head Turk not presently at the bottom of the ocean and quite possibly dead, I would do just that."

Elena forced down a sob at those words. No one had voiced that possibility until now, and somehow hearing Rufus actually say it made it feel all too real. She watched as Dr. Ward's expression shifted from determination to shock. Here gaze wandered over to the youngest of the Turks, looking for confirmation... and she apparently found it in Elena's eyes, as a look of grim understanding came over her. She stepped aside without another word.

* * *

Reno had made himself scarce. He was really only in the way on the cramped little bridge, and once the lights had gone out, the only thing he seemed to be good for was tripping over. The captain hadn't explicitly _asked_ him to leave, but the fact that he'd offered up his private quarters to the Turk had bolstered the idea that Reno's decision had been a welcome one.

The dim orange emergency lighting was barely enough to see by, and he wondered if that was by design or just a sign of the failing power supply. He hoped it was simply meant to get the most they could out of the battery... but either way it meant that he was sitting alone, in a dimly lit room, wondering if any of them were going to get out of this alive.

Though, now that he thought about it, the _last_ time he was in a situation like this, he was drenched in sewer water and choking on thick, acrid smoke... so, all in all, it was an improvement of sorts.

Reno sighed and fished his PHS out of his pocket. Unsurprisingly, there was no signal. He hadn't really expected there to be, so deep below the surface.

He thumbed open his photo gallery and grinned as the first image that greeted him was the most recent one he'd received... Elena looking beautiful and perfect in nothing but her own skin. It was probably the last thing he would ever had expected from her... and he could see the faint hue of a rising blush in her cheeks. It had, quite literally, taken his breath away the first time he'd seen it, in part because it was so out of character for her.

Somewhat reluctantly, he swiped to the next photo. Elena and Rude seated at the bar in the Phoenix Nest. He kept going... Tseng, looking mildly unamused at having his picture taken... probably because the redhead had ambushed him stepping out of the elevator first thing in the morning. A rather strained selfie with Rude holding him in a headlock.

He laughed faintly at that one. It had been taken not long after he'd bought Elena's ring... before things had started to go so wrong... and the ring, in fact had been the topic of conversation that had led to the photo. They'd just finished a sparring match in one of the rare moments of downtime they'd had after the second bombing. Rude had been trying to convince him to pop the question.

His smile faded as he realized that there was a very real chance that he might not get to at all.

That in mind, he closed the photo gallery and switched over to the camera. The screen added a miniscule amount of light to his face, but he was still little more than a shadowy silhouette. It would just have to do. He pressed record.

"Hey, 'Lena. If you're watchin' this... then I never made it back to Junon and someone was nosy enough to go snoopin' through my phone. I'm guessin' it was probably Rude. I owe ya for that, pal." He smirked slightly, in spite of the circumstances. " _Or_ it means I'm perfectly fine and just forgot to delete this... in which case, Rude, stop snoopin' through my goddamn phone, you asshole!"

The Turk shifted into a slightly more comfortable position on the captain's bunk.

"So... Just in case this _is_ the last chance I get to talk to any of you guys, I better make it count. Tseng... You know how I feel about you. You rescued me from a shitty life and gave me a home and a family and I can never repay you for that. Me endin' up like this wasn't your fault and I wouldn't trade bein' a Turk for anything."

He paused for a moment, considering whether he should say what he was thinking at the moment, or let it be... before finally realizing that it would hardly matter if this was really it for him. "And would you _just_ fuckin' ask Vir to move in with you already? You've been playin' this long distance game with her as long as I've known you. I bet she'd do it if you actually stepped up 'n asked."

"Rude, a guy couldn't ask for a better friend or a better brother," he continued, and grinned widely. "And _you're_ a pretty decent one yourself. Seriously, though, man... I'd be completely lost without you. So thanks for putting up with me 'n my shit all these years. It's meant more than I think you realize."

"And 'Lena... I saved you for last, 'cause sayin' goodbye to you is even harder than I thought it'd be." He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "You're everything I never knew I wanted, and more than I deserve. I love you more than anything. The last few months have been the happiest time of my life." He swallowed harshly against the lump that had formed in his throat, and sat up a little more. "Rude's been holdin' onto somethin' for me. Tell him I said to give it to you... and I'm sorry I never got around to askin' you the question that goes with it. I wanted to do it right."

The room was starting to get uncomfortably stuffy. How long had the captain said they could run off the sub's battery? Four hours? It had been dangerously close to that already... He had a feeling that whatever was left of their air supply had stopped circulating. The emergency lights flickered.

"Well... if I don't see you guys again, take care of each other. And if I _do_ see you again and you're still watchin' this shit... I'm gonna kick your ass, 'cause I told ya to quit snoopin'."

Reno smiled slightly and shut off the camera. Just as he did so, the lights flickered again and then went out entirely. He tucked the phone back into his pocket.

"Hope no one ever has to see that..." he muttered, and sat back to wait for someone to get him the hell out of there.

* * *

Elena glanced up as the door opened, hoping that it was someone with news. That hope grew a bit when she recognized Junon's secrity chief.

"I just found out about Reno. Has there been any word?"

Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, and she shook her head.

"No... The last I heard anything, they'd managed to finish repairs on one of the damaged subs, and it was getting ready to leave the dock. That was almost half an hour ago," she said quietly. Tseng had fought to stay conscious admirably, but eventually had drifted off again... though only after making her promise to wake him if there were any new developments.

His reaction when Rufus had told him what had happened had been typical of the man. Tseng seldom reacted outwardly to bad news. If he'd been physically capable of it, though, Elena had little doubt that he would have been boarding that submarine himself to go look for his missing Turk. She had volunteered to stay with him while Rude accompanied Rufus back to his office-turned-rescue-command. He'd called her twice to tell her that there was nothing tell her yet... and once more to inform her that the rescue effort was – finally – about to get underway. He'd requested to go with them... and Rufus had agreed... so they probably wouldn't hear from him for quite some time.

"I'm so sorry, Elena," Viridia said. "This happened on my watch. I don't know how Avalanche managed to get back onto the base... but I'm _going_ to find out."

"It's not your fault."

"Bullshit. I'm responsible for the security of everyone on this base. And that includes those of you who don't think they need me to protect them."

Tseng stirred slightly, and opened his eyes. "Don't argue with her Elena... Viridia takes a great deal of pride in her job," he said in a tired voice, before gazing up at his lover. "You're certainly not the first to be outmaneuvered by our homegrown terrorists, Viridia. Is there anything new?"

"The rescue sub has left the dock... Rude went with it, so he can't report back right now, and I haven't heard anything from Rufus," Elena replied. She felt oddly numb to it all. Once the initial shock had passed she'd found it increasingly hard to feel much of anything. Right now, she couldn't say whether she was worried or hopeful or devastated. She wasn't even entirely sure which she _should_ have been. Ward had been in and out of Tseng's room over the last few hours, and had offered her a shoulder to cry on. But she didn't feel like crying. Nor, somewhat surprisingly, did she feel like punching a wall. She seemed to be trapped in a sort of stasis, at the moment... and something told her that she was going to stay that way until she knew one way or the other.

Perhaps, she mused, she was better off like this for the time being. What was the alternative? Pacing the floor, worrying over a situation beyond her control? Sobbing inconsolably until the missing submarine was found? Giving herself over to despair? None of those options seemed especially beneficial. At least like this, she felt as though she were accomplishing something... even if that something was only conserving strength for later.

"Is there anything I can do?" Viridia asked, and Elena shook her head.

"I believe Elena would prefer to simply be left to her own thoughts at the moment, but there is something you can do for _me_ ," Tseng replied.

"Of course... Name it," Viridia replied.

"Go and check on Justinia, and if she is not aware, pass along that they've sent another submarine after them. The good doctor is quite resilient... but Reno has always been a favorite of hers, and I know she must be worried about him."

Viridia nodded, and leaned down to place a tender kiss on the Turk leader's forehead. "I'll be right back," she said, and took her leave.

* * *

They'd been looking for close to an hour now. Ahead of them, displayed on a wide monitor, Rude could only see murky darkness, with the occasional flash of a fish's scales as it swam into the beam of the powerful spotlight mounted outside of the submarine. Beyond that, though... there was very little to see.

"Captain... there's a large radar reading dead ahead."

"Is it the downed sub?"

"No, sir," the crewman at the radar station replied, "It's too big to be anything from Junon..."

Rude squinted at the dark monitor, and after a few minutes spotted the outline of something massive. As the vessel crept closer to it, his eyes widened slightly, recognizing the deep, shimmering blue surface as the lights finally fell on it.

"Weapon," he stated. Or what was left of it, at any rate. He wasn't sure why it hadn't occurred to anyone, including himself, that they might come across it. The creature was much too large to have simply washed out to sea or have been devoured so quickly by local undersea scavengers.

"Let's steer clear of that thing, just in case. It's outside of our search area anyway," the captain intoned. "Come about, 30 degrees to port."

They continued on. For a time, the only sounds were the faint hum of the engines, and the uninterrupted ping of the radar. Rude glanced down at his watch. It was now well past midnight. Surely, though, even crippled, the submarine could support its crew for awhile... unless, of course, the damage was too extensive.

The Turk silently clenched his fists. If he lost Reno... Avalanche was going to pay in kind. He was going to make damn sure of it. For now, though, he forceably shoved that thought aside. He had no reason to believe his partner was dead just yet... and for all the redhead's insistence that he had the worst luck of anyone on the planet, the reality was _far_ from the truth. While it was true that he often found himself in less than fortunate situations, Reno was one of the luckiest sons of bitches he'd ever met. He always seemed to make it out still breathing.

"Sir! Another radar contact to starboard. It may be the sub," the crewman informed them, and Rude instinctively took a step closer to the screen. At first, he saw nothing that even vaguely resembled the object of their search... but then came the debris. It was spread out along the seabed, along with a deep gouge in the ocean floor. As the submarine followed it, the spotlights fell on something bright red.

"There she is," said the captain, and Rude frowned. The ship was nothing short of mangled... and not, he suspected, just from it's unexpected trip to the bottom. The cargo bay doors on top of the vessel stood wide open. One had nearly been crushed and twisted off altogether. As they passed over it, the external cameras panned downward, giving them a view inside. The bay was empty.

"Sir, it's too badly damaged to tow. It won't survive being moved. If there's anyone left alive in there... they'll never make it that far..."

The captain nodded, grimly, and pressed a button on the intercom. "Prepare to board the other sub."

The next several minutes were a flurry of activity, as seamen scurried to make the necessary preparations to dock with the submarine. Rude's concern only deepened as he watched. From what he'd been told, they had hoped to raise the other ship and extract its crew at the surface. This was plan B... and it was far riskier. The Turk held his breath as they came alongside the crippled submarine.

"Iverness, you make sure you check the seal on that airlock. And then check it again. There's a lot of warped metal over there. If it fails mid transfer, we'll lose any chance at getting them out," the captain cautioned over the intercom.

"Yes, sir!" a voice responded, "We'll _triple_ check everything before we open her up."

Rude watched for a few more moments and then wordlessly strode from the bridge, making his way toward the belly of the the sub. He stopped mid-ship, where a small group was gathered near a hatch in the floor. One man was crouched beside it, hand on the wheel as he readied himself to open it.

"We're green across the board. Moment of truth," another said. The entire room seemed to be collectively holding their breath, and Rude tensed as the hatch was unsealed and lifted upwards. He waited for something to happen... and began to grow increasingly concerned when nothing did. At last someone spoke.

"Seal's holding. We're good to go." The crewman lowered himself into the hole, standing on a metal surface that Rude belatedly realized was the exterior of the second submarine, and began to open up a second hatch under his feet. "Alright... Teams of two, starting as far aft as you can get and moving forward."

With that, he disappeared below, and was quickly followed by the rest of the team. Left behind, Rude had nothing to do but wait with the handful of medical personnel present to care for any injuries. Truth be told, he would have liked to have joined them... but he knew enough to recognize when his help was neither needed nor wanted. This was something they'd been trained to do, and he would likely only interfere with their search if he inserted himself into it.

And so he waited. It was several minutes before the first crew member was hoisted through the hole.

"Better get them all on oxygen. Air's pretty thin down here... Most of their crew is unconscious," someone called up from below. Two more men were pulled up, one, like the first, out cold... the other awake, but groggy and disoriented.

Rude stood, a silent observer, and watched as one after another were pulled, motionless save for shallow breathing, from the destruction... and grew gradually more nervous when none of them sported the familiar red hair of his friend. There were eleven safely aboard when the the rescue crew began to return.

"... That can't be everyone," he insisted to the crewman in charge of the operation. Iverness, shook his head.

"Not everyone made it. The hull was breached. It looks like they had to seal off about half the ship to save themselves. No one trapped aft of the cargo bay survived," he replied, as he helped to lift one more survivor, this one dressed in a captain's uniform, aboard.

Rude's face fell... It was hard to believe that Reno's luck had finally run out. He turned away, intent on heading back up the the bridge. There was no reason for him to remain down there any longer. Rude's stomach twisted as reality began to set in. Reno was the person he loved most in the world. He was the truest friend he'd ever known and closer than a brother... and he would have given anything to see him safe. This simply couldn't be happening. And... how was he going to tell Elena?

Of their own accord, his fingers touched the little box tucked safely in his pocket, feeling its outline through the fabric of his jacket. Should he give the ring to her? Or would that just make thing even harder for her to accept? Reno would probably have wanted her to have it...

"One more coming up!"

Rude stopped in his tracks, almost not daring to let himself hope. He turned slowly, and very nearly laughed as he watched a crewman dragging a very limp, but very much alive, redhead out of the hatch.

* * *

"Reno?!"

The redhead grinned and stood on his toes to peer over the heads of the passengers disembarking ahead of him. Rude grabbed him by the back of the collar as he made an attempt to push his way through the group faster.

"Hmph... Take it easy, loverboy. She's not going anywhere," he snickered, and Reno spared a moment to look back at him incredulously.

"Tch... Not likely." With that, he slipped out of his jacket, leaving it in Rude's grasp, and darted between two crewmen. He ignored Rude's noticeably half-hearted protests and beelined straight for Elena snatching her up and laying claim to her lips before she even had a chance to greet him further. Rude caught up to him just as the pair broke apart.

"One look at you and he's taking his clothes off in public," he chuckled, tossing the garment back to his friend. Elena giggled and trailed her hand along the redhead's jawline.

"Come on... Dr. Ward wants to see you," she said.

Reno groaned loudly. "Seriously? I'm _fine_."

Which certainly appeared to be true. Once the medics had gotten some oxygen into him, the redhead had perked up almost immediately... and he'd been just as relieved to see Rude as Rude had to see him. But Elena shook her head, and firmly pulled in along by the arm.

"Ward gets you first. Then Rufus," she said, before smiling coyly, "And then _me_."

"Can't we do that the other way around?"

"Am I going to have to get the hose?" Rude asked, with a quiet laugh. He prodded the redhead between his shoulder blades, helping to nudge him along toward the exit. "Move it... the sooner you get it over with, the sooner you two can go do all the things I really don't want to hear about or witness."

"Yeah, yeah..." Reno replied, and headed for the door, his arm snaking its way around Elena's waist. Suddenly, he paused, and turned her toward him, eying her with an odd expression.

"'Lena?"

"What?" she asked, uncertain of what had caught his attention. He blinked, looking minutely confused for a second and then smirked.

"Are those _Rude's_ sunglasses?"

~fin~


	66. Off Duty

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 66: Off Duty**

 **by Desha**

"Let. Me. Get. This. Straight." Rufus glared outward at the darkened coastline, his right hand roughly pinching the bridge of his nose as he strained to keep his temper in check. Though, frankly, he wasn't quite certain why he was even bothering to do so at this point. He slowly turned to face the trio standing in front of his desk. " _You_ ," he said with a scowl, pointing squarely at Reno, "managed to get yourself yanked out of the field _mid-assignment_." The President redirected his gaze at Rude. " _You_ lost, not one, but _two_ huge materia crystals to a terrorist organization." His eyes were back on the redhead a second later, "And you, _again_ , lost the third one, along with _two_ submarines!"

"In my defense, there wasn't a whole lot I coulda done about Avalanche hijacking that second sub."

Rufus ground his teeth and took a few steps toward the red-haired Turk, stopping inches from his face. "I don't _care_."

The redhead seemed to realize that his usual behavior was not going to be tolerated just now and swallowed whatever he'd intended to say next, responding only with "... Understood, sir."

The executive narrowed his eyes, but backed away, circling back around behind the desk.

"This is entirely unacceptable."

"Sir, we did everything we could to –"

" _Silence_ ," Rufus coolly cut the woman off, and had Elena's mouth snapped shut any harder, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd chipped a tooth. "You only bear _less_ of the blame for this debacle, and only because you, at no point, were in charge. I suggest not rushing to _either_ of your associates' defense right now."

He took a seat at the desk and folded his hands before him, in a deceptively calm posture.

"In case you three idiots have forgotten... we are facing a planet-wide _crisis_. We cannot afford to fail... If we should do so, it will not simply be the end of Shinra Company... It will be the end of everything."

"We'll get them back," Reno stated, "And get rid of Avalanche while we're at it."

"There's no _time_ to waste tracking those bastards down! We have a limited window in which to launch the rocket. If we wait too long, we'll merely be decimated by the meteor's debris rather than the meteor itself!" Rufus shouted in frustration. "All of you... get out my sight. I'll deal with your worthless hides in the morning."

He saw Reno glance sidelong at the other two, before opening his mouth to speak again.

" _NOW!_ " he roared, before the other man could say anything, leaning forward menacingly in his chair. The surprised look on the redhead's face did not go unnoticed as the three of them hesitated half a second longer, and then filed out of his office without further comment.

Rufus sank back in his chair and exhaled slowly, eyes still on the door. A part of him wished one of them had actually be stupid enough to disobey him so that the rage and frustration – and much as he was loathe to admit it, the fear – of the past few days might finally find an outlet. He would desperately have liked to have hit something at the moment.

This was madness. How was he supposed to stop someone like Sephiroth? Every step he'd taken thus far seemed mired in failure. And yet, if he didn't stop him, they were doomed... and it would be Shinra Company's fault. What in Rumah's name was he supposed to _do_?

* * *

"... Think that's the closest Rufus has ever come to actually gettin' into it with us," Reno said when they were well out of earshot. Rude nodded sagely.

"I saw it, too. He wanted a fight. Just barely stopped himself from starting one."

"Can't exactly blame him. We fucked up..." the redhead replied. "Worse, we fucked up when it really counted." He shook his head. "We're goin' after that materia again, and this time we're bringin' it back. Rufus might not think there's time to do it, but all we really gotta do is figure out where those fuckers are hidin' it. Screw stealth, screw the spy games... we go in, guns blazing. Fuck 'em all. We do it right, maybe we get the Highwind back, too."

He jumped slightly when Elena's hand slipped into his own.

" _First_ , you're going to see Ward," she said, and when he went to protest, she silenced him with a glare. "She _ordered_ it... You're going. Then you're going to bed, because after the day you've had you need it. We'll figure out how to find Avalanche again in the morning."

Reno looked imploringly over at Rude for support, but his partner only smirked. "You really think I'm gonna argue with her?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Ya know... Last I checked, _I_ was in command, not 'Lena."

Rude snorted softly. "Keep telling yourself that..." he teased. Reno glared at the other man and quickened his pace down the hallway. " _Now_ , where are yougoing in such a hurry?"

The redhead smirked.

"Tch... Where d'ya think? If I've been overthrown by my own girlfriend, I'm gonna go see the Doc before 'Lena ends up pissed at me, too. Can you imagine _her_ givin' a formal reprimand? And we always thought it was bad when Tseng did it..."

* * *

Elena woke to the loud hum of machinery, and the creaking of metal. She blinked and tried to sit up, but was held firmly in place by the arms wrapped around her.

"Mmph... Don't bother worryin' 'bout the noise..." Reno murmured against her collarbone. "They're movin' the canon today's all."

She smiled warmly, and nuzzled him. "Well, it's going to be hard to get back to sleep with all _that_ going on out there..." she replied. The sun was barely up... but the day started early on a military base, even by _her_ standards. Reno finally deigned to open his eyes, and Elena felt his fingers glide gently along her hip.

"Who says we gotta go back to sleep?"

A knock at the door to their quarters stopped her from replying, and Reno groaned.

"Fuck... _seriously_?"

Elena snickered and untangled herself from his grasp, before climbing out of bed and walking over to answer the summons. Before she opened the door, she glanced down and refastened the buttons on her pajamas that the sneaky redhead had somehow managed to undo without her noticing, and glanced back at him, accusingly.

"What?" he asked with an innocent smile. She giggled quietly and answered the door.

"Apparently Rude says so," she called back over her shoulder with a teasing grin. The aforementioned Turk's eyebrow rose in curiosity, but he didn't ask.

"Figured you two were probably up. Never known Reno to be able to sleep through noise like that," he said, nodding toward the windows that overlooked the base's main drag.

"Well, I was certainly plannin'on gettin' _something_ up this morning..." the redhead muttered under his breath, and Elena rolled her eyes. "There a reason you're already awake, dressed, and lookin' like you're goin' somewhere?" He tossed the covers aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, before standing up and stretching.

Rude smirked slightly. "There a reason you're still half asleep, naked, and looking like you wish I'd leave you alone?"

"Yeah," the redhead shot back, "and she's standin' right in front of you. So? What's goin' on?"

"Ran into Rufus on the way down to see what they're serving for breakfast. He wants to see us 'at our earliest convenience'... by which, I'm pretty sure he means now."

"Why am I not surprised?" the other Turk sighed, and reached for the pile of clothes he'd left half unpacked the after his arrival in Junon. "Ya know, if I didn't already know _exactly_ how pissed he is at us, I'd be sorely tempted to show up in his office as-is in return for ruinin' my morning."

"Reno... please get dressed," Elena piped up, suddenly looking vaguely concerned by the possibility.

Reno snickered. "Yeah, yeah... I may be slightly nuts, but I'm not gonna tempt fate like _that_. 'Sides... the little bastard's probably armed," he replied, pulling on his pants, "And impressive as it is, I don't think my –"

"Don't even say it," Elena groaned, not having much trouble guessing where _that_ train of thought was headed.

"– dick would be any match for a shotgun," he finished, undeterred.

"Definitely not an image I needed in my head this early," Rude deadpanned, reaching for the doorknob. "Or ever. I'll just wait outside."

Elena turned back and headed for her own bag, pulling out a fresh uniform and stripping out of her pajamas... only to be enthusiastically groped from behind once she'd done so. Reno trailed kisses along the side of her neck and down her shoulder.

"Reno!" she whispered harshly, though she couldn't quite swallow the laugh before it escaped.

"Just a taste of what I got in mind for when we actually have time for that sort of thing..." he said, spinning her around to face him, and looking her over unabashedly. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

She smiled and slipped out of his arms so she could finish dressing. "Almost daily," she giggled, and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "But I never seem to get tired of it. Now will you _please_ get dressed?"

* * *

A few scant minutes later all three of them were, once again, standing before Rufus' desk.

"What the _hell_ do you mean you're sendin' us to Wutai?!" Reno leveled an angry glare at the executive, who was remarkably unperturbed by the sudden increase in volume. He snorted derisively and crossed one leg over the other.

"I'm not certain I could be any clearer if I tried. Exactly which part of 'I'm sending you to Wutai' is so difficult for that pea-sized brain of yours to process?"

Reno leaned forward over the top of Rufus' desk. "And just what are we supposed to _do_ in Wutai?"

"Frankly... I don't really care," the President replied, in a voice like ice, his gaze never wavering from the Turk's. "The three of you are utterly worthless to me as you are. It's one idiotic mistake after another, and I'm sick of it. Go to Wutai, get your heads on straight, and come back ready to do your jobs... or lose them."

The redhead stared at the other man incredulously, and then looked back as his teammates.

"You can't be serious... _You_ were the one goin' off last night about how we're all screwed if we don't take down Sephiroth and his fuckin' space rock! How the hell are we s'posed to do _shit_ from Wutai?"

Rufus shot to his feet and leaned in towards the irate Turk, hands resting on the desktop. "Watch your tone with me, _Turk_. You would be wise not to forget your place!"

Reno had to physically bite down on his tongue to stop himself from giving the man a piece of his mind... and even then, he came damned close to going off on him. It was only the fact that, if he did, he'd likely take Elena and Rude down with him, that kept him from reaching across the desk and throttling the brat.

"You're leaving. Now. Get out. I'll summon you if and when you're needed again," Rufus said dismissively, seeing that he'd obviously won their little standoff. Reno scowled, and turned on his heel, storming out of the executive office, only faintly aware that the rest of his team quickly followed him. He didn't look back.

When they reached the elevator, he stopped in front of it, still seething... and then punched the control panel as hard as he could. The plastic moulding all but shattered, several now-visible wires sparked, and the light behind the button flickered and went out.

"Reno..." Elena gasped softly, and she reached for him, laying her hand on his shoulder. He shook her off.

"That son of a _bitch_!" he growled, rounding on them both, and it was only because Elena instinctively took a less than subtle step back from him that he froze, and realized how he must look. Even Rude's expression betrayed a certain level of shock. The elevator chimed and opened, snapping him further out of his rage, and he was suddenly aware that his left hand was throbbing painfully. Reno glanced down at it, and at the blood that was now dripping onto the floor from the deep gouges in his knuckles.

"Reno?" Elena tried again, and this time he looked up at her with an apologetic expression, shoulders slumping.

"Sorry..." he said softly. Rude stepped forward and nudged him aboard the elevator. Elena followed, pressing the button for the ground floor.

"What do we do now?" his partner asked, and Reno shook his head.

"... Guess we go to Wutai," he replied, defeated, and looked down at his hand, "... Right after _one_ of you sneaks into the med bay for me and steals me some bandages... 'cause I am _not_ explainin' this one to Ward."

* * *

"Ah... Good. You're awake for once."

Tseng lifted his head slightly and caught sight of a familiar figure striding purposefully into his room.

"I doubt any of the patients are getting any sleep at the moment. Not with that Leviathan-forsaken racket going on outside," the Turk leader replied. "To what do I own the pleasure, sir?"

"You lodged a complaint a short while ago that you were not being kept up-to-date with regards to current events," Rufus said, conversationally. "I thought to rectify that personally."

Tseng raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "What have you done?"

Rufus snorted derisively and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nothing I'm not well within my rights to do."

"Sir..."

"I've officially _unofficially_ relieved those miscreants of yours of duty," he stated flatly, and Tseng's jaw dropped slightly.

"Rufus... You can't –"

"I most certainly can, and I have. I've ordered them off to Wutai, with instructions not to return until I say otherwise," he said, cutting the older man off. "They're useless to me as they are. Rude lacks the necessary leadership ability to take over indefinitely, Elena is still entirely too green to be put in charge of a potted plant, let alone the Turks, and even _I_ can see that the slum rat is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. What good are they if they can no longer function?"

"And just what are they to _do_ in Wutai?"

Rufus shrugged and stood beside Tseng's bed. "I didn't specify. Officially, they're on assignment... and as such I doubt it will take them long to figure out that they still have access to the corporate credit account. But as I've given them no orders to follow once they arrive... beyond 'don't come back'... what they chose to do with that access is up to them."

The Turk leader eyed his superior, curiously. "Sir... ?"

The younger man smirked somewhat mischievously. "If you're worried about them being bored in your homeland, rest assured... I didn't select that location on a whim. I'm sure they'll find somethingto entertain them. Or rather... some _one_ , assuming the report I received from our Wutaiian division is correct."

Judging by the self-satisfied look on his face, the young executive was very pleased indeed with whatever little scheme he'd come up with. And Tseng couldn't help but be curious.

"Who have you sent them after?" he asked.

"No one," Rufus replied, still smirking, "But it seems that an... old _friend_ of my father's... is hiding out in the Wutaiian capitol city. And I doubt they'll be able to resist paying him a visit once they hear about it. Your lieutenant in particular. I understand he has a rather profound dislike of the old pervert."

"Corneo..."

It was a statement, not a question, and Rufus nodded in confirmation.

"Are you certain this is wise, sir? We're facing the very real possibility of the destruction of the entire planet. The Turks would be better employed working to prevent _that_ than chasing after a low-priority target half a world away."

"That's precisely why I've done this," said the President, "I need my Turks, Tseng. Perhaps now more than ever. And I need them able to do _whatever_ needs to be done... something very few people are capable of, when it comes right down to it. If that requires temporarily sending them off on a vacation of sorts, then so be it. We have time. Not much, but some. I would prefer to lose a few days than to lose _them_."

The young man had always been fairly candid with him, but this was the first time that Tseng could recall him expressing such a level of concern for his Turks. And somehow, Tseng had a feeling that he knew why.

Under that smug, collected facade, Rufus was scared. He could see it... in the dark circles beneath the younger man's eyes that grew more noticeable with every visit he paid him... in the less than perfectly combed, pale blond hair... and in the way his posture no longer radiated Rufus' usual confidence. He was a man under immense strain... and had Tseng been at his side, where he belonged, instead of trapped in this damned hospital bed, he would have realized it much sooner. He was scared... and the Turks had been his protectors from the day he was born. The thought of them suddenly not being there had to be hard to deal with.

And why _shouldn't_ Rufus be frightened? They were facing the end of the world, after all, if they didn't do something to stop it.

"You will inform me when you recall them to Junon, of course?" Tseng asked.

"Of course."

A loud thud echoed from outside, and Tseng could just see the shadow of a large crane as it swung by the window.

"Assuming I make it through the next few days with my _own_ sanity intact. What in Rumah's name are those fools doing out there now?" Rufus groused, and peered through the glass, "If they've damaged that canon, so help me..."

* * *

Elena turned and looked back over her shoulder, at the redhead who'd sequestered himself in the back of the helicopter. Reno was sulking. There was no other word for it. He'd refused the pilot's seat, and even turned down the co-pilot chair, leaving the controls to Rude with Elena as his backup.

She sighed softly. None of them were happy about the unexpected 'vacation' they'd been ordered to embark upon, but Reno was taking it especially hard. Once the initial anger at Rufus had passed, he'd fallen more or less silent, even while Rude was bandaging his bloodied knuckles for him. She shared the sentiment... but there wasn't much they could do. Until Rufus summoned them back, they were off duty and not permitted to return.

 _If_ Rufus summoned them back.

Rude, for one didn't seem especially concerned by the executive's demand that they take themselves just about as far from his presence as physically possible – or if he was, he hid it well – but Elena had her doubts. She knew Rufus could be a little petulant, but this... this was going too far. They'd essentially been banished. And as guilty as she felt about it, she couldn't stop the thought that they wouldn't be in this situation if Tseng had been in command when it entered her mind.

It really wasn't fair to Reno. He was skilled leader... when he was focused. But as much as it pained her to admit it, the redhead's focus just wasn't what it should have been lately.

She sighed again. Maybe this would be good for him. Maybe it would be good for _all_ of them. Since Tseng's injury, she'd felt more than a little lost, and she knew she wasn't the only one. Were it not for the looming crisis currently facing the planet, she might have even felt a little relieved to have been going to Wutai.

A third sigh escaped her lips and Reno finally looked up.

"Tch... You gonna do that the whole way there?" he asked, in a tone of sullen irritation.

"... Sorry," she replied, slightly embarrassed. She actually hadn't realized the two men would have been able to hear so quiet a sound over the headsets. Reno shrugged, suddenly indifferent to the momentary distraction and went back to staring blankly out the at the ocean. Elena glanced over at Rude, who met her gaze and frowned... but a moment later, he subtly shook his head.

It wasn't hard to interpret the gesture to mean that they'd discuss it when they were on the ground. Which, if the sandy shoreline coming into view ahead of them was any indication, would be very soon.

"Coming up on Wutai," Rude said, "How far out do you want to set down?"

"Like it fuckin' matters..." the redhead muttered. "Not like we're here in any official capacity. Who the fuck cares if word gets around?"

Rude cast a vaguely annoyed glance back at his partner, but said nothing. Instead, he headed towards a narrow band of mountainous terrain that straddled the interior of the island, skirting along the main ridge until the elevation began to drop sharply. Not too far off, Elena could make out a large settlement tucked in beside a smaller set of peaks... and belatedly realized, as she recognized the faces carved into the stone, that it must have been the Wutaiian capitol city. It wasn't nearly as big as she'd always thought it was. The statues, on the other hand...

Carved centuries ago, the Da-Chou statue, along with its fellow stone deities, was famous the world over. Her brother, Belane, had told her all about _his_ visits to the monument. If she remembered correctly, Da-Chou was a water god in Wutaiian legend, and the only true master of the mighty Leviathan. The names of the other statues eluded her for the moment, but she was fairly certain that they each represented some aspect or element of life. Bel had once told her that, because Wutai was an island nation, and so much of its livelihood came from the sea, Da-Chou was especially revered... and that was why his carving was the most prominent of the four.

They swung back towards the shore and circled north, landing well outside of town, in the shadow of the mountain. The engine whined to a stop, and Elena pulled her headset off, hanging it on the small hook on the side of her seat.

"... Well?" she asked, uncertain of where they should even go, "We're here... Now what?"

Reno stood and haphazardly tossed his own headset onto his seat before hauling open the door.

"I don't know about you two... but I'm going straight to the Ifrit-be-damned Turtle's Paradise and not comin' out 'til I'm good 'n drunk," he replied, sourly.

* * *

"How much longer?" Rufus asked. The image of Heidegger on the video call grunted as a technician squeezed past him.

"Three more days, at least. Palmer's idiots wanted another _week_ , but I convinced them it was in their best interest to speed things up. One in particular keeps babbling about the damned oxygen tanks."

Rufus fought the urge to scoff. "You're hardly an expert. Get it done quickly but don't rush the people who actually know what they're doing. The last thing I want is another malfunction on the launch pad," he said, coldly. Heidegger stammered an acknowledgment and quickly found an excuse to end the call.

Dear Rumah, how he hated that fat bastard. Rufus stood and crossed the room to his bookshelves, pulling down a worn copy of one of his favorite plays. He raised an eyebrow, noting that it had been bookmarked at some point, and curious, he opened it to the page.

"When time is running short and all one has left to face is the relentless approach of mortality, a man's true nature either shines resplendent or casts a shadow upon all he has made," he read aloud. He snorted softly. It was bizarrely appropriate to the situation, with a morally superior tone he'd long associated with only one person. "Very cute, Tseng," he muttered and snapped the book shut in his hand before tucking it back onto the shelf and selecting another. He wasn't in the mood for a lecture today. Even less for one that had obviously been planned in advanced and planted like a time-bomb where he was certain to come across it eventually.

It didn't help that he was feeling, somewhat inexplicably, guilty.

Initially, he'd been quite pleased with himself. The look on Reno's face when he'd all but banished him and his team to another continent had brought back fond memories of simpler times... Times when he had no real responsibility on his shoulders and was free to torment the redhead at his leisure. Ten years ago, it would have been a crowning achievement of a prank, and the Turk probably would even have agreed... eventually.

Oh, certainly... he'd been furious over number of the errors they'd managed to rack up in the course of attempting to procure the huge materia for Palmer's rocket... but the real reason he'd sent them away was because he wanted them mad enough to come back fighting. Particularly his current head Turk. The idea had come to him just as he'd been falling asleep that night. Even Rufus had to acknowledge that Reno was more than capable of leading... he just needed the proper motivation to pull his head out of his ass and start acting like it. It was just another mind game... and eventually the redhead would figure it out, just as he always did.

Hell, he'd _half_ expected to be called on it immediately. That he hadn't been was what was nagging at him right now. There was a very real possibility that this could all blow up in his face and that he'd end up doing more harm than good. For all he knew, the troubled Turk was sitting in a bar calmly drinking himself into oblivion right now instead of taking advantage of Rufus' generosity.

Fortunately... he'd already planned ahead for that possibility. He had his own eyes and ears in Wutai... and if he didn't hear that the Turks were in hot pursuit of one Don Corneo within twenty-four hours, he was going to make sure they were put on his trail.

* * *

"Shit's terrible..." Reno slurred... and downed nearly half the bottle of rice wine in one go. It was his fourth. On top of several beers and a few shots of something called baijiu. Elena rested a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention away from it, briefly.

"Reno... Don't you think that's enough? Let's... let's go and get some fresh air. And maybe something to eat."

He shrugged her off and took another swig straight from the bottle. "Told ya... 'm not goin' anywhere 'til'm good 'n drunk," he replied, and tilted his head back and drained the remaining liquor. Too far back, apparently, because before either Elena _or_ Rude had time to react, he was on the floor, out cold.

Rude snorted softly. "Pretty sure you've reached that point, partner," he sighed and stood, picking the smaller Turk up and tossing him over a shoulder. He jerked his head towards the door. "Come on. Let's go find somewhere he can sleep it off."

Elena hurried to follow. If she'd been a little concerned about the redhead's unusual behavior before they'd reached the island, she was now unapologetically worried about him. Ever since the confrontation with Rufus he'd seemed... off. The initial anger she could understand. But once that had faded, he'd become almost withdrawn, as though he were just going through the motions. And now this. Reno typically drank for fun... not to completely obliterate reality. She couldn't help but think back to the morning she'd found him passed out on the couch with an empty bottle not long after Sector 7. This seemed a little too much the same.

"... Rude?"

"For once, I'm not quite sure _what's_ going through his head," the bald Turk answered before she even asked the question. Elena sighed and glanced up at Reno, who hung limply over the other man's shoulder, thoroughly disconnected from the world for the time being, and reached out, letting her fingers trail along his cheek. This wasn't _her_ Reno.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, and hoped that Rude hadn't noticed the slight waver in her voice as she spoke... though she doubted she was that lucky. He paused in front of the door of the local inn, and turned to look at her.

"For tonight... Sleep."

* * *

Lira groaned, and flushed the contents of her stomach before turning on the tap and rinsing her mouth with fresh, cold water. She was really beginning to hate morning sickness.

"Can't you give mama a break?" she asked, looking down at her abdomen. "I miss bein' able to _enjoy_ breakfast..."

At first, she'd thought she'd lucked out... She hadn't felt nauseous at all up until last week. Now it was pretty much a daily occurrence. Her doctor – the one who'd taken over for Ward, who _still_ wasn't back – had assured her that it was perfectly normal... but that didn't mean she had to like it.

The woman walked back into the living room and took a seat on the couch, flipping on the TV.

That Ward was still out of town concerned her. It almost certainly meant that at least one of the Turks was in bad shape. And as much as a part of her felt that maybe they deserved it... she knew them too well to ever voice that opinion out loud. They weren't inherently bad _people_. Not really. They'd done terrible things, yes... but not without reason, and she'd never known any of them to relish it.

And as much as the betrayal she'd felt when she'd learned that Reno had been responsibly for the Sector 7 collapse still hurt... she couldn't find it in herself to wish ill on him. If anything, she'd grown steadily more worried about him the longer Ward was gone. He hadn't even _tried_ to contact her recently, and she honestly wasn't sure if it was because he was physically unable to do so... or because he'd given up hope of her ever speaking to him again.

And if he _were_ that badly hurt, would any of his teammate have thought to tell _her_ about it? They rarely had in the past... though Tseng had once, years ago, turned up at the Honeybee to find her when Reno had been so seriously injured that he wasn't sure the little redhead would make it though the night.

Lira shook her head and changed the channel. If it were that bad, _someone_ would have contacted her. Elena, at the very least, would have made the attempt... wouldn't she? The screen suddenly switched to a breaking news bulletin, and she blinked as she watched a pair of huge airships approaching the city, a truly massive load supported between them. She turned up the volume to find out what was going on.

"– cannon has arrived from Junon. Shinra Company has had little to say about the weapon's sudden relocation, but experts speculate that it is intended to pierce the strange barrier that appeared over the Northern Crater at the same time Meteor appeared in the sky. Shinra's construction division has been working around the clock, rushing to prepare a scaffolding for the cannon ahead of its arrival. The company has warned residents in Sectors One, Three, Five, and Seven to expect brief blackouts later today as power connections are rerouted and tested. Alterations to the remaining sectors's power grid are scheduled for later in the week."

Lira levered herself off the couch and moved to the window, looking out to the south, and had little trouble spotting the pair of aircraft and their cargo. Her eyes widened slightly... she never would have thought something so big could stay in the air.

"In other Crisis news, new estimates of the Meteor's speed have leaked from Shinra Company's science division. Previous estimates placed its arrival between twenty and thirty days. Revised data has drastically decreased those numbers and according to unnamed sources within the company, Shinra now expects the meteor to reach the point of no return in less than two weeks. There have been numerous reports of activity in and around Rocket Town, of an attempt to destroy the meteor before it reaches the planet. When asked about a possible launch of the Shinra No. 26 rocket, Shinra Company had no comment."

She aimed the remote at the TV and shut it off. Of course they had no comment. Shinra never told anyone what they were up to. It was one of the many reasons she'd never really trusted them. It was also the _other_ reason she'd stayed behind in the slums, even after Reno's many offers to bring her topside. Yes, she felt far more at home down below... but living on the Plate also meant working for Shinra, one way or another. There was hardly a business up here they didn't have _some_ stake in. Of course, she wasn't naïve enough to think that they didn't have plenty of tendrils firmly embedded in the slums, as well... but at least down there, she'd had the luxury of distance.

Lira sighed and pressed a hand to her belly. It had always been an illusion, and she knew it. Working for Corneo wasn't _really_ that far removed from working for Shinra. They took a cut of damn near everything. But it had been easier to pretend that she was her own person down below, and not just another Shinra drone. Now, though... if she wanted to stay in Midgar, she was going to have to give that illusion up... because she couldn't let Reno support her forever.

She had no doubt that he _would_ if she allowed it. Even if she refused to ever see him again, he'd never let her go hungry or homeless. If she wanted to, she could live, rent-free, right here in his old apartment for the rest of her life... because Reno would take care of her, just as he always had. Because she was still a part of his family, whether she loved him or hated him.

As that acknowledgment settled firmly into the forefront of her mind, she realized that she had to talk to him. She wasn't ready to forgive... but much of her anger had been quelled. All that was left was hurt, and that would never go away until she said what she needed to say to the redhead. She reached for her phone.

* * *

Reno groaned loudly, and as he rolled over, trying to figure out what had woken him, he was convinced that his head was going to split in two. His stomach ached, a reminder that drinking on an empty stomach was a terrible, _terrible_ idea.

He only had himself to blame for that. Elena had tried to dissuade him after the first bottle and coax some food into him, but he'd been hellbent on getting blackout drunk last night, and even _she_ hadn't been able to stop him. He'd quite thoroughly succeeded in reaching his goal, too... he couldn't remember a damn thing after he'd ordered those shots of baijiu. Only the fact that he was presently lying on a very comfortably futon, and not in a gutter, told him that his friends hadn't abandoned him.

The sound that had woken him broke the silence in the room again, and it took him another few moments to realized it was his Ifrit-be-damned phone. He spotted it on a table across the room, connected to its charger.

"Fuck that..." he muttered, and rolled back over, pulling a pillow over his head to drown out the ringtone, unwilling to make the effort. If it was that important, they'd leave a message.

In spite the warm comfort of the bedroll, and the effects of his hangover, it was surprisingly difficult to pretend that the last few days hadn't happened. That he hadn't failed so spectacularly at the _one thing_ he'd been training for years to do that he'd been banished to another country. He could only imagine Tseng's disappointment in him as a leader when Rufus got around to telling him. And worse yet, he'd taken the whole team down _with_ his sorry ass. Rude and Elena shouldn't have been punished... none of this was their fault. But where Rufus was concerned, it was often a case of guilt by association.

He sat up slowly, wincing as his head throbbed, and looked around. There were two more futons, both slept in, but no other sign of his fellow Turks, and he frowned, wondering where they'd gone. With no small amount of effort, he staggered to his feet, and pulled on some clothes. First order of business was to find them and apologize profusely... both for getting them into this mess and for likely being a drunken asshole last night. He stopped short well before he reached the door, however, and moments later did a quick about face, rushing for the bathroom.

Correction... first order of business was to try and avoid puking all over himself.

* * *

"... I'm not eating that," Elena stated firmly, dubiously eying the tiny whole squid perched on top of a mound of rice and vegetables.

"Give it a chance. Odori-don is a delicacy. You'll never find it in Midgar."

She shook her head. "Rude... you know I enjoy trying new foods, but it's... _looking_ at me."

Rude suddenly smirked. "If that bothers you, just wait until you see why it's called the _dancing_ squid..." he replied, reaching for the soy sauce. He calmly poured it over the squid's tentacles and Elena's eyes widened in horror as the little sea creature began to move.

"I'm _not_ eating that," she quickly reiterated. The movement finally ceased, and the other Turk gave a quiet chuckle at her reaction.

"It's not really alive... it's just the muscle reacting to the salt in the soy sauce."

"Oh, great... so it's a zombie squid. That's _much_ more appetizing," she said, dryly. Rude simply shook his head and lifted it out of the bowl. Elena watched the tentacles writhe as he bit a few of them off.

"You don't know what you're missing."

"Let's... keep it that way. I'll stick to food that doesn't try to crawl away," she replied, and turned her attention on the tuna rolls on her own plate. "... Do you think Reno's awake yet?"

The redhead had still been out when they're returned from breakfast. Not wanting to disturb him, given that he likely wasn't going to be feeling too great when he finally _did_ wake up, they'd set out to do a little exploring without him. Elena had never been to Wutai before... but Rude had, any number of times. He made for an excellent tour guide. Though it probably would have been easier to enjoy it had the circumstances of their visit not been so unpleasant.

He'd led her around much of the town, visiting temples and pagodas, shops, and street-side markets. When it was nearing eleven, he'd suggested an early lunch before setting off again.

"Probably. Doubt he's in any shape to play tourist, though."

Elena sighed. As much tempting as it was to spend the afternoon seeing the sights, she couldn't stand the thought of leaving Reno all by himself all day.

"Rude, you dick. You got that dancin' squid shit and didn't wait for _me_ so I could see the look on 'Lena's face? Some friend you are..."

"Hmph... I stand corrected," Rude commented, raising an eyebrow at his friend's sudden appearance.

"Reno!" Elena cried, abandoning her food to get up and practically drag him over to their table. "How are you feeling? You look pale... Are you hungry?"

The redhead groaned faintly. "Not quite yet," he admitted. "Stomach's still a little sensitive after last night."

"Should've listened to Elena..." Rude replied.

"Yeah... I know," Reno said, dropping his gaze for a moment. "Look... I'm sorry about pullin' that on you two. I just... It wasn't a good way to deal with shit, but I've had so much shit to deal with lately, I... guess I just took the easy way out."

"Reno..." she started, only to be silenced by a somewhat pleading look.

"It's my fault Avalanche got hold of that materia... my fault we lost one of the best chances Shinra had at stoppin' Meteor, and my fault we're stuck here. Apparently I really suck at doin' Tseng's job." His fist clenched, and Elena let her hand rest gently on top of his. "Never thought that when the time came to take over for him I'd end up bein' such a complete screwup and lettin' everyone down. Ten years of bein' trained for this, and I'm completely worthless."

"Oh, Reno... You're not," Elena hurried to reassure him. Rude, however, seemed to have other ideas.

"Yeah. You are. So pull your head out of your ass and do it right." He frowned as Reno looked up at him in surprise, but went on. It needed to be said. "This can't continue. You've asked for time to work through things, but time's running out. Suck it up, Reno. The Turks need a leader."

"Rude!" Elena stared at him in shocked disbelief.

"And _you_ need to stop enabling him," he added. Reno glared at him, angrily.

"Hey... Don't go blamin' 'Lena for me bein' a shit leader. None of this is on her."

"You're not a shit leader. I know that. Elena knows that. And you can be damn sure that Tseng knows that. But you're constantly doubting yourself lately and it's screwing us over. Get your head back in the game before its too late," he said, getting up from the table. "Come find me when you're ready to get back to work."

With that, he left the pair of them sitting alone at the table, and disappeared through the door to the cafe. Elena watched him go, hardly believing that Rude, of all people, would say something like that.

"That what you think, too?"

Her gaze swiveled back to her lover, who was staring pensively at the half-eaten dish his partner had left behind.

"I..." she began, intending to reassure him... before admitting to herself that Rude was right. She wasn't doing him any favors by not being honest. "I think he might have a point. I know a lot's happened and you're doing your best but..."

"But I've had my mind on shit besides the job." The redhead scowled and stood up. "Screw this. I'm done."

"R-Reno?"

"The fuckin' world's gettin' ready to end, and Rufus sends us on 'vacation'. Tch... If that's what ten years of loyalty gets ya, then fuck him and fuck Shinra. I'm _done_."

Elena followed him as he headed out the door. "Reno... You don't mean that."

"Don't I?" he asked, pulling up short just outside. "Obviously we're not needed, or we wouldn't be _here._ So why should I keep givin' a shit about a company that doesn't give one back? Rufus wants me to take a vacation? Fine. I'm takin' a permanent one. Think I'll start right where I left off last night."

As she watched him make his way down the street, she realized something. Reno wasn't simply angry and frustrated... He was also hurt.

* * *

Reno had gone to the Turtle's Paradise, fully intending to do exactly what he'd told Elena he was going to do; pick up where he'd left off the previous evening. Instead, he found himself, nearly an hour later, only halfway through his second beer. Somewhere between the cafe and the bar, drinking himself into oblivion had lost its appeal.

The initial storm of thoughts had, mercifully died down, and he was left with only one. What was he if he wasn't a Turk? It had been all he'd known for more than a decade... his entire adult life, and a good chunk of his teenage years as well. And did it even matter at this point? It was, after all, highly likely that in a few more weeks he, along with everyone else, wouldn't be alive to care. A part of him... a very large part of him... was giving serious consideration to making good on his threat to simply take a permanent vacation, ask Elena to marry him, and spend whatever time they had left holed up in the nearest inn, showing her _exactly_ how much he loved her.

But there was still that niggling bit of guilt over abdicating his responsibilities... especially now. He took a long swig from his beer and sighed. What was he really abdicating? Rufus had already essentially stripped him of command anyway. His only real responsibility was to Rude and Elena now. Shinra had decided it could get by without him.

"Drunk yet?" a voice asked, and a moment later the seat beside him was suddenly occupied. Reno snorted softly and raised his beer in mock salute.

"Haven't even made it through two yet... 'course I'm probably still half drunk from last night anyway."

Rude rested his elbows on the table, not looking at the redhead. "I had to say something, you know. You're not getting anywhere spinning your wheels the way you have been."

Reno took another swig, but said nothing.

"We're you serious about what you said to Elena?"

"Was when I said it," he replied, truthfully. Though now that he'd had some time to mull things over on his own, he really couldn't say _what_ he planned to do.

"For the record... I'm going back as soon as Rufus summons us."

Reno glanced over at him and shook his head. "Why bother?"

"You know why."

"'Lena goin', too?" he asked. That would be the deciding point for him. If Elena returned to Shinra, he'd go, as well. He couldn't not. Rude shrugged.

"Ask her yourself," Rude replied, tossing a glance over his shoulder. The redhead followed his gaze, and easily spotted the woman standing near the door. Apparently, his partner had asked her to give them a minute or two. Acknowledged at last, she made her way over to the pair. Before he could ask her anything, however...

"There they are!" an unfamiliar voice shouted, and moments later, two Shinra soldiers scurried up to their table. "We'd heard the Turks were here... We need your help! We've finally located Don Corneo. He's here in Wutai!"

Reno stared at the two men incredulously.

"Tch... what a drag."

"W-what was that?" one of them queried, apparently not sure he'd heard the Turk right.

"We're off duty. And we're not in any mood to run around savin' your butts. Do your _own_ damn jobs."

"Sir... we _know_ you're off duty, but..."

"If you knew that, then quit botherin' us. Lookin' at you is makin' me sober," he shot back, cutting the young man off, and turning his attention back to his beer. Any other day, he suddenly realized, he'd have jumped at the opportunity to take out Corneo. Right now though... the old pervert hardly seemed worth the effort.

"B-but... all Shinra personnel have orders to find him," the soldier continued. Reno simply took another drink and ignored him. "Fine! We'll get him _without_ any help from the Turks... You just wait and see!"

He turned on his heel and stormed out the door, his companion only a few steps behind. A moment later, he angrily poked his head back inside. "And don't think headquarters isn't going to hear about this!"

"Reno... What are you doing?" Elena asked when they were finally gone. "Corneo is a priority target. This is no way for a Turk to act... You've never sacrificed your professionalism like this..."

"A pro isn't someone who sacrifices himself for his job, 'Lena. That's just a fool." He'd done enough sacrificing for Shinra's sake. He had no more to give. Elena's irate expression very nearly made him reconsider, however.

"Well, off duty or not, _I'm_ going to do my job," the woman stated adamantly, and hurried off after the two soldiers.

"... We should go after her."

"Relax. 'Lena can handle herself. She wants to put a bullet in Corneo, more power to her. _I'm_ off duty on Rufus' personal orders... and I'm not doin' him any favors."

* * *

She couldn't believe Reno had _actually_ refused a standing order. Corneo had a target on his back... and while he wasn't their highest priority under current circumstances, they were still under orders to take him out if they had the chance, off duty or not. But more than being in disbelief, she was... scared. Maybe he really _didn't_ plan on going back to Shinra. She couldn't imagine the Turks without him. She wasn't even sure she could imagine returning to _Junon_ without him. If he decided to stay... she couldn't in all honesty say that she'd been willing to leave him here. Not even if it meant giving up the Turks alongside him.

Elena shook her head and continued down the street. If Reno wasn't going to help with this mission, she'd just have to do it herself... and that meant she had to focus on Corneo, not the redhead.

She quickly found that to be easier said than done.

She hated seeing Reno like this. And worse, she felt powerless to do anything to help. That plain and simple fact was made so much worse by the knowledge that every time _she_ could remember needing someone to fix things... Reno had been there, and he'd made everything better. She couldn't seem to do the same for him, no matter how hard she tried.

A sudden shriek jerked her attention back to the task at hand, and some distance away, she spotted her target... And Corneo wasn't alone. Another man she didn't recognize was with him, and in his grasp, a young girl was struggling to break free.

"Let _GO_ of me, you jerks!" the girl shouted, and managed to free one arm. She turned, in an attempt to flee, and Elena blinked in surprise when she saw her face.

Yuffie. The little ninja girl that had joined up with Avalanche. Were they here, too?

Elena darted out of sight, and worked her way closer to Corneo.

"Oh ho... She's _feisty_. I like it when they squirm..." he said, sidling up to the girl, who regarded him with obvious distaste.

"Ugh... grossness..." Yuffie groaned, disgusted. Elena couldn't help but agree. She was just a kid... and Corneo was ogling her like she was one of his brothel girls. The Turk drew her weapon, and readied herself. Two against one, and she had the advantage of distance. She liked her odds already... and they'd be even better once the girl was loose.

She stepped out of the shadows of the ally she'd crept into, fully prepared to take one or both of them out immediately... and was tackled from behind. Elena hit the ground with a loud _omph_ and lost her grip on her weapon. Her attacker pinned her, his knee pressed roughly into her spine as he forced her arms behind her back.

"Well, well, well, well, well..." Corneo chuckled, his interest momentarily redirected away from the girl as he made his way over to his new captive. "What do we have here? A pretty little blonde? Oh, I _adore_ blonds... Bring her, too."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Corneo," her captor replied, much too close to her ear, as he hauled her to her feet again. She could feel his fetid breath on her skin, and suppressed a shudder. "Just so ya know, missy... we get whichever one of you the boss decides he doesn't want. Hope he goes for the Wutaiian brat. You look like a lot more fun to _me_..."

Elena jerked to one side and jammed her elbow into his gut in reply. He grunted in pain, and delivered a sharp kick to the back of her knee, causing it to buckle and sending her to the ground again. A hard slap across the face stopped her from recovering, and the next moment, she was seized again and roughly dragged off toward a small shrine.

"Get off me! You're gonna regret ever messing with a ninja like me!" Yuffie was shouting as she struggled.

"Tie them up... and make it tight," Corneo said, ignoring the protests. "We wouldn't want them wandering off before I've had a chance to decide which of them will be joining me tonight."

"Let us go, you sick pervert," Elena hissed, and Corneo turned his attention back on her. He paused in front of her with a curious expression on his face.

" _You_ look familiar..." he stated, and she grimaced as his eyes roved over her body. It was only then that he finally recognized her uniform. He smiled lewdly and gripped her tie, twirling it around his finger for a moment. "Ah... A Turk! And a pretty one, too. Oh, tonight _is_ going to be fun..." he added, gleefully rubbing his hands together.

* * *

"She's been gone awhile. We should go find her."

Reno looked up from his still unfinished second beer. "Can't have been that long. This thing's still half full."

"That's because you've been staring at it for the last twenty minutes like it'd have all the answers if you could just figure out how to get to 'em..." Rude replied with a faint snort. "Now get off your sorry ass and go back up your girlfriend before she gets herself into trouble."

"'Lena can take care of herself..." But even so, the redhead _did_ get to his feet, and Rude smirked. "Ah, shut up... You really think I'm just gonna sit here while she's out there chasin' that pervert around the city? Come one... Let's go find her. Tch... She'll probably already have finished the son of a bitch off by the time we do."

A few minutes later, the pair found themselves prowling the back allies of the Wutaiian capitol, looking for any sign of the absent Turk. They quickly covered the market, and then a few of the shrines. Just as they were getting ready to move on to the next block, Rude came to a sudden halt and knelt down.

"Something interesting?"

"..." Rude reached for something in the shadows, and then stood, a grim look on his face. He held up the object that had captured his attention. Reno's eyes narrowed as he recognized Elena's gun.

"... Fuck." His fists clenched angrily at his sides. "He lays _one_ finger on her, I'm personally gonna rip off his junk and cram it down his throat. And then I'm gonna –"

The sound of nearby gunfire curtailed his description of the pain he intended to inflict upon the man, and both Turks were immediately on alert as they hurried towards it. They found themselves in front of a small shrine, who'd doors had been flung wide. The familiar sounds of a fight emanated from within... though they didn't last long. As Reno and Rude ran for the shrine, several figures appeared in the doorway, and they pulled up short.

"You assholes again. The fuck are _you_ doin' here?" the redhead growled in recognition.

"Corneo kidnapped Yuffie," Cloud Strife responded in a similar tone, "Looked like he had a friend of _yours_ ,too."

"... Elena," Rude breathed, and Reno felt his angry flare violently. That bastard was going to die. He turned to his partner.

"Come on, Rude... let's go give him a taste of what the Turks do when ya cross 'em." He started off in the only direction Corneo could have gone without running into them on the way out, but quickly turned back toward the members of Avalanche, more of whom had made their way out of the shrine by then. "The statue's the only place they coulda run off to. We want our Turk back. You want your ninja back. So let's agree not to get in each other's way, huh?"

"Fine by me," Cloud replied and motioned for the rest of the group to follow him. At the base of the mountain, they paused again.

"Me 'n Rude are gonna split up. You assholes can do whatever the hell you want, 'long as you don't endanger 'Lena. We'll return the favor 'n keep the kid safe if we find 'em first."

"Agreed," Cloud said, and Tifa echoed the sentiment beside him. Reno turned his gaze on the red-clad figure of Vincent Valentine, who gave an affirmative nod. The redhead didn't trust Strife as far as he could throw him... but the former-Turk he was willing to at least give the benefit of the doubt. That settled, he and Rude took off down opposite paths.

* * *

Elena kicked out at Corneo's lacky, though it was little more than a glancing blow. He smirked lewdly and swatted her ass before strapping her ankles together as well. She wasn't entirely certain what Corneo had planned for the two women, but the fact that she was presently securely fastened to a wooden cross, her arms painfully outstretched, didn't bode well.

The two men who'd captured them for Corneo gave a hard tug on the rope, hoisting her upwards and onto the face of the statue. The Turk winced as her restraints tightened around her wrists. Yuffie was quickly given similar treatment.

"What's he gonna do with us?" the younger woman asked, a thin layer of bravado doing what it could to cover up her obvious fear.

"I don't think we want to hang around and find out..." Elena replied, pulling hard at her bonds. She succeeded only further chafing the skin of her wrist. Her eyes fell on Coreno below them on the ledge.

"You two... go back to the trail head and make sure no one disturbs us." As his minions obediently disappeared around a bend, he looked up at his two captives. "Well, now... Decisions, decisions. Which one of you wants to be my playmate for the evening?"

"No one in their right _mind_ would want to get anywhere near _you_ , Corneo..." Elena spat back.

"LET... ME... GO!" Yuffie shouted at the top of her lungs. The old pervert laughed.

"Hmm... Delicious. Scrumptious! I think I've found a new _hobby_. Which shall it be? Hmm?"

He took a few steps to his left and gazed up at Elena. "Should I go with _you_?" he asked, teasingly, "You're quite the beauty. You could have easily been one of my girls back home. I bet those tits of yours are even real..."

"Watch it, pal... I'm a Turk."

He cackled to himself and wandered back beneath Yuffie. "Or... maybe... _you_. I _do_ like them young and fresh..."

"Ugh... If I'd known with was gonna happen, I would've taken rope escape lessons more seriously..." the young ninja muttered just loud enough for Elena to hear. Somehow, the Turk didn't think it would have made a difference. _She'd_ taken those lessons _very_ seriously, and still found herself unable to get loose.

"Oh, it's so hard to choose..." Corneo continued, and laughed again, "If I were just a few years younger, I'd take you both!"

"Pig..." Elena replied, "You're going to pay for this."

He grinned widely and waggled a finger at her. "Now, now... behave yourself, or I'll have to spank you," he chuckled, "Hmm... That settles it. I've made my choice. My companion for the night will be..."

His dramatic pause went on far too long, and Elena rolled her eyes. Corneo pointed up at Yuffie.

"... the cheerful one!"

The ninja girl thrashed against her ropes, but they held fast. " _GROSSNESS_! Don't mess with me, old man. I wouldn't go near you even to steal your materia!"

"Ooooh! And she's saucy, too! Whee! Alright, then, that's settled... Let's get to it!" He reached for the rope holding Yuffie in place, but an unexpected commotion on the mountain path made him pause.

"W-what? What's going on?! Who's there?" Corneo asked, a sudden look of concern coming over him, and Elena grinned widely to herself. Reno and Rude must have gotten worried about her. It was about time.

But as she watched, it wasn't her compatriots who emerged from around the bend... but rather some other familiar figures.

"Oh, man! Cloud!" Yuffie cried, sounding relieved.

Corneo backed off a step or two. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Don't tell me you forgot..." Cloud responded, insulted. Tifa joined him.

"The fall into that trap back in Wall Market really hurt!"

A look of recognition came over the man's face and he glared at them. "Oh... It's _you_. Now I remember. It's because of _you_ that I had to leave my little paradise in the Slums. None of you know how much I've suffered since then..."

Tifa stepped forward, cutting him off. "We don't want to hear it. Just let the two of them go!"

"So serious!" he replied, mockingly, "Well... I suppose this is no time for _me_ to be fooling around, either, then. You killed my poor little Aps back in Midgar. I think I'll make you play with my _new_ pet... while _I_ continue my search for a bride." Corneo raised his arms into the air. "Rapps! Come here!"

Elena's eyes widened as, in response to his call, an ear-splitting roar rent the air, followed by the flapping of huge leathery wings. Cloud and the rest of Avalanche fell into a defensive stance as a creature rose from the valley below.

"I-is that what I think it is?" she asked, turning to the ninja girl beside her.

"... Yep. That would be a dragon," Yuffie replied, paling slightly.

* * *

"Where's Corneo!" Reno demanded, and when his prisoner refused to answer him, he decided to jog the man's memory... with a hard left cross. He'd run into the pair as he'd retraced his steps after hitting a deadend, and it had become painfully obvious that they were working for his quarry. The two men had been dutifully guarding the trail head. He'd killed one immediately. The other he'd spared long enough to interrogate and hopefully save himself the trouble of having to search the entire damned mountain.

"Let's try that again," he growled, "Where's Corneo?"

"D-da-Chou statue... Under the Da-Chou statue's head! T-take the second path on the right!"

Reno smiled coldly. "There now... That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked, and relaxed his grip on the man, who breathed a sigh of relief. It was short-lived. The Turk slipped around behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. A swift jerk to the left, followed by a sickeningly satisfying crack, and Corneo's henchman went limp in his arms. He dropped him unceremoniously to the ground, and reached for his PHS... only to stop as a loud, bellowing roar echoed over the mountains.

Reno swore under his breath, and hoped that Rude wouldn't be too far behind as he started up the trail. It didn't take him long to figure out which way to go, and as he round a corner, he came face to face with it's source.

Fortunately for him, the creature seemed to be in its death throes by the time he was that close... courtesy of a hail of bullet delivered by the team of Barret Wallace and Vincent Valentine. Strife darted forward, his stupidly massive sword poised to strike the killing blow. The dragon gave one final wail and fell to the ground, moments later tumbling from the ledge and into the valley. Corneo stood at the far end of the trail, a look of utmost shock etched on his face as Cloud stalked menacingly toward him.

"Wait..." he pleaded, "Just wait a second!"

" _Shut up_!" Strife hissed, angrily.

"Just listen to me," Corneo begged, raising his hand imploringly. "It won't take long. Why do you think a man like me would swallow his pride and plead for his life? I'll give you a choice... One... Because he's ready to die? Two... Because he's sure to win? Or three... Because he's clueless?"

Reno frowned... He was stalling. What sort of ace did that bastard have up his sleeve now? It wasn't like Corneo to bluff.

"Because he's ready to die," Cloud answered, and raised his sword. Corneo smirked and reached into his jacket, pulling out what looked like a small remote control, and pressed a button. Twin explosions echoed off the cliffs above them, and Reno looked up for the first time... horrified at what he saw, as a pair of frightened screams followed the blasts.

Elena and Yuffie were tethered to the cliff face. And falling! His heart caught in his throat as he watched them plummet... only for the two women to jerk to a sudden stop, hanging upside down, swaying violently for several moments. Corneo laughed viciously.

"That's button one. If I push button two, that bottom support goes next and we'll have a couple of squashed tomatoes to scrap off the bottom of the trail."

"Damn it..." Strife swore.

"Now... You just turn yourselves right around and head back down the mountain. I'll be keeping these two beauties. And that one, too!"

"You coward!" Tifa spat, as she realize he was looking at her. Corneo only smiled wider. Reno grudgingly forced himself to remain out of sight for the moment. He couldn't attack now... not with Corneo holding Elena hostage. If only he had a way to distract him. Just for a moment.

A slight movement on a higher ledge caught his eye... and he grinned.

"It looks like I'm the one laughing last..." Corneo boasted as Avalanche began to back down.

"No... That would be us," Reno stated and stepped out of his hiding place, calmly pushing past the group of terrorists and pausing on top of the huge thumb of Da-Chou's stone hand.

"A-another Turk?" his target sputtered, surprised.

"You knew this was gonna happen. When someone leaks company secrets, they send us out to make sure those leaks get plugged. You've had this comin' for a long time, Corneo. I'm gonna take care of you... personally."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Then I'm taking _them_ with me!" he declared and held up the remote, thumb poised over the button. As soon as it was in view, a shot rang out from the far ledge striking his arm and sending the device clattering to the ground. Corneo cried out in pain and staggered backwards, stumbling over the loose rocks and toppling, with a shout, over the end of the hand's fingers. He clung to the stone desperately, trying to pull himself back up, but with his injured arm, it was impossible.

"Good timing, Rude," Reno called out to his partner. The bald Turk nodded and smirked, raising a hand in a casual wave.

"... Let's get to work," he called back. Reno hopped down from his perch and took his time strolling over to his the fallen foe. He stopped inches from where his good hand gripped the rock. He could see the strain in the other man's face... it was taking everything he had to hold himself there. The Turk smiled coldly, and stood on his fingers. Corneo howled in pain, and probably would have fallen then and there, had the redhead not been effectively pinning him to the rock.

"I'll do ya a favor and make this quick," he said, "Why do you think we went to all the trouble of teaming up with _those_ assholes just to finally get our hands on you?" He smirked and adopted a tone very similar to the one Corneo himself had used just a few minutes ago. "One... Because we're ready to die? Two... Because we were sure we'd win? Or three... Because we were clueless?"

"T-two! Number two!" he shouted through gritted teeth. Reno gave a mirthless laugh.

"Trick question. They were all wrong." He leaned forward putting his full weight on the man's fingers, eliciting another pained cry.

"No! Wait, stop...!"

"The correct answer was..." Reno began, and suddenly removed his foot. Corneo screamed, terrified, as he lost his grip and fell.

"... because it's out job." Rude finished for him. The screaming abruptly stopped, and Reno peered over the edge at what was left of Don Corneo, far below.

"Damn right," he said, more to himself than to the others.

"Reno!" Elena called out, and the redhead quickly turned his attention away from his former target. She still hung, precariously from Corneo's little restraints, as did the girl Avalanche was looking for.

"'Lena... Don't move. We're comin'."

Before he could start toward her, his PHS rang, and the redhead swore, immediately recognizing the ringtone. Of all the times for Rufus to decide to call. He grudgingly answered it.

"Yeah?"

" _I trust you've had enough fun on your vacation at this point... I have a new assignment for you. Get back to Junon."_ the President's voice informed him from the tiny speaker.

"We'll get on that right away," he replied, and ended the call. As he did so, Reno's gaze landed firmly on the cat-like automaton at the back of the group. Somehow the timing didn't seem quite so coincidental after all...

"Was that Rufus?" Elena asked, her tone decidedly annoyed as being left, literally, hanging so the redhead could take a phone call. Reno smirked.

"Yeah... Wants us to find that Cloud guy," he replied, glancing over at the former Soldier. Cloud and his allies reached for their weapons.

"Are we on?" Rude asked, and Reno quickly shook his head. They may have been enemies... but the group _had_ been willing to assist them in rescuing Elena. He was willing to give them a pass just this once.

"Nope. Today we're off duty."

"Hey! _Heeeeey_! Who cares about your stupid vacation?! Get! Me! Down!" the ninja shouted angrily from high above them, and Reno rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah... We're comin', ya fucking pain in the ass..." he replied. "Hang in there, 'Lena. I'll have ya down in no time."

~fin~


	67. Welcome Home, Now Get Back to Work

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 67: Welcome Home, Now Get Back to Work**

 **by Desha**

"Watch it, Fred..." his unenthusiastic companion muttered angrily as Reno pulled her against him, clutching her to his chest.

"Name's Reno... Now quit squirmin', ya little pain in the ass," the redhead shot back, and sliced through the last of the ropes that held her. "And hold onto me, will ya? You're heavier than ya look."

" _HEY_!" came the indignant reply, but the young ninja took one look at the drop they were presently hanging over and tightened her grip.

"Alright, partner! Bring us down!" In response to his request, the pair began to slowly descend. A few feet from the statue's enormous hand, Strife and Valentine reached up to guide them the rest of the way. It was a relief when his feet finally hit solid ground again. He stood in silence for a moment, waiting for Yuffie to release him. When she didn't, he rolled his eyes. "Tch... You can let go, now, squirt."

The girl belatedly uncoiled herself from his frame and scurried back, face red with embarrassment. He smirked.

"... So what now?" Cloud asked, suspiciously. Now that the two women had been rescued, it seemed their brief alliance was over. Reno looked back at Elena and Rude and shrugged.

"Like I said. We're not _technically_ on duty right now. 'Sides...we have somewhere else to be." He turned and motioned for his fellow Turks to follow, which they did wordlessly. "But don't start thinkin' this makes us friends..." he added as they started down the trail, disappearing around the bend and leaving Avalanche behind, "You start gettin' in our way, we're not gonna be so accommodating next time."

Elena hurried past Rude and fell into step beside him. "Reno... Should we really just leave them here like this? Didn't Rufus order us to –"

"Eh... I was just fuckin' with 'em when I said that. Rufus ordered us back to Junon. Didn't say shit about goin' after Avalanche..."

"So... That mean you _are_ going back to Junon?" Rude asked, and Reno glanced back over his shoulder.

"Well, _someone's_ gotta keep you two in line..." He paused momentarily and turned to face his partner. "Hell... I can't just abandon you guys. I was fuckin' stupid to ever think I could. And... you were right, partner. I need to suck it up and deal. There are more important things to focus on right now. My problems'll just have to wait. We got a planet to save."

"Hmph... That's more like it," the bald Turk replied, and slung an arm over the redhead's shoulders, pulling him in against his side.

"Well... since we're back on the job, what does Rufus need us to do now?" Elena asked, smiling slightly at the display. Reno ducked out from under the hand that was moving to ruffle his hair, vaguely annoyed at the attempt, and shrugged.

"Didn't say. But we'd better get our asses moving and find out. My guess? We're headin' for home... Cannon's probably gettin' installed as we speak, and Rufus'll wanna head back to headquarters to run things from there."

"Do you think the cannon will really be able to get through Sephiroth's barrier?" she queried as they made their way down the mountain.

"Better hope so," Rude commented. "If it can't... we're pretty well fucked. Unless Avalanche has something up _their_ sleeves."

Reno shook his head. "They might, but damned if I'm pinnin' my hopes on a bunch of half-assed eco-terrorists. Shinra made this mess... and the Turks are gonna do everything we can to make sure Shinra fixes it."

By then, they'd reached the trail head. The bodies of Corneo's pair of minions still lay slumped against the boulders.

"Run into some trouble earlier?" Rude queried. Reno snaked his arm around Elena's waist and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Fuckers didn't wanna tell me where Corneo took 'Lena," the redhead answered, and stopped in front of them. "Tch... Guess we probably oughta ditch 'em somewhere outta sight before we leave. No sense leavin' 'em layin' around for the tourists to find."

Rude gave an affirmative grunt as he lifted the nearest body off the ground.

"Oh, sure... leave _me_ the fat one," Reno muttered. His partner flashed him a teasing grin.

"You're the one who killed them... I _should_ be making you take care of them both."

* * *

Tseng closed his eyes and focused solely on his breathing. This was never pleasant, but it had grown even less so ever since Dr. Ward had suspended his mako therapy treatments. All the deep breathing in the world, however, wasn't enough to stop him from yelping in pain as the innermost layer of dressings were stripped away from the open wound in his abdomen.

"I thought you Turks were made of sterner stuff..." came a comment from across the room. Tseng opened his eyes again, and openly glared at his charge.

"You will have to forgive me if my defenses have flagged slightly under the strain of being in excruciating pain for the better part of a month, sir."

"If yeh'd let me up yer dosage of painkillers again, yeh wouldn't be in near so _much_ pain, yeh stubborn thing," Ward pointed out as she disposed of the soiled bandages and set to seeing to his wound's weekly cleaning. Rufus crossed the room, and settled himself in the chair beside the bed, opposite the good doctor, frowning at the sight of the injury.

"It doesn't seem to have healed much in all that time..." he said, and for once, didn't bother hiding the worry in his voice.

"It's not as bad as it looks," was Ward's clipped reply, "A good deal of the internal damage has knitted back together quite nicely. But I've had ta keep the wound open ta let it drain. Gives it a bit of a nasty appearance... and it certainly doesn't feel too pleasant, I'm sure... but he's actually well on his way ta recovery." She snorted softly. "Now... if this Shiva-forsaken Turk would just stop _doing_ things like this ta himself..."

"I most certainly did _not_ do this to _myself_. And believe me... I didn't _ask_ to be skewered and left for dead, either," the decidedly grouchy Turk leader muttered in reply. He inhaled sharply as the woman began applying an antiseptic to the raw flesh.

"Nearly finished..." she said gently.

"How long before we can move him back to Midgar?" Rufus asked, and Ward shook her head and fixed the young executive with a stern expression.

"As much as I'd prefer ta have him safely tucked in at Midgar General... he's not going anywhere for the time being. _Particularly_ not with that blasted cannon of yers drawing up all the power in the city. And don't think I haven't heard about _that_... I have plenty of friends back home ta keep me informed. Scheduled blackouts... bah. D'yeh know that the hospital has had ta switch over ta emergency backup _three times_ just since yeh started? Yeh take care of that accursed rock that's threatening ta do us all in, and the madman controlling it... _then_ we'll have a chat about taking Tseng home. For now, he's safer here."

Tseng breathed a soft sigh of relief as Ward finished what she was doing and reached for clean bandages. The worst of it was over... though he wondered just how many more times he'd have to go through this little torture. It was rather high on his list of unpleasant medical procedures.

"And what does your patient want?" Rufus asked in challenge.

"What _he_ wants doesn't matter one bit right now. He gets what's best for him until I say otherwise. And what's best for him is staying put."

The Wutaiian looked from one to the other and shook his head. "Would you _both_ kindly stop speaking about me as if I weren't present?"

Dr. Ward simply chuckled, finally done securing the bandages. "Yer all set, yeh little pain in the rear. But yer still not going anywhere. I'll check in on yeh a bit later."

With that, she stood and left him alone with the President.

"How do you _stand_ that woman?" Rufus asked... though not, Tseng noticed, until the doctor was safely out of earshot. It seemed the younger man had learned to hold his tongue around her.

"I trust Justinia as much as I trust any of my Turks, sir. Her sort of loyalty is hard to come by. And if it comes at the price of having to tolerate a certain level of... abrasiveness... then so be it."

Rufus snorted softly. "Personally, I'm beginning to think you simply enjoy the abuse. At any rate, I thought you might like to know that your precious little Turks are on their way back to Junon. And Corneo is rotting at the bottom of a cliff, where he belongs."

"A rather short vacation," Tseng observed, but he smiled faintly. The President sat back in the chair and folded his arms.

"I suppose you would have preferred that I give them the entire _week_ off so the slum rat could sit around wallowing in self pity. Meanwhile, our imminent destruction is still looming."

Tseng's smile widened ever so slightly. "You simply cannot admit that you _do_ care about their well-being, can you? Any one of them would die for you."

The younger man frowned and looked away briefly. "... I never asked that of them. Or of you."

"That changes nothing," the Turk chuckled. He'd always suspected that was the _real_ reason the Shinra heir had always, with the glaring exception of himself, tried to keep the people around him at arm's length. Most of them were ultimately expendable. Rufus was cold as a matter of self-preservation. Though he seldom spoke of it, the sudden and brutal loss of his mother had affected him deeply from a very young age. It had made him hesitant to get close to anyone ever again for fear he would eventually lose _them_ as well.

"I'll be returning to Midgar once they arrive. I hardy dare trust Scarlet, of all people, to run things now that the cannon is nearly installed."

Ah... So _that_ was what this visit was really about. He'd come to say goodbye.

Rufus shifted awkwardly and continued. "... And as that Rumah-be-damned harpy of a physician is intent upon you remaining here for the foreseeable future..."

"This will be the last we see of one another for awhile," Tseng finished for him, when he trailed off.

"I suppose simply ordering you to heal faster will do me little good..."

"I will make the effort, sir, but I have my doubts as to the likelihood of success. I'm afraid you will just have to content yourself with ordering my Turks around for the time being, in my stead. Try not to get them into _too_ much trouble."

Rufus rolled his eyes. " _Nothing_ can keep that blasted slum rat of yours out of trouble."

The Turk leader laughed softly and reached out a hand towards his charge, letting it rest on top of his arm. "You may well be right about that... but he tries. Goodbye, Rufus. I will see you... one way or another... when this is over," he said, warmly, "Though just for the record, I would prefer a living reunion rather than one in the afterlife... so if you wouldn't _mind_ saving the planet, I would be most grateful."

"I have no intention of letting a lunatic like Sephiroth bring Shinra to its knees," he replied... but Tseng could plainly hear the fear and uncertainty behind his words.

* * *

"Reno?"

The redhead jumped slightly, having nearly forgotten that he was even wearing the headset until Elena's voice speaking directly into his ear interrupted his thoughts. He looked up guiltily, fully aware that he'd been ignoring her for most of the flight.

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong? You've been staring at your phone since we left Wutai," she prodded, concerned. Reno shook his head.

"I was just checkin' my messages. Got a call this morning... but I felt like shit and didn't pick up. Wanted to see who it was."

"So? Who was it?"

"... Lira," he replied softly. He tucked the phone back into his jacket pocket and sighed. "Guess I'm gonna have to call her back when we hit Junon."

Elena swiveled around as best she could in her seat to face him.

"Well... That's _good_ , right? _She_ called _you_. You can finally talk to her and set things straight."

"... Yeah."

"So... What's the problem?" she asked, a confused look on her face. Rude snorted softly.

"I _know_ that look. Probably thinks she only wants to talk to him so she can tell him he's scum and she never wants to speak to him again."

Reno glared at his friend, but it didn't last long. That was _precisely_ what he was worried about.

"Hmph. Told you so," Rude added, glancing at Elena, when he didn't protest. Elena rolled her eyes dramatically and held out her hand.

"Give me your phone."

"... Why?" the redhead asked, suspiciously.

"So that _I_ can call her _for_ you. You've finally started to pull yourself out of this hole you've been stuck in for weeks. I'm not going to let you climb right back into it. You're not just going to sit there coming up with one worst case scenario after another. Fork it over."

Reno grudgingly handed over the phone and Elena pulled up his call log.

"For fuck's sake, you're not callin' her _now_ , are ya? She'll barely be able to hear us over the fuckin' engines."

Elena sighed, apparently realizing that he was right, and tucked the PHS into her own pocket.

"Fine. But as soon as we land, I'm making that call and you're talking to her."

"... Rufus is gonna want to see us right away. And the boss'll –"

" _As soon as we land_ , I'm making that call and you're talking to her," Elena repeated, and Reno distinctly heard his partner snicker softly over the headset.

* * *

"Well, well... look what the cat dragged in."

Reno was the first one off the helicopter, but he was swiftly followed by the rest of his team. On seeing the base's security chief, he grinned.

"Hey, Vir... Miss me?"

"Did I miss your constant disregard for base rules, your habit of climbing on things you've got no business being anywhere near, or your single-minded desire to bed half my subordinates?" she teased, locking eyes with the redhead. "No. No, I did not."

"Hey... I already told ya the women's barracks are safe from me these days. You _still_ don't believe I'm happier havin' just 'Lena?"

"Oh, I believe it. I'm just saying that I don't miss having to chase you _out_ of said barracks every morning. Not one little bit." She made her way up to him, and unexpectedly pulled him into a warm embrace. "You doing any better?"

The redhead flashed her a slightly lopsided grin. "Got a little bit of a wake up call while we were in Wutai... so... yeah, kinda. For now."

" _Speaking_ of calls..." Elena interrupted, pressing his confiscated PHS into his hand. "Rude and I are going to check on Tseng. Meet us there when you're done."

Reno blinked, and it was only then that he realized she'd already placed the call. He swore softly, much to Viridia's amusement, and rolled his eyes in exasperation. He probably should have known that Elena was really going to do it. Viridia waved farewell, and followed the other two Turks towards the medical facility, leaving Reno to his phone call. He sighed as he listened to it ring, and took a seat on the lip of the helicopter's doorway waiting anxiously for Lira to answer. For a few tense moments, he was gradually becoming more and more convinced that she wouldn't.

" _... Reno?"_

He swallowed sharply, suddenly at a loss for words. It took him several tries to get his voice to work again.

"... Hey," he finally managed. "I... I saw that you tried to call me earlier."

" _Yeah,"_ Lira replied. _"I... have some things I need to say to you."_

The redhead exhaled slowly, his mouth suddenly going dry. _That_ certainly sounded a little ominous. He'd known this wasn't going to be easy, but he'd hoped she'd at least give him the opportunity to... well, he wasn't sure exactly. Explain? Try and justify what he'd done? Plead for another chance? Reno caught sight of one of Viridia's security patrols heading roughly in his direction and slipped into the back of the helicopter, out of view. The last thing he needed was an interruption.

"I'm listening. Go a head 'n say 'em," he said, resigned to his fate.

" _What you did... There's no way you can ever justify it,"_ she began, and Reno squeezed his eyes shut. _"So I want you to tell me why. The Reno I know would never hurt so many innocent people."_

"I..." he said, and felt his throat close up slightly, "I didn't have a choice, Lira. _I_ got picked. If I'd said no, I woulda just been pawning it off on Tseng, or Rude... or 'Lena. I couldn't do that to them. I didn't want one of _them_ to have to live with it."

" _Why couldn't you_ _ **all**_ _have just said no?!"_ Lira demanded, and Reno was silent for a moment.

"... Because. We'd have been branded traitors. Shinra doesn't tolerate traitors." He sighed, and a tear made it's way down his cheek. "I know it was selfish. But the truth is, those people died because... I couldn't bear the thought of anything happenin' to my family just 'cause _I_ couldn't stomach followin' orders."

" _ **That's**_ _your excuse?"_ she demanded, angrily.

"No... That's my explanation," Reno said softly. "There _is_ no excuse. Not for somethin' like this. Like you said... I can't justify it, and I'm not tryin' to. But you asked why. That's why. A lot of people died so I could protect the ones I can't live without."

" _There had to have been another way..."_

"If there was... I couldn't see it," he replied. Lira was silent for a long time, and for a moment, he was half convinced she'd simply set the phone down and walked out on him.

" _Ward's been gone for awhile. Weeks,"_ she said at last, and Reno wasn't sure if she'd accepted his answer or simply decided perusing it further was a lost cause.

"... Tseng got hurt."

" _Is it bad?"_ Lira asked.

"We almost lost him," Reno answered, ignoring the lump that formed in his throat at the thought. "He's doin' okay now. Gonna be stuck in the hospital for awhile, though. We're... not sure yet if he's gonna be able to come back to work."

" _... Is everyone else alright?"_

"Kinda depends on your definition of the word. Rude's fine, but 'Lena was out cold for days from savin' Tseng. And... I've definitely been better."

" _What happened?"_

"Tch... What _hasn't_? Between the panic attacks, a giant fuckin' monster tryin' to destroy half of Junon with me in it, almost suffocating in tin can on the bottom of the ocean, and havin' 'Lena kidnapped by your former pervert of a boss... it's been a rough few weeks."

He heard an audible gasp on the other end of the line. _"Coreno took Elena?"_

"Yeah... and another girl. We got 'em back alright, though. You don't ever need to worry about him comin' back, Lira. He won't be."

" _... I... I hate to say it, even about Don Corneo... but I'm glad."_

"... How's the baby?" Reno inquired, hesitantly. He wasn't sure he had the right to even ask... but it was Lira's, and Lira was always going to be special to him.

" _Gettin' bigger by the day. You can tell he's in there now."_

"You need anything?" He expected her to turn him down flat. Lira had always been her own woman... and now he wasn't even sure he could still consider her a friend. He heard her sigh quietly.

" _... I didn't want to ask. But it's a little hard to find work right now with all the craziness going on in the city, and... most of my savings are still down in Wall Market."_

"Please don't down there, Lira... You still got a key to mine 'n 'Lena's place, right? There's some emergency cash in a box in the kitchen. Top cabinet by the fridge, behind the liquor bottles. It'll hold ya for awhile at least. I'll figure somethin' else out for later. Just... stay outta the slums right now, 'kay? Please?"

" _I will..."_

"Lira... ?" he began, squeezing his eyes shut. There was really only one thing left to ask. "Is this the last time I'm ever gonna talk to you?"

When she didn't answer right away, he was fairly certain he knew the answer.

" _I haven't forgiven you, Reno,"_ Lira finally replied. _"I just can't seem to do it. Yet. But... I think I can. Eventually."_

The redhead sagged in relief. That was something, at least. A hope to hold onto.

" _Take care of yourself, okay?"_ she added. _"Don't you go gettin' yourself killed before then."_

Reno gave a sobbing laugh and swallowed against the thickness in his throat. "I won't. Promise." He glanced at the clock on his phone and frowned. Elena and Rude were waiting... and so was Rufus. As much as he would have liked to continue this, he couldn't right now. "I gotta go... President's waitin' on me, and that's never a good thing."

" _When this is all over, we're going to sit down and have a_ _ **real**_ _talk. Bye, Reno."_

"Bye..." he whispered, and ended the call. He really had intended to go straight to the medical bay to meet Rude and Elena, and then to report in to Rufus. But for a few minutes, at least... he could only sit there.

* * *

"I hope the three of you haven't bothered unpacking yet," Rufus proclaimed as the three Turks entered his office. Their visit with Tseng had been brief... Ward had shooed them out shortly after Reno had arrived with the excuse that the Turk leader was overdue for fresh x-rays. "You won't be staying long."

"Somethin' happen while we were gone?" Reno asked, curious as to what the President had in mind now.

"Among other things," he replied, "we have managed to locate the Gelnika that went down en route to Rocket Town. You and Rude will attempt to recover the prototype weaponry that went down with it... and then continue on to Rocket Town to provide extra security for the launch."

Reno's eyebrow shot up. "Er... _just_ me 'n Rude, sir?"

The executive stepped back from the window, turning to face them. "I will be taking Elena with me to Midgar. I have a cannon installation to oversee, and frankly... I don't trust Scarlet not to attempt to stab me in the back the moment it's turned. Once the rocket launches, you're to join us at headquarters."

The redhead frowned. He would have preferred to keep Elena close... but as the recovery mission was a two man operation, and Rude would make for better backup in his hometown, it was hard to argue the point. And he wasn't about to send Rufus off alone.

"Yes, sir. And... If we happen to run into Avalanche?"

"I would very much like to tell you to dispose of them... however..." Rufus replied, taking a seat, "Tuesti informs me that they ultimately intend to challenge Sephiroth and are actively seeking a way to stop Meteor from falling. As loathe as I am to have them running loose... we seem to have a common goal. Should our own plans fail, we may need them. If they attempt to interfere, do what you can to drive them off... but don't disable them entirely."

"Got it," he sighed. Those guys were really getting to be a pain in the ass... but even he had to admit, they weren't completely useless. They'd certainly come in handy in Wutai.

"Then get going. The submarine is waiting for you at the dock."

Reno groaned. "Seriously? I barely _survived_ the last one..."

"If you don't wish to ride in the sub... I suggest you practice holding your breath. The Gelnika is some four hundred feet down," Rufus said, smirking slightly. "Do _try_ not to sink this one."

* * *

Hardly half an hour later, Elena was at the controls of the helicopter, as she and Rufus set out on their way home to Midgar. The executive had been eager to depart. In fact, they were in the air before Reno and Rude had even boarded the sub. She'd barely had time to say goodbye to the redhead.

Rufus, to her surprise, seemed to be watching her intently as they flew, and she couldn't figure out why. It was beginning to make her a little nervous, actually.

"I assume the slum rat was your instructor?" he suddenly asked, and she jumped slightly at the unexpected comment.

"Er... yes, sir. For the most part. Tseng taught me for awhile, too."

The young man crossed his arms over his chest and turned his attention to the landscape in front of them.

"My requests to learn were always denied. My father forbade it. He believed flying to be too 'dangerous' a hobby for his only heir to partake in." He snorted softly in contempt. "I wasn't even permitted to _drive_ until I was nearly twenty..."

Elena glanced over at him, surprised. She'd never realized that Rufus had been so sheltered. He sighed.

"There are times I have genuinely wished that my mother had never married him."

"Um... No offense, sir, but that would sort of mean that you would never have been born..."

Rufus laughed... Not his usual snide, scoffing laughter. He genuinely laughed. "Surely you aren't naïve enough to think that marriage is a prerequisite for pregnancy..."

Elena flushed pink at the comment.

"I was, in fact, born just shy of seven months after their wedding. The official story is that I was premature... I can assure you, was _not_. My father simply wanted an heir, and his mistress at the time presented him with one in the making. So he married her to legitimize me." He shook his head, and leaned back in the seat. "Perhaps if we manage to survive this I'll reverse his little prohibition on flying. _You_ certainly seem to enjoy it."

"Yes, sir," she replied, smiling, "I do..."

They sat in silence for a little while, Elena piloting and Rufus' attention shifting between the view and what she was doing. It wasn't long, however, before the conversation resumed.

"Tell me something, Elena..." the President said, gazing upwards at one of the instrument panels, "Are you planning to marry that perverted lover of yours?"

"I-I... er... we... we're... still sort of getting used to just _being_ together, sir," she stammered in surprise. It really wasn't like Rufus to ask such personal questions and it had definitely caught her off guard. "We've really only been together for a few months. I don't think... well... I don't think it's on _either_ of our minds quite yet..."

"But if he _were_ to ask you... what would be your answer?" he asked. Elena stared at him, appraisingly, for a moment. She wasn't sure where this was going... or if it was really going anywhere at all. It could simply have been that the President was bored and looking for a way to amuse himself. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"To be honest, sir... I... I don't think that will ever happen," she admitted. "Reno's not really that big on the idea of marriage. I took him to a friend's wedding as my date once." She grinned widely to herself at the memory. "He was more impressed with the reception than the ceremony. He said that if people wanted to be together, then they should just be together. I think he sees the rest of it as a little... unnecessary."

"But would you say _yes_?" Rufus pressed, and she glanced at him sidelong as she adjusted their altitude to clear an upcoming peak.

"In a heartbeat, sir," she replied, smiling. For a brief moment, she thought he looked almost disappointed, but a moment later, he smirked.

"I always knew you had terrible taste."

* * *

Metal creaked ominously and the lights flickered again. To be honest, he'd been a little shocked to find them still working. The damn thing had been down here long enough, he'd have thought for sure that the battery would have drained itself dry by now. Hell, he'd been shocked that they'd found the Gelnika still _intact_.

Still, though... he wasn't sure how far he trusted the downed plane's structural integrity. Particularly given the puddles on the floor and the steady drip of water that echoed throughout its fuselage.

"... Let's do this quick, huh partner?" he said as they moved deeper inside. "I _really_ don't wanna be down here any longer than I have to."

"Still a little traumatized?"

"Tch... Wouldn't you be? Thought I was a goner for sure for awhile there. 'Specially when the air started runnin' out." The door ahead of them was shut tight and Reno stopped in front of it. "We sure this is a good idea? For all we know this fuckin' door's the only thing between us and the Ifrit-forsaken ocean."

Rude snickered softly and gave the manual release for the electronic latch a sharp twist. It gave a soft hiss and slid open.

"Intel said we're fine."

Reno glared at the man, but didn't reply. Instead, he turned his attention to the weapons that had been inside the secure cargo area.

"Not much to look at," he commented, hefting what appeared to be a fairly adequate rocket propelled grenade launcher.

"These look a little more promising," said Rude, who had opened a large box to peer inside. Oversized grenades were arranged in neat rows of three, each packed into it's own personal foam nest. Reno recognized the familiar glow of materia emanating from within a transparent band that ran across the center of each.

A loud clank echoed through the plane, and Reno looked up, alarmed.

"We got what we came for... let's get outta here before this fuckin' plane implodes or somethin'."

Rude nodded and lifted the box out of it's compartment, and the two men turned to go... only to discover that they were no longer alone.

"... Again?" Rude lamented, with a barely suppressed groan.

"Turks..." came Cloud Strife's irritated response. The pilot from Rocket Town was with him, as was Valentine.

"We just seem to keep runnin' into each other lately..." Reno drawled, stepping forward. "Look... Since I _really_ don't wanna get into it down here, I'll level with ya. These are weapons developed solely to destroy Sephiroth."

"Plane was attacked by Weapon and sank to the bottom of the ocean," Rude added from behind him.

"I can't give you what's here. And trust me... fightin's a bad idea under the circumstances. So we're gonna take our shit and leave. You wanna hang out and strip whatever's left, have at it."

"What if we want the same thing you're after?"

Reno unclipped his EMR from his belt and gave it a sharp flick to extend it.

"... Then we're _probably_ all gonna die down here," he replied, praying the bastard wouldn't call his bluff. He _really_ didn't want to fight his way out. And while he also wasn't too keen on fucking up yet another mission, he didn't want to die, either. If they forced him into a fight, he'd concede. It was his only real option... unless they backed down first.

"We won't let you get in our way," Rude echoed. Cloud started toward him, reaching for his sword.

"Cloud." He paused and looked back at Vincent, who shook his head. "Don't be foolish. They don't _want_ to fight us, and it's dangerous to force a confrontation."

"You're suggestin' we just let these two motherfuckers _go_?!" the pilot demanded. "With all those weapons?"

"This craft undoubtedly holds other valuables. We don't even know for certain that would be of any use to us," Vincent said, nodding towards the box in Rude's arms. "There's no need to challenge them over it."

"Tch... Finally. A voice of reason."

Strife frowned, but slowly lowered his sword and stepped back, out of the Turks' path. Reno lowered his own weapon and started for the door, Rude in tow. _That_ had been close.

* * *

"Welcome back, sir," a familiar and thoroughly unwelcome voice greeted the pair almost as soon as they stepped off of the elevator. Elena had to force herself not to groan as Scarlet fell into step beside Rufus on the way to the presidential office... and she got the distinct impression that her charge was of much the same opinion of their welcoming party. Scarlet's syrupy sweet tone certainly didn't seem to be making the desired impression on him, at any rate.

"Is the cannon in place yet?" he asked, coolly and without breaking stride.

"Yes, sir... Reeve is coordinating the rerouting of the city power grid as we speak. It should be up and running in another forty-eight hours or so."

"And your other weapons?"

"On their way to the troops in Junon."

"Good. What has the reaction of the city's population been?" he asked.

"... Sir?" Scarlet queried, a confused look on her face, and Rufus paused, rolling his eyes.

"We've just moved a massive weapon into their backyard. I expect there has been at least _some_ form of protest... I would very much like to know whether it is significant enough to warrant putting extra security on the streets. We cannot afford delays over another group like Avalanche crawling out of the shadows."

"Er..." the woman stammered, and he scowled at her.

"Well, don't just stand there like the idiot you are. If you don't know, go and _find out_!"

"Y-yes, sir..."

He watched calmly as she backed off, and scurried toward the elevator, quickly vanishing from sight, and smirked. "Hmph... _that's_ should keep her out of my hair for awhile."

"... I'm starting to think you're not particularly fond of Scarlet, sir..." Elena commented, biting down on a snicker. Rufus snorted softly.

" _That_ is an understatement. While I will certainly agree she is a thoroughly competent engineer and researcher, she has absolutely no business on the executive board. Those rumors about how she _gained_ said position are entirely true... and I have no intention of retaining her in her current position once this crisis is behind us. Were it _not_ for Sephiroth and Meteor, she'd already be gone... along with that pompous bastard my father allowed to control the Turks for so long."

They made their way up one of the twin staircases and into his father's former office, and Rufus hesitated before taking a seat at the huge desk, frowning.

"... In spite of his mistakes... this was not how I wanted to inherit this," he sighed, running a hand over the smooth, polished wood.

"It's never easy to lose a parent. Especially when it's so sudden..." Elena replied. She knew what that was like, herself.

"Not even when they were a truly terrible parent, for the most part," Rufus agreed. He shook his head. "You may see to whatever other tasks you may have. I'm sure your own offices require at least _some_ attention by now. I'll summon you if I need you."

"Yes, sir."

She quietly slipped back out the door, leaving him on his own in his new office... and began to realize just how hard this must all be for the young president. Most of her concern over the last few weeks had been focused exclusively on Reno. It hadn't even occurred to her that Rufus might be struggling, as well. Between losing his father, and taking control of the company, and being suddenly thrust into the position of being responsible for the fate of the entire planet... it had to be overwhelming.

Elena found herself with a whole new respect for Rufus in that moment. He'd barely had time to breathe in between crises, and yet it didn't seem to phase him. At least not outwardly. She found it hard to believe that he didn't suffer in silence when no one was around to see it... and that thought saddened her. Rufus was far from the cold, uncaring man she'd once thought he was. It had taken her awhile to realize that, but it was nonetheless true... and she was beginning to understand why Tseng was so unflinchingly dedicated to him.

* * *

"Oh, thank fuck..." Reno sighed as he and Rude stepped out into the bright late-afternoon sunlight of the Costa del Sol docks. It had taken hours to get there. "Tch... was startin' to feel a little claustrophobic in that fuckin' sardine can."

Rude chuckled. "Just what you need. _More_ issues."

"Ha ha," the redhead replied, dryly, but he smiled slightly at the comment. "Come on...Copter should be waitin' for us. Let's get this shit loaded up and grab somethin' to eat before we head out. I'm starvin'."

The bald Turk gave an affirmative nod as he slung the carrying strap of the launcher over one shoulder and lifted the box of grenades, trailing behind his partner.

"There a reason you're not carrying anything?"

"Perks of leadership..." Reno joked. "You ever see the boss do any heavy lifting?"

"Hmph."

"Fine, ya big baby. Hand me somethin', then."

Rude grinned somewhat evilly and before Reno could reconsider the offer, he'd offloaded the large munitions box into the smaller man's arms. The redhead staggered under the sudden weight.

"You asshole..." he grunted, as he struggled to heft it, and turned back, continuing toward their destination... albeit at a much slower pace than before. Rude followed him, chuckling quietly the whole way, and didn't stop until Reno had set his burden down in the cargo section of the waiting helicopter. The temporary Turk leader glared at him and pressed his hands into his lower back, kneading the muscles there. Rude smirked and tucked the launcher in alongside it's ammunition.

"I 'spose _you_ think that was hilarious."

Rude merely smiled and wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Next time, don't brag about the 'perks of leadership' when I'm the one doing all the work. Let's get some dinner. My treat."

Reno hauled the door shut and secured it, and several short minutes later, the pair found themselves seated at a pleasant outdoor cafe on the beach.

"Heh... Think 'Lena's enjoyin' babysitting the President?" he asked, picking up the menu and scanning through the options.

"Probably about as much as _you_ enjoyed hauling that box," Rude teased. "Missing her already?"

Reno shrugged. "A guy gets used to not goin' to bed alone after awhile. Gotta admit... I like not wakin' _up_ alone, too." He paused a moment, and then looked up from the menu. "Hey... um... You still carryin' that ring around with ya?"

Rude's eyebrow rose behind his recently returned sunglasses. Elena had at last taken pity on him and returned them as they were leaving to board the sub.

"Why? You ready to take it back?"

"Been thinkin'... I _really_ wanted to do it right, but... I also _really_ wanna do it before anything else can go horribly wrong. I mean... if you'd taken any longer gettin' me outta that sub that went down, I'd never have even gotten the chance. Maybe... a shit proposal's better than no proposal at all. At least then, if somethin' ended up happening to me, she'd know how I feel about her."

Rude shook his head. "She knows how you feel about her."

"Well... yeah. I know. But gettin' married's a big deal to her, even if it's never really been that important to _me_ 'til now. I want her to know that I want that."

Rude reached into his pocket, pulling out the requested item, and set the little box on the table between them. A hint of a smile crossed Reno's lips as he picked it up, opening it and running a finger over the smooth, gold band and tiny diamond.

"Think she'll be okay with this one? Maybe I should get her a better one..."

"She'll love it," Rude assured him, "Quit making excuses."

Reno snapped the box shut and tucked it into his jacket. He looked up at his friend. "You're... gonna be my best man, right?"

"Try and stop me."

The redhead took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Am I s'posed to be _this_ terrified?"

Rude started to laugh, and shook his head. "Reno, think about that for just a second... There's a meteor bearing down on us that could very well destroy the entire planet and all of us along with it in a matter of weeks. And you're more scared of asking the woman you love to marry you."

"... Shut up." He looked away, blushing faintly... but a moment later, joined in on the laughter.

* * *

It was dark by the time Elena made her way back upstairs... long past the time she would have gone home for the day under normal circumstances. Much of the building had emptied out already, save for a few late workers like herself and security's night shift. She knocked firmly on the door of Rufus' office before pushing it open. He looked up from the plans scattered across his desk.

"Yes?" he queried, upon recognizing her.

"Most people have already left for the evening, sir," she said, stepping inside. "I was going to see what was left in the cafeteria. Did... you want anything to eat?"

The President silently turned his gaze toward the clock on the far wall and frowned. "I hadn't realized it was so late." He scowled faintly and stood, rounding his desk and walking towards her. "I have no intention of dining on anything that joke of a cafeteria might be serving. Come... The Silver Swan's restaurant would be a welcome change from the fare in Junon."

"Er... Yes, sir," she replied, as he brushed past her and out on to the staircase. She obediently followed him towards the executive elevators, and then down to the parking deck, stopping in front of a familiar, sleek and shiny black car.

"I don't think Tseng will mind terribly if we borrow it..." Rufus said upon seeing her expression. "At least... not if he is never _told_ about it."

He drew a key out of his pocket, and somehow Elena wasn't the least bit surprised that the man had made himself his own copy of it before shipping the car off to Midgar. Rufus opened her door for her, ushering her inside, before slipping around to the other side and climbing behind the wheel.

"Um... Sir? Don't you think that _I_ should –"

"No, I do not. You clearly don't understand just how infrequently I have the opportunity for something like this," Rufus stated firmly, cutting her off and starting the engine. Before she could protest further, he'd peeled out, and taken them straight onto the street. Elena belatedly reached for her seat belt, dragging it across her body and fastening herself in securely as the executive took a sharp right into Sector 4.

 _'And I thought_ _ **Reno**_ _drove like a maniac...'_ she thought to herself, though she stopped short of voicing her opinion aloud. When he charged through an intersection moments before the light went red, her fingers instinctively gripped the nearest available handhold.

Thankfully, it was a short trip... As they pulled up in front of the exclusive hotel, she made a mental note to demand that _she_ be allowed to drive them back. Moments later, she was accompanying Rufus through the revolving door and into the richly decorated lobby.

"Ah... President Shinra! What a pleasure to see you again..." a voice greeted them, and Elena grinned when she recognized it as Kel's more professional tone. The man himself quickly accompanied the greeting, striding purposefully up to them and presenting himself with a formal bow. He flashed the Turk the briefest of subtle smiles, but otherwise didn't acknowledge her.

"I realize it's somewhat short notice... but I was hoping your restaurant might be able to accommodate us this evening."

"Of course, sir... We'd be delighted."

"Something with a little privacy if you can manage it."

Kel nodded, and gestured toward the restaurant's entrance. "Right this way," he replied, leading them inside and snapping his fingers at one of the waiters. "A private table for two. Now," he said in an urgently hushed voice, and the other man hurried to take over their care, seating them in a cozy corner of the dining room partially blocked off by an ivy-strewn partition.

"Can I get you something to drink, sir?"

"A merlot, I think. I'll leave the selection up to you."

"And for you, miss?"

"You're welcome to order whatever you like," Rufus said, off-handedly, "And I would remind you that you've been off duty for... hmm... nearly three hours now."

She probably shouldn't... but she'd caught sight of another familiar face on their way to the table. The bartender on duty was the same one that had been at Chai's wedding.

"Oh... um... a Cosmo Candle, please." She _was_ off duty, after all... and it had been awhile. The waiter disappeared to fetch their drinks.

"You actually _like_ those things?" Rufus queried, an eyebrow rising in silent judgment.

"Well... yes, sir. I don't really drink much, to be honest, but they're a little bit of a guilty pleasure."

Rufus shook his head. "I've always found them to be rather unpleasantly cloying, personally... but to each their own, I suppose..."

"Oh... well... they _can_ be a little on the too sweet side if they're not made quite right. But the bartender here knows what she's doing."

The president looked up from his menu, surprised. "You've been here before?"

"Yes, sir... er... Actually, Reno is good friends with the concierge. We spent the entire weekend here for my birthday a couple of months ago. And a friend of _mine_ had her wedding upstairs. That's where I know the bartender from."

Their waiter chose that moment to return with their drinks, and Elena smiled as she took a small sip of hers.

"Hmm... Bring me one of those, as well, if you would," Rufus requested, and the man scurried back to the bar.

* * *

The Shinra manor was lit up when they arrived. Elena had called ahead and to check in with security on the premises... Rufus's step-mother had vacated the home when the blackouts had begun, opting to travel, instead, to the family's villa in Costa del Sol for the time being. Fortuitous for the Turk, as it meant no messy confrontations as she half-carried a half-drunk Rufus through the front door.

As it turned out, he, too, had a bit of a taste for a properly mixed Cosmo Candle. Unfortunately, she suspected, he hadn't realized just how much liquor was actually in one... and after three of them over the course of dinner, he was more than slightly tipsy.

"There was no need to strip me of the keys... I was perfectly capable of driving us."

Elena gave a derisive snort and briefly released her grip on him. Rufus staggered for a moment, before catching himself against a sidetable and standing up straight.

"... On second thought... I _do_ see your point," he conceded. "What in Rumah's name is _in_ those blasted things..."

"Mostly vodka," Elena replied, not quite covering up a quiet giggle.

"Ah. That would certainly explain it, then."

"Yes, sir," she agreed, with an amused smile. It was why _she'd_ stopped after the first one. She took his arm, steadying him as they mounted the stairs, heading up to his room. A good night's rest and he'd be fine – if, perhaps, a little hungover – in the morning. They paused in front of his bedroom door.

"Goodnight, sir," Elena said, reasonably confident that he could manage on his own from there. She turned to go, planning to make herself comfortable somewhere downstairs for the night. Not that she didn't have confidence in the family's private security personnel to keep an eye on things... but it _was_ her job to look after the President, after all.

"Elena..." Rufus' voice called out, and she turned back, curious as to what else he might need from her. She wasn't prepared at all when reached for her, unexpectedly pulling her close to him.

She was even _less_ prepared when he kissed her.

~fin~


	68. Blast Off!

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 68: Blast Off!**

 **by Desha**

Rufus glared in the general direction of the sliding glass doors on the far side of the room. Some idiotic songbird had taken up residence on his balcony and apparently felt that – he glanced briefly at the clock on his nightstand – seven forty-two in the morning was an appropriate time to screech relentlessly at him. He groaned and threw a pillow at the doors. The bird continued singing, unperturbed.

What in the nine hells had he been thinking last night? He should have just stuck with wine. He never _had_ developed his father's tolerance to hard liquor... though the damned Turk might have at _least_ warned him how strong those accursed Cosmo Candles _were_.

The executive sat up in bed and massaged his aching temples. At least it wasn't as bad as the night his father had been killed... when he'd spent a few hours drinking with the slum rat. He'd woken the next morning after _that_ fiasco half-convinced he was dying himself.

A soft knock on his door reminded him that he wasn't alone in the house. Speaking of fiascos...

"Come in," he called out, and immediately wished he hadn't. It didn't help his headache. The door opened and Elena peered inside.

"Good morning, sir..." she said softly, and he was grateful that she seemed to be mindful of his present condition. She disappeared from view for a moment, and then shouldered the door open the rest of the way, a tray of food in her arms. "I... er... asked the chef to make you something light. I thought you might be feeling a little... um..."

"Hungover. And you would be correct."

She set the tray down on the nightstand, and handed him the steaming cup of coffee before anything else.

"... Last night is a bit... foggy... I'm afraid," Rufus said, taking a small sip, and wincing at the temperature. "I didn't really... ?"

Elena's cheeks reddened slightly, and she turned away, ostensibly to retrieve the sugar and cream for his coffee.

"Yes, sir. You... kissed me."

"... Ah." He'd been hoping that had been nothing more than an alcohol induced dream, but it seemed he wasn't quite that fortunate. Well, that was certainly humiliating. "I apologize. That was... decidedly inappropriate." He paused, staring into the dark liquid. "I didn't attempt to do anything _else_... did I?"

"No, sir," she replied in a surprisingly gentle tone. "You'd have woken up in a _lot_ more pain if you had."

He snorted a soft laugh, and immediately regretted it, flinching as his head pounded in response.

"Would it be too much to ask you _not_ to mention any of this to the slum rat? I've never had cause to question his loyalty before... but this may actually prompt him to decide to kill me."

Elena giggled quietly. "I'm sure he'd only maim you a little, sir. But don't worry. As far as I'm concerned, it never happened."

" _That_ is most generous of you," Rufus said gratefully, and he was relieved the woman didn't seem upset by his drunken indiscretion. Relieved... though perhaps ever so slightly disappointed that she had not reciprocated. Though really... what in Ramuh's name had he _thought_ was going to happen? Elena was devoted to the redhead. Dinner, drinks, and intelligent conversation – what he could recall of it, at any rate – weren't going to change that. Had he not been so thoroughly inebriated by the end of the night, he never would have embarrassed himself like that, no matter how pleasant her company had been.

And it _had_ been pleasant.

Elena had been surprisingly easy to talk to. In some ways, easier, even, than Tseng. There weren't many people around whom he felt safe in letting his guard down a bit. In fact... oddly enough, those few seemed to be limited to his Turks, really, by varying degrees. They gave him a sense of security that few others could.

"I will endeavor to make myself at least _somewhat_ presentable, and then we will return to headquarters. There's still a great deal of work to be done, and hungover or not, it's not going to wait."

"Yes, sir. I'll wait downstairs," she replied, with a warm smile, and let herself out of the room. Rufus turned to the tray beside him and sighed. It had been thoughtful of her, and was appreciated... but somehow, it also reminded him that she wasn't his and would never be. The slum rat may have been lazy, perverted, and uncouth... but he was quite possibly one of the luckiest bastards Rufus had ever met.

* * *

To say Elena had been shocked would have been an understatement. So shocked, in fact, that's she'd allowed things to continue for far longer than she really should have before she'd finally pushed Rufus away last night. The Turk made her way down the ornate staircase and settled into a chair in the sitting room.

There had been a sense of desperation in that kiss. That was the other reason she'd hesitated to end it. It was much the same way she'd kissed Reno their first night together, when the last thing in the world she wanted was for him to leave and she couldn't find the words to say it. Rufus had looked so hurt when she broke the kiss and told him to stop.

She _hadn't_ left him after that... though she did make it very clear where they stood before she'd pulled a chair over to his bedside and settled herself in it. She'd sat with him, talking, until nearly midnight, when he'd finally drifted off.

Elena was glad he didn't seem to remember any of _that._ He'd said a number of things she was pretty sure he wouldn't have had he been sober. And he'd been embarrassed enough this morning as it was... she didn't want things to be any more awkward between them.

Though... she did have to admit... it _was_ just a little flattering. She never would have thought that _Rufus_ of all people might be interested in her... even passingly interested. Rufus was rich, and not at all bad looking. He was Midgar's most eligible bachelor by a long shot, well-spoken, educated...

And she was just... Elena.

But he was also very much a loner. And maybe that was the real reason for it... he truly _was_ alone now. His family was gone. All he had was his company. And his Turks.

Last night wasn't the first time she'd thought that about him... but it had certainly been the most glaring example of it. Even before they gone back to his family's mansion, he was almost a different person from the one she'd come to know. He'd easily spent two hours talking to her over dinner. Just talking. No condescending remarks... no mind games. He hadn't even insulted Reno beyond referring to him as 'the slum rat' rather than by name, though he'd had ample opportunity. He'd actually been... pleasant, if still a bit stiff and formal. It had been a welcome change, but an odd one, particularly coming out of nowhere as it had.

And it wasn't hard to guess what was driving it, when she really thought about it. They were all feeling the strain of recent events... some of them more than others. And just as Reno hadn't been quite himself lately because of it, it was becoming apparent that neither was Rufus. The alcohol probably hadn't helped, but she had a feeling it went a little deeper than that. They were potentially facing the end of the world, after all. What better time to let loose and do things you wouldn't normally do?

She shouldprobably tell the guys about it – minus any mention of the fact that he'd kissed her. Rufus seemed eager enough to forget it, and the Reno... well, it would only upset him needlessly. But that discussion could wait for now. He and Rude would be returning to Midgar soon enough, and they could compare notes on Rufus then. For the time being, however, Elena resolved to keep a slightly closer eye on the President. Aloof though he may have been... everyone needed a shoulder to cry on from time to time.

Even Rufus Shinra.

* * *

"Reno... Food."

A pair of slightly bleary eyes appeared almost immediately, staring at him from over the back of the couch, and Rude snickered. The redhead yawned and dragged himself to his feet, obediently following the scent of coffee and cinnamon into the kitchen.

"Sleep alright?" Rude asked, setting a mug in front of him, along with the sugar bowl.

His partner shrugged and upended the bowl, dumping a significant portion of its contents into the dark liquid. He stirred it briefly and drank deeply, moaning as it revived him a bit.

Rude rolled his eyes. "How much more is it going to take before you're capable of conversation?"

Reno yawned again and drained the mug before he looked up at him. "Rude... I don't make fun of you shadow boxin' to wake yourself up in the morning. Don't make fun of _me_ needin' my caffeine fix."

The other Turk snorted in amusement and refilled the cup.

"And I'm thinkin' at least four cups," Reno added. "That shit Ward put me on really screws with my ability to fall asleep sometimes."

"But you _are_ taking it, right?"

"Tch... yeah, yeah. I learned my lesson on that. Don't need a reminder."

"Hmph. Good." Rude set a plate of cinnamon rolls in front of him, and Reno grinned. Three of them disappeared in quick succession. "You sure it's the medication and not just sleeping alone?"

Reno smirked and reached for another roll. "Why? You offerin' to keep me company tonight?" Rude ignored the goading remark and reached for one of the baked goods before his friend could finish off the entire platter. "... But... yeah, you might actually have somethin' there," the redhead admitted. "The whole time I was awake, I was thinkin' about 'Lena. I love havin' her next to me, man. I ever tell ya she doesn't even wake me up? 'Lena can cuddle me to her heart's content and I sleep like a fuckin' rock... and she's got the softest skin you could ever imagine. I could spend hours just touchin' her..."

"... You are so _disgustingly_ in love," Rude replied, shaking his head in mock dismay.

"And you're a dick," Reno laughed. "Come on... more coffee. Heidegger's expectin' us at eight. I gotta wake the hell up."

Rude dutifully filled the mug a third time.

"So? When are you gonna ask her?"

"First opportunity I get, soon as we get back to Midgar. I'm not putting shit off any longer than I have to."

"Could just call her..."

Reno paused long enough in gulping down the sweetened concoction in his cup to glare at his fellow Turk.

"Fuck, Rude... It's bad enough I'm not gettin' to do it the way she deserves. The _least_ I can do is ask her in person."

The bald Turk chuckled quietly as he sipped his own coffee. "I was kidding."

"Tch... It's too early, and I haven't had nearly enough coffee to be able to tell."

Rude snickered, and took the second to last roll from the plate. That dozen had lasted about as long as he'd expected it to. A moment later, he sobered a bit.

"Reno... You'll tell me if things start to get bad again. Right?"

"Aw, come on, man..." he said, dismissively. "I told ya... I'm takin' the medication and I'm not gonna screw around skippin' doses anymore."

"Just... promise you'll tell me. You're my brother. I worry."

The redhead leaned back in his chair with an exaggerated groan, lifting his gaze to the ceiling. " _Alright_... I promise. I'll let ya know if I start feelin' like shit's gettin' away from me, 'kay?"

Rude smiled slightly and poured him another refill. "Caffeine's supposed to be terrible for anxiety, you know..."

Reno snorted in contempt. "You think I suck leadin' the Turks when I'm havin' panic attacks, you don't even _wanna_ see me try 'n do it without my coffee."

* * *

Rufus made his way down the stairs some twenty minutes later, to find Elena waiting patiently for him in the sitting room. She was typing something into her phone, and smiling widely to herself.

"Checking to see if your precious slum rat is awake yet?" he asked, smirking when she jumped violently. "Do they make an app for that now?"

"Well... actually, sir, I was answering a text from Tseng. The mako poisoning has cleared his system sooner than expected and he's going to resume mako therapy tomorrow. And Dr. Ward has finally returned his phone to him, which I think he's _very_ happy about," she replied with a soft giggle, before she cleared her throat, blushing slightly. "And I... already texted Reno before you came down."

He ignore the addendum, instead opting to focus on her earlier pronouncement.

"Ah... So the harpy has finally shown Tseng some small mercy, then?" he asked, slightly peeved that the Turk had sent messages to his subordinates, and not to _him_.

"Yes, sir," Elena replied, pocketing her PHS and getting to her feet. "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded, and followed her out the door to the waiting car, not bothering to argue when she climbed behind the wheel. He was feeling much better, but his headache still lingered. Being catered to sounded far better than doing things for himself at the moment. In moments, they were on their way back to the city center. Agonizingly slowly.

"... This is perhaps the most advanced road vehicle in Midgar... and you're driving _under_ the speed limit," he said incredulously after several minutes of silence. The Turk took her eyes off the road just long enough to glance over at him.

"Sir... This is _Tseng's_ car. I'm not even supposed to be anywhere _near_ it, let alone driving it... and I intend to return it in the same condition we found it in."

The President snorted contemptuously and folded his arms over his chest. "Don't you _ever_ do anything that's not strictly by the book?"

"Well... If I did, the last person I'd tell about it would be my boss' boss, sir."

"Point taken," he said, somewhat approvingly. He studied the woman for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. It really _was_ unfortunate that she was taken. There had been a period of time he'd allowed his father to introduce him to potential partners in the hopes of speeding him along in producing an heir of his own. They had all been beautiful... most of them had been wealthy as well. And not a single one of them had been interested in him for anything more than the prestige. He'd eventually found them all to be sickeningly sycophantic... and he was grateful beyond words that the handful of times he'd been less than careful had not resulted in the grandchild his father had wanted so badly. He certainly wouldn't have wanted to be stuck with any of _them_.

Elena, though... There was potential there. Or there might have been, had Reno not already stolen her. In some ways, she reminded him of another young woman. One he'd been very taken with once... but who didn't meet his father's standards.

His phone vibrated faintly in his pocket, and, curious, he checked the device, thumbing open the messaging app, and reading the text from Tseng. It told him much the same thing Elena had before they'd left... and cautioned him that fears in Junon seemed to be growing rapidly following his departure.

He sighed quietly, and sent an acknowledgment. One _more_ thing to worry about. The military wasn't like his Turks... His Turks would stay by his side until the bitter end. And while _some_ in the Shinra army might be that loyal – or at least have nowhere _else_ to go – he was under no illusion that such was the case for all of them. They would be needed once the cannon cut through that barrier. Sephiroth waited on the other side, and he had to be destroyed. Yet all Rufus could do was hope that a mass desertion wasn't on its way.

The sooner that barrier came down, the better. He was meeting with Scarlet and Reeve this morning to discuss the progress that had been made. He prayed it was good news.

"Sir?" Elena queried as they exited the freeway into Sector 0, heading for Shinra headquarters' parking deck. "Is everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"You... just look a little worried."

Rufus shook his head. The damned woman was entirely too perceptive at times. No wonder she'd matched so well with the slum rat.

"Tseng tells me the troops in Junon are growing restless," he confided, seeing little reason to keep one of his Turks out of the loop. "Elena... I want you with me while I meet with the board. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I distrust Scarlet. Watch her for me. Perhaps it's simply paranoia... but I feel as though she's planning something."

"Yes, sir."

She turned into the entrance to the parking deck, and carefully restored Tseng's car to its former location, before escorting the President inside.

* * *

" _You're_ late!" Heidegger growled as the two Turks walked into the house Shinra had taken over as a sort of base of operations. Reno'd laughed slightly at the poetic justice when he'd first heard they were using _this_ location. It belonged Highwind... that pain in the ass pilot that had thrown his lot in with Avalanche.

The redhead cast a glance at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace. Bullshit, they were late. They were three full minutes early, in fact.

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again," he replied. It wasn't worth contradicting the son of a bitch. Heidegger would argue his point until he was blue in the face, and then simply declare you wrong.

"See that it doesn't," he groused, and motioned them into the living room, where Palmer sat, gleefully sipping from a teacup.

"Would you like some tea?" a soft voice behind him asked, and Reno turned to see a young woman, dressed in the standard uniform of one of Palmer's engineers. Her auburn hair was piled into a messy bun, and she somewhat nervously pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose as she waited for his answer.

"Nah, I'm good," he replied, and Rude shook his head in the negative as well.

"You two!" Heidegger shouted, apparently having finished whatever matter had granted them a momentary reprieve. "We're close to launching, but there's a problem with the auto-pilot. Shera here is going to go and fix it. I want one of you with her, and the other on the launchpad. The Highwind was sighted early this morning. If Avalanche shows up... Keep. Them. Out."

"Yes, sir," Reno said, and looked back at Rude as the executive stormed off to deal with other matters. "So... You take the rocket, I'll take the lady?"

"Hmph... Not sure Elena would approve," his partner replied with a teasing smirk. Reno casually flipped him off and strolled over to his new charge as Rude chuckled, and headed for the door.

"So... Shera, huh? Alright... Where to?" he asked. The woman adjusted her glasses again, and started for the door.

"This way. We'll need to get into the rocket's main engine assembly. The bridge between the auto-pilot and the engines lost cohesion during a test fire. I need to replace the the relay unit and reconfigure the injectors."

Reno shrugged. She may as well have been speaking Wutaiian for all he'd understood of that. "Lead the way."

Shera nodded and picked up a tool case and some sort of electronic component, which Reno could only assume was the new relay unit. He followed her toward the huge rocket that loomed over the town. Someone had apparently thought to straighten it before trying to shoot it at Meteor... because it no longer leaned ominously to one side. He spotted Rude already making his way up the ladder to top of the launch platform, and vaguely wondered if he'd ever seen the inside of one of these beasts before. He didn't talk a whole lot about his mother... but from what he _had_ said about her Reno got the feeling that she would've been the type to thoroughly embrace the idea of Take Your Kid to Work Day, and Rude had always been the curious sort. It was what made him so good at intelligence. The guy couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business if he tried.

Hell... before they'd even _met_ ,Rude had known Reno's name, his age, where he was from, how he'd met Tseng, and, somehow – and he still wasn't sure where he'd found out – his preferred brand of cigarettes. He'd gone out of his way to learn everything he could about the new recruit before they were ever formally introduced. Reno had liked him immediately.

Shera led him to a hatch at the base of the rocket and opened it.

"Watch your step inside, please. We've had to do some unexpected upgrades, and there are a lot of cables," she cautioned him before ducking through the opening. His eyes widened slightly as he trailed her. 'A lot of cables' was putting it mildly. They snaked off in every direction. He followed her advice and was careful where he put his feet as the pair made their way deeper inside.

Eventually, she stopped and pulled open a metal panel. The redhead leaned back against the wall... At least this was an easy assignment. Watch the girl, make sure no one bothers her.

"So... You _from_ Rocket Town, or they fly ya in to work on this thing?"

"I live here," Shera replied, not looking up from what she was doing.

"Like it here?"

"Yes." She didn't elaborate. Apparently she wasn't the talkative sort. Reno sighed and folded his arms over his chest, shaking his head. He'd found the female version of Rude.

* * *

"We're just making some final repairs, sir," Palmer squeaked over the video link. Heidegger elbowed him out of the way.

"We should be able to launch within the hour, Mr. President," he added, pompously. Rufus had to expend a significant amount of effort not to roll his eyes at the man. One would think _he_ had anything at all to do with the rocket nearing completion. Rufus had his doubts that the man would know a rocket if one landed on him.

But at least he was keeping Palmer on schedule. Left to his own devices, the man would likely have still been working on the damned thing as Meteor was crashing into the planet.

"Has there been any trouble?"

"No, sir... but some of the guards spotted an airship early this morning. We believe it was the Highwind."

"I assume you've informed the Turks?" Rufus pressed.

"Yes, sir. They're guarding the rocket as we speak."

"Good. Inform me when you're ready to launch. And don't screw this up, Heidegger."

The man started to say something, but Rufus cut him off, shutting off the monitor and ending the call. He folded his hands calmly, and leaned forward, resting his arms on the conference table. His gaze came to rest on the other two members of the Shinra executive board.

"And the cannon? How close are we to firing it?"

Reeve cleared his throat. "I'd like time to run some additional tests on the power grid. The Sister Ray is going to be drawing a huge amount of energy when we begin to charge it. Far more than the grid was originally designed to handle all at once."

"The 'Sister Ray'?" Rufus queried, cocking an eyebrow. That almost certainly had to have come from Scarlet. She had a truly obnoxious habit of naming her weapons. He shook his head. "Nevermind... I really don't care what you're calling it. How long will these tests take."

"Another day, perhaps? Two at the most. I... know you want to fire as soon as possible, sir, but if we overload the grid and something blows, the results could be devastating. Not only in terms of potential damage to the city, but we could lose the ability to fire altogether until repairs are made."

Rufus frowned. "Two days," he agreed. "I suggest you make the most of them." He turned to Scarlet next. "Anything else to report?"

"Nothing we haven't already covered, sir. The Sister Ray's installation will be finished in the next few hours, and my weapons arrived in Junon this morning. The troops are awaiting further orders."

"Good. Then I believe we're done here." He stood then, and calmly walked out of the room, acutely aware of the presence that shadowed him. He didn't speak until they were safely inside one of the executive elevators and traveling upwards.

"And _your_ report?" he finally asked.

"I checked in with building security. Scarlet has been here non-stop since before the cannon arrived. But that's not the only thing she's been working on. She's spent a lot of time, especially late at night, in one of her research labs," Elena replied, frowning deeply.

"Have you any idea what she may be doing in there?"

"No, sir... I don't have clearance for her lab and apparently even her own people haven't been allowed inside. _No one_ seems to know what she's up to."

Rufus reached into his breast pocket and removed his security ID card, handing it to her.

"Find out."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Normally, Rude didn't mind guard duty. It was typically uneventful and quiet, and gave him a little alone time to mull over the events of the day. But it was also _typically_ conducted on the ground... not close to three hundred feet in the air on a wire-mesh platform... and he was pretty sure that his dislike of high places was not a fact that had slipped the redhead's mind earlier. Reno was just getting him back for teasing him this morning. Or for fussing over him... He wasn't sure which.

He sighed inaudibly. It was only for another hour or two. Still... Reno was definitely _not_ going to be enjoying the delicious fried trout he'd planned on making them for dinner tonight. Oh, no... he was getting salad. A nice, healthy salad, with generous portions of fresh carrots and peas from the local market. And no dessert.

He glanced at the two Shinra grunts who'd accompanied him up here. They were engrossed in their own conversation centering around Shadow & Sword. Rude had been doing his level best to tune them out. He'd missed four weeks worth of shows at this point, and didn't want the entire story arc spoiled for him. Particularly since the introduction of a new character just before all this trouble had started... Li'indra was mysterious and enigmatic and dangerous. And dammit, he wantedto enjoy _watching_ her story unfold... not hear about it secondhand!

Fortunately for him, the two soldiers' conversation was interrupted. _Un_ fortunately for him, it was interrupted by a commotion below. He peered over the railing just in time to see a guard from one of the lower platforms go sailing off the edge, landing painfully on the ground below before staggering to his feet, and running off... presumably to get help.

"Goddammit! What the hell they think they're gonna do to _my_ rocket?!" a voice demanded from farther down. "Greedy rat-bastards... I'm gonna kick their sorry Shinra asses right the hell _out_ of my rocket!"

He knew that voice. And sure enough, it wasn't long before a very disgruntled looking pilot appeared, climbing the ladder. Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart weren't far behind.

"... You again?" Rude queried, stepping forward. "Sorry. Can't let you get in Shinra's way."

"And _we're_ not letting Shinra destroy that huge materia!" Strife shot back, sword in hand. One of the soldiers behind the Turk opened fire, but was quickly disabled by a sharp kick to the gut from Tifa as she dashed in behind Rude and took the other man down. She rounded on the Turk next, sweeping his legs out from under him... but he caught her by the ankle on the way down, knocking her off-balance and rolling to his feet again. A solid kick slammed the woman into the side of the rocket, and she crumpled, dazed.

Strife and Highwind attacked next, taking out the other guard and sending him flailing onto the next platform down, where he landed, motionless. Highwind turned on Rude, coming dangerously close to landing a serious blow with the spear in his hand, but the Turk caught it beneath one arm and flung his attacker to the side, before unexpectedly releasing his grip on the weapon and nearly sending him over. Cloud glared, but abandoned his own attack to pull his ally to safety. Three on one was hardly fair... but as the pilot's spear dropped to the ground, he dared to think that he had the upper hand.

Which was right about the when he heard an angry shout from behind him, and realized belatedly that Tifa wasn't quite as dazed as he'd assumed. Moments later, everything went black.

* * *

Reno had been able to make out only one word of the panicked shouting, and by the time he'd clambered over the rat's nest of cabling, the man who'd shouted it was already halfway back to Heidegger's make-shift command center. But the cry of "Avalanche" had told him all he really needed to know. He'd ordered Shera to stay right were she was until he got back – not that she seemed to be in much of a hurry to depart – and slipped outside, rounding the huge spacecraft, and mounting the ladder leading up to the high platform near the cockpit's entrance.

By the time he reached it, it was all over.

"Rude!" he breathed in concern, seeing his friend lying motionless on the gantry, and he dropped to his knees beside him. "Rude... come on, man. Don't fuck around. Wake up..."

The other Turk moaned softly, but didn't otherwise respond, and Reno scowled as he got to his feet.

"Those fuckers are dead meat..." he growled, starting toward the door at the far end of the platform. He hadn't gone more than a few steps, however, when the rumbling began. It took him a moment to realize... it was the damn rocket.

" _Fuck_... No! No, no, no... don't fuckin' launch this piece of shit _now_!"

Screw it... Avalanche wanted to launch themselves at Meteor, he'd happily let them. He turned back to his partner, looking for some way to get him down. Fast. His eyes fell on a winch that was mounted to one side of the platform.

"Tch... Be glad you're out cold, pal. 'Cause you're not gonna like this," he said with a grunt as he dragged Rude's limp form over to the side and looped the cable under his arms. Secure, he shoved him over, letting the winch control his fall. He landed harder than Reno would have liked at the base of the rocket. The redhead himself ran for the ladder, setting his feet outside the rungs and sliding down from each level in a matter of seconds. When he reached the bottom, Rude was just beginning to come around.

"... Reno?"

"No time. Move your ass!" he replied, helping him out of the tangle of cable, and then slipping beneath one arm to support him as they ran for cover. The blast of the engines as they ignited sent a wave of scorching heat past the two men. Reno pulled his partner behind a chunk of concrete leftover from destruction of the one of the previous launch pads and hoped it would be enough to shield them.

The rumbling turned to a roar as the rocket began to lift off, and Reno had to shut his eyes against the heat and the dust that suddenly filled the air. He could hardly breathe. Rude's arm wrapped around his waist and and dragged him in closer, blocking him from the worst of it, but it didn't help much. By the time the roar began to fade, he was drenched in sweat, and his lungs ached as though they were going to burst if he didn't get fresh air soon. As the dust finally began to settle, Reno coughed violently gulping in lungfuls of breathable air.

"... Are we dead yet?" he finally managed.

"Pretty sure we're not," Rude replied, still clutching him.

"Think you can let go of me now..."

"In a minute."

Reno gave a weak laugh and sagged against his partner. He wasn't in any particular hurry, either.

"You alright?" the redhead asked, looking up at the other Turk.

"Think so." Rude released his hold on the younger man, and pulled his sunglasses off, making a futile attempt at cleaning them before surrendering and tucking them into his breast pocket. Reno snorted softly at the band of pale white that stood out starkly from the grime that covered the rest of his face.

"Hmph. You look... different... as a brunette," Rude stated, and Reno instinctively ran a hand through his hair. A cloud of dust was expelled as he did so.

"Tch... might need a shower after this."

Rude stood and helped him to his feet as well, smirking. "If you think you're walking into _my_ house looking like that, you've lost your mind."

"You got better idea?"

"No. But I do have a garden hose."

Reno scowled at him. "Very funny. Let's just go find out who launched that goddamn rocket. I'm gonna give whichever of those idiots almost killed us a piece of my mind."

When they walked through the door, Heidegger had Palmer by the throat.

"You worthless _idiot_!" he screamed, spittle flying from his mouth with every other word. "Why did you launch it? The auto-pilot wasn't ready! Now we're relying on those goddamned _terrorists_ to fly it into the meteor instead of saving their own skin!"

Palmer sputtered and tried to choke out a reply, but the other man's grip was ironclad and cutting off his airway. For a moment, Palmer clawed desperately at at his attacker's hands, eyes wide in terror. And then any resistance he might have been putting up ceased and he went limp. Heidegger's grip, however, did not.

Reno looked at Rude, and both men rushed the pair, dragging him off of the other executive.

"Don't _touch_ me!" he growled, and swung hard at Rude, catching him square in the gut. " _I'LL HAVE YOUR JOBS_!"

"You can try," the redhead shot back, just before he clobbered the man with a left hook. Heidegger went down hard and didn't get back up. Reno glanced at his partner. "You hurt?"

"I'm fine. How's Palmer?"

Reno knelt down beside the fat engineer, frowning as he took in his appearance, and searched for a pulse. A moment later, he shook his head.

"Always knew that asshole'd finally snap one of these days. Fuck, man... Palmer mighta been a useless loser... but the guy didn't deserve _this_."

"... Sounded like he was the one who almost roasted us back there."

"Still..." Reno said, shrugging. Not much that could be done about it now, though. He stood and walked over to where Heidegger was still out cold on the floor. "Guess we better find somewhere to put _this_ bastard." He glanced around the room, spotting a large closet. "Make sure there's nothing in there he can use to get loose, will ya?"

Rude hurried to do so, as Reno gave Heidegger a none-too-gentle shove to roll him over, and cuffed his hands behind his back.

"All clear," Rude said a minute later. The two of them hauled the unconscious man into their makeshift jail cell.

"Grab a few of those guards to keep an eye on him. I'll get ahold of Rufus and ask him what he'd like us to do with him."

Rude nodded and headed out the door, only to return seconds later and motion for the redhead to join him. "Might wanna come watch this..."

Curious, he did just that, following Rude out into the road where dozens of townspeople had gathered, all staring up into the sky. It too him a moment to figure out what they were looking at... the rocket was little more than a speck compared to the vastness of Meteor. He swallowed sharply as it drew closer and closer to the massive rock. A lot of their hopes were riding on this actually working...

It wasn't long before Reno could no longer see the rocket itself... but hardly thirty seconds after he lost sight of it, there was a _very_ visible impact and a flash so bright he had to shield his eyes and look away. It was several seconds more before it finally faded and a low murmur spread through the gathered crowd. Reno looked up again, squinting against the remnants of the explosion... and felt his stomach drop.

"No..." he breathed.

It was still there. Meteor was _still there_. Several huge fragments had been separated from the main body by the explosion... but they were tiny compared to the rest of it. The townspeople soon realized it, as well, and a number of dismayed cries, and outright sobbing met his ears. And as much as he hated to admit it... Reno was sorely tempted to join them.

* * *

Elena waited as a small group of techs drifted down the hallway towards the elevators, discussing what the cafeteria was going to be serving for lunch that day and and which of them had made the biggest contribution to the shipment of weapons that had just gone out, bound for Junon. Once they were out of sight, she emerged from the store room she'd ducked into and continued on her way. Scarlet's high security lab was just around the corner.

The Turk double-checked that no one was around and slid Rufus' ID card through the scanner. The panel glowed green and the lock opened, granting her access. She hurried inside, closing the door behind her.

Thankfully, Rufus had been willing to keep Scarlet tied up in another meeting with Tuesti while Elena did a little snooping. If what she'd heard of her recent behavior was accurate, waiting for her to leave the lab of her own accord for any significant amount of time might have taken awhile. And given that she had no idea what she was looking _for_ , she'd take all the extra time she could get.

As it turned out, however... she didn't need it.

"You again?" she said aloud, surprised by the huge, armored monstrosity in front of her. She shook her head. The Proud Clod. She certainly hadn't forgotten her _last_ encounter with that damned thing. If Reno hadn't tackled her, Scarlet's mechanical armor probably would have crushed her. Elena wasn't especially happy to see it again.

But why was Scarlet continuing to work on it so obsessively? And in secret?

There had definitely been some changes. The armor seemed thicker in places, there had been new weapons mounted... though the dual controls in the cockpit didn't appear to have undergone any major revisions.

Elena rifled through the schematics on a nearby workbench... but nothing seemed to give her much of a clue as to why this project was so important to Scarlet. She frowned. Rufus couldn't keep her busy indefinitely... and Scarlet wasn't to know anyone had been in here. The Turk pulled her PHS from her pocket, and photographed the schematics, along with the Proud Clod itself, and beat a hasty retreat.

She wasn't sure what to make of it... but she certainly had something to report.

* * *

"... What do you mean, 'Palmer's dead'?" Rufus repeated, half-convinced he'd misunderstood the redhead.

" _Not sure what was unclear about that, sir... Palmer's dead. D-E-A-D. Dead."_

"What in Ramuh's name happened?"

" _Avalanche showed up and tried to board the rocket. Took down Rude, and since Heidegger had me stationed at the other end of the damn thing, I couldn't get there in time to give him a hand. So... Palmer went right ahead and launched the fuckin' rocket. With them in it."_

"Which still doesn't explain how he died."

" _It was Heidegger. He lost it,"_ Reno replied, _"Had Palmer by the throat by the time we got there... after almost bein' burnt to a crisp, I might add. We pulled the son of a bitch off him, but it was too late."_

Rufus blinked in shock. Leonard Heidegger had always been a verbally abusive and occasionally physically violent man... but strangling someone to death in a fit of rage?

" _What do you want us to do with him, sir?"_

"Bring him back to Midgar with you. I want to speak to him before I have you dispose of him... but I don't want to risk him getting free with everything _else_ we have to deal with. The security cells will be sufficient to contain him for now."

The door of his office opened just then, and Rufus glanced up to see Elena slipping inside. He gestured for her to wait and turned his attention back to the phone call.

" _Besides_ Palmer's untimely death... is there anything aside from the obvious I should be concerned about?" he asked, gazing out the window at the rapidly approaching meteor. Now several meteors, really, and he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps their efforts had resulted in making the problem much, much worst.

" _Well... like I said. Avalanche was on the rocket when it took off. Some of 'em anyway. Strife, Highwind and Lockheart, according to Rude. Don't know where the rest of 'em fucked off to. So... ya know... if we were countin' on the ex-Soldier to bail us out if things go wrong, it looks like that ship has sailed..."_

"Wonderful," Rufus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How soon can you get back here?"

" _Gonna take us awhile. Palmer's goddamn rocket sent shit flyin' everywhere. Something slammed into the copter. We're hitchin' a ride to Costa del Sol with a local first thing in the mornin', but we don't have anything waitin' for us there. Vir's tryin' to find us somethin' that can pick us up, but most air transports are gearin' up for the trip to the Northern Crater. Might have to take the damn_ _ **boat**_ _to Junon."_

"Just... get here."

" _Yes, sir."_ Reno replied. Rufus ended the call and turned to his other Turk.

"Trouble, sir?" she asked.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he muttered, as he sat down at his desk and slumped forward, his head in his hands. This was hopeless... everything he did seemed to result in them taking one step forward and two steps back. Now, the missile had failed, their backup plan was most likely space dust, and all they had to rely on was a cannon that might or might not be able to penetrate an impenetrable barrier.

He didn't want to die. Perhaps that was cowardice talking, but he _didn't_ want to die. The likelihood of that happening, however, seemed to be increasing by the hour. The irony wasn't lost on him. Here he was... in control of the most powerful organization on the planet... nearly unlimited money, advanced weapons, and an entire _army_ at his fingertips... and he couldn't stop his own company's creation.

Warm fingers unexpectedly caressed the back of his neck before gliding down along his shoulders and kneading gently.

"Don't give up, sir," Elena said, her voice soft and reassuring. "Please... We need you."

"I... don't know what to do anymore," he confessed. "If the mako cannon fails, we have no other options."

"Then we have to do everything we can to make sure is _doesn't_ fail. We have to _try_."

He inhaled deeply, and exhaled a somewhat shaky breath before sitting up. She was right. If he allowed himself to succumb to fear, he might as well walk out onto the balcony right now and step off of it.

"Did you learn anything in Scarlet's lab?" he asked, as he be began to compose himself. Elena gave his shoulders one final squeeze and slipped out from behind him, resuming her previous post.

"She's been working on the Proud Clod again."

"... Proud Clod?" Rufus repeated, one eyebrow rising.

"It's a sort of robotic heavy armor. Dual pilots, loaded with weapons... it even has a miniature version of the mako cannon mounted to it. We were ordered to test it's offensive capabilities awhile back. I sort of just assumed it got scrapped when we ended up taking it down. I guess she decided to rework it."

Rufus frowned. "She's mentioned nothing of this project to me. Did it appear as though she was preparing it for transport?"

"No, sir," Elena replied with a shake of her head. "Just the opposite, to be honest. I looks like she's still fabricating new parts for it. If it's something she intends to send to face Sephiroth, she's certainly taking her time with it. Besides which, even if if she finished it, no one will have trained in it yet... and the pilots' lack of training was the whole reason we were able to defeat it during the test."

"... Then it seems quite clear that she doesn't intend to use it against Sephiroth."

"Then what's it for?"

"To use against _me_ , I suspect," he replied. He wasn't the least bit surprised. Scarlet was many things... but one thing she _wasn't_ was afraid to do whatever was necessary to serve her own interests. He'd long known he couldn't trust the woman as far as he could throw her... particularly after his father had tired of her and turned his attention to younger women.

"Sir... If she's a threat, we should elimi–"

"No. For the time being, at least, we need her expertise. The cannon is our last hope of reaching Sephiroth and putting an end to this, and Scarlet, much as I detest praising that woman for anything, is the best weapons engineer we have. You said it yourself... we must do whatever we can to ensure that the cannon doesn't fail. Even if that means leaving her free to plan her little coup."

"If she's really plotting to seize control of the company... the easiest way to do that would be to take you out, sir."

"I'm aware of that," Rufus replied, gravely. "See to it that she doesn't succeed."

* * *

"You're going to regret this, you worthless little slum rat! Just you wait and see. When we get back to Midgar and the President finds out about this, I will take _great_ pleasure in finally kicking your useless hide right back down to the Slums," Heidegger ranted, "And I'll _do_ it from the edge of the Plate!"

Reno rolled his eyes and ignored him. He'd started in on the two Turks the moment they'd roused him the that morning to drag his sorry ass to the plane. He hadn't been overly pleased, having spent the night tied up in a closet. Frankly... Reno didn't give a shit.

In the half hour they'd been in the air, the abuse hadn't abated... particularly after they'd duct taped the man into his seat for the flight. The Turk lieutenant had borne the brunt of his vitriol, but he'd gotten in more than a few harsh words directed at Rude as well. The more they pretended they didn't hear him, the angrier the man got. It was almost amusing at this point.

"Go fish..." Rude said in a bored voice.

"Rude... Why the _hell_ are we playin' this? What's wrong with poker all of a sudden?" he asked, biting back a yawn. It was too damn early... but this was the only pilot in Rocket Town making a run to Costa del Sol, and he hadn't been willing to alter his schedule.

"No more poker for awhile. Not after the way Elena cleaned me out."

The redhead snorted in quiet laughter and reached for a card.

"And I'll send that little whore of yours _with_ you... Don't think I don't know you've been screwing that little blonde bitch you recruited..." Heidegger hissed, and Reno froze mid draw, eyes narrowing. He calmly picked up the card and tucked it into the rest of his hand.

"Hold that thought," he said to Rude, "I gotta take care of somethin'."

With slow deliberateness, Reno toed his left shoe off and peeled off his sock. He stood, and moved unhurried towards their prisoner, pausing in front of him, grinning dangerously.

"Ya know... I've been waiting a _long_ time for this. And listenin' to you bitch and moan about how I'm gonna pay for treatin' you like the piece of shit you are's been fun 'n all... but no one... 'specially not _you_... threatens my 'Lena." He grabbed the roll of duct tape and tore off a strip.

"Don't you da–mmph!"

Heidegger was quickly silenced as Reno jammed the sock into his open mouth and taped it in place.

"Suck on _that_ for awhile, asshole," the redhead muttered and returned to his game, picking up his cards.

"... Got any fives?" Rude asked.

"Tch... Go fish."

* * *

Elena had never wanted so badly _not_ to be on her own as she did right now. Rufus was playing a very dangerous game with Scarlet. If she really _did_ intend to try to take power for herself... how in Shiva's name was _she_ supposed to stop her?

Presently, the Turk was seated at Rude's desk in their office, using his computer to log into the building's security cameras. She wasn't sure where he'd acquired the program that let him do it, but she was fairly certain it wasn't company issue... particularly given that it could _also_ access a number of cameras that didn't officially exist and weren't monitored by building security.

Unfortunately, those ghost cameras did not extend to Scarlet's lab as she'd hoped they might... though she did come across an exceptionally clear view of the inside of both the men's and women's gym locker rooms. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

Elena sighed and leaned back in the chair. She'd been hoping that Rude might have left her a way to keep a closer eye on Scarlet and what she was doing... but apparently even _his_ intelligence network didn't extend to the high security labs. Or if it did, she didn't know how to pull up the feeds... and there was only one person who would.

That in mind, she pulled out her phone... and nearly dropped it when it rang hardly a split-second later.

"For Ifrit's _sake_ ," she breathed, not having needed that little scare, and accepted the call.

" _Hey... Everything good on your end?"_ a very welcome voice queried, and Elena smiled.

"For now, I guess... Where are you guys?"

" _Costa del Sol. Just got in..."_ Reno replied, _"Just what'dya mean 'for now'?"_

"Rufus thinks Scarlet's up to something. And _I_ think he's right."

" _Tch... When is she_ _ **not**_ _up to somethin'?"_

"No... I mean something big. She's spending all her spare time alone in a classified lab. Rufus got me access earlier. She's working on the Proud Clod. Reno... I'm really worried. I think she's going to try and take over the company... and that means she'll be after Rufus."

" _Alright... Calm down. Scarlet's not completely stupid. If that's her plan, she'll wait for the best opportunity. Probably after the attack on the Northern Crater's underway. There'll be so much goin' on, no one'll be payin' attention to what_ _ **she's**_ _up to. Look, keep an eye on her, but stay the hell outta her way. If she's really willing to go after Rufus directly, we both know she wouldn't hesitate hurtin' you, too. 'Specially if she thinks you're onto her. Meantime, stick close to Rufus. You with him now?"_

"No," she said, "I'm in our office right now. Rufus is meeting privately with Reeve Tuesti. I was hoping Rude might have a camera or two in Scarlet's lab."

" _... Hang on a second."_ She could hear muted conversation for a few moments, and then a brief silence. _"Sorry, 'Lena. No such luck. Rude says he's never been able to sneak one into those labs."_

"Well... I figured it was worth a shot," she said with a sigh.

" _We'll be back soon as we can. I want you on Rufus like glue while you're waitin'. Fuck him if he complains."_

Elena laughed in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "Are you _sure_ that's what you want me to do?"

" _That... came out wrong._ _ **Way**_ _wrong,"_ the redhead responded, chuckling. _"I meant fuck him... in general... not_ _ **fuck**_ _him._ _Please don't fuck Rufus."_

She giggled quietly and could very clearly hear Rude laughing in the background as Reno attempted – without much success – to clarify himself.

"Just hurry back, okay?"

" _We're workin' on it. But it's startin' to look like we're in for a very long boat ride."_

Elena blinked, puzzled. "Why don't you just take the executive helicopter?" she blurted out, before suddenly realizing that _they_ hadn't been there when she'd learned that Rufus' step-mother had high-tailed it to the resort town a few days ago. "Oh... Oh! You don't know. Of course you don't know! Juliet Shinra is staying at the family villa!"

For a few seconds there was only stunned silence on the other end of the line.

" _... 'Lena, you're fucking amazing and I love you and I gotta go commandeer a helicopter,"_ Reno said, hurriedly. _"We'll see ya this afternoon. And seriously... don't fuck Rufus."_

The call ended and she couldn't help but smile. Hearing Reno's voice always seemed to make her feel better. She shut off the computer and headed for the elevator. Rufus' meeting would be over soon... and she was under orders to stay close to him... and that was exactly what she was going to do.

~fin~


	69. Meteorfall

**Taking Care of Reno – Chapter 69: Meteorfall**

 **by Desha**

"They survived?" Rufus asked, almost not daring to believe it. If that was true, it was the first thing to go _right_ since this whole mess began.

"Yes, sir," Reeve Tuesti confirmed. He clasped his hands behind his back, shifting his weight somewhat nervously from one foot to the other. "They were able to reach an escape pod before the rocket impacted Meteor. We've just reunited with them on the Highwind." He paused briefly, touching the earpiece that kept him in contact with the Cait Sith automaton. "... And we're heading for the Forgotten Capitol next."

Rufus, for the moment, ignored the references to 'we'... He wasn't entirely certain even Reeve knew who's side he was on at this point. Though, he supposed, for all intents and purposes, Shinra and Avalanche were on the _same_ side, for now.

"To what end?" he asked, "They're not _still_ trying to figure out what the Cetra girl was doing, are they?"

"Actually... we think we _know_ what she was trying to do. We think she was trying to find Holy."

"... And just who or what is Holy?"

"Bugenhagen of Cosmo Canyon described it to us as the ultimate white magic. Something powerful enough to counteract Sephiroth's black materia and repel Meteor. He said... if a soul seeking Holy reaches the planet, it will appear. We believe that's what Aerith was doing at the Forgotten Capitol... trying to reach out to the planet through her Cetra heritage to summon Holy. She had a... a piece of white materia when she died. Bugenhagen thinks it might be the key to all of this."

"... I see." Rufus pressed the tips of his fingers together and leaned forward against his desk. Even if they did penetrate the barrier... even if they did destroy Sephiroth... it was no guarantee that the massive object bearing down on them would simply vanish. But if Strife and his ilk had a plan to deal with that... "I want you to assist them in any way you can. Pass along information about our attempt to destroy the barrier around the crater, as well. Neither of our groups are going to be able to do this alone... but working in tandem, we may have chance."

"Yes, sir," Reeve replied, and unless Rufus was very much mistaken, the man looked decidedly relieved. If they lived through this, he might well have cause to question the man's loyalty to the company. Assuming there was still a company to be loyal to. But for now, he was his only link to his tentative allies.

"How much longer until the cannon can fire?"

"I really wish we had longer to test the grid, sir."

"But we don't. How much longer?"

"A few more hours. Maintenance crews are reinforcing a junction in Sector 5 and another in Sector 0. When they're done... we can begin charging the cannon. Once that's begun, it will be a matter of minutes."

Rufus nodded. "Keep me updated," he said in dismissal, and Reeve quickly got to his feet, making his way out the door. The President, too, stood when he was gone, stepping out onto the balcony and gazing up at the meteor. The science department's estimates were off, and that fact was now readily apparent... They didn't have weeks. They'd be lucky if they had days. Rufus tried to ignore the growing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach... but it seemed to become harder with each passing day.

* * *

Elena was hurrying up the stairs so quickly she hardly even acknowledged the man leaving Rufus' office, until he paused directly in her path. She came to a halt, frowning.

"I didn't have a chance to speak to you yesterday," Reeve said, somewhat awkwardly. "You're one of the Turks from Wutai... the one who was captured."

She blinked in surprise, only then remembering that the man had been there... in a sense, at least. His mechanical creation had been tagging along with Avalanche for weeks now.

"Yes, sir..." she replied. Frankly, she'd have preferred to forget all about that little ordeal. It hadn't been one of her shining moments of competence as a Turk... though at least Reno and Rude had refrained from teasing her about it. She was fairly certain they were just glad she hadn't been hurt.

"I'm glad to see you're alright after that," Tuesti continued. "I've always had a lot of respect for the Turks... even if I don't always approve of some of the things you do."

"I... er... thank you, sir," she stammered. She hadn't been expecting that. Reeve nodded, and continued on his way, leaving Elena wondering whether the man was as genuine as he seemed or if she was just being naïve, taking him at face value. In truth, she knew very little about Tuesti. Her knowledge of him came largely from things Rufus and her fellow Turks had mentioned. She hadn't even met the man until yesterday, and it had hardly been a formal introduction.

She shook her head and started up the stairs again. She'd analyze his intentions later. Right now, she was supposed to be with Rufus. As Elena pushed open the heavy wooden door, she was surprised to find the room empty. It took her a moment to spot her charge out on the balcony, looking out across the city.

"Sir?" she called out, and he turned to look at her.

"Did you have any luck?"

"No, sir," she replied, joining him in the cool morning air. "Apparently Rude doesn't have any cameras in the high security labs."

"That is... unfortunate. But understandable. The cannon will be ready to fire in a few hours. I suggest you see to anything you may need to... I'll want you here once we begin."

"Already taken care of, sir. And Reno ordered me not to let you out of my sight. He and Rude should be here in a few hours themselves."

Rufus looked surprised at the new information. "I take it, then, that Lieutenant Commandeer Nacelle has managed to secure transportation for them?"

"Actually... They're going to be flying back in the executive helicopter. The one your step-mother took to Costa del Sol," she replied, and Rufus laughed.

"Hmph. That bitch _finally_ came in handy for something. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later." He took one last look at the sky – it had begun to take on a disquieting red hue, especially in the morning and early afternoon, over the last few days – and ushered Elena back into the presidential office. "It seems we have some time to kill."

* * *

Juliet Shinra had not been happy when he and Rude had descended upon the Shinra family's beach villa and demanded the return of the company helicopter... And by 'not happy', he meant that the woman had screamed and kicked and clawed him until Rude had shoved her into the bedroom and held the door shut. Not the most gentlemanly of approaches, but they _were_ in a bit of a hurry.

Reno didn't know what the hell she thought she was going to do with it, anyway. She'd let it slip that her pilot had abandoned her almost as soon as they landed. In all likelihood, he was drunk on the beach somewhere, waiting for the end of the world. The aircraft wasn't doing _her_ a damn bit of good. She just didn't want anyone else to have it.

He helped himself to the tray of assorted fruits and cheeses the housekeeper had set out for the Shinra widow in the kitchen, and then made his way up the stairs to the roof, prodding the still bound and gagged Heidegger aboard the helicopter that was neatly parked there. Rude followed moments later and joined him in the copilot's seat.

The redhead started the engine and the familiar sound of whirling blades filled their air. As they left the helipad, Juliet emerged from the house, screaming what he could only assume were profanities into the wind. By then, however, they were well out of her reach, and she could only shake her fists ineffectively at them from the rooftop.

"What do you think? Three? Four hours?" Rude asked, the audio from the headsets slightly more static-filled than usual. Reno vaguely wondered if it had something to do with Meteor's rapidly decreasing distance.

"Tch... Feels like we got a decent tailwind. If it keeps up the whole way, we can probably do it in two and a half," he replied. They were already over the ocean... The seas looked rough today, and Reno found himself grateful that they hadn't had to take the boat. The memory of his _last_ transoceanic voyage was still much too fresh in his mind, and his stomach recoiled slightly just thinking about it.

"You'd almost think you were in a hurry."

Reno glanced over at his partner and sighed.

"It's just... There's a very real possibility we're completely screwed. I fuckin' hope we're not, but... I'd be stupid to think the odds are in our favor. If I gotta be around for the end of the world... I want to be with 'Lena."

"I'll try not to take that personally," Rude teased with feigned indignation.

"And you, too!" the redhead was quick to reply, but Rude waved him off.

"Get us home. I want the same thing."

"Wish Tseng was gonna be there, too..." Reno sighed.

"He would be if he could. And I for one am not giving up quite yet. We're gonna see him again, and I'll be damned if I die before _you_ finally get married. You have any idea how long I've been waiting to see that?"

The redhead looked at him sidelong for a moment before turning his gaze back on the vast expanse of ocean ahead of him.

"Keep talkin' like that, 'n I'm gonna start to think you've finally lost any ability you mighta had to tell the difference between real life and that damn show of yours," he snickered, and his partner smirked.

"The story arcs in real life are much more interesting," Rude chuckled.

* * *

He'd never seen Midgar so... dead. There wasn't a single person... a single vehicle... a single _anything_ on the streets. Many of the buildings were already dark... It could only mean one thing.

They'd arrived just in time to see the cannon fire.

Reno set down on the rooftop helipad on top of the Shinra Building and shut down the engines, looking over at Rude.

"Good thing we caught that tailwind..."

Rude nodded solemnly, and moved to the back of the aircraft, hoisting their prisoner out of his seat. The trio made their way inside, descending the short distance to the President's office. Reno headed up to the doors first, pushing them open to find a small meeting going on.

"Ah... You're back," Rufus stated. "Where's Heidegger?"

"Got'im right here." Reno waved his partner up the stairs, and Rude all but dragged the disgraced executive along with him, presenting him to the President. Rufus eyed the man's gag and raised an eyebrow. "Heh... He was gettin' a little loud on the way back."

The Turk smirked, and snatched the tape off of the man's lips... ripping off a sizable chunk of beard along with it. Heidegger howled, and swore at him for several seconds before Rufus' glare ended the brief tirade. The executive instead turned his attention on the President.

"Mr. President... I _demand_ these two _traitors_ be stripped of their authority and locked up!"

" _They_ were not the ones who murdered a member of the executive board," Rufus stated flatly, his eyes daring the other man to deny it. "Palmer may have been a useless lump of a man... but I think the label of 'traitor' fits more squarely on _your_ shoulders than on my Turks'. This is no longer my father's company... and I will not tolerate such abuse of power. I never trusted you before... and I certainly don't now. You may consider this your dismissal from the board, and from _my_ company."

"You sniveling little _brat_! You can't do this to me!"

"Oh, but I can... and I have." He looked squarely at Rude. "Take him to the detention cells. He can rot there until we've dealt with more important issues."

Heidegger's protests could be heard all the way to the elevators, and Rufus said nothing until they abruptly ended when the doors slid shut.

"In case I failed to make myself clear..." he said, rounding on the remaining members of the executive board, " _You_ work for _me_ , and I won't hesitate to have my Turks... clean house... so to speak, should you forget that."

Reno couldn't help but grin... which he was certain looked downright evil from the opposite side of the room, but he didn't particularly care. He had to hand it to Rufus. The kid knew how to make a point.

"Now... the cannon."

"The reactors will be coming online at full power in a matter of minutes, sir," Reeve replied, "I'll need to adjust their output as the cannon's shells charge. Otherwise it could –"

"Ha! You worry too much," Scarlet interrupted, "There's no need to adjust anything. My Sister Ray can take anything you can throw at it. Those shells will absorb every last drop of energy the reactors can send them."

Reeve shook his head. "It's not the Sister Ray I'm worried about."

"Watch it closely, Reeve. I don't want the entire city destroyed," Rufus said, ignoring the woman's boasts, before turning back to her, "And as for you... You're certain the cannon has the range to reach the northern continent?"

"Absolutely."

"Then let's get started."

"Yes, sir," Reeve and Scarlet chorused, and both departed, leaving the remaining Turks to tend to the President.

"You two, go and destroy that... _thing_... Scarlet's building downstairs. She'll be busy with the cannon for some time. Now would be an excellent opportunity."

"On it, sir," Reno replied. As he and Elena turned to go, however, a deep rumbling shook the entire building. "The fuck's goin' on?!"

Rufus steadied himself against the desk for a moment, before rushing to the window. The two Turks quickly joined him.

"Oh, my dear Shiva..." Elena breathed.

"Fuckin' hell... Tell me that's not what it looks like."

Emerging from the sea to the north was a huge creature... one that was disturbingly familiar.

"Unless I'm very much mistaken," Rufus replied, " _That_ would be Diamond Weapon."

The three of them watched in horror as the monstrosity began to move slowly towards the city, it's every step shaking the ground.

"Shit." Reno gripped Rufus' arm and began to pull him towards the door. "We're outta here."

The President shook him off. "No. I doubt there's anywhere in the building that's any safer at the moment. Destroy Scarlet's machine while you have the chance."

"Sir..."

"That thing is directly in our line of fire. The cannon will deal with it long before it reaches Midgar. If we're lucky, we'll take care of two of our problems in a single shot. Now get going!"

Reno frowned, but grabbed Elena by the arm, pulling her along behind him. Rufus was right... the damn cannon _was_ pointed right at it. And it certainly wasn't in any hurry to get out of the way. They stepped into the elevator and Reno hit the button for the weapons research labs. As the car began to descend, he fingered the little box in his pocket. It wasn't exactly the romantic setting he'd wanted for this... but at least they were alone together. He supposed now was as good a time as any.

"... 'Lena? There's... uh... somethin' I've been wantin' to ask you..." he said, his mind suddenly going completely devoid of the short speech he'd mentally rehearsed over and over again on the flight back to Midgar. He swallowed sharply, silently cursing himself, as Elena looked at him, curious. "I... uh..."

The elevator suddenly chimed, well ahead of schedule... and Reno realized that they were still a good ten floors above their destination. The doors opened, revealing Rude, who looked moderately surprised to see them before stepping aboard.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Felt like a damn earthquake a few minutes ago..."

Reno scowled and tucked the box back into his pocket. "Diamond Weapon's headin' straight for the city. Rufus is bankin' on the cannon taking it out. Sent us to get rid of that fuckin' Proud Clod piece of shit Scarlet's been workin' on while we have an opening."

"Mind if I join you?" Rude asked. "Wouldn't mind getting a little retribution on that thing, too."

Reno mentally sighed, but shrugged in response. "Why not? The more the merrier."

"Reno? What was it you wanted to ask me?" Elena queried.

"... Uh... N-nothin' that can't wait. Nevermind. We'll talk about it later," he replied. She gave him a slightly odd look, but didn't press the issue. Rude meanwhile, stared at him somewhat incredulously... and with plenty of remorse for interrupting.

The elevator let them out on the weapons research floor moments later, and Elena headed straight towards the lab with a single-minded purpose. Reno and Rude, on the other hand, trailed behind her slightly.

Rude elbowed him sharply. "... Really? You were going to do it in an _elevator_?"

"I was _gonna_ do it on one knee, in Costa del Sol, on the beach, with the sun settin' in the background. _Now_ , I'm gonna do it whenever the hell I can get her alone for more than two seconds. Ya know... if _someone_ doesn't come bargin' in before I can even get the words out," he hissed back.

"Sorry..."

"Guys! Hurry up!" Elena called out from halfway down the hall.

* * *

Rufus' gaze was still locked on the hulking giant when the intercom on his desk buzzed.

"Sir... the reactors are ready to output at full capacity," Reeve's voice said over the speaker.

"We can begin the firing sequence at any time," Scarlet added, with a triumphant cackle. Rufus didn't look away from the window.

"... Fire."

There was a deep, reverberating hum that filled the air as, one by one, the city's eight reactors came online at full strength. Steam infused with the glow of raw mako spouted from the towers, and the jury-rigged conduits leading to the Sister Ray took on that same pulsating glow as power was shuttled to it directly. Moments later, the entire city went dark... even the lights in his office went out. At first, he thought something had gone wrong... until he saw it.

The end of the cannon was aflame with a deep, purplish blue light, that steadily grew in intensity. Rufus watched in awe as the compartments that held its mako shells locked into place, rattling the windows of the building as they did so. The light at the end of the barrel was almost blinding by then, and the President held his breath, waiting.

When it fired, the boom was deafening, and the kickback nearly knocked him off his feet. He heard the sound of shattering glass somewhere below his office, and realized that it must have been the building's windows. His own had held... but then, the president's office had security features the rest of headquarters did not, ballistic glass being one of them. He stepped closer to the windows, watching as the shell, trailed by a tail of light, streaked towards the Northern Crater – and towards the beast threatening his city – and nervously ran a hand through his hair.

In the distance, Weapon paused, and for a brief moment, Rufus worried that it might be fast enough to avoid the blast. To his shock, it instead stood its ground... but more concerning, the armored plate on its chest split open, as did the boney protrusions above its shoulders.

He'd seen behavior like this before... during Sapphire Weapon's attacks on Junon. Diamond was planning to fight back. And seconds later, Rufus' suspicions were confirmed, as it released a volley of energy blasts right back at the city. Circling high above the Weapon, Rufus suddenly spotted the Highwind. Avalanche had turned up... whether to witness the city's destruction or to offer their assistance, he couldn't be sure.

The shot from the Sister Ray found it's mark, striking Diamond Weapon squarely in the chest and throwing it backwards... and, Rufus noted with relief, passing straight through its body and continuing on towards the crater. He just hoped it hadn't lost too much power... because if the incoming energy beams were any indication, they probably weren't going to get a second shot.

Weapon fell, and stayed down, unmoving... hopefully dead... and seconds later Rufus saw the impact against Sephiroth's barrier. He very nearly cheered as the magical dome sealing it off shimmered and vanished. They'd done it!

"Sir! Incoming!" Reeve's voice echoed out from the intercom.

Rufus already knew. As the first shots began to rain down on the city, he also knew that many people were going to die. For a few moments, he could only gaze outward... and then the first blast hit the tower. The entire building shuddered ominously... and more were headed straight for him. The next shot shattered the bulletproof glass windows on the far side of his office.

Rufus did the only thing he could do. He dove beneath his desk.

* * *

They'd only just gained access to the lab when the first explosion sent all three of them sprawling, and the painfully loud blare of the fire alarm filled the air. Reno almost immediately smelled smoke.

"What the _fuck_ just hit us?!" he shouted, clambering to his feet, and helping Elena back to hers.

"... Weapon?" Rude postulated. The redhead glanced back at the lab and the Proud Clod inside.

"Screw this. There's no point in stopping Scarlet from killin' Rufus if he dies up in his office." The other two nodded, and the Turks reversed course, back towards the elevators... but not before Rude paused at the security station. He slid his ID card through the scanner on the weapons locker and quickly found what he was looking for.

"... Don't have time to destroy it, but might be able to keep her from reaching it," he said in response to Reno's questioning look, and held up a grenade. Several more impacts caused the building to tremble.

"Make it quick, partner."

Rude gave nod of acknowledgment and disappeared back toward the lab, while Reno and Elena continued on. The control panel for the elevator was dead, and the doors stood slightly ajar. Thin tendrils of smoke crept out of the shaft.

"Guess it's the stairs, then..." Reno muttered.

* * *

Rufus squeezed his eyes shut tight against the pain. He'd just _barely_ made it in time... though the tiny panic room his father had secreted away in his office ultimately hadn't been able to stand up to the onslaught. It had kept him alive, however.

He lifted his hand until he could see his fingertips. They were coated in a thick layer of blood. He was alive... though he couldn't be sure for how much longer. He felt strangely cold... and wondered if this was how Tseng had felt when he'd been lying there on the steps of the Temple of the Ancients, dying.

His Turks would come for him. He knew they would. But he questioned whether they would come before he succumbed to his injuries. Tseng had only survived because of the lucky coincidence of Elena finding an extraordinarily rare piece of materia and being willing to sacrifice her own strength to save him. She'd been in a coma for days afterward.

But there was no more rare materia... and no one was here to sacrifice for him.

He tried to move, to ease himself up... but it hurt. Badly. It was easily the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life. Though to be fair... he'd seldom felt _physical_ pain. His Turks had seen to that.

It seemed that Scarlet was going to be taking over the company after all.

* * *

At the sixty-eighth floor, they'd suddenly found themselves trapped. The stairs were blocked.

" _Fuck._ " Reno swore, "... Okay. 'Lena, I need you to backtrack."

"W-what?"

"Head back down 'til ya run into Rude, then get yourself outta the building. Rescue personnel will probably already be workin' cleanup out there. They'll have _something_ that can get you up to the seventieth floor."

"What about you?!"

"I'm goin' up through there," he said, pointing at the air vent about six feet up on the wall, above the sixty-eighth floor landing.

"I'll come with you."

Reno shook his head and turned to the vent, prying it open. "Don't take this the wrong way... but you're not gonna fit. This is gonna be a tight squeeze even for _my_ skinny ass. Trust me, I've had ta do it once or twice before."

"Reno..." she pleaded, but he was already pulling the cover the rest of the way off the wall. He tossed it aside. It landed with a loud clatter on the floor behind him.

"We don't have time to argue about this. Turn around, go back downstairs, and commandeer the first thing ya see that'll get you up seventy stories. That's an order."

Elena hesitated a moment, and then seized him, kissing him hard on the lips. A second later she pulled away and started down the stairs, calling back over her shoulder, "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone!"

"Like what?" he called after her, grinning slightly.

"Like get yourself killed!" her voice echoed back.

"... I won't," he promised softly, and turned to the dark opening in the wall, hoisting himself up.

It was just as tight as he remembered. His hips and shoulders just barely fit through narrow tunnel, and he was forced to inch his way along, arms tucked in beneath him, like some kind of odd looking caterpillar. He _hoped_ nothing had blocked off the other end... because traversing the ventilation shafts in reverse was even worse than doing it forwards.

The metal conduit creaked around him as he made his way forward, and he tried to ignore the creeping sensation of claustrophobia. Small, enclosed, airless spaces had lost their appeal – not that they'd ever had much to begin with – after his ordeal in the submarine... but it wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter. Rufus was trapped up there, and possibly hurt... possibly even dead already. They had to get to him, one way or another.

He came to a junction that let him stretch out a little, and hauled himself into the vertical shaft. Hopefully, he'd only have to go up a single floor. Up was a lot harder than sideways. The redhead wedged himself into the space, with his shoulders against one side and his feet against the other, using his legs to push himself upwards a few inches at a time. It was slow going, and by the time he reached the top, his muscles were burning from the exertion.

"Tch... If I never have to do _this_ shit again, it'll be too soon," he grunted as he curled himself over the ledge and into the next horizontal tunnel. The last time had been years ago... and not for anything nearly as important as this. The _last_ time, had only been a training exercise. Veld had ordered him to find a way out of a locked room on the forty-eighth floor, and _into_ another locked room on the forty-ninth. And Tseng had quietly informed him that Veld had bet him a hundred gil he couldn't do it. He'd taken great pleasure in seeing the Turk leader fork over the cash to his mentor when he'd calmly stepped out of the second room some fifteen minutes later.

The stakes were a lot higher than a hundred gil bet this time, though.

Reno swore when a sharp edge cut into his upper arm, and did his best to avoid catching himself on it a second time as he crept past it. At last, he could see a faint light seeping through the vent ahead of him. When he reached it, it took him a moment to reposition himself enough to force his arms out in front of him, but after that, knocking the cover off and squeezing himself out into the presidential lobby was simple. He tumbled from the opening headfirst, landing in a heap behind the receptionist's desk.

* * *

"Hold it! Don't go anywhere yet!"

This was bad... this was very, _very_ bad. Power levels were spiking across the board, and there was nothing he could do about it. Someone had locked him out.

"We've got a problem. A big one," Reeve relayed urgently. He jumped at the sudden sound of the door behind him banging open and spun to face the intruders.

"Scarlet! Heidegger! What's going on?" he asked, eyes widening. This couldn't be good. Rufus wouldn't have ordered Heidegger's release... and the Turks certainly wouldn't have set him free on their own. What in Kjata's name was he doing here?

Heidegger chuckled cruelly and pulled his phone away from his ear. "Strange. I can't reach the President."

" _Kya, ha, ha_... I hope nothing's happened to the poor boy," Scarlet cackled beside him. Reeve's eyes narrowed. So _that's_ where she'd suddenly disappeared to just after they'd fired the cannon. She'd gone to let Heidegger out of the detention cells.

He again tapped the earpiece that connected him to Cait Sith. "No, not the President. The Sister Ray!"

"What's the matter, Reeve? You're talking so strangely," she purred condescendingly. "Did your terrorist friends refuse to come and get you? Or are you just upset they didn't stop Weapon from attacking the city?"

"None of that matters! The reactor's output is increasing all by itself! The cannon is charging again!"

The woman's expression suddenly changed to one of concern.

"W-wait a minute... That's not wise. The Sister Ray needs a cooling period before it can fire again, or it'll tear itself apart! Reeve... Shut it down!"

"I _can't_ ," he ground out. "The controls are inoperable. Someone has switched the machine over to mainframe operation. I can't do _anything_ from here!"

He nervously fumbled his PHS from his pocket, planning to call down to the staff operating the mainframe... only to find that the phone was dead. He tossed it aside in frustration and turned to his fellow executives.

"One of you, call the mainframe!"

Heidegger raised his own phone for a moment, before scowling at him.

"And just why are _you_ giving orders, Tuesti?"

"For Ifrit's sake... I don't care who's in charge! Don't you understand? If that cannon fires, it will blow... and it'll take the reactors with it! The entire city will be destroyed!"

Heidegger seemed taken aback by the normally mild-mannered executive's unexpected change in personality, and Reeve lunged at him, snatching the phone from his hand and dialing the number for the department. It rang four times before someone picked up.

Unhinged laughter greeted him.

"... Who is this?" Reeve asked, unnerved by the sound.

"Just wait, Sephiroth. I'll give you _all_ the mako energy you want..." the voice said, and with sudden dread, Reeve realized he recognized it. It couldn't be. No one had seen the man in weeks... his security access had long since been rescinded. He _couldn't_ be in the building.

"H-Hojo? Is that you?"

The only response he received was more laughter.

"Hojo, _stop_! The cannon... You can't! It won't be able to handle it! The whole city is in danger!" he pleaded, desperate to stop the man.

"One or two Midgars is a small price to pay..." the scientist said, ominously.

"Hojo?! _HOJO_...!"

"Show me, Sephiroth. Go beyond the powers of science. In your presence, science is powerless. I may hate it, but I'll concede to it. Just... let me see it."

The man was mad. Completely and utterly mad. There are no reasoning with him. Reeve tossed that phone aside, as well and tapped his earpiece.

"We're sunk... Hojo is doing this on his own. We can't stop it."

" _Can't you shut down the reactors?"_ Cloud's voice responded, and Reeve ran his fingers through his hair.

"We can't just shut them down... not when they're running at full strength. Shutting off the power grid won't stop the flow of mako from below. All that energy has to _go_ somewhere. If we just cut off it's escape route... the blast will make the Number 1 Reactor explosion look like a firecracker. We have to stop this at the cannon!"

" _Damn...!"_ Barret growled.

" _Do what you can. We'll take care of Hojo."_ Cloud replied, and Reeve sagged slightly in relief, turning to Scarlet and Heidegger.

"Cloud and the others are coming. Stay out of their way."

Heidegger laughed. "Shut your mouth, Tuesti. You don't give _me_ orders. Those bastards... it's _their_ fault the rocket failed. Their fault Rufus blamed me for it. Well... Rufus is dead. I'm doing things _my_ way, now!"

"Shinra Company is under new management, Reeve," Scarlet added, snapping her fingers. A second later several guards entered and surrounded him.

"H-hey! Wait! What are you doing?!"

"Midgar is lost. The planet is lost. But we're going to make damn sure those Avalanche bastards don't live long enough to see the end of either. We're going to see how they fair against my new weapon," she said, laughing viciously as she and Heidegger turned and departed, leaving him in the custody of building security. He activated his earpiece one last time.

"Cloud... Everyone. I'm sorry... It's up to you now."

* * *

"What... floor... are we on?" Elena panted as they rounded the landing and started down the next flight of stairs. The elevators were out all over the building... their downward trek had been by foot.

"Nine," Rude replied.

Almost there... thank Odin. She didn't think her legs could take much more. They continued down at a pace so fast it was hard to believe she hadn't yet tripped and gone tumbling head over heels. At last, they emerged in the first floor lobby. Outside, she could see the lights of rescue vehicles flashing.

"Hurry," Elena said, more to herself than to Rude. Rufus needed them... and so did Reno. The sooner they found a way back up, the sooner both men would be safe. The pair of Turks dashed through the front doors of the Shinra Building and out onto the street.

"... There." Rude pointed toward an empty troop transport. It seemed that at least a few of the aircraft from Junon had been diverted away from the Norther Crater to help in Midgar.

"Can... can you even fly one of those?" Elena asked. Because _she_ most certainly couldn't. She'd never flown anything but the small helicopter reserved for the Turks. And she'd only ever been in the co-pilot's seat on the larger executive helicopter. This thing was a much different beast.

"Been awhile," Rude said with a shrug.

"Oh... _That's_ reassuring." She followed him up to it anyway.

"And just _what_ do you two think _you're_ doing?" a shrill voice asked as they were climbing aboard, and Elena turned, suddenly finding herself face to face with a very sharp-looking shuriken and an even deadlier-looking gun.

"For your sake, I hope the answer is a good one," Vincent Valentine stated, dispassionately.

Elena looked from Vincent to Yuffie and back again.

"We're just borrowing it. We need to get to the top of Shinra headquarters," said Rude. "The President's up there. So's Reno."

The former Turk eyed the pair of them for a moment, and then lowered his gun.

"Do it quickly."

"W-what?!" Yuffie cried, staring at him incredulously. "You're not really just gonna let them _take_ it, are you? What about all the people we need to get out of here?"

Vincent holstered his weapon. "They'll bring it right back," he replied, looking directly at the pair of them, as if challenging them to do otherwise. Rude nodded in understanding, and he and Elena hurried aboard.

* * *

It took three tries before Reno finally managed to force the heavy wooden doors at the top of the stairs part of the way open. When he finally did, he saw why. Everything had been blasted inward. He was lucky the damned things had opened at all. The Turk wriggled his way through the narrow opening and into the office.

"Dear Ifrit..." he breathed, taking in the destruction. Most of the north wall was simply gone, fragments of broken ballistic glass clinging to the bent remains of window frames. He glanced upwards. What was left of the executive helicopter was perched precariously, hanging over the partially missing ceiling, it's blades twisted and useless. Even if the engine were still in working order, the thing would never fly like that. Not that he was willing to make an attempt at a climb like that anyway. One wrong move could bring the whole wall... and the aircraft... down on top of him.

"Rufus?!" he called out, scanning the huge room. Nothing was moving. That wasn't a good sign. Much to his relief, though, he heard a quiet moan in reply. Reno rushed towards the sound, shoving aside broken furniture and other debris until he finally found what he was looking for.

"Tch... No offense, sir... but you look like hell," he said, kneeling down beside the injured man. There was a deep gash in his upper thigh and he was pale... from blood loss or from shock, the Turk didn't know. Rufus reached for him, his fingers wrapping around the redhead's arm, blue eyes looking up at him with a slightly dazed look.

"Take it easy. We'll have ya outta here in no time."

His leg was bleeding badly. Reno unfastened his belt, slipping it off, and wrapped it around the President's thigh, pulling it as tight as he could. Rufus let out a pained cry in response.

"Sorry, kid... It's gotta be tight, or it's not gonna do you any good. Just hang in there. Rude n' 'Lena are findin' us a ride back down."

"... I knew... you three wouldn't leave me..."

"Heh... 'course not. 'Sides... Who's gonna sign my paycheck if I just let you bleed to death up here?"

Rufus managed a weak smile. "Get me out of here... and for once you will have earned it, slum rat."

"Ya know... I was just thinkin'..." he said, easing Rufus out of the jumble of debris he was wedged into, "Now might be a _great_ time to ask for a raise."

The Turk carefully slid the injured executive onto a clear section of floor. Aside from the wound to his leg, he was in surprisingly good shape for someone who'd just survived a direct assault by a Weapon.

"Did you destroy Scarlet's machine?"

"Didn't have the time."

The President gave a derisive snort. "No raise."

Reno chuckled quietly. "Rude _did_ make it a lot harder for her to get to it, though. Don't worry about that right now. We're not lettin' her anywhere near ya... Proud Clod or not."

Their conversation was cut short by the welcome sound of engines and rotor blades. Reno looked up at the demolished wall just in time to see a military transport rising into view. Rude waved to him from the cockpit and then turned the craft so that the large rear hatch slid neatly into the opening. The redhead grinned as it opened, revealing Elena waiting to help them aboard.

"Looks like our ride's here."

"Reno! Is he alright?!" Elena shouted over the sound of the engine, as she picked her way through the remains of the office.

"He's been better. Any chance you got a stretcher in there?"

She nodded and returned to the transport, emerging again moments later with the requested item. The two of them lifted Rufus onto the stretcher, and carried him aboard. Elena motioned to Rude to take them down.

The transport dropped slowly, touching down on the street, and Reno stood as the hatch opened... surprised when a familiar figure boarded.

"What are you guys doin' here?" he asked as Valentine approached.

"You don't know? I had assumed Reeve would have passed that information along by now."

Reno shook his head. "After the attack we went straight to for the President. Been outta contact with everyone else."

"Hojo has taken control of the mako cannon. He intends to fire it again... to send the energy to Sephiroth."

"Fuck..." Reno swore, "So what are _you_ doin' down here? Thought you wanted a piece of that bastard."

"Yuffie and I will be joining the others shortly. But someone needed to help evacuate the injured. How bad is the damage to the building? Can we reach him from here?"

"Not through the front door," said Elena, "Not if he's at the cannon controls. Rude and I barely made it down. The stairwell collapsed on the twentieth floor or so. It's completely blocked."

"Building's in _bad_ shape. Main stairs are blocked... No power, so no elevators," Rude reported, exiting the cockpit.

"Try the tunnels," Rufus managed as he propped himself up slightly on one elbow. Elena was quick to gently ease him back down.

"Not a terrible idea," Reno confirmed, "Subway has a station under the building. The access from there might still be open. Where are these transports headin'?"

"Junon. The city took heavy damage, and Midgar General is without power. They're taking those they can, but they have limited resources. And... should Hojo succeed in firing the cannon, it could overload the reactors. The destruction we see now would pale in comparison."

Reno nodded. "Guess that means the President's goin' back to Junon... and that means we are, too."

"No."

"Sir..." Elena began, but Rufus held up a hand, cutting her off.

"I'll go to Junon alone. I'm of little use here anyway. You three... save as many as you can. Evacuate as many as possible to the slums and out of the city through the lower gates."

"We're not just gonna leave y–"

"This is Shinra's doing," Rufus said. "We've placed our city... our entire planet... in danger. And we won't simply run and hide."

Reno looked over at Rude and Elena, and sighed. "You two, get outta there. We're stayin' behind," he stated decisively. They watched as other survivors were loaded into the transport alongside Rufus. Those responsible were working quickly, and before they knew it, the aircraft was lifting off again, bound for the southern military base. Vincent turned to the young ninja beside him.

"We're done here. Let's find the others."

"We'll come with ya as far as the station," said Reno, falling into step beside the gunman.

"We _could_ use your help with Hojo," he replied, but Reno shook his head.

"Orders are orders. The President wants us to look after the people down here. We'll leave that lunatic to you guys." He smirked slightly. "'Sides... wouldn't wanna deprive you of the pleasure of takin' that asshole out yourself."

"Hmph... I'm glad to see the Turks have have kept to their own brand of honor even after all these years."

They hurried down the stairs leading to the city's subway system, and the station that sat nestled below the Shinra Building.

"Yeah, well... _I'm_ glad Avalanche has got a Turk of their own helpin' 'em out."

By then, Elena had slipped out in front to scout ahead a little, and had disappeared from sight. Reno was just about to call out to her and tell her to hang back, closer to the group, when a startled yelp echoed off the tiled walls.

"'Lena?!" He broke into a run, Rude and the others not far behind.

"Oh! They're here!" an accented and faintly robotic-sounding voice declared, and as he rounded a corner, the redhead found himself suddenly facing down the missing members of Avalanche. Reeve Tuesti's robotic moogle-cat was bouncing excitedly in front of the female Turk. Reno relaxed slightly and walked up behind her.

"Tch... Seriously? _These_ guys scared ya?" he teased. "Don't act so weak, 'Lena."

She glared at him, but before she could respond, Rude had flanked her on the other side.

"We're Turks, Elena," he stated, with a smirk.

"Ugh... You guys..." she muttered. Their former adversaries, meanwhile hadn't yet backed down... though a look of confusion quickly crossed Cloud's face as Vincent and Yuffie came into view. Reno stepped forward slightly.

"Relax... We got no problem with you. Just pointin' your friends here in the right direction."

"Come on... we've got work to do," Rude reminded him, hopping down onto the tracks and starting towards the tunnels. Reno nodded, and he and Elena followed. He turned back briefly, and gave a casual wave.

"Later, Valentine. We actually manage to survive this shit, drop us a line sometime. Once a Turk, always a Turk."

"Where are we even going?" Elena asked, as they followed the tracks, leaving Avalanche far behind.

"Little known fact..." said Rude. "The trains have a backup power supply."

"Down in the slums. Emergency batteries, just in case somethin' were to happen to the city power grid and people got trapped halfway," Reno added. "Rufus wants us to get people down below... we're gonna need somethin' to move 'em with."

They moved swiftly for several more minutes, until nearly three quarters of the way down, they came upon the train, abandoned on the tracks. Rude hopped up onto the back car and opened the door. It was empty.

"... What's it doing here?"

"Behind schedule, maybe?" Reno offered, "Damn things are usually controlled remotely from the central depot. Maybe this one just didn't make it all the way back to the station before things shut down."

Rude jumped back down, and they continued on to the front of the train. It, too, was empty.

"Stay here. No power up top means no auto-pilot, so someone's gonna have to drive. Me 'n 'Lena'll go power things up, and then you can come pick us up. Saves us havin' to walk back."

"Hurry up."

Reno nodded, and he and Elena set off down the tracks again, at a sprint. It wasn't far, and they covered the distance, spiraling down the central pillar, in just a few minutes. The station was abandoned, as well... it seemed that, even in the slums, people had opted to take cover.

"Over here," said Reno, waving her toward the station's control room. Inside, it didn't take them long to locate the backup power switch. The redhead flipped it, and the darkened station immediately lit up. The pair gazed up at the stranded train... now not so stranded... and watched as it began to move, slowly picking up speed as it descended.

Reno's hand slipped into his pocket, and his fingers wrapped around the little box. They _were_ alone, finally. And a train station was at least moderately better than an elevator.

"Just do it, ya goddamn wuss..." he muttered to himself. Elena turned away from the tracks.

"Did you say something?"

The redhead's eyes widened slightly as he lost his tenuous grasp on what he'd planned to say. "Uh... No. Nothin'," he replied, mentally kicking himself. Why the _hell_ was this so damn hard?

"Reno... what's wrong?" Elena asked, looking at him with concern. Reno took a steadying breath. He could do this. His hand tightened around the box with the ring.

"'Lena... Will you –"

He was cut off by a loud whistle as Rude brought the train to rest in the station, and Elena looked back, watching it come to a stop.

"Oh, come _on_!" he cried, though his words were utterly drowned out by the noise. For someone who'd repeatedly proclaimed that he couldn't wait to see him married... Rude certainly wasn't making it easy for him to get _engaged_.

"All aboard!" Rude shouted, poking his head through the engine's side window. Reno scowled for a moment, but followed Elena onto the train. Once they were safely aboard, Rude threw it into reverse and they started back up the pillar.

"So... what were you saying back there?" Elena asked, and the redhead mentally sighed.

"It can wait," he replied, and pulled her in close, kissing her. "Do me a favor and hit the other end of the train. Rude's gonna need a spotter to tell him when to stop when we get up there." He grinned and kissed her again. "I love you... ya know that?"

She smiled warmly and returned the kiss. "I love you, too," she said, before hurrying off to the last car. Reno silently turned to his partner.

"And _you_... I'm gonna _kill_ you," he stated.

"... What'd _I_ do?" Rude asked, confused.

* * *

Everything seemed layer in a thick fog... though he couldn't quite tell if it was an actual fog, or just a mental one. The last thing he remembered was staring up at the roof of a military transport and feeling tired. So very tired.

Rufus raised a hand to his eyes, rubbing them vigorously, before opening them again. It seemed to help, and he sat up slowly.

"You're to stay still and rest, sir. Doctor's orders."

The President turned his head in the direction of the voice. Tseng was beside him, sitting in a wheelchair and draped in blankets.

"I would normally ensure that you did just that... but I myself am forbidden from moving from my present position. And Justinia has threatened to return me to my own room indefinitely should I disobey," the Wutaiian Turk added.

"Tseng..." He relaxed, lying back against the pillows. His hand traveled down to his thigh, prodding the thick bandages there, and wincing at even the slight pressure.

"They said Midgar was attacked by Weapon," the Turk continued.

"Yes... Just before we fired the cannon. But we were successful. The barrier over the crater is gone," he replied, "And before you ask... your Turks are perfectly fine. And, as I suppose is to be expected, I own them my life. At present, they should be assisting in the evacuation of the Plate." He looked away for a moment, eyes locked on the window. The curtains were drawn tight against the sun. Or at least he assumed it was still daylight outside. In reality, he had no idea how long he'd been unconscious.

"Did I make the right decision?" he suddenly asked, not turning to look at the Turk.

"Sir?"

"Leaving them there. I... wanted to do what I could to save the people of Midgar. But... they may be lost, regardless. I could have brought them back with me," he said, "You could have seen them again... before..."

"There's still a chance to save ourselves, sir. Don't forget that."

Rufus sighed. "When this began... all I wanted was to avenge my father. It seems so petty now."

Tseng smiled slightly. "It _was_ petty, sir. But we all understood why you needed to do it. And had you _not_ we might not have learned of Sephiroth's true intentions until it was much too late to do anything."

The President looked up at the tiled ceiling and frowned. "I should have brought them with me. Even if we do somehow save the planet, I may well have sentenced them to death in that city."

"My Turks are among the most resourceful people I've ever known. They've worked very hard to become so, and they can take care of themselves. They'll manage, Rufus."

"I hope so," Rufus replied, "I truly do."

* * *

They had worked the rest of the day and through the night, and were still at it as dawn turned to dusk once again. Reno had tried, repeatedly, to contact someone – anyone – who might have some news, but cellular service was non-existent, even up on the Plate. On his most recent trip up, it had been very apparent why. Meteor was nearly there.

He _had_ learned, from a small group of building security officers heading down to the slums, that the threat Hojo had presented, at least, had passed. The reactors were powering down to normal output levels. Even so, no one was truly safe. He could already see the flames licking at the edges of Meteor as it drew a little too close to the planet's atmosphere. He doubted the slums would protect anyone if that damn rock actually make contact... but what other choice did they have?

As the train rolled to a stop, Reno waved the next group of people aboard.

"H-hey! Hey!" someone called out, and the Turk scanned the sea of Midgar residents waiting to board. After a few seconds, his eyes fell on a familiar figure, waving to him from the sea of faces.

"Tuesti?!" He hopped down from his perch and pushed his way through the crowd with the help of a few Shinra soldiers until he reached the man. Reeve looked like he'd seen better days. His arm was in a makeshift sling, and dried blood coated one side of his face. But he was very much alive... and he looked _very_ glad to see the Turks.

"I was worried there might not be anyone in charge. Thank Shiva someone's keeping things organized here. The President... Vincent said you three rescued him. Is he alright?"

"He's in Junon," Reno replied, escorting the executive back to the train, and helping him into the engine. "He was hurt, but I'm pretty sure he'll be fine. Ordered us to stick around and get as many people off the Plate as we can. Not the easiest thing to do with only one train runnin'. The ones that can manage on their own are walkin' the tracks to other sectors, but there's still a lot of people up here. You still controllin' that cat robot of yours?"

The train very quickly filled to capacity, and Rude started them forward.

"I am," said Reeve. "And we've found Sephiroth. It won't be long."

Reno cast another glance upward just before they entered the tunnel.

"Hope not... 'cause I don't think we _have_ long."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"... Don't you need to pay attention to the robot?" Reno asked, but Reeve shook his head.

"Cait Sith is largely autonomous. It can make decisions based on past experience and adapt to new situations with very little input from the operator... Its AI learns as it goes. I'm really just watching most of the time at this point."

Rude snorted softly from his position at the controls. "Sounds like _you_ should've had Scarlet's job. Your battle drones are a lot more effective than most of hers."

"Cait Sith wasn't really designed to fight. I built him for hazardous construction and repair, and for search and rescue. He was made to help people."

The train glided along the tracks, descending into the slums.

"Heh... well, if you're sure you're up to it, ya mind takin' over for me so I can give 'Lena a break? She's been workin' crowd control on her own down below for hours now."

"Sure thing."

They rode in silence for the remainder of the trip, and when they at last pulled into the station in the Sector 5 slums, Reno was quick to disembark along with the other passengers.

"This way! Everyone, this way! There's water and blankets at the end of the terminal, and shelters are being set up outside anywhere there's space!"

Reno grinned as he spotted Elena standing at the top of a stack of crates, directing the new arrivals. He hadn't actually seen her since they'd taken a very short break for for lunch... and that had been hours ago. She smiled warmly when she caught sight of him as well, and carefully climbed down, wading through the current of bodies until she reached him.

"You look exhausted," he said, pulling her into a tight embrace. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest.

"So do you."

Reno pressed a soft kiss against the top of her head, and began leading her away from the crowds. The train began to reverse direction again, and Elena looked up in confusion.

"Doesn't Rude need you at the back?" she asked.

"Nah... Found a temporary replacement. I'm gonna take over for _you_ for a little while so you can get somethin' to eat and maybe sit down for five seconds. How ya holdin' up?"

"I'm as exhausted as I look," she replied, "But I'm okay."

"We're almost done... one way or another."

"What do you mean?"

"We can probably get everyone that's still waitin' down in four or five more trips... assumin' things don't get bad before then. Meteor... It's gettin' close, 'Lena. _Real_ close."

"... I wish we knew was what going on."

"Reeve says Avalanche is takin' on Sephiroth as we speak."

"Reeve? Reeve's alive?!"

The redhead nodded. "Ran into him up top right as we were gettin' ready to leave. That's who took over for me."

"Finally some _good_ news."

They'd walked a fair distance by now, into a more or less empty section of the station. Reno tightened his grip around her, pulling her close against his side and took a deep breath.

"'Lena? Before _anything_ else goes horribly wrong there's somethin' I need ta ask –"

But he didn't get to finish that sentence. Panicked shouting, and a repeated, urgent whistle drew both of their attention to the pillar, where the train was racing downward as quickly as it could.

"The fuck? No way they made it topside and back _that_ fast. Somethin's wrong..."

 _Very_ wrong, judging by the throngs of people who, not long after, came rushing down the tracks on foot behind them. The sight sent refugees from the slums and the plate alike running for whatever cover they could find. Reno and Elena ran for the platform, arriving just as the train rolled in. Rude jumped down, and Reeve wasn't far behind.

"It's starting," the bald Turk said grimly. "Meteor... It's tearing apart the Plate!"

And then they heard it. From high above came a whirling, like a great vortex of wind, and a crashing that reverberated down the pillar and into the ground itself. The mako-powered lighting in the slums flickered, and Reno could hear men and women screaming in fear on the tracks that wound around the pillar. The panic soon spread the those on the ground.

"We gotta get to cover! Now!"

Rude and Reeve both nodded in agreement, and Reno gripped Elena's hand, pulling her along with him as he took off towards the interior of the sector.

"Where are we going?" Reeve asked as they ran.

"There's a church. 'Bout the only building left that's still worth anything down here, structure wise. It's our best bet!"

By then, debris was starting to fall as Meteor began to tear open holes in the Plate. Reno dared a glance upwards. All he could see was ominous red light and pieces of the world above swirling through the air. The power cut out, and the slums were plunged into an eerie twilight. People were everywhere, running in all directions, and making progress towards their goal was getting harder and harder.

He heard a shout behind him, and looked back just in time to see Reeve go down.

"I got him!" Rude shouted, "Keep going!" A second later, the redhead lost sight of him as well. He growled low in his throat in frustration, but there wasn't anything he could do. If he stopped now, he and Elena would likely be swept along by the tide of people... or worse, end up getting separated. Rude knew where he was going. He'd just have to trust that his partner could manage to get there on his own.

He finally spotted an opening and lunged for it, pushing Elena out of the crowd ahead of him and elbowing his way past several people to join her in the tiny pocket between two piles of crushed and overturned cars.

"I don't see Rude anywhere!" she said, worried. Reno scanned the cacophonous spectacle, but didn't have any more luck than she had.

"He'll be alright," he assured her, "He'll meet us at the church. Come on... we gotta keep movin'."

She nodded, and the pair set forth again. It was slightly easier this time. Most people seemed to be fleeing away from the city center... probably hoping for a better chance beyond the city gates. Now that they were out of the main body of the herd, they could pick their way along the periphery with relative ease. They were nearly there. He could see the steeple.

"Reno!"

He turned at the sound of the frightened cry.

"Over there!" Elena said, pointing. A figure was crumpled on the ground, hugging one leg tightly against its chest. "I-is that... ?"

"Fuck... It's _Lira_..."

They forced their way over to the woman, Elena holding tightly to Reno's arm for fear of being pulled away from him. When they reached her, they found her terrified and in tears.

"Lira..." Reno breathed, dropping to his knees at her side.

"I... I think... it's broken..." she said through gritted teeth.

"I gotcha, Lira..." he said, lifting her into his arms, "'Lena... don't fuckin' let go of me for anything. We gotta move."

Lira shrieked as part of the plate plummeted back in the direction of the train station, and wrapped her arms around Reno's neck, burying her face against his shoulder. They started off again, but it was slow going carrying an injured woman, and things above seemed to only be getting worse. Somehow, though, they made it. Elena wrenched open the door, holding it until Reno and Lira were inside and then slipping in behind them.

"Rude! You here?!" Reno shouted into the darkened space, and paused to listen, but there was no answer. He settled Lira on one of the worn wooden pews and lifted the long skirt she was wearing to get a look at her leg.

"What happened?" he asked, probing it as gently as he could. He could very clearly feel the break. It was bad... but at least it hadn't broken the skin.

"Everyone was running," she sobbed quietly, "I couldn't get out of it... and I tripped. They didn't stop. I don't even think some of them saw me... or maybe they just didn't care. They just kept going, right over top of me..."

"That's awful," Elena said, shaking her head. Something slammed into the outside of the building, shaking it and showering them in dust, and all three of them flinched, expecting the worst.

"We gotcha now," the redhead said, hugging her to his chest. "And me 'n 'Lena aren't gonna leave ya."

There was a loud creak as the door was hauled open once again, and two additional bodies all but flung themselves through it. The two Turks leapt to their feet, ready to fight.

"Oh, thank fuck," Reno sighed, recognizing the new arrivals. "Was startin' to worry about you assholes."

Rude smirked as he helped Reeve slowly hobble inside. "Woulda been here sooner, but our illustrious executive decided to sprain his ankle," he said, setting the man down on the pew next to Lira. Elena threw her arms around her fellow Turk.

"I was so worried..."

"Don't 'spose you thought to grab the first aid kit off the train by any chance..." Reno asked. "Lira's leg's fractured pretty bad."

Rude shook his head. "Sorry. Had other things on my mind. But I'll see what I can do."

The deep red light filtering through the windows of the church suddenly changed huge, shifting to a brilliant white, and all of them had to shield their eyes for a moment.

"... _Now_ what?" Reno muttered as it faded to a more tolerable intensity.

"It's... It's Holy," Reeve said, his finger pressed firmly against the Cait Sith earpiece he still wore. "The magic of the white materia... Aerith's materia. When we defeated Sephiroth, it was set free." He looked up at them, slightly awed. "It's trying to turn back Meteor..."

"Will... will it work?" Lira asked, her arms wrapped protectively around her belly... which, Reno belatedly noted was significantly larger than the last time he'd seen her.

"I... don't know..." Reeve replied.

"Yeah, well... whether it does or not, there's somethin' I gotta do," said Reno. He seized Elena by the arms, pulling her around in front of him and gazing deeply into her eyes. "'Lena... I have been tryin' to do this for two _goddamn_ days now, and not even that fuckin' space rock's gonna interrupt me this time." He glanced up at the crumbling building, made even less inviting by the grim lighting, and shook his head. "Not exactly the way I _wanted_ this to be, but fuck it. I love you, 'Lena. And I wanna spend the rest of my life with you... whether it's five minutes or fifty years."

Reno let go of her, one hand going to his pocket, and drawing out the box. He dropped to one knee as Elena's eyes went wide, and opened it, offering the ring to her.

"Elena Elizabeth Brewer... Will you marry me?"

"Oh, Reno..." she gasped, and raised a hand to wipe away the moisture she suddenly found in her eyes. "Yes! Yes, of course I will!"

He grinned widely, and slipped the ring onto her finger, before standing and pulling her in for a kiss.

"About damn time," Rude and Lira chorused, and looked at one another in surprise. Rude snorted softly and shook his head.

Reno leaned back, breaking the kiss at last, and gently wiped away the tears that were making their way down Elena's cheeks. He smiled. "Come on, 'Lena... You know I hate it when women cry."

She made a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh, and launched herself into his arms.

The light of Holy began to dim, bathing the church in pale pink which quickly turned to a deep red, and the din above them increased ten-fold, as parts of the city began to crash into the slums. Reno gripped her tighter, unwilling to let her go.

"Reeve? The fuck's goin' on out there?!"

"Holy... Meteor... it's breaking through," he replied, shaking his head in dismay. "It's not enough..."

"Oh, no..." Elena whispered, and the redhead felt her hands clench the fabric of his jacket. Reno looked over at Rude. Lira was clinging to him, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Couldn't ask for a better brother," Reno said.

"Same here."

Reno let his fingers twine themselves into Elena's hair, softly stroking it. For a few short moments, he'd dared to hope that maybe... just maybe... they'd actually pulled it off. That all their effort had made a difference and they'd somehow come out of this in one piece. That he'd see Tseng again. That... he'd be able to have a life with Elena.

Witnessing those hopes die was almost too much to take. It wasn't fucking fair. He'd finally found what had been missing from his life... and now, this was it. The end.

"I'm scared..." Elena said, her voice barely audible over the increasingly loud destruction above them.

"Me, too," he admitted. "But I'm right here. And I'm not goin' anywhere."

Something landed just outside the church, with a mighty crash and the sound of shattering glass, and Lira screamed. Elena, too, tensed in his arms, as though bracing herself for the inevitable. Reno watched what little he could see through the high, narrow windows for a moment, before forcing himself to look away. He really didn't want to see it coming. He just hoped it was quick... for all of them.

His eyes fell on the little patch of flowers blooming in the earth that poked through the broken floor near the alter. They were still growing, even without Aerith to tend to them. He blinked and looked again. It wasn't just flowers that were growing out of that tiny plot of dirt.

It started as faint tendrils, snaking upwards from amongst the leaves and gradually fading into thin wisps before vanishing entirely... but bit by bit those tendrils became stronger and more solid, growing in size and in length, and shining with the brilliant green of raw mako.

"... 'Lena..." He prodded her, turning her to face the strange sight. The others looked up as well, each of them equally as surprised by the sudden appearance of... whatever the hell it was.

The logical part of his mind told him that he shouldn't be anywhere near something like that. If it really was mako... somehow seeping out of the ground all on its own... they'd be walking out of here with severe mako poisoning if they stayed. And he nearly laughed at that thought... the odds of them walking out of here were pretty much nil.

The less logical part, though... that part didn't seem to sense any danger at all. If anything, it was telling him to be claim and just watch.

"W-what is it?" Elena asked, and Reno could only shake his head. He really had no idea. Reeve got to his feet, limping badly on his injured ankle, to get a better look.

"Lifestream..." he breathed, a look of shock on his face. "And it's not just here. We can see it from the Highwind, too. It's... coming from everywhere."

The trickle of energy suddenly became a deluge, surging upwards, and Reno instinctively stepped back, pulling Elena along with him.

"What... the... fuck... ?"

"I... I think the planet is fighting back," Reeve said, his tone almost disbelieving.

The group could only stare as the lifeforce of the planet itself poured forth, rising toward the threat of Meteor... and slowly, little by little, the red glow that had for so long signaled their doom was driven back, replaced by a warm green that filled the sky.

"Reeve? Don't go quiet on us now... what the hell's happening out there?"

"I... I don't know. I've lost the connection to Cait Sith," he replied, removing the earpiece and examining it. "There's too much interference. Too much energy."

It seemed to go on endlessly, and all they could do was watch, until finally, the stream began to slow. The light faded, and the tendrils of lifestream dissipated, a few stray motes of light shimmering briefly above the flower petals before vanishing, as though they were never there.

"... 'Kay... so... Who wants to go take a look outside?" Reno asked. He hadn't moved an inch through the entire show, and his fingers were gripping Elena's shoulders painfully hard. She didn't seem to notice.

" _You're_ in command..." Rude pointed out.

"Yeah... thanks for the reminder," he muttered, and forced himself to release his hold on Elena. He turned toward the door and started forward slowly, realizing just as he reached it that she had followed him. He looked back at her, questioningly.

"Where you go, I go..." she stated. He nodded, and eased the door open, stepping outside.

"... Holy shit."

The Plate – at least the section of it above Sector 5 – was gone. Parts of it had fallen, but most was simply missing. Either flung off somewhere else, or obliterated entirely. Far above, the stars shown brightly. So many stars. He'd never seen them so clearly over the city before.

Other survivors were gradually making their way out from various shelters, and a low murmur was beginning to buzz among those gathering. Rude crept up beside him, joining them outside.

"... It's... _gone_."

"It's fucking gone," Reno echoed.

A moment later, a cheer went up all around the sector.

* * *

Elena moaned and shifted positions. The ground was hard and the night was chilly. Reno gently rubbed a bit of warmth into her arms and she yawned.

"Can't sleep?"

"I'm cold... and I think I'm sitting on a rock."

Reno snickered quietly and lifted her onto his lap, kissing her neck just below her ear. "Reeve's got us all on the next transport to Junon. When we get back, I'll find ya the softest, warmest bed on the base. And I'll make sure no one bothers ya."

Elena giggled softly. "What if I _want_ someone to... _bother_... me."

"Oh, I'll bother ya... I'll bother ya 'til ya scream if you want me to," he replied, grinning widely.

Rude suddenly groaned and sat up. "We just survived the end of the world... and you two are already thinking about sex?"

"We just survived the end of the world... and you're _not_?" the redhead retorted.

"Save it for the honeymoon," Rude muttered.

"Grouch."

"I haven't slept in almost three days. What do you expect?" He paused for a moment. "For that matter, neither have either of _you_. How are you so wide awake still?"

"Can't speak for 'Lena, but I think _I'm_ so fuckin' tired, I've somehow come full circle."

Elena yawned again and snuggled against him. "Not me. I'm just plain tired."

"That makes two of us," Rude agreed.

"So get some sleep. I'll just keep an eye on things."

Rude grunted and laid back down. Really, it was probably a good thing that he _did_ feel so awake. Survivors were still making their way out of the slums and into the makeshift refugee camp that had sprung up around the outskirts of the city, and the Turks didn't have much in the way of shelter or protection out here. In fact, Reno and Elena were propped up against the trunk of a long dead tree, and Rude had simply laid himself out on the ground nearby. A small fire burned brightly between them... and there were hundreds of other such arrangements scattered throughout the area. And while most people, like themselves, were probably too tired to cause them any trouble, there were assholes lurking in just about every crowd.

Junon had been quick to send assistance... but Midgar was massive. Survivors were being prioritized as best they could. The worst injuries were being shuttled off to Junon. Those that were less serious were being taken to Kalm, or simply being treated in one of the medical tents that had sprouted up in a few places. Lira had been lucky enough to secure a seat on one of the Kalm transports. She'd been reluctant to go by herself, but there hadn't been room for the Turks to accompany her. Reno had reassured her by promising to come and find her once things had settled down, and calling ahead to Talia and letting her know that her friend would be arriving soon. He'd also let the young woman know to expect a very large and intimidating man with a gun for an arm to come looking for his kid in the near future. He'd made sure to give her information to Reeve to pass along to Barret before the executive had departed, himself, to Junon earlier. It seemed only fair to return the girl... seeing as her father had been among those who defeated Sephiroth. Even if he _was_ a terrorist.

Elena murmured something in her sleep and curled up slightly on his lap, her fingers unconsciously caressing his chest. He glanced down at her hand, and at the glint of gold on her finger in the firelight. In that moment, he didn't care if the ground was hard, or the night was cold. All that mattered was that he was alive, his family was safe... and he was going to marry the woman he loved.

~fin~

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Just one more chapter to go... the epilogue. :)_


	70. Epilogue

**Taking Care of Reno – Epilogue**

 **by Desha**

 _ **Kalm - Four Months Later**_

Rude snickered as, for what had to have been the hundredth time, a blur of red and black flashed by him, trailed by an increasingly frustrated, and _very_ pregnant, Lira.

"I can't do this... Why the _hell'd_ you let me look out there? How the fuck can we have invited _that_ many people? How do we even _know_ that many people?!"

The bald Turk rolled his eyes. "Reno... there are exactly twenty three people sitting out there. The way you're carrying on, you'd think half of Edge had showed up. Besides... aren't you always saying how you _love_ to be the center of attention?"

"Ugh... Will you _hold still_?!" Lira demanded. She set her hands on her hips, one of them still gripping the narrow strip of black fabric she'd been waving, and looked over at Rude. "Or better yet, _you_ hold him still! How the hell am I s'posed to get this on him if I can't even catch him?"

"I'm gonna fuck this up... I fuckin' know it," the redhead continued, oblivious to her pleas. He rounded on his partner, eyes wide. "I _can't_ fuck this up, Rude! I just can't... It's too important to 'Lena..."

The door to the room opened, and Tseng stepped inside, leaning heavily on a dark mahogany cane. Though the injuries inflicted upon him during his brief confrontation with Sephiroth were largely mended, the blade had damaged a number of nerves in his back, leaving his right leg weak. Ward, however, was confident – and adamant – that in time, he'd recover fully. He paused in the doorway for a moment, watching the spectacle.

Reno suddenly froze in the middle of his frantic pacing, his face going pale as he patted his pockets.

"Where the fuck'd I put the ring?!"

"For Odin's sake," Rude laughed, shaking his head in amusement, "You gave it to _me_. Two hours ago. Remember?"

Lira took advantage of the man's unexpected stillness and went for his neck, looping the bowtie around it, and tying it before he could take off again.

" _Finally_!" she cried, triumphantly. "At least now he's _dressed_ like he's ready to get married..." She breathed a sigh of relief and pressed a hand to her lower back as she shuffled towards the divan in front of the window and planted herself on it, her job done. Tseng chuckled and stepped farther into the dressing room, closing the door behind him.

"I see _you're_ perfectly calm and collected, and behaving like a seasoned Turk under pressure," he said, smiling warmly at his lieutenant. Rude snorted in laughter.

"It'd be hilarious if we weren't so pressed for time," he said, as Reno flitted past him yet again, a bundle of nervous energy. "I've seen him calmer facing certain death. If he doesn't settle down soon, I'm gonna go find Ward and see if she brought any sedatives with her."

"There is a far simpler solution, I think," Tseng replied. He shifted his weight to his good leg, and lifted the cane, and as Reno drifted by again, used it to hook his ankle, sending him to the the ground. The Turk leader dropped to the floor as well, pinning him in place long enough to fasten a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

"The fuck?!" the surprised groom cried, suddenly finding himself immobile. Tseng, with some effort, got to his feet again.

"You brought cuffs to a wedding?" Rude queried, an eyebrow rising behind his ever-present sunglasses.

"To _Reno's_ wedding? Yes. I'm also armed... just in case," the Wutaiian said with a mischievous smile. "Would you mind?"

The other Turk smirked and obligingly bent down and picked his friend up, slinging him over his shoulder.

"Hmph... You couldn't have done that for _me_ ten minutes ago?" Lira asked, annoyed as she put her feet up on the little coffee table in front of her.

"Put me the hell down!" The redhead squirmed ineffectively in Rude's grasp for a minute or two before finally conceding defeat and going limp with a quiet groan.

"Works every time," Tseng commented. "Set him on the couch, Rude... but... leave the handcuffs _on_ for now."

Reno's best man was quick to obey, ignoring the scowl on his friend's face as he placed him at one end of the overstuffed sofa that took up most of the back wall. Tseng made his way over and sat down beside him with a soft grunt of discomfort when his leg protested. He let his hand rest between the redhead's shoulder blades, and gently rubbed his back. Reno closed his eyes, exhaling a long breath, but the tension remained.

"What in Leviathan's name has got you so thoroughly on edge?"

"Today's gotta be perfect..." he replied. "... and so far it's _been_ perfect. Which means that's it's only a matter of time before somethin' goes horribly, disastrously, unimaginably all kinds of fuckin' wrong. This is her _wedding_ , Tseng! 'Lena'll never forgive me if I fuck somethin' up..."

"Unless plans have drastically changed in the approximately two hours it took me to retrieve Viridia in Junon, it's _your_ wedding, too," Tseng pointed out.

"And Elena would forgive you for... well, for pretty much anything anyone could ever think of... but _definitely_ for makin' a little mistake during the ceremony," Lira added. "So stop freakin' out already." She grinned widely. "Tell ya what... if things look like they're goin' south, I'll pretend to go into labor."

"My luck you'd _actually_ go into labor," Reno countered, at last managing a smile, "So... uh... _memorable_ as that'd be, let's not not do that."

Lira giggled, and tried to get up, only to find herself stuck. "Dammit... Why's having a kid gotta turn a girl into an upside down goddamn turtle every time she gets comfortable!?" She tried again and, failing to do much more than rock from one side to the other, glanced over at the trio. "Okay, seriously... one of you. Little help?"

Rude smirked and crossed the room, helping her to her feet.

" _Thank_ you." She walked over to Reno and bent down slightly, kissing him on the cheek. "If you're finally done wearin' holes in the carpet... _I'm_ gonna go check on your bride now."

She left the three men on their own and wandered down the hallway. She rounded a corner, preparing to knock on the first door she came to... only to nearly be trampled as a young woman, dressed in the same pale pink chiffon she herself was wearing, rushed out in front of her. It took her a moment to recognize her as Elena's maid of honor. She was pretty sure she'd been introduced as Chai... but as they'd only meet a little over three hours ago, and hadn't seen much of one another since, it was very possible she'd misheard.

"Sorry... Shoe emergency!" she shouted over her shoulder as she all but ran towards the front door of the little church. Lira blinked in surprise, but simply shook her head and pushed the door open.

"What's a shoe emergency?" she asked, spotting the bride sitting in front of a large mirror, putting on a pair of earrings. Elena laughed and turned around to face her. She lifted her dress, revealing the shoes in question... one of which had a dark streak across the toe.

"It got a little trampled while we were unpacking. Really, I don't know why she's so worried about it. My dress is so long, no one's ever going to see it." Elena looked up at her and grinned. "Oh, Lira... you look amazing!"

"I _look_ like a whale in a dress," she replied, laughing softly, "But thank you. And thanks again for askin' me to be a bridesmaid. It means a lot to me bein' part of this... 'specially after all the hurt I put Reno through after he... well, after Sector Seven."

"How could I not? If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be _having_ a wedding, because Reno and I would probably still be just friends." She giggled and stood up, walking over to her bridesmaid. "Besides... _someone_ has to walk down the aisle with my brother, after all. He's _really_ looking forward to it, you know." she teased. "He's still got a little bit of a crush on you..."

Lira grinned somewhat lewdly. " _He's_ not so bad himself. And maybe it's just the hormones talkin', but dear Holy, I could really use a man right about now. Think he'd ever consider movin' to Kalm?"

"I... kind of doubt it. But you're welcome to try and talk him into it," she said, laughing.

Lira giggled softly. "Maybe I'll do that..." She sat down on the dressing room's chaise lounge, with a sigh. "Well, I'm glad to see at least _one_ of the people gettin' married today isn't losin' their damn mind."

Elena frowned and joined her. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah... Just Reno bein' Reno," Lira snickered. "You know how he gets... He's worried somethin's gonna get fucked up and it'll be all his fault and you'll be pissed at him. It's just nerves. He'll be fine once things get started."

"Oh... Maybe I should go talk to him..."

Lira quickly sat up... or performed some semblance of the maneuver. As much as her overly large belly would permit, at any rate.

"No! Absolutely not!" she said, "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the ceremony... and that poor boy is freaked out enough without convincin' himself that he's jinxed the whole thing. 'Sides... I left him with Tseng and Rude. He's _fine_. Anyway... Stand up. Let me get a good look at that dress of yours."

Elena got to her feet and smoothed out the skirt of her dress before turning in a slow circle.

"So? What do you think?"

"Gorgeous..." Lira replied... and then giggled loudly. Elena rested her hands on her hips.

"What _now_?"

"Nothin'..." the other woman replied, trying to keep a straight face, "I was just thinkin'... after dating _Reno_ as long as you have been, do you _really_ think you can get away with wearin' white?"

" _Lira!_ "

"I'm just sayin'..." She smiled teasingly and pushed herself more upright. "Anyone who's met him is gonna know that the honeymoon's _definitely_ not gonna be your first time..."

Elena laughed, blushing faintly. "... You _may_ be right about that. But I think it's a little late to consider a wardrobe change."

"Seriously, though... You look amazing. Reno's gonna be speechless."

"Oh, dear Shiva, I _hope_ not... He's got vows to take," the bride sniggered. Without warning, the door burst open, and Chai rushed back inside.

" _SHOES!_ " she cried, brandishing the new pair like some sort hard-won battle trophy. Elena doubled over laughing.

* * *

"Now, now... don't be nervous, m'boy," the elderly chaplain of the church whispered. "You're gonna do just fine."

Reno looked out at the sea of faces watching him and swallowed sharply before responding with a half-hearted chuckle. Sure... he'd be fine. If he didn't fuckin' pass out before Elena made it down the aisle. He felt an all-too-familiar tightening sensation in his chest, and quickly reminded himself to breathe. He hadn't had a panic attack in months, and he sure as _fuck_ wasn't going to have one at his own wedding. But dear Ifrit, this waiting was _killing_ him.

A slight movement to his right caught his attention, and his gaze shifted over the the front row of chairs where Elena's grandmother... _his_ grandmother... was waving to him. She smiled warmly at him, and he felt himself relax a little. These were his friends. His family. There was no reason to worry about being up in front of them.

He scanned the rows again, this time looking at the individual faces, and not just the amassed crowed. He spotted Kel and his daughter Mirian near the middle of the room. And Viridia, looking far less military than usual, in an ocean blue dress. Talia and _her_ little girl. The Doc. And, hiding somewhat off to one side in the back, Rufus... who of late had felt the need to avoid public appearances, as Shinra Company's reputation was less than stellar at the moment.

A subtle movement in the shadows snapped his eyes to a darkened corner, where Reno was slightly surprised to see the figure of Vincent Valentine lurking. They'd sent the former-Turk an invitation, but in all honesty hadn't expected him to turn up. Reno was rather glad he _did_. He'd become something of a go-between for them with Avalanche as they and Shinra Company worked together to help the people of Midgar recover from the aftermath of Meteor's near-collision and construct the new city of Edge outside of the ruins. The redhead had to admit... he liked the guy.

Reno very nearly jumped out of his skin a moment later when the music started and the doors at the back swung open.

The first to enter was Rude, with Elena's friend, Chai, on his arm, followed shortly after by her brother, Del, and Lira. They took their places beside him at the altar. Rude gently elbowed him, grinning widely, as the music changed and Reno's eyes went wide, his jaw dropping slightly.

Elena had never looked more beautiful. She'd refuse to let him even see photos of her dress, and now he was grateful she hadn't, because it would have utterly spoiled the surprise. The bodice was tight, hugging her body in all the right places with shimmery white material held up by a narrow strap that circled around behind her neck. The skirt moved like water as she walked forward, clinging to her with each step and then flowing, wisp-like, behind her.

Tseng, dressed to perfection as always, smiled as he escorted her. It had taken a little convincing to get him to do it. He'd argued that his injury would make the trip unbearably long for her, and that it really ought to have been her brother walking her down the aisle, anyway. Elena had countered that Del would be happier walking with Lira... and that since her own father wasn't alive to give her away, nothing would make her happier than if Tseng would do so in his place. The Turk leader had been thoroughly unable to refuse after that.

When they at last reached the altar, Tseng placed Elena's hand in Reno's, and smiled as he took a seat next to Nana. The music ended, and the chaplain turned to the guests.

"Friends and family... We are here today to witness the joining of Reno and Elena. Two souls who, by fortune, fate, or grace, have found love with one another." He chuckled warmly. "And, as this lovely young couple has no desired to hear an old man ramble on... they've written their own vows."

There was soft rippled of laughter from the pews, and Elena giggled quietly, as the chaplain gestured to Reno to go first. The redhead took a deep breath. He'd been rehearsing what he was going to say for weeks... And for weeks his greatest fear was, that when the time came, his mind would go blank. His bride squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"'Lena... I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. Findin' you was the best thing that's ever happened to me. You've made me whole. I don't deserve you... but that's never seemed to matter to you. I'm yours, and no one else's... from today, 'til the end of time, and I promise I'll always be good to you," he said. His voice seemed thicker with every word, and by the end, a tear was threatening to drop from the corner of his eye. "I... I can't imagine my life without you."

He blinked, and it fell, and Elena's hand rose to his cheek, carefully wiping it away. She smiled as he leaned into her touch, and he was almost certain he heard an almost inaudible 'Awww...' from Lira's general direction.

"Oh, Reno..." Elena sighed, and then flashed him a somewhat impish grin. "When we first met... I couldn't stand you," she stated flatly, and the redhead laughed, as did several of those in attendance. "But... over time, I learned what a wonderful and kind person you really are. The kind of person who loves with all their heart. You became my best friend... and then my family. And then so much more. I'm as much yours as you are mine. You _do_ deserve me, Reno, and one day I'll make you believe that."

She held his gaze, and in that moment, he really _did_ finally believe it. The chaplain stepped forward again and glanced over at Rude, and then Chai.

"The rings, please."

Reno turned and Rude placed it in his hand, grinning so widely the Turk almost had to wonder if his face was starting to hurt by now. He reached for Elena's hand, and slipped it onto her finger, as she did the same to him.

"Do you, Reno James Donovan, take Elena as your wife?" the chaplain asked.

"You have no idea how much I do..." he said, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"And do you, Elena Elizabeth Brewer, take Reno as your husband?"

Elena smiled widely, her gaze just as completely locked on him. "Of course, I do."

"Then, if anyone can show cause why these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

The annoyingly pessimistic part of Reno's mind that was still expecting something to go horrifyingly wrong waited in a state of abject dread for someone to stand up and object. When no one did, he slowly released the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding.

"In that case," the chaplain went on, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Reno leaned in, capturing Elena's lips with his own. One hand gently cupped her cheek, while the other pulled her body against his. He didn't want the moment to end... but all too soon, it did. The pair slowly pulled apart.

"Ladies and gentlemen... It is my great pleasure to present, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Reno and Elena Donovan."

Reno's arm snaked around Elena's waist as they turned to face the applauding crowd, and a moment later the redhead was prodded sharply from behind as Rude helpfully reminded him that he was _supposed_ to walk his bride back _up_ the aisle now.

Reno grabbed her by the hand and coaxed her along, passing by friends and family as they made their way out of the hall. As they passed through the doors and out into the corridor, he swept her up, lifting her into his arms.

"Mrs. Donovan," he said, cordially, grinning from ear to ear. Elena laughed and hugged him tight as he carried her off to the little room she'd spent the last couple of hours getting ready in, and laid her down gently on the chaise lounge, stretching out beside her and leaving a trail of teasing kisses along her throat.

"So... we got a little while before the reception starts... What do you think about consummatin' this marriage," he asked, leering slightly as his fingers toyed with the zipper at the back of her gown.

"I _think_ we have about fifteen _minutes_ before the reception starts... and I'd like to actually _enjoy_ consummating this marriage," she snickered.

"Think of it as a preview... A quick teaser for our wedding night?"

"Get off me, you pervert," Elena laughed. "Reception first... _then_ honeymoon." She kissed him deeply and before she pulled away again she set her lips next to his ear. "Besides," she whispered, "The longer I make you wait, the more we're _both_ going to enjoy it..."

Reno moaned softly against her collarbone. "Then I hope you were plannin' on bein' ravished all night long by a sexual deviant..."

Elena gazed at him seductively, and pressed the most fleeting of kisses to his lips. It sent a pleasant shiver down the redhead's spine.

"Oh... most definitely."

~The End~

 _ **Author's note:**_ _Taking Care of Reno was the first fan fiction I ever wrote, and it's hard to believe that it started as a one-shot over 16 years ago. It's even harder to believe that it evolved into a story spanning 70 chapters. A huge Thank You to everyone who reviewed, commented, and otherwise encouraged me to finish it._


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